Is DVDWS Dead??

beachvideo · Post by **beachvideo** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:29 am

I've seen no further development, no updates for some time and no V3. Movie factory V5 has some features that the 'pro' DVDWS doesn't.

All this makes me wonder - is DVDWS dead and no longer being developed?? Looks that way to me.

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:08 am

I obviously cannot answer for Ulead, but WS3 is neither dead nor imminent, as far as I'm aware. I do have a small insight as to what is happening, but cannot tell you in detail (NDA).

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:13 pm

NOTE- Unlike Devil, I don't have any "insight"... I'm not a beta-tester or employee.

Yeah, I get the same feeling... Since I bought Workshop, Movie Factory has been updated twice and Video Studio is about to be updated for the 2nd time. Workshop is a great program, but there a couple of features that are "missing". (I've been playing around with an authoring program that has a 5.1 channel AC3 encoder.)

I suspect that Workshop is one of Ulead's lowest-volume programs. Too bad, because it's the best Ulead program that I own! Most of Ulead's products seem to be more "consumer oriented". It is probably difficult for Ulead to compete at the high-end with Sony and Adobe. As far as I can tell, Ulead gives the same customer support to it's high-end customers as it's low-end customers. And, you can't provide much suport with a $50 program.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:36 pm

I agree with with DVDDoug that WS2 is the best program I own.
Despite all the new bits and pieces in Movie Factory 5 you still cannot create a DVD Menu from a scratch. OK my tutorial may help overcome this but even using that method you cannot create playlists.

At the very least Ulead ought to bring out a service pack to give the existing product
1. Widescreen support
2. Dolby 5.1 surround sound

I am sure more users will add to this wish list.
Perhaps if enough of us make our feelings known here it may get things moving along a bit faster as either a service pack or a new version is well overdue.

Steve J

Post by **Ron P.** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:48 pm

So far WS2 is one of the few that I don't own. However given what I have read, I don't think I would be inclined to buy it at this time, due to HDV, and Blue-ray, and 5.1 dolby.

I do think Ulead needs to re-evaluate letting another program fade. Cool 3D PS is a second one that hasn't had any changes for a long time. Of course their is no urgent changes that are happening that would warrant it to be upgraded. However the rendering engine could be improved upon.

Again I feel that WS should not be allowed to dissolve away...

Ron P.

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:43 am

Oooooh! Yes, I agree that it is a damn good software, if only it were updated to cover modern needs (and, preferably, with a UI that is more conventional and less Fisher-Price!!!). I'm not sure that it was a poor seller, though. Both the full and Express versions certainly got an excellent press in their time and I know of many using non-Ulead editors but who use WS2 for authoring.

beachvideo · Post by **beachvideo** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:57 am

Devil wrote:and I know of many using non-Ulead editors but who use WS2 for authoring.

I am one of those users but as 90% of my work is 16:9, without 16:9 menus being added I'm now looking at other options. ie Encore. I've waited and waited but at the least it seems it's 'on the back burner' and few, if any, resources are being allocated to DVDWS by Ulead. Pity.

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 6:55 pm

vidoman wrote:So far WS2 is one of the few that I don't own. However given what I have read, I don't think I would be inclined to buy it at this time, due to HDV, and Blue-ray, and 5.1 dolby.
Ron P.

Not getting at you, just curious, so to qualify this statement about not buying it due to lack of support for Hdv, blue ray and 5.1

Do you own a Hdv cam?
Do you own a blue ray burner?
Do you have a 5.1 audio editing app?

If not, when do you expect to buy it?

Within the next month?
Yes, you'd expect to have an app which dealt with these items.

Within the next 6 months?
Yes, wouldn't you expect an update to an app within this time to accomodate new technolgy as it becomes more mainstream?

Don't know when?
Why are you bothered about it supporting these items?

I'm a great fan of WS2, my first Ulead product, still don't won many, and I use it all the time. I can't see myself switching yet for an app which supports the above, as I don't won any of it, I have no intention of buying it unless any of my currrent hardware failsa nd needs replacing. In fact, by the time I come to replace my Minidv cam, Hdv will possibly have been replaced with something else.......... My tele is still a 4.3 crt and uintil it stops working so it will remain. I have not had one client yet stipulate a 16.9 movie, my cam makes bettter quality 4.3 ones and they are all happy with that.
Time and equipment move on at a slow place in the mainstream market.

I would dearly love some new items in a new WS3 though

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:04 am

Do you own a Hdv cam?
Do you own a blue ray burner?
Do you have a 5.1 audio editing app?

In my case, you're right about the high-def stuff. That looks like it's for the future... when I have a blue ray player in the living room... when I can get blue-ray blanks... ummm.... when I get a high-def TV!

A lot of Workshop users are using it for professional and semi-professional purposes. You can't get too far out on the "bleeding edge"... You've got to make DVDs that other people can play.

When it comes to 5.1 surround, that's a different story. I've had 5.1 surround since I got my first DVD player. It's not something I need on all of my DVDs, but I really want to play-around with it, and have it available. I have "played-around" with regular "analog" Dolby surround. Even without a licensed Dolby encoder or a multi-channel audio editor, you can direct the sound come from the rear, center, left, or right. The Pro Logic decoder does an amazing job of "steering" the sound! But, if you want have different sounds coming from each of the 5 speakers at the same time, you need 5.1 digital!

For my current software, it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg thing. I use GoldWave as an audio editor, and it's stereo only. I've bugged the author of GoldWave about this, and I had mentioned that 5.1 AC3 encoders are becoming affordable. Now, it's a $10 add on for Pinnacle, a $20 add-on for Nero, and I think it comes with the $140 version of the Womble editor.

There are multi-channel WAV editors available. Audacity might even be adequate.

And, some other little improvements would be appreciated too... Like widescreen menus, and a nice DVD-import tool like Video Studio and Movie Factory.

Post by **Ron P.** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:32 am

I'll attempt to qualify my earlier statement,

Simply it seems according to this thread that Ulead is allowing DVDWS to fade into the Phased-Out catagory. If that were the case, then it would be logical that Ulead would not have any intention of developing it, adding the latest features such as 5.1 dolby, or HDV and Blue-ray (like MF5).

Following the trend of Ulead and others, if I would purchase WS2, and then 6 months later they came out with WS3 that supported 5.1 dolby, HDV, then the typical shell out more $$ if you need or would like those features.

Now to answer the specific questions:

I don't own an HDV cam yet, however have been in the market for one.

I don't have a blue-ray burner, do you? If so where did you get it? So far I think Blue-ray has been released in Japan only, and is due to hit the US, sometime this summer. But the UK may get it sooner..

If you are talking about a 5.1 app, that is a video app, then yes...

I expect to buy within the next 6 months, and yes I would expect to have an app by then, but that's not saying that they will. Do you know something that I don't about that?

I agree with the rest of your post. I've had my eyes on WS2 for sometime, but have continued to hold off on purchasing, since I have had an idea that there was a pending WS3. I too don't go out and buy new tech stuff, just because it's new.

I'm not in business yet, but have been gradually working towards it. With this type of business and where I live, I'm not going to go into debt for tens of thousands of dollars and be bankrupt in a year if it does not go well. That said, I had a gentleman last week approach me, and inquired about doing a music video for his band. This guy is about as tech savvy as my cat. He was asking about widescreen, stuff and doing a shoot of concert his band will be performing in. So I guess what I'm getting at, starting out I hate to say the "no" word to a possible customer, (unless they are wanting a full hollywood production...) as long as the request is within reason.

So I hope now that at least makes my earlier post a little clearer..at least like a mud puddle..

Ron P.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:32 am

Never quite understood why I should fork out extra money for DVDWS. MF does all I need to do. Maybe too many people have been thinking along the same lines and that let DVDWS down

I sure as hell would not buy it now because it is seriously outdated.

Ok, I don't intend to buy the first available blue ray burner or player and it will be years before I even think of buying a HD camcorder. By the same token, if I was forced to replace a broken TV or video camera, I would surely not replace it with an analog 4:3 TV or a 4:3 only camcorder. You have to move with the times, but all in good time

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:04 am

OK

Some responses to the above:

1. Is WS3 phased out? As far as anyone can tell, at this stage, no, but it may have been back burnered.

2. Do you want WS3? If the answer is yes, inundate Ulead with requests for it and get everyone else you know to do so. If they see the demand, they may put it on a front burner!

3. 16:9 in WS2? Two possibilities, bearing in mind that it handles 16:9 video OK AFAIK: a) accept menus alone in 4:3 format (I've seen this even in Hollywood productions) or b) use the workaround mentioned several times in this board

4. Inundate Ulead with requests for WS3 and get everyone else you know to do so. If they see the demand, they may put it on a front burner!

5. 5.1 in WS2? If you have a video editor that produces 5.1 media, use its integral encoder. Provided you do not force re-encoding ("template" box in Edit, Audio tab, unchecked), the 5.1 will pass through to the DVD.

6. Inundate Ulead with requests for WS3 and get everyone else you know to do so. If they see the demand, they may put it on a front burner!

Oh! In case I forget to tell you, inundate Ulead with requests for WS3 and get everyone else you know to do so. If they see the demand, they may put it on a front burner! Let's force an orange revolution!

beachvideo · Post by **beachvideo** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:45 am

Devil wrote:3. 16:9 in WS2? Two possibilities, bearing in mind that it handles 16:9 video OK AFAIK: a) accept menus alone in 4:3 format (I've seen this even in Hollywood productions) or b) use the workaround mentioned several times in this board

I'm not comfortable handing clients 16:9 DVD's with stretched or narrow menus. I've seen it myself too, but I'm not going there.

I'm fine accepting workarounds, for features you might occasionally use. But not for a core part of the program that I use constantly. For me that's just a total pain and I won't live with that. I believe workarounds are supposed to be temporary and I don't consider a year or so temporary. But that's me.

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:22 am

beachvideo wrote: I'm fine accepting workarounds, for features you might occasionally use. But not for a core part of the program that I use constantly. For me that's just a total pain and I won't live with that. I believe workarounds are supposed to be temporary and I don't consider a year or so temporary. But that's me.

Inundate Ulead with requests for WS3 and get everyone else you know to do so. If they see the demand, they may put it on a front burner!

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:05 am

Hey Devil,

I've had this great idea.............

Inundate Ulead with requests for WS3 and get everyone else you know to do so. If they see the demand, they may put it on a front burner!

Don't think its been mentioned before!!!!!!!!!

Graham