Is VideoStudio 10 better than VideoStudio 9

[sjj1805]

Steve,
I have learnt a lot from your excellent tutorials and I would like to ask you a simple question if you have time to answer (you are no doubt submerged with questions!).
I have both Studio 9 and 10 but I tend to prefer 9 for its simplicity, e.g. putting edited video straight back onto the cassette from the time line, or recording music from a CD straight onto the time line, whereas with Studio 10 you have to create a file fist.
But should I, for technical or other reasons, use Studio 10 rather than 9?
Thanking you for your reply,
G. Burch
P.S. Incidently, the experts tell us we should use 3 different programs for the 3 steps - editing, encoding and burning, namely TMPGenc for encoding and Nero for burning. What is your position?

Firstly.....
Private Messages and Emails to Forum Staff

Secondly....
Even VideoStudio 10 is now out of date - the latest is VideoStudio 11.
Having said this I have all 3 installed on my machine simultaneously.
The major difference between 9 and 10 are the multiple timelines - something that forum members have been nagging the software company to include for years. It has been further improved in VideoStudio 11+ where you can now also make cuts on the overlay tracks and also you can display them more clearly whilst editing a project.

Regarding your comment about using different software for the diffeent stages such as TMPGenc and Nero. You will no doubt get conflicting answers on this issue. VideoStudio is an all rounder and can take you
from camcorder to DVD without the need for other software.

Having said that I also wave the flag that there is nothing wrong in using whatever software you happen to possess and doing a bit withthis and a bit more with that. One example that I am sure most of our members will agree is the use of Audacity a powerful yet FREE sound editor.

In fact I have created these two threads on the forum:
FREE stuff that can be used with Ulead Products
ThirdParty Commercial Software for Intervideo-Ulead products

Regarding your point relating to creating a file or going directly to the DVD authoring stage - again I have created this thread:
Suggested workflow for DVD Creation

I have also made available to our forum members the training videos created by Ulead themselves:
VideoStudio 9 training videos:
http://www.veoh.com/series/vs9
VideoStudio 10 training videos:
http://www.veoh.com/series/vs10

[Gisela Richter]

Many thanks for your reply. The question of using different tools for the three main steps in video production merits, I feel, further discussion. The aim is to improve quality. I have myself made the following experiment:
I produced one and the same video clip 6 times using:
1. Ulead Studeo alone
2. Ulead + Super + Nero
3. Ulead + WinAVI video converter + Nero
4. Ulead + TMPGenc + Nero
5. Nero alone
6. Ulead + Nero
The results were:
2 and 3 were quite unsatisfactory
4 was good
5 was barely satisfactory
1 and 6 gave results barely distinguishable from 4
My (personal and provisional) conclusion:
4 is supposed to be the "professional" method, but I failed to see a noticable improvement and since it involves more complications and above all much more time, I now use 6, not that it is much better than 1 but seems to be more stable. Perhaps other users have made similar tests?

[Black Lab]

4 is supposed to be the "professional" method

I don't understand that, as all of the products you used are geared for the consumer, not the professional.

I use VS (10+) to capture, edit, and render. I usually render out to a DVD folder, so I then use Nero to burn. However, I have used VS to burn and I don't see a difference between my two methods.

[Gisela Richter]

4 is supposed to be the "professional" method

I don't understand that, as all of the products you used are geared for the consumer, not the professional.

I use VS (10+) to capture, edit, and render. I usually render out to a DVD folder, so I then use Nero to burn. However, I have used VS to burn and I don't see a difference between my two methods.

Thanks for your comment Jeff. After extensive recherch on the Web I found that TMPGenc is considered to be the best encoder, in this sense "professional", but basically we are in agreement and your experience confirms mine. Except that I render out to a DVD file - is a DVD folder (which contains video and audio TS folders) better? Another question: why does Nero re-encode the already encoded DVD file?

[Black Lab]

I like rendering to a DVD folder so I can then check menu and video with a pc based DVD player such as PowereDVD.

I'm not sure what you mean by Nero re-encoding the video. I use Nero 6 Ultra and I simply use the Burn Image to Disc command. It does not re-encode.

[Ken Berry]

Re the last two posts: I think there might be a slight confusion here. Or at least, there is in my mind!!

Gisela says she renders out to a DVD file (which is what many of us do), but that is at the end of the editing process and before the burning module is even opened. You then insert the rendered DVD files (which are mpeg-2s) into the burning timeline, build your menu and burn.

But what Black Lab does is at this point. Instead of actually burning to a disc, he does exactly as I almost invariably do. I don't put a blank DVD into the burner, but leave it empty. And instead I select DVD Folder as the final 'burning' target. This produces a Video_TS file as you already know, which is the exact content and format of what will eventually appear on the burned DVD when you get around to burning it. And then we use Nero to actually burn the disc.

But the basic message is that a DVD file (in Gisela's terms) is only the raw material, unprocessed. Whereas a DVD Folder is to all intents and purposes the finished DVD, only requiring its transfer to a disc.

One of the advantages of doing it this way and producing a DVD folder, is that you can then play it back over a DVD software player package like WinDVD or Power DVD or even WMP. You can thus check to see that everything is as you want it, and thus save a blank DVD if in fact it turns out something is not right or you want to add or change something...

Or was Gisela talking about an ISO disc image file when she was talking about a 'DVD file'???

As for Nero re-encoding, it's project default settings are almost undoubtedly different from the properties in your DVD file (i.e. your 'raw' mpeg-2). So it re-encodes it to its own settings. I don't use this operation in Nero but don't think there is a command in Nero similar to Ulead's 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' command... But someone will correct me if in fact there is...

[Gisela Richter]

Ken, now I'm confused! My DVD file is indeed a Mpeg2 file but it is not "only raw material" it is the finished edited video that I can check as often as I like before burning and I can put it on the hard disc for later burning. That's why I don't see the point of making a TS folder, which contains VOB files that are nothing other than Mpeg2 files! So what's the diff? Why fiddle around with VOB files when a single DVD file preserves exactly the same quality? Or am I missing something somewhere?
Gisela

Re the last two posts: I think there might be a slight confusion here. Or at least, there is in my mind!! :lol:

Gisela says she renders out to a DVD file (which is what many of us do), but that is at the end of the editing process and before the burning module is even opened. You then insert the rendered DVD files (which are mpeg-2s) into the burning timeline, build your menu and burn.

But what Black Lab does is at this point. Instead of actually burning to a disc, he does exactly as I almost invariably do. I don't put a blank DVD into the burner, but leave it empty. And instead I select DVD Folder as the final 'burning' target. This produces a Video_TS file as you already know, which is the exact content and format of what will eventually appear on the burned DVD when you get around to burning it. And then we use Nero to actually burn the disc.

But the basic message is that a DVD file (in Gisela's terms) is only the raw material, unprocessed. Whereas a DVD Folder is to all intents and purposes the finished DVD, only requiring its transfer to a disc.

One of the advantages of doing it this way and producing a DVD folder, is that you can then play it back over a DVD software player package like WinDVD or Power DVD or even WMP. You can thus check to see that everything is as you want it, and thus save a blank DVD if in fact it turns out something is not right or you want to add or change something...

Or was Gisela talking about an ISO disc image file when she was talking about a 'DVD file'??? :roll:

As for Nero re-encoding, it's project default settings are almost undoubtedly different from the properties in your DVD file (i.e. your 'raw' mpeg-2). So it re-encodes it to its own settings. I don't use this operation in Nero but don't think there is a command in Nero similar to Ulead's 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' command... :cry: But someone will correct me if in fact there is...

[Black Lab]

Your DVD file, as you call it, is created when you go to Share > Create Video File, correct? So that is just the edited video itself, not including the DVD menu, as that comes in the burning phase.

By "burning" to a DVD folder instead of the actual DVD disc, I can check (with PowerDVD or another software app) how my menu works, amongst other things. Thus, if I need to change anything, I haven't wasted a disc.

When all's well I simply use Nero to burn a disc from my DVD folder.

[Gisela Richter]

Quite right Black Lab, and I confirm that my method omits the menu, so that is the main reason for creating the DVD folder? But in that case you would do your rendering at the burn stage whereas I have been doing it at the share stage. So you might as well go directly from the editing stage to the burn stage and import your project files for burning. I daresay it is the better method, except that Ulead studio has to reprocess your Vob files if you want to put them back there. But you burn with Nero anyway, which again seems to be the best method. I confess I don't care about menus because I find the Ulead menus ugly and stupid and I don't know how to import better ones. The Nero menus are a bit better so why not do your menus with Nero? Well I think that clears up the whole question, thanks to Ken and Black Lab.
Gisela

Your DVD file, as you call it, is created when you go to Share > Create Video File, correct? So that is just the edited video itself, not including the DVD menu, as that comes in the burning phase.

By "burning" to a DVD folder instead of the actual DVD disc, I can check (with PowerDVD or another software app) how my menu works, amongst other things. Thus, if I need to change anything, I haven't wasted a disc.

When all's well I simply use Nero to burn a disc from my DVD folder.

[Black Lab]

No, I don't do my rendering at the burn stage. I follow the Suggested Workflow of first creating my DVD-compatible MPEG-2 file which, I believe, you are calling a DVD file.

Then I go to Share > Create Disc (burn stage) and insert my MPEG-2. From there I create my menu (if I'm using one) and proceed to burn to a DVD folder.

You don't have to import new menus to VS. I only use the VS menus as templates that I customize. I always use my own clip for the background and I usually use text menus, as the thumbnails are too small to be practical (maybe my TV is too small ).

[sjj1805]

Ken, now I'm confused! My DVD file is indeed a Mpeg2 file but it is not "only raw material" it is the finished edited video that I can check as often as I like before burning and I can put it on the hard disc for later burning. That's why I don't see the point of making a TS folder, which contains VOB files that are nothing other than Mpeg2 files! So what's the diff? Why fiddle around with VOB files when a single DVD file preserves exactly the same quality? Or am I missing something somewhere?
Gisela .......

Yes your missing something!!

Step 1. Import your DVD into VideoStudio
Step 2. Edit the DVD
Step 3. Create a new (edited) video - this video is now playable.
Step 4. Start a new project (to clear the timeline)
Step 5. Go to the Share Disc (Authoring) stage
Step 6. Import the new edited video from step 3.
Step 7. Generate your DVD Menus
Step 8. Burn the DVD. - Here most of us burn to a hard drive folder so that we can give the completed DVD a last minute check before commiting it to a DVD Disc.
Step 9. Use your favourite DVD Burning software to burn that DVD folder to disc.

[Gisela Richter]

Thanks again Black Lab for your keen analysis and sound advice, but one point is questionable: On my Ulead version (10+) there is no choice "DVD-compliant". There are 10 or so choices but for our purposes there is only either "DVD" or "Mpeg2", a rather bewildering choice since they are both Mpeg2! I hesitate but finally choose "DVD" intuitively. This DVD file is then also my backup file which goes onto my external disc. In addition I put the edited project file back onto the cassette, so if I ever want to reedit... (This is possible only with Studio 9, 10 requires first a file). So I am not "calling it" a DVD file, Ulead does so! Apparently you prefer to make a Mpeg2 file. Why? In fact with your work flow you don't need to create a file at all, better to do everthing at the burn stage! Since you don't burn immediately anyway you have ample opportunity to check your DVD folder. I would add (if you agree?) that for those who prefer the DVD folder (and recommended) method, it is better to burn with Nero because it handles TS fiolders more conveniently than Ulead.
Gisela

No, I don't do my rendering at the burn stage. I follow the Suggested Workflow of first creating my DVD-compatible MPEG-2 file which, I believe, you are calling a DVD file.

Then I go to Share > Create Disc (burn stage) and insert my MPEG-2. From there I create my menu (if I'm using one) and proceed to burn to a DVD folder.

You don't have to import new menus to VS. I only use the VS menus as templates that I customize. I always use my own clip for the background and I usually use text menus, as the thumbnails are too small to be practical (maybe my TV is too small :roll: ).

[sjj1805]

Gee you are having a hard time following this!

MPEG2 files can be DVD compliant and they can also be Non DVD compliant.
When you choose one of the pre programmed DVD settings (either DVD PAL or DVD NTSC) then yes it is MPEG2 but it is a DVD Compliant MPEG2.

There might be times when someone might deliberately wish to create a non DVD compliant MPEG2 file but I wouldn't worry about that because for most users they are creating straightforward DVD discs or they are uploading their videos to the internet such as VEOH, YouTube, Google Video etc.

The procedure is no different in VS8, VS9, VS10 and VS11 - in fact it will still be the same when VS20 comes along!!

Create a Video file. Save it, start a new project and import the edited file to the authoring stage. Nothing to do with bugs, its all to do with a structured work flow.

n addition I put the edited project file back onto the cassette, so if I ever want to reedit...

Please view this link:
What is a project file?

[Ken Berry]

Gisela: to add further to the confusion, the way you are doing things is correct, given that you are not burning a disc with a menu in Video Studio. I too follow the suggested workflow and, like you, after editing, produce my DVD-compatible mpeg-2 file by choosing Share > Create Video File > DVD (though here I have used Tools > Make Movie Manager and made a Video File template [NOT/NOT a menu template] with the DVD properties I normally use which are different from those in the pre-set ones).

I do, however, use the VS templates and customise them with my own images or video and music... But again I call the DVD compatible mpeg-2 file the 'raw material' even though it is in fact my fully edited project, because it is the essential material for a final DVD which, however, has not yet been processed (by adding menu, chapters, background music etc) and authored into a final DVD.

And yes, some people do simply import their project files straight into the burning module and are successful with it. But the burning process is an incredibly complicated one in its own right, and by doing the final rendering of the project into DVD-compliant mpeg-2 *as part of the burning process* only adds a further very complex process to this. And for many people, it causes their computer to collapse and the overall burn fails. That is why we recommend generally that people follow the suggested workflow and keep the rendering as a prior and separate step from the burning.

One important thing if you do in fact use the Video Studio burning module with the suggested workflow is to make sure that 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked in the middle (Project Settings) icon in the bottom left of the burning module screen. That way no further rendering of the video occurs if indeed the mpeg-2 file you produced is fully DVD-compliant. Otherwise, Video Studio will use its own default properties which may be different from yours, and re-render the file with consequent loss of quality.

I also agree that many of the menu templates in VS are pretty awful, but as you acknowledge, that is a matter of personal taste. The ones I tend to use these days are the Smart Menu ones. Formatting them with your own background etc gives an almost infinite variety and they can indeed look very professional.

As you have been advised elsewhere, you can also design and make your own templates if you have Ulead PhotoImpact. And Ulead also make a professional DVD Workshop authoring program where you can design your own menu from the ground up from a blank sheet. Be advised, though, that there is doubt that Corel will continue producing DVD Workshop.

[Gisela Richter]

Yes indeed Steve, I should have thought of that! I think the Work Flow question has now been clarified: many roads lead to Rome, but the recommended method is no doubt the surest. Whether or not you create a DVD folder is secondary. So far I have not been doing so because Ulead does much like getting them back for burning. As for ISO files Ulead likes them even less and you have to resort to the DVD Image Recorder accessory to burn them - ( but if you have Nero it handles both effortlessly!). Perhaps to conclude this (for me highly rewarding) discussion I would like to get back to the original topic: Is Studio 10 better than Studio 9? The question is "politically incorrect" but I would suggest a politically correct answer: Depends what you are looking for! With every new version software in general tends to become more and more complex. Nero, for example has become what the French call "une usine à gaz" a gasworks by which they mean it is cluttered up with a few useful and a lot of useless gadgets. Video software is no exception. To sell their products they stuff more and more transitions, effects, filters etc. into them. If that is what you are looking for then the most recent version is for you. Personally I prefer simplicity - the fewer effects and transitions the better, and I might add professional documentary films (BBC products for ex.) generally have none! Well, it's a matter of taste.[

Please view this link:
What is a project file?[/quote]