A little advice around what DVD MF can do for me...

Sportive · Post by **Sportive** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:46 am

Hi,

I have been using older Ulead products for a number of years, mainly MSPro (V2-6) & over the last couple of years DVD Workshop 2. For me DVDWS is ideal but it is getting on, does not do 16:9 menus (without alot of messing about and even then its dodgy), no HD and looks like it is not going to be updated anymore.

All I need is software that does the following (in order of importance to me) as all editing will already have been done with specific editing software:

*Reliable (both in terms of application stability & creating discs that actually play)
*No re-rendering of compliant files for the project being created.
*Built in AC-3 encoding
*Ability to create menus from scratch (or at least change custom ones completely by using different backgrounds, frames, objects etc).
*Ability to re-size, move & modify menu objects
*16:9 Menus
*HD-DVD Authoring (on HD-DVD & DVD)
*Ability to include a "first play" video
*Ability to choose thumbnails from any point in a video to use as buttons
*Ability to adjust audio volumes of various input files to ensure a consistent authored DVD

Having looked at the feature list it appears that this is all possible but I'd rather have confirmation from those that are actually using it. I don't like downloading trials generally and from what I have read, there are some issues with the trial versions anyway. I also have VS10 but to be honest that is far too limited and I was hoping that DVDMF might just do the job that DVDWS is now struggling with.

Many thanks

Andrew

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:40 pm

*No re-rendering of compliant files for the project being created.
Yes, Provided you do not edit the videos, I use this feature all the time, making discs is very fast when no re-encoding occurs, the feature us also selectable, you can force a render. This feature is setup under MF6 "Preferences"

*Built in AC-3 encoding
Yes

*Ability to create menus from scratch (or at least change custom ones completely by using different backgrounds, frames, objects etc).
No, not menus from scratch, using Photoimpact you can create custom templates, modify existing menu files (ufo files), this is covered in one of the tutorials on the forum
You can customize templates, add background pictures, background audio, the program has a customize feature to select different frames, button links & number of links on a menu page, not sure if that would meet your needs

*Ability to re-size, move & modify menu objects
Yes

*16:9 Menus
Yes

*HD-DVD Authoring (on HD-DVD & DVD)
Yes, also Blu-ray BDMV (with menus) & AVCHD Disks (with Menus) using the MF6+ HD-AddOn Pack US $19.99
HD-DVD authoring is native to the program, burns to HD-DVD or DVD Media, of course the program also makes standard DVD's

*Ability to include a "first play" video
yes

*Ability to choose thumbnails from any point in a video to use as buttons
yes

*Ability to adjust audio volumes of various input files to ensure a consistent authored DVD
Yes, MF6+ can only assign one audio track though, if you use separate audio the source video will be re-encoded.
I think that as long as your Project Settings equal your source video the program will use "SmartRender" when rendering a new file

I wonder if the customized ufo files that WorkShop 2 creates (the menus) could be used in MF6+, only Steve ( sjj1805 ) would be able to answer this.

Make sure if you do purchase the program to install "DirectX 9.0c" latest release update (November 2007 as of this date) & Patch# 2 for MF6+, Patch# 2 for MF6+ is very important to install.

Sportive · Post by **Sportive** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 9:21 am

Thanks that is very very helpful indeed.

*Ability to adjust audio volumes of various input files to ensure a consistent authored DVD
Yes, MF6+ can only assign one audio track though, if you use separate audio the source video will be re-encoded.
I think that as long as your Project Settings equal your source video the program will use "SmartRender" when rendering a new file

Just to be sure, when authoring I normally create elementary streams with the audio being PCM. In DVD Wokshop I tell it not convert the compliant video stream but to convert the PCM audio attached to the video to AC-3. I often have a number of different discrete videos in one project. I guess this will cause the re-rendering to occur which is exactly what I don't want. I'm not quite sure what the "SmartRender" facility is but any kind of re-rendering needs to be avoided!

Thanks for the other tips about the importance of patches etc..

Andrew

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 4:57 pm

If you use any program to MUX the elementary streams together, insert the muxed file onto the timeline and under Project Settings assign Dolby audio 2/0 or 5.1 in the output stage only the audio will be converted.
MF6+ with patch#2 will also display converting audio, it doesn't re-encode the video, at least on my system.

Read this on a program to mux your elementary streams ( MPEG ):
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 765#136765

How to encode files separately from MF6+ (AVCHD/H264):
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 726#136726

Avidemux2
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/download.html

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 5:12 pm

etech6355 wrote: *Ability to create menus from scratch (or at least change custom ones completely by using different backgrounds, frames, objects etc).
No, not menus from scratch, using Photoimpact you can create custom templates, modify existing menu files (ufo files), this is covered in one of the tutorials on the forum
You can customize templates, add background pictures, background audio, the program has a customize feature to select different frames, button links & number of links on a menu page, not sure if that would meet your needs

I have an issue with this.. Yes you can, but, it's a pain in the blank to do so. Only because you have to manually name the objects for DVD specs.
For someone that is new, that is an overwhelming issue. I am not new to it, but, it's a "manual to do" issue. In other words, if I need the grass cut, I'd hire some one to cut the grass, but, I'd plant the flowers.

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 5:41 pm

Yes, I agree, I'd love to see them advance to a better menu creation method.
Making your own links/sub-menus would be nice, along with a flowchart or playlist. I think workshop2 has these features.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 7:09 pm

MrAmigo2121 wrote:.....I have an issue with this.. Yes you can, but, it's a pain in the blank to do so. Only because you have to manually name the objects for DVD specs.For someone that is new, that is an overwhelming issue. I am not new to it, but, it's a "manual to do" issue. In other words, if I need the grass cut, I'd hire some one to cut the grass, but, I'd plant the flowers.

Nope.... you can use the DVD Menu Wizard in PhotoImpact - takes care of all the naming of the objects for you.

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 9:27 pm

Steve,
What version of PhotoImpact does this?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 1:22 am

The following have DVD Menu plug ins
8, XL, 11, 12.

http://www.ulead.com/pi/plugin.htm