Burning video on DVD

[JR]

Frustrated that one must be a registered software owner to even be able to talk to Corel tech support. Have a question PRIOR to purchase of product.

Vendors don't do a very good job of "spelling out" what their product will do for the "newbie" potential user. I want to import both pics and video clips from a digicamera. The PS4 is the ONLY software that specifically says that it will burn DVD's that will play on most "set top" players through the TV. While the PS4 description says that it will import digicamera video for creating slideshows, all I want to do with these clips is to possibly edit them and burn them to DVD so that again they can be played on TV through a set top DVDP; I'm not really interested in making slideshows from the video clips - just from the pics. Can PS4 do this, or do I have to purchase Movie Factory 6 in order to do video - and then still buy PS4 to do pic slide shows? If I do need MF6 to do video, will the DVD's burned using MF6 play just on the PC DVD drive, or will they play on a set top DVDP? The MF6 product literture on the website is certainly not clear about this like the PS4. Thanks for the help.

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums,

One of the things I always check out when I have questions on what the program is capable of is the System Requirements. Found in those requirements are the Input formats, and what it will output to.

File Format Support:
Input Format:
Image: BMP, GIF, JP2, JPC, JPG, PNG, PSD, TIF
Audio: CDA (CD Audio), MPEG Audio (MPA), MP3, WAV
Video: AVI, MOV, MPG, QT

Output Format:
DVD Video (NTSC/PAL): 720x480/720x576
SVCD (NTSC/PAL): 480x480/480x576
VCD (NTSC/PAL) with transitions: 352x240/352x288
VCD (NTSC/PAL) with photos only: 704x480/704x576
Video: AVI, MPG

Output Disc Types:
CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and double-layer DVD discs

So the above information from Ulead's website, tells me is that in will accept 4 popular video formats, AVI (which actually should be DV), MOV (QuickTime's video format) and MPEG, to edit.

Next looking at the Output Formats, it tells me that the program can create video DVDs. Then finally the Disc Types.

I've never used PS4, however it should allow you to capture, insert, video and photographs. Edit them, put music, narration, and probably a filter or two, then burn that to disc.

I would have to say the PS4 is a "lessor brother" to DVDMF6. DVDMF6 can do a lot more. It's "big call to fame" is the AVCHD, HDV, Blu-Ray.

One thing to keep in mind, is that the statement "Burn to most set-top players" is accurate. There are some of the more powerful, expensive programs that can not make a statement that it can burn so that "all" set-top players will be able to play them. Members have posted where some of the more expensive set-top players will not play burned discs. On the other hand most of the cheap ones will almost play a doughnt (glazed only.. ).

Have you downloaded the trial versions of either PS4 or DVDMF6 to see which one would suit you better? That's the best way to answer your questions. The trial versions don't have all the templates, or will not be able to handle Dolby digital audio (its fee based, and no company is going to pay to use a technology and give it away), but they are "fully functional", enough so you know if you want to buy it or not..

Hope that helps...

[JR]

One thing to keep in mind, is that the statement "Burn to most set-top players" is accurate. There are some of the more powerful, expensive programs that can not make a statement that it can burn so that "all" set-top players will be able to play them. Members have posted where some of the more expensive set-top players will not play burned discs. On the other hand most of the cheap ones will almost play a doughnt (glazed only.. ).

Thanks Ron. The key for me is the burned disk being able to play on a set top DVDP. I'm not worried about the semantics or the software company's attempts at CYA. As a reasonably educated individual, I wouldn't expect the burned disk to play on ALL set top DVDP! There's just too many variables involved. It's just that no other DVD-burning software makes this precise statement / claim - and as a novice, it made me wonder if most DVD-burning software is designed just for playback on PC-based systems. PS4 will probably be great for what I want to do. If I was more deeply into doing movies, I would probably invest in the more feature-laden MF6 - but right now that would be a waste of my resources. I had considered purchasing a long video output cord to run from my PC to the TV so that I could run the slideshow from the PC but show the pics on the TV (it's a 40" hi-rez HDTV), but that would only be good for in my house anyway.

One more question - I noticed some of the older postings stating that PS didn't support 16:9 Widescreen format. Were the specs you quoted from PS4? If so, from the resolution claimed, I'd say that the PS4 slideshows will still not "fill the screen"; would you agree? Thanks again.

[Ron P.]

Your correct.