Another newbie question (same one, in fact)

[sliver]

Hi there,

I have a few videos on my hard drive (avi and mpg) that I'd like to burn onto DVD. My needs are absolutely simple.

I simply want a menu to choose which video to play. No background music, no fancy menu images, no video editing, no nothing. I just want a menu containing the names of the videos on a plain background with no audio. All that stuff is distraction to me. I want as simple as simple can be.

From reading the posts on this forum, it sounds like Video Studio is not for me. But it's hard to tell because Ulead seems to claim that all its products do the same thing. The descriptions kind of blend into each other.

Which product is right for me?

Thanks!

[maddrummer3301]

I would order the "Retail Boxed" Version of VideoStudio 9.

MD

[keenart]

If you want simple then try GIF Animator, it will do Animation Video AVI's and MPG's, I have done a few.

[welchb]

Hi Sliver,

For what you want to do Video Studio is the thing for you and in fact contains many things that, should your creative juices get going will allow you to do many of the things you do not want to do currently.

I'd recommend VS9 but VS8 is more than capable for your needs.

To do what you want, it's worth reading the tuturioals/mauals but as simple steps -->

1) Import the .mpgs' .avi's into the timeline or storyboard. You can right click to do this.

2) Once you have the clips you want, you can edit, add transistions if you want but if it's simple then goto the "SHARE" tab and create a DVD file -- this will be another MPG rendered with all of the clips linked together.

-- repeat this step and create a number of .mpg's -- each of these mpg's can then be inculded in the next step as a sepearte "menu" item if you wish to have more than 1.

3) Once you have created the DVD file(s) you should then goto the "Create Disc" icon.

This is where you can choose the rendered .MPG's from step 2. Select the menu templates and titles.

Again during this step you can keep it as simple as you like.

Hope this has helped.

Cheers,

Brian

[keenart]

One of the best ways to scope out a Program is to get a copy of the applications Manual. Which ought to give you a relatively good idea what the Program has to offer.

The VS9 Manual for download can be found here: http://www.ulead.com/vs/documents.htm

[DVDDoug]

Quoting myself:

It is rather confusing... They seem to claim that all of the products do everything. You can download 30-day trials of all the products, or you can order a CD with all of the trial software for $9.00.

Video Studio is mainly video editing software with limited DVD authoring. Video editing is all the stuff that the director/editor does to complete the movie after the "film" is shot- Cutting & splicing, transitions special video-effects, titles, sound & music, etc. You could also use the editing software to create the background audio/video for your DVD menu.

DVD Workshop is DVD authoring software. DVD Authoring is all the stuff that's done when transferring the completed movie to DVD- Menus, multi-language subtitles, multi-language soundtracks, etc.

Most authoring software (including DVD Workshop) will also do the proper DVD-compliant MPEG encoding and audio encoding, and will have the ability to burn a DVD.

With DVD Workshop Express, you can make very professional multi-level menus. You can even add subtitles or a 2nd soundtrack. I've made a couple of DVDs with both censored and uncensored soundtracks. When I'm copying my VHS movies to DVD, I just use DVD Workshop. No video editing software is needed.

One WARNING - If the stuff on DVD-RAM is in MPEG format (I assume it is) you may get audio-video sync errors. I had this problem when I used video-transition effects with MPEG files in Video Studio 8.

If Video Studio works for you, Video Studio and DVD Workshop Express make a good pair. And, if you own Video Studio, you can get the Special Edition Upgrade version of DVD Workshop Express for $150.

Now, I'm using Ulead DVD Workshop Express for DVD authoring. I'm using Womble MPEG Video Wizard for editing MPEGs.

Although your MPEG files are not on DVD-RAM, the same cautions apply.

And, you can download the user's manuals too.

[sliver]

One of the best ways to scope out a Program is to get a copy of the applications Manual. Which ought to give you a relatively good idea what the Program has to offer.

The VS9 Manual for download can be found here: http://www.ulead.com/vs/documents.htm

Unfortunately, when I selected VideoStudio from their menu combo box, I got an error 404 (file not found). Looks like the URL is getting rewritten incorrectly.

Sliver

[erock1]

One of the best ways to scope out a Program is to get a copy of the applications Manual. Which ought to give you a relatively good idea what the Program has to offer.

The VS9 Manual for download can be found here: http://www.ulead.com/vs/documents.htm

Unfortunately, when I selected VideoStudio from their menu combo box, I got an error 404 (file not found). Looks like the URL is getting rewritten incorrectly.

Sliver

I just tried the URL and it works for me?

[maddrummer3301]

DVDDoug,

I had that ram problem, only with ulead products though.
If you notice whenyou import from ram ulead interrepts the maximum
bit-rate of the file and sets the project properties of that bit-rate as
the average/target.Then that becomes the average in the ulead
encoder.
If I edited the mpg2 file and it was recorded at SD 2hour mode the
average bit-rate is approx 4800. Although ulead says it's 9550 appox.
When you import the file and ulead says to match the properties then
the average bit-rate is way above the actual in the file. Because of the
ulead encoder. I had to manually set the correct parameters if there is
any editing to be done.
But, the ulead encoder for VS8 with the updates is NG.

I edit the ram disks on the recorder and make playlists as much as
possible so as not to have to edit any mpg2 files on the computer.

Ulead was the only editor that caused problems with these -VR files.

VS9 seems to work with these files much better.
Audio sync seems to be good in VS9.

MD

[keenart]

It is common to get a 404 error when Traffic in your are is heavy for your ISP, or if a large number of people have over-taxed Uleads Servers by downloading the file you seek. Just try again later when things have simmered down.