DVD Authoring with DVD Architect 2.0 now shipping!

GaryKleiner wrote on 7/30/2004, 12:10 PM
Hi gang,

My new instructional video, DVD Authoring with DVD Archtitect 2.0 is now shipping!

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered and didn't set up a dart board with my picture because it was overdue.

Please note that the projected running time was 1.5 hours, but I just kept adding more info, so the final product is now TWICE that size : 3 hours on two DVDs!

It will take a few days to fill all the orders, so please be patient just a little longer.

For more info, check www.VegasTrainingAndTools.com

Thanks,
Gary

Comments

ken c wrote on 7/30/2004, 2:00 PM
Hi Gary, thanks -- I've just ordered it (and your vegas 4 videos - hey we're neighbors almost, I'm in colorado spgs)... in the meantime can you help me with a quick question (I'm still using DVDA1) ..?

I've got a lot of uncompressed avis that I need to author into a single dvd using DVD architect 1 and vegas 4.

I just video-captured them from sony tapes, the total size is 25.2 Gigs of uncompressed avis.. and they're mono.. (though it would've just captured the audio stream to L or R channel)..it's 2 hours of video on 8mm hi8 videocassettes.

What's the best way to author the dvd in DVDA1? Should I:

a) just put them all, uncompressed, into the DVDA timelines and lower the bitrate to get to where they'll fit, eg to 4 gig compression? basically just having dvda1 do all the compression work?

or

b) put the uncompressed avis into vegas 4 one at a time and render mpg tracks out to ... 1) dvd ntsc architect video stream (and then split out the audio stream and try to rejoin in DVDA1)? (but, there would likely be audio delays, as a couple of the avis are 4 gigs) or 2) some other output?


Appreciate your tips -- I have a lot of commercial dvds to render out. Just ordered your videos, hope they help. I may get your excalibur too, since I have some multicam work to do.

anyone else feel free to chime in too, mucho appreciated - I'm new to all this NLE stuff :p

Ken

epirb wrote on 7/30/2004, 2:39 PM
I would render in Vegas set video to the DVDA mpg and then render the audio out ac3, you have more control over the audio render that way. if its alot of dialog over music bed ( I'm assuming, from watching the demos of your work) you might need to tweak the settings a little. ie dialog normalize to -31 ect.
the tough part is there is no way to "review" the ac3 encoded track in either Vegas or DVDA, the only way I do it is to burn it to a DVDRW first review the audio then if it needs sweeting go back and do my changes to the audio in vegas,rerender the ac3 with the same file name(so it'll follow into DVDA) then reburn.

BTW hot stock tip....buy Excal,Neon and Tsunami all excelent investments
JaysonHolovacs wrote on 7/30/2004, 2:45 PM
Gary,
Great news! Glad that the wait paid off with some extra content!

Any chance the Vegas DVDs might also get a little extra content for our patience? :)

-Jayson
GaryKleiner wrote on 7/30/2004, 4:43 PM
Ken,

Your avi's are really not uncompressed, but that's a different conversation.

If you want them to each have thier own play button, that's fine. Just drop each one onto the workspace.

If you want them to play in sequence, you can pop them into the Vegas timeline and render as one Mpeg2, or you can do it in DVDA1 by dropping them in as a "Music" compliation. With DVDA2, you coould also use end actions.


Gary
ken c wrote on 7/30/2004, 6:30 PM
Thanks all, appreciate it! My main question is, what's the best way to render out the mpg, eg which tool is better to get the job done; having vegas do it first, or just go directly to dvda?

ken
GaryKleiner wrote on 7/30/2004, 8:44 PM
DVDA is easier.
Vegas gives you more control.

What is "best" depends on you skill level and/or how much time you want to devote to it.

Gary
JaysonHolovacs wrote on 7/30/2004, 10:25 PM
Gary is totally right on this. Still picture compilations to music is a perfect example. In DVD-A2, I can drag a host of photos to a compilation, drag and drop them in any order I want(without worrying about getting the overlap right), add an audio track, press the "Fit to Audio" button, and presto, instant picture compilation, and it's not half bad.

If I did it in Vegas, it would be nowhere near as fast or easy, but I could do many more things, like easier synchronizing to music beats, transitions instead of just cuts, compositing, picture in picture, moving text, etc.

So, there is no one answer, it depends on, as Gary says, your skill level and/or time you want to spend. Also, in my example, it depends on how fancy you want to get.

-Jayson