Comments

IanG wrote on 1/8/2004, 2:43 AM
In general, there's a trade-off between quality and size - the smaller the size, the lower the quality. Out of the box, MS doesn't allow the MPEG-2 parameters to be changed. MPEG-2 rendering in VF was implemented using either a standard plugin, which didn't allow the rendering to be changed, or a pro version, which did. MS comes with the standard plugin and I've no idea whether the pro version is available. Does MyDVD allow any tweaking?

Ian G.
6live4Him wrote on 1/8/2004, 7:37 PM
For what it is worth, I've been struggling with these issues with MyDVD and the MPEG problem too...I wrote to Sony support about not being able to fit a 2hour video on a DVD and this was there reply today...

Thanks for writing. A DVD is capable of holding roughly two hours of video when the audio is compressed using the AC-3 format. MyDVD that is included with Movie Studio 3.0 does not support AC-3 audio, therefore the audio on the DVD is stored in an uncompressed PCM format. That usually allows for one to store slightly over an hour's worth of video on one disc.

They offered no solutions, but I have written back...I'll let you know what they say
mmreed wrote on 1/8/2004, 8:06 PM
http://www.custcenter.com/cgi-bin/sonypictures.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

I think all of us need to contact support and express our unhappiness with the myDVD solution they provide with MS 3.0.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease...

lets squeak till they give in. I plan on emailing support many many times about this.

IanG wrote on 1/9/2004, 12:43 AM
Be careful what you wish for! "AC-3 support" could mean accepting AC-3 input and / or producing AC-3 itself. Either way, you'd need an AC-3 encoder, and they cost (assuming you want it licensed by Dolby Labs). Current encoders start at around the $150 mark and that cost has to be met somewhere.

There is a version of MyDVD with a built in encoder, and a few people are scratching their heads over how Sonic can produce it so cheaply. My guess is it's a combination of some complex licensing agreements and Sonic running it as a loss-leader. I doubt they can do that for a bundled product.

Ian G.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 1/9/2004, 8:43 AM
The new version of Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 Disc Creator includes AC-3 encoding for $99. You can upgrade from DVD MovieFactory 2 for $69. Not a bad deal, plus it has lots of new features. I’m downloading my trial copy now to check it out. There is also a DVD MovieFactory 3 Standard Edition that does not have the AC-3 support and is only $49 retail and $39 upgrade.

~jr
mmreed wrote on 1/9/2004, 9:00 AM
I think many of us just want a mydvd replacement since it is so weak in terms of chaptering and other basic elements
IanG wrote on 1/17/2004, 1:33 AM
>Be careful what you wish for

It looks like I have to eat my words! Not only have ULead added AC-3 support to version 3 of Movie Factory, but Pegasys are producing an AC-3 plugin for TMPGEnc. For $21!!

Ian G.
phantom wrote on 1/18/2004, 4:09 PM
In this thread, I've seen mention of coding the audio as PCM or AC-3. Why no mention of MP2 (MPEG1 Layer 2)? That should allow you to fit more video on a DVD.

Does Ulead MF support MP2 coding? Dazzle's DVD Complete (now X Maker) did. Are their drawbacks to MP2?
IanG wrote on 1/19/2004, 12:35 AM
The problem's with the DVD standards - MP2 is included for PAL DVD but the NTSC standard only includes PMC and AC-3. An NTSC DVD may work with MP2, but it's not supported.

Ian G.
discdude wrote on 1/19/2004, 5:35 AM
IanG said:
"There is a version of MyDVD with a built in [AC-3] encoder, and a few people are scratching their heads over how Sonic can produce it so cheaply."

My guess would be that Dolby is willing to license a stripped down (and cheaper) version of their encoder to various makers of DVD burning software. I would be very surprised if it could encode 5.1 channel audio. I bet the encoders in MyDVD Deluxe 5 and Ulead Movie Factory 3 are stereo only.

I think the only reason Sony included MyDVD is because it was cheap. They already bundle it with their DVD burners. I know Sony Media Software is technically a separate divison from Sony Electronics, but still you have to believe they got a sweetheart deal. In the future, I would like to see a (slightly) stripped down DVD Architect included with Movie Studio.

Also, MyDVD Deluxe 5 has insane system requirements. It only runs on Windows XP !?! Ulead runs on 98SE and up no problem.
starfish98034 wrote on 1/19/2004, 7:25 AM
I have been fighting with MyDVD for two weeks since I got it trying to burn MPEG2 file that was approx 1hr 20 min video. Every time I tryed to burn with MyDVD the "Burn" button was grayed out. I had succeeded in burning a couple DVDs when I first got MS3/MyDVD 4.5 package and it did work so I could not figure out what I was doing wrong. Finally realized that the file was too large. I wish this was more clear in documentation and on Sonic website. If you have 4.7gb DVD media that says 2 hours a dummy like me would expect it to hold 2 hours when the MPEG file imported from MS is less than 4GB. A little frustrating to spend 3-4 hours rendering a file and have it not fit on the DVD.

My question is how long a video (how large a MPEG2) file will MyDVD burn?