New DVD Mastering Package

slr wrote on 2/20/2002, 9:34 AM

For all of you looking for something better than Sonic's MyDVD but still affordable, a new mastering package is to be released in early March. DVDCre8.com's DVD Complete package will be marketed under the Dazzle brand name. See the press release at http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020219/sftu141_1.html.

This package is supposed to offer a simple mode (maybe similar to Ulead's DVD MovieFactory) and a full functionality mode. In this advanced mode, I understand you can even create motion menus. Package price looks to be $99.

Check it out!

Steve

PS - Disclaimer: I am in no way related to DVDCre8, SCM, or Dazzle. Just an optimistic consumer looking for a good, functional, moderatly priced mastering package.

Comments

kkolbo wrote on 2/20/2002, 1:42 PM

This has been promoted and promised for more than a year. The general industry buzz has been that it is vaporware and the general confidence is low. If they do successfully do it at a price point below $300 they will shake up the market big time. They have just made a lot of promises and no one has seen any indication that it will be more than vapor. Cross our fingers.

K

PeterMac wrote on 2/21/2002, 4:56 AM

Cross your fingers too that the output it creates consists of more than mosaic-like random blocks. Harder to turn a piece of software into a paper-weight than it is to do the same with the 'Dazzle Bridge'

kkolbo wrote on 3/7/2002, 2:58 PM

Take a look at ULeads new DVD Workshop. We are getting close to some good packages soon. Sonics DVDit is still better for corporate stuff like training and displays but ULead can be fun for movie only projects.

K

slr wrote on 3/7/2002, 5:26 PM

I've been working with Ulead's DVD Workshop for the past week or two. It seems OK, but it does have some problems. It crashes often (under Win XP), but I assume that's because its "preview" software. Aside from that, the real problem I've been having is the fact that it forces a re-encoding or MPEG-2 source material. I've been using VV to generate the optimal MPEG-2 stream, but then this package goes and resamples (taking hours in the process), and there's no way to bypass this operation.

In addition, the re-encoding seems buggy. A DVD I built last night ended up with audio and video out of sync even though the source was fine. Another time, with the same source, the sync was fine, but chapter buttons would not work properly. If I selected the first, the entire video played fine. If I selected any other chapter, audio played fine, but video displayed a frozen single frame from about the 15 minute point.

Also, the encoder gives you the option of CBR or VBR, but selecting VBR results in a file twice as large (this could be user misunderstanding of bit rate settings though).

Finally, I really don't like these non-standard user interfaces that are supposed to be "simpler" to use. Some things are easy, but other things are very non-intuitive.

BTW, out of curiousity, I e-mailed DVDCre8 regarding DVD Complete's handling of MPEG-2 source. They state they never re-encode and use the material just as the user supplies it (unless a format change is required - eg MPEG-2 to MPEG-1 for SVCDs). I also e-mailed SCMMicro (aka Dazzle) as to the release date of DVD Complete. They (of course) couldn't give an exact date, but said sometime around late April. I still have high hopes for this package. Just wish it was coming out sooner.

Steve

kkolbo wrote on 3/7/2002, 8:17 PM

You may want to download a newer version of the Ulead workshop. On XP I have had no crashes or any of the other problems you are talking about. I have made about 12 or 15 DVD's with it at this point. Yes it is obviously still in development. I too wish it would not re-encode MPEG 2 files. The nice thing is that at an 8mb it does encode a DV AVI to look better than the other MPEG encoders I use including VV and TMPEG. You results may vary.

There are a number of features that I like about ULead. The Motion menu support is for backgrounds not just buttons like Dazzle will be. The ability to adjust the button highlight is nice. It has alignment and layer adjustment in the menu layout as well.

What keeps me from moving to it from DVDit SE is that it has very limited navigational option by comparision. Dazzle will be the same way. If I was doing a Movie release then the ULead would be the nicest presentation, but for coporate or training you nedd the navigation in DVDit SE.

I was not excited about the feature list in the Dazzle version after I read it in depth. Now if you compare it as a $100 solution rather than a $300 solution like the two others I mention then it scores big pluses there.

Finatic13 wrote on 3/8/2002, 1:28 PM

Dump them all and get yourselves a copy of Reel DVD 2.5 its the best there is:>)
regards
simon

kkolbo wrote on 3/8/2002, 2:06 PM

I have not heard anything about Sonic Foundry working on a package. I will be interested to see what they put together. For the ULead product just go to www.ulead.com

The limited navigation may not sound like much until you look at doing corporate or training discs. Ulead does not have a loop setting after a clip. ULead does not allow you to have one clip go to another clip that is not the next clip. With DVDit you can jump from the end of one clip to any other. DVDit allows you to choose the default button and which button will be used on a menu time out (important for Kiosk development) ULead will not.

That was what I was reffering to. The implementation of motion menus in ULead is superior to many other products at it's price point. Most only allow motion buttons. Ulead allows backgrounds as well.

Personally I am going to wait and see what DVDit 4.0 has to offer before changing. None of them have much in the way of Dolby support. Man we all miss Softencode. Even with it though most will not accept the encoded audio.

K