Thanks for the reply BillyBoy...Under "Start Project" I select "DVD" under "Output Disc Format" then click next and have 4 choices to choose from: 1) capture 2) add video 3) add slideshow 4) Import DVD video. I don't see anything referring to "author menus"or "add MPEG file"...I am using the brand new version 5.1.2600.1106, could that be why.

Thanks again BillyBoy,
Randy

It sounds like you might be using moviefactory V2.0(new version). Do you have the same problem with 1.0?

From what I've read in the forums, all the "too good to be true" features of v1.0 (ie. Batch conversion, and importing MPEG2 files without reencoding), have got up and left. But they did add Direct to DVD feature......oh, now THAT makes up for it. I cringe at that thought. I'm guessing the blockyness of MPEG1 on a DVD.

jeffy82@aol.com

Ouch. Why to companies mess up software that was good? I'm still waiting to download the version 2 demo if they ever get around to putting it on their web site.

I have MF2 and you just use add video button, it opens the file browser and allows you to select the DVD/SVCD etc mpeg files. I just opened a new project and imported a Vegas DVD mpeg, TMPG mpeg and CCE mpeg. I don't have a DVD burner yet so don't know if it re-encodes, but the output settings have a "don't encode compliant files" option.

Hey Jeffy, I never had the 1st vrs, this is the new one.

Hey Doboyd,
you said "I have MF2 and you just use add video button, it opens the file browser and allows you to select the DVD/SVCD etc mpeg files. I just opened a new project and imported a Vegas DVD mpeg, TMPG mpeg and CCE mpeg. I don't have a DVD burner yet so don't know if it re-encodes, but the output settings have a "don't encode compliant files" option."

I'm in the same boat...I'm supposed to get my 1st DVD burner next week so I guess I won't know if it tries to re-encode until then. I added my VV3 mpeg2 just as you described and made sure the "don't encode..." is checked, but it just seems to me that one would choose DVD as opposed to add video from that selection. I wonder how I could tell (after burning my 1st DVD) if it did indeed not re-encode.
Thanks for everyones input,
Randy

> From what I've read in the forums, all the "too good to be true" features of v1.0
> (ie. Batch conversion, and importing MPEG2 files without reencoding),
> have got up and left.

Not true. I have DVD Movie Factory 2 and it does not re-encode your MPEG2 files. There is an option to turn this on and off and the default is off (i.e., don’t re-encode) I use MF2 with the MainConcept encoded files that I make from VV3 and it makes beautiful DVD’s. I’m really happy with this new version over MF1.

IMHO, MF2 is a huge improvement over MF1. I like being able to control the fonts on the menus and thumbnails and the ability to continue to the next MPEG instead of returning to the menu after each one. (this is controllable now) The template selections are also much nicer, there's a considerable greater selection, and the ability to save your own custom templates is really nice. I also tried the slide show option and it totally replaces DVD Picture Show (which I also have) and since it has nicer templates I’ll be using DVD MF2 for burning my slide shows too.

You can also re-edit a DVD that you’ve made right from the VOB files and burn direct from capture to DVD in one step. While I don’t use their MPEG encoder it seems to have improved on the short test that I did. I know some people are upset because you can’t create a DVD with chapters on the main menu. Chapters can only be on a sub-menu. MF1 allowed chapters on the main menu when there was only one video file. Others are upset because you can’t batch encode and the encoding options are less customizable, but I use VV3 and MainConcept so this wasn’t a concern for me.

I think Ulead did an excellent job but that’s because they added features that I wanted and didn’t take away any that I was using. Your mileage may vary.

~jr

Hi jr,
So when you "use VV3 and MainConcept" how do you go about importing into MF; with "add video" or "Import DVD video"? If your answer is "Import DVD video" do you have a clue as to why it doesn't see my file when using this procedure?
TIA,
Randy

OK, I just tried the import DVD video, the dialogue box is asking for DVD Video_TS folder/files or DVD-VR (DVD RAM?) files, so unless you have files in these formats you would use add video to import your own Mpeg 2 files (DVD compliant). The only time you would add DVD video is if you had backed up your own commercial DVD's or created the Video_TS file etc.

I did try and create a XVCD(non standard bitrate and resolution), it will NOT re-encode compliant files for the project format selected, but will re-encode any non-compliant formats, not really an issue.

Now all I have to do is wait for my Sony DRU500!

Thank you doboyd, that answers my question.
Many thanks everyone,
Randy

Hi Randy,

Doboyd beat me to the answer. I use the Add Video button because import DVD is looking for .VOB files. I just use the DVD NTSC MPEG2 option in VV3 to make the files and DVD MovieFactory 2 has been happy with them and doesn’t re-encode them.

One thing they improved that I forgot to mention was the chapter editor. It use to be real slow and unreliable with large MPEG files but now it’s very responsive and hasn’t crashed on me at all. They did a nice job with this upgrade.

~jr

I have not tried Movie Facotry yet, but from what I have read will probably be what I acquire next. Is there a reason NOT to use Movie Factory to render a VV3 .avi file to a DVD NTSC mpeg, that is instead of using VV to render the mpeg2 file first?

Hey jthor,
From what I've read here, VV3 does a better job at it.
Randy

I haven’t tried rendering to MPEG with Movie Factory 2 yet, but Movie Factory 1 used the Ligos LSX MPEG encoder and it's not as good as the MainConcept encoder. I mean the difference was really visible to me. Ligos has some really bad compression artifacts while MainConcept looked as good as my original source. They may have improved it for Movie Factory 2 but I haven’t tried it.

~jr