VideoFactory vs VideoWave 5

daveboy wrote on 8/4/2002, 11:47 PM
I have just wasted the last month and a half of my life trying to get VW5 to burn my edited videos onto DVD-R. After multiple failed attempts with Gateway tech support and no response from MGI tech support, I am looking for a better software product. Is VideoFactory the answer I've been looking for, or am I still wasting time? Has anyone out there successfully burned high quality DVD's viewable on stand alone DVD players using VF?

Thanks!!!

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 8/5/2002, 5:48 AM
You can edit and rendering stunningly good MPEG files with VideoFactory. However, you need to purchase the additional MPEG-II plugin to create DVD compatible MPEG-II files, and VideoFactory has no function for burning DVDs. You will still need an external piece of software to perform the authoring/burning step.
IanG wrote on 8/5/2002, 7:50 AM
Where is this plugin? Now that I've registered MPEG-1 I no longer see anything in VF about MPEG-2, and I can't find anything on the website.
Chienworks wrote on 8/5/2002, 1:27 PM
This link might help: http://www.sonicfoundry.com/support/SupportProduct.asp?FamilyID=52&Family=VideoFactory&TopicID=76&DetailID=931

I also believe that the first time you try rendering to MPEG-II it will bring up a registration/purchase screen for the plugin.
kcarroll wrote on 8/5/2002, 2:35 PM
I started out with a copy of Videowave that came as part of a Dell Bundle. After wasting alot of time and effort, I too threw it away.

As Chienworks points out, Video Factory will not burn a DVD. A second burning program is required. (I use NERO 5.5.) While I do not do DVDs, I do produce SVCDs, which also require the production of clean MPEG2 files. Video Factory does this nicely.

I have come to appreciate Video Factory for what it is: A truely great editing program that sells for a very reasonable price. The fact that I had to buy another $54.95 program to perform my burning chores doesn't bother me in the slightest.

I have not yet found a piece of software that offers both high quality capture and editing capabilities along with a complete burning utility. No one I have spoken to has been able to suggest anything better than what I am currently doing; and that's saying a lot, because there are some pretty knowledgeable people on this forum.

If you believe the advance hype, Pinnacle's new Studio 8 is supposed to answer all our prayers: I, for one, will wait until it's been out a while, to see if it does everything they say it will.

kcarroll
IanG wrote on 8/5/2002, 5:11 PM
Thanks for looking up the link! Unfortunately it's the upgrade to VF2.0c, which I've already got. The problem with selecting MPEG-2 is that it's not there anymore! before I registered MPEG (and why is that separate?) I had the choice, but since then it's just 1. It's a mystery!
IanG wrote on 8/5/2002, 5:22 PM
My guess is you'll have a long wait. Although Studio's got its good points, stability across a wide range of PC configurations isn't one of them. Adding CD-RW support strike me as a recipe for disaster.
IanG wrote on 8/5/2002, 5:27 PM
Found it - lurking under the write to disk file options. It used to be under the Video CD options, too.
kcarroll wrote on 8/5/2002, 6:46 PM
IanG;

Your post pretty much sums up my feelings.

You'll observe that I'm not camped in front of my local CompUSA waiting for the first shipment.

kcarroll
Stiffler wrote on 8/7/2002, 1:59 AM
LOL...ha (inside joke!!)
Simmer wrote on 8/7/2002, 1:27 PM
Its a sad thing that Gateway/Dell and MGI tout VideoWave as a reliable package.
We were given VideWave 5 when we purchased a computer (last january)
and had nothing but problems (Capture worked sometimes, editing was OK,
printing to tape never worked and audio and video got out of synch over time).

Very frustrating!

With the info provided on this forum, I purchased VideoFactory.
Very nice choice. :-)

As to burning DVDs?
There are some nice packages out there, some more money, some less, but
I got DVD-Complete by Dazzle. Very nice package for my needs.

-Mike
the_ripper wrote on 8/8/2002, 9:05 AM
OK here are my packages I use and price:

1) Capture Card- Dell Dazzle card $269..Thats right, I only USE the card from the Dell bundle. You can by an adaptec for $30 for the firewire input if you look around, but hey, at least I could use something from that dazzle pile of crap.

2) Sonic Foundry Video Factory- $54

3) Sonic Foundry Mpeg2 plugin- $29.99

4) ULEAD Movie Factory (Will render Mpeg 2, and Burn SVCD (mpeg2) ( I like it for the SVCD burning) - $30

5) Canopus ADVC-100 - (Analog Capture Device, works great lip sync! ) - $300

-the_ripper
daveboy wrote on 8/12/2002, 10:52 PM
Thank you every one for your helpful comments and advice! This forum has worked well for me and I appreciate your input.