Why no new DVD Architect?

[r]Evolution wrote on 10/19/2011, 1:51 PM

forced to use Encore CS5

More Options + More Flexibility = Encore over DVDA on any & every day!

Hulk wrote on 10/19/2011, 2:10 PM

I am going to put my opinion on this.

Disc authoring software is not a high priority because most people are "over" lavish menus, intro videos and other frills. The faster they can get to the content the better. Link the video and burn the disc. Done.

Or better yet just put the files on a data disc and be done with it. Seems like that's where we're moving while we still use discs anyway.

Sebaz wrote on 10/19/2011, 2:59 PM

Well, even if you don't do menus, you still have to put the footage on a Blu-ray disc, which DVDA doesn't allow me to do unless I encode from Vegas, which I haven't used for over a year.

"Or better yet just put the files on a data disc and be done with it."

Right, so I'm going to give my clients a data DVD so they can play it in their computer, after they find the right h.264 codec and that's if they have a card that will properly play 1080i content without stuttering? That doesn't make any sense.

TeetimeNC wrote on 10/19/2011, 5:03 PM

Sebaz, what NLE are you using now?

/jerry

Hulk wrote on 10/19/2011, 5:17 PM

@Sebaz,

Just select the Blu-ray template from Vegas and encode your video and be done with it. Render As>Sony AVC>pick a blu-ray template and go.

And my "data disc" comment was a look to the future. Obviously you wouldn't distribute to a client in that form unless it was in addition to a format they could pop in their player.

My comment was a little frustration at having to sit through all the BS to get to the actual disc content!

ushere wrote on 10/19/2011, 6:02 PM

interesting - never had a commercial client ask me for blu-ray - YES for mp4 files all the time, along with dvd's.

when i've need to do a blu-ray for some one i've simply done what hulk's done....

DGates wrote on 10/19/2011, 6:06 PM

That's like saying you'd rather make out with an average woman, instead of being 'forced' to do it with a supermodel.

=]

Sebaz wrote on 10/19/2011, 7:14 PM

@Jerry

I've ben using Edius for about a year now, mostly because its real time with AVCHD is amazing and without needing a special graphics card, because it relies on the CPU. However, Vegas is my second favorite NLE and I'm testing the new 11. I find Edius better overall, especially for event videography, but if I had to make a movie I'd probably use Vegas, especially because for audio is better than any other NLE.

@Hulk

All the BS to get to the actual disc content is something that unfortunately you see on rental Blu-rays these days, but while I author some motion menus, I don't use BD-J (and I couldn't since Encore doesn't have it anyway) and if I make an intro menu I don't restrict the user to get to the main menu, so there's no BS to get to the main video.

@DGates

Interesting comparison, but I don't see how Encore is a supermodel. The only thing I would say it has better in comparison to DVDA is that it has better integration with Photoshop, but if I prefer DVDA's GUI, and I'd be happy to use it if they updated it to use MBAFF files. (It's MBAFF, not MBAAF as I typed earlier, I always get them confused)

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/19/2011, 8:25 PM

While I disagree on why you want DVDA to be updated, I 100% agree that it SHOULD be upgraded.

I don't need BD but DVDA is lacking multi-core-CPU support for rendering files, making prep times (if you use DVDA) horrendous. They could do more with integration with Vegas files. IE for a menu you can put a .veg in the background instead of a movie or a photoshop file. Have it auto-render out for use, use the pan/crop masks, etc. There's things they're not doing that I would love to see them do. It's been three years since we got 5 and the biggest change was BD support.

I have an opinion on why they don't do it though: no point. Everything is going online: movies, pictures, games, etc. Why put money in to a software program that does everything someone wants to make a DVD but doesn't help one bit making online videos?

Sebaz wrote on 10/19/2011, 8:37 PM

"Everything is going online: movies, pictures, games, etc. Why put money in to a software program that does everything someone wants to make a DVD but doesn't help one bit making online videos? "

Unfortunately that's the current situation. Progress has brought us large LCD TVs with beautiful picture quality, and a home video format to make good use of that great picture quality, Blu-ray. And yet, the a-holes in Hollywood are pushing onto us this aberration that is streaming video, which looks like crap even on the fastest home internet connection. Not to mention that its usability is enough to drive anybody crazy. Try rewinding 10 seconds on a Blu-ray movie, then try to do the same in Netflix.

One year ago, when people used to say that Blu-ray would have a short life and streaming was the thing that was going to replace everything else, I laughed. Now I cry. I can only hope that Blu-ray will remain and people will still have a demand for it. Years ago vinyl was dead and somehow nowadays I see almost every new record being published on vinyl, because there's a market for that. So I hope that happens with Blu-ray as well.

Opampman wrote on 10/19/2011, 8:57 PM

Stephen - Why would you need multi-core rendering in DVDA? If the file is encoded properly, it doesn't need anything re-rendered.

Kent

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/19/2011, 9:15 PM

Progress has brought us large LCD TVs with beautiful picture quality, and a home video format to make good use of that great picture quality, Blu-ray. And yet, the a-holes in Hollywood are pushing onto us this aberration that is streaming video, which looks like crap even on the fastest home internet connection.

Yup. I agree. Sadly, 99% of people don't care. MY parents own a 50 incher and have no problem watching streaming videos (netflix, etc) on it. Personally, I still buy mostly DVD's. BD's are still to expensive for my taste (I have some though, mostly used).

Stephen - Why would you need multi-core rendering in DVDA? If the file is encoded properly, it doesn't need anything re-rendered.

Some reasons off the top of my head:
*I want to take straight from my source (camera, online, whatever) and put it direct in to DVDA. I don't need to do editing.
*I make a change to the menu and now I need to rerender the video because the menus take up more space
*I render to a wrong preset by mistake and it already took to many hours to render and I don't want to rerender again.

DGates wrote on 10/19/2011, 9:40 PM

It seems every DVD authoring program I start using, the software company gives up on the version I'm using.

I started with DVD Workshop 2, which was very easy to use. But Ulead just gave up on it. Then I jumped to DVDA, and again, they haven't improved anything on it since I starting using it.

For what it is, it's a decent program overall, but Sony treats it like it's long lost second cousin. It's SO due some attention.

Steve Mann wrote on 10/20/2011, 12:08 AM

"
If you properly encode the files in Vegas, then DVDA shouldn't have to re-encode them. Ever.

ushere wrote on 10/20/2011, 12:39 AM

actually i find dvda quite a capable authoring program. it might be lacking in the blu-ray area according to some posts, (i wouldn't know) but for a $40 program what do people expect?

DGates wrote on 10/20/2011, 12:57 AM

I gave DVDA it's props. In regards to Blu-ray, it was one of the first to make it easy to throw together a menued BD project.

Most people just think it's due a good tweaking.

PeterDuke wrote on 10/20/2011, 1:35 AM

"If you properly encode the files in Vegas, then DVDA shouldn't have to re-encode them. Ever"

Except for HDV. DVDA re-encodes it where at least two other programs don't.

PeterDuke wrote on 10/20/2011, 1:41 AM

A feature which would have been nice is widely compatible AVCHD on DVD. However, it is a bit too late now for that, now that BDs have dropped in price. I don't even burn BDs much these days. I just put the .iso files on my media player.

TeetimeNC wrote on 10/20/2011, 5:00 AM

Sebaz, I was not familiar with x264 and MBAAF until your post. It sounds like Vegas Pro AND DVDA should both be supporting this. Have you sent this in as a request to SCS?

/jerry

JJKizak wrote on 10/20/2011, 6:36 AM

Sony probably doesn't want to torpedo their $50.000.00 Bluray writing program by upgrading DVD-A 5.2.
JJK

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/20/2011, 8:08 AM

If you properly encode the files in Vegas, then DVDA shouldn't have to re-encode them. Ever.

Kind of like if you properly shoot you shouldn't need to color correct. Ever. Or if you properly edit you should never need your old projects again. Ever. Or if take the photo the right time you should never need the negatives again. Ever. Or if you're a good editor you should never need to argue about getting paid. Ever. Or if you properly use Vegas it shouldn't crash. Ever.

I can keep going on that bad logic all day.

TheRhino wrote on 10/20/2011, 8:08 AM

I believe that software developers may be coming to a crossroads where they clearly mark a line in the sand between capable "prosumer" software and true studio-grade applications targeting TV studios & film producers...

In recent years TV studios & even movie producers have been using FCP to edit their high dollar work. This has to make Apple think, "Shouldn't they be paying more? Look how much money we are helping them to make...."

When Apple dummied-down the latest release of FCP "X", my first reaction was to believe that they will offer this affordable "prosumer" product to the masses and later release a massively expensive commercial version for TV studios & movie producers who have big budgets. In fact, a friend at a TV station said that FCP X is totally useless to them and they are anticipating having to pay Apple for a true studio-grade upgrade in the near future.

Now more than ever I am happy that I chose to start editing mostly with Vegas back around version 3.0... Although I use FCP to render-out ProRes files for clients who request them, working in Vegas is so much faster and we have (3) powerful/upgradeable workstations for the price of one Mac Pro... For those that learned how to edit FCP, they will be forced to learn a new interface if they upgrade to FCP X. Right now, I cannot think of a single professional who has upgraded to FCP X. Lots of kids seem to think it is cool though as they plunk down $300 so that they can edit their skateboard videos, etc...

So are we returning to the days of analog video when you needed $50,000 of hardware to edit broadcast quality video? The changes at Apple and that $50,000 Blu-ray program from Sony are sure a sign of the times IMO.