higher end dvd authoring software. an overshoot?

Jake Russell · August 5th, 2004, 02:45 PM

Because:

1. I know that there would be more hooo haaaa if they did.
2. I have a very very very small I idea of what is involved in getting SB implemented having spoken and worked with TFDVDEdit programmers and there is no way that DVDLab guys would charge $200 if thats what they had.
3. I know that there would be more hooo haaaa if they did.
4. There is no where on the sites I've seen:
http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html or
http://dvdlab.net/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html

that seamless branching is mentioned. Movie branching is Stories in dvdsp and not the same as seamless branching.
5. I know that there would be more hooo haaaa if they did.

I think I'm going to have to check that app out, the only problem is that they say it's a *pro* app but don't answer pro questions like if it supports writing to DLT(DDP/CMF), support for dvd-9 projects, region coding, copy protection and so on. That said it looks like a very good app for $199.

Jake

Jake Russell · August 5th, 2004, 03:12 PM

Ok I now see seamless :-)

http://dvdlab.net/dvdlab/

Well they describe stories when they explain it, that is what it'll support not true SB. I'm downloading the demo to have a play though,

Jake

Rob Lohman · August 6th, 2004, 05:27 AM

It doesn't smell good indeed. I couldn't believe they would have
it either. I know a bit about SB and how it works as well. Let's
just say that a Scenarist tech told me something along the lines
of: "we'd have to rewrite the engine to support it"

What I do find weird is that the program does not seem to
support multiple angles. Even in its Pro version or did I somehow
miss that part?

Jake Russell · August 6th, 2004, 05:43 AM

I guess it's easy to get excited about this stuff but when I saw the company themself say that you shouldn't use their app for commercial work I came back to reality before even opening the app! They say to use Scenarist or dvd studio pro type apps and not DVDLab.

I know at the end of the day there has to be reasons that SB is hard to come by, and that Toashiba have a dediacted encoder and system just for it!

Nope no multiple angles but they plan to add it they say. It's a beta app still and a small company so lets hope good things come for them even if they have to work up to the *pro* status.

I do like that they are trying to go the spec route and not offer all the bells and whistles that even dvdsp offers.

Jake

Dan Euritt · August 6th, 2004, 02:24 PM

thanks for checking out those links jake... it was maestro i was thinking of... i believe that it used to be a very expensive hardware/software package before it all got sold to apple... i think you can still get it used on ebay and such, and the software will run without the hardware, including preview capability if you have the right player codec on your pc.

oscar has indeed advised that the beta versions of dvdlab pro should not be used for professional authoring... but when they bring out the commercial version, it's gonna rock! there is also a great support forum for the product as well... some real hard core dvd guys post regularly there.

Arnaldo Paixao · August 9th, 2004, 08:12 AM

Hi Adi.

ReelDVD belongs to the Scenarist family. Look at it as the little brother. Their program base is the same, but ReelDVD costs much much less. It's not the easiest program to work with (nor Scenarist) but it will give you DVDs as reliable as Scenarist.

Best regards,
Arnaldo

Jake Russell · August 9th, 2004, 08:36 AM

I wouldn't be fooled by the Sonic blurb. As far as I'm aware it's 'built upon the same tried-and-tested DVD formatting technology' as Scenarist but that doesn't mean it has the exact same formatting engine! Also that's just the muxer anyway right?

I've got very limited knowledge of ReelDVD. Do you have control over the domains? FP, VMG, VTSM and VTS? Can you add pre and post commands to PGCs and not use the automatic programming? Do you have access to all the spec based navigation commands?

I don't think Scenarist has family! Maybe the diff versions, Studio-Adv. ReelDVD isn't a spec based app is it? It's a very distant 8th cousin maybe as it is made by Sonic but not really a family member.

Cheers,

Jake

Dan Euritt · August 9th, 2004, 12:09 PM

i don't believe that reeldvd has access to the command sets that you are referring to... why would they want it to compete with scenarist, anyway? the target market for reeldvd is simple corporate and event stuff.

imho, reeldvd is way long in the tooth, and pretty overpriced for what it's capabilities are... but it's very reliable.

various versions of the sonic dvd authoring engine(s) are in a whole bunch of pc dvd authoring packages.

Jake Russell · August 9th, 2004, 12:17 PM

Hi Dan,

thanks and I didn't think so. I wasn't trying to suggest that reeldvd was or should compete with scenarist. Just trying to get my head around the comment by Arnaldo in terms of this thread. As, as I've read things it's not been so much of a what should I use thread but more of a how does that work and how is that an advantage,

Cheers,

Jake

Aaron Shaw · August 17th, 2004, 07:52 PM

Just curious but where does Adobe's "Encore" fall in the spectrum? Seems like a decent program to me.

Rob Lohman · August 18th, 2004, 01:59 AM

That is at most pro-sumer. This is not what you call a highend
authoring application.

Aaron Shaw · August 18th, 2004, 10:24 AM

Yeah that was what I was thinking but just wanted to check :) Thanks for the reply!

August 6th, 2004, 05:27 AM	#18
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	It doesn't smell good indeed. I couldn't believe they would have it either. I know a bit about SB and how it works as well. Let's just say that a Scenarist tech told me something along the lines of: "we'd have to rewrite the engine to support it" What I do find weird is that the program does not seem to support multiple angles. Even in its Pro version or did I somehow miss that part? __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 18th, 2004, 01:59 AM	#26
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	That is at most pro-sumer. This is not what you call a highend authoring application. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 5th, 2004, 02:45 PM	#16
Jake Russell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 177	Because: 1. I know that there would be more hooo haaaa if they did. 2. I have a very very very small I idea of what is involved in getting SB implemented having spoken and worked with TFDVDEdit programmers and there is no way that DVDLab guys would charge $200 if thats what they had. 3. I know that there would be more hooo haaaa if they did. 4. There is no where on the sites I've seen: http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html or http://dvdlab.net/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html that seamless branching is mentioned. Movie branching is Stories in dvdsp and not the same as seamless branching. 5. I know that there would be more hooo haaaa if they did. I think I'm going to have to check that app out, the only problem is that they say it's a pro app but don't answer pro questions like if it supports writing to DLT(DDP/CMF), support for dvd-9 projects, region coding, copy protection and so on. That said it looks like a very good app for $199. Jake

August 5th, 2004, 03:12 PM	#17
Jake Russell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 177	Ok I now see seamless :-) http://dvdlab.net/dvdlab/ Well they describe stories when they explain it, that is what it'll support not true SB. I'm downloading the demo to have a play though, Jake

August 6th, 2004, 05:43 AM	#19
Jake Russell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 177	I guess it's easy to get excited about this stuff but when I saw the company themself say that you shouldn't use their app for commercial work I came back to reality before even opening the app! They say to use Scenarist or dvd studio pro type apps and not DVDLab. I know at the end of the day there has to be reasons that SB is hard to come by, and that Toashiba have a dediacted encoder and system just for it! Nope no multiple angles but they plan to add it they say. It's a beta app still and a small company so lets hope good things come for them even if they have to work up to the pro status. I do like that they are trying to go the spec route and not offer all the bells and whistles that even dvdsp offers. Jake

August 6th, 2004, 02:24 PM	#20
Dan Euritt Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 1,132	thanks for checking out those links jake... it was maestro i was thinking of... i believe that it used to be a very expensive hardware/software package before it all got sold to apple... i think you can still get it used on ebay and such, and the software will run without the hardware, including preview capability if you have the right player codec on your pc. oscar has indeed advised that the beta versions of dvdlab pro should not be used for professional authoring... but when they bring out the commercial version, it's gonna rock! there is also a great support forum for the product as well... some real hard core dvd guys post regularly there.

August 9th, 2004, 08:12 AM	#21
Arnaldo Paixao Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vimeiro - Portugal Posts: 255	Hi Adi. ReelDVD belongs to the Scenarist family. Look at it as the little brother. Their program base is the same, but ReelDVD costs much much less. It's not the easiest program to work with (nor Scenarist) but it will give you DVDs as reliable as Scenarist. Best regards, Arnaldo

August 9th, 2004, 08:36 AM	#22
Jake Russell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 177	I wouldn't be fooled by the Sonic blurb. As far as I'm aware it's 'built upon the same tried-and-tested DVD formatting technology' as Scenarist but that doesn't mean it has the exact same formatting engine! Also that's just the muxer anyway right? I've got very limited knowledge of ReelDVD. Do you have control over the domains? FP, VMG, VTSM and VTS? Can you add pre and post commands to PGCs and not use the automatic programming? Do you have access to all the spec based navigation commands? I don't think Scenarist has family! Maybe the diff versions, Studio-Adv. ReelDVD isn't a spec based app is it? It's a very distant 8th cousin maybe as it is made by Sonic but not really a family member. Cheers, Jake

August 9th, 2004, 12:09 PM	#23
Dan Euritt Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 1,132	i don't believe that reeldvd has access to the command sets that you are referring to... why would they want it to compete with scenarist, anyway? the target market for reeldvd is simple corporate and event stuff. imho, reeldvd is way long in the tooth, and pretty overpriced for what it's capabilities are... but it's very reliable. various versions of the sonic dvd authoring engine(s) are in a whole bunch of pc dvd authoring packages.

August 9th, 2004, 12:17 PM	#24
Jake Russell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 177	Hi Dan, thanks and I didn't think so. I wasn't trying to suggest that reeldvd was or should compete with scenarist. Just trying to get my head around the comment by Arnaldo in terms of this thread. As, as I've read things it's not been so much of a what should I use thread but more of a how does that work and how is that an advantage, Cheers, Jake

August 17th, 2004, 07:52 PM	#25
Aaron Shaw Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 587	Just curious but where does Adobe's "Encore" fall in the spectrum? Seems like a decent program to me.

August 18th, 2004, 10:24 AM	#27
Aaron Shaw Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 587	Yeah that was what I was thinking but just wanted to check :) Thanks for the reply!