VT[4] dvd authoring support question...

[nelsonm]

Hello,

Does the supplied Ulead dvd authoring program support multiple playlists?

I currently use DVDMaestro 2.9, it does support multiple playlists. It allows me to program a dvd to play in a variety of different ways without having to import multiple copies of the video on the dvd. This saves space and allows for increased video quality on the dvd.

[Paul Lara]

DVD Workshop 2 SE does support multiple playlists. There is never a need to duplicate a video or section of a video by importing the file twice. Simply select the one file in your asset bin and feel free to add it to multiple menu’s and or buttons.

[ScorpioProd]

The full version does, so I suspect the answer is 'yes'.

[nelsonm]

Interesting...

I thought that only highend apps like DVDMaestro and Scenarist supported multiple playlists - but i haven't looked around in about a year.

Does anyone know of other current apps that support the feature?

[Rich Deustachio]

When you say "It allows me to program a dvd to play in a variety of different ways" what different ways do you mean?

[nelsonm]

Consumer/Prosumer dvd authoring apps only allow you to have one chapter list per video stream. So in order to create a dvd that plays more than one way, you would have to have multiple copies of the same video on the dvd - each with its own set of chapter points. This could a problem if your video is too long and two or more copies would not fit on the dvd.

Professional apps allow you to create more than one set of chapter points (sometimes called playlists) for a single video stream. This means that you can have a single video stream play back in different ways such as; playing all the way through from beginning to end as well as being able to play back by segments (chapter points). You can also play back the video segments from beginning to end in a different order other than 1,2,3,4,5... like 3,5,1,2,4 using only one video stream.

I do this all the time for my clients. Like a training video with a number of educational segments and topics. The client wants to be able to allow the viewer to play the dvd all the way through without interruption as well as being able to choose and view a desired topic from the menu.

[wvp]

Interesting...

I thought that only highend apps like DVDMaestro and Scenarist supported multiple playlists - but i haven't looked around in about a year.

Does anyone know of other current apps that support the feature?
DVD workshop (Version 2) is a pretty full featured program. Check it out on Ulead's site (http://www.ulead.com/dws/runme.htm). Unofficial word is that the SE version is very similar to the Full version. I will make seperate post about this though.

[wvp]

HEY NEWTEK!
According to Ulead's web site: "DVD Workshop 2 SE is software that is customized for each hardware provider. Thus, each version has different limitations and a slightly different feature set. For more detailed information, please contact your hardware provider for your version’s specifications."

SO I ask, What are the differences? I would like a list of everything that is different, much the way Ulead provides a version comparision if possible.
Thank you!!!

[Ivan]

Nelson,

What are you currently using to author your DVDs? DVD Workshop does not allow you to manipulate the GPRMs and so you could not do as you describe. The least expensive DVD software on the PC that will allow you to do this is Producer as far as I know. On the Mac you can do it with DVD Studio Pro and I have read that Encore will one day allow this. I do not know of any such rumors about DVDWS.

Ivan

[ScorpioProd]

In DVD Workshop 2.2, playlists let you arrange separate TITLES in different ways, you can't rearrange chapter points. They have to be separate video titles.

For instance, if each of your chapters is a different title, then you could create different playlists tied to different buttons that would play whatever ones you want in different orders while using the same actual assets.

[SBowie]

I would like a list of everything that is different, much the way Ulead provides a version comparision if possible.
From the VT[4] FAQ:

[nelsonm]

Ivan,

I use DVDMaestro 2.9.

Eugene is correct in that you can't rearrange chapter points - but in DVDMaestro and Scenarist you can create multiple playlists for a single video file that allow you to enter what ever existing chapter points you like and in any order you like. So you could have a menu that with several buttons lets you play the video in different ways.

I.E.
play1 button - plays chapter points (segments) in 1,2,3,4,5,6... order
play2 button - in 3,6,2,1,4... order
play3 button - only plays chapter points 1,2,3
play4 button - only plays chapter points 7,8,9,4,1

and so on... all using just one video file.

Plus DVDMaestro and Scenarist let you create command sequences and manipulate movie properties like playback control, stream selection, menu call, disable chapter skip and more.

If Ulead's full product can do these things, then i'd be interested in switching since DVDMaestro is not longer available or supported and Scenarist 's user interface is too difficult and convoluted for most people including me.

[wvp]

Thank you Steve!
As an owner of Workshop1, the upgrade to the full ver2 is available to me weather or not I have the Workshop SE version :(
But I can play with the SE & then decide.

Now if they would ship my upgrade! :)

[Ivan]

DVD Studio Pro will do what you want but it is on a Mac. The good news is that this would free up your editing machine for editing. Why are you interested in changing apps if Maestro works and makes DVDs that work?

Ivan

[nelsonm]

Ivan,

Greater presumed DVD compatability, stability and possibly less bugs.

You'd think that because other products are newer and supported that they would be more compatible with DVD's. But i have been proven wrong in the past!

[Ivan]

I have a friend that has a Creator system and I would put that up against most any of the new programs. Some of the newer programs play a little fast and loose with the DVD Spec which is why we have some of the compatability issues. Though DVDSP rates very high when it comes to compatability there are some things that I would like to see changed. These have to do more with the way that it creates the DVD and where it puts things on the disk itself than the way it performs. I don't know as much about Maestro as you but I thought that it was a pretty good program and though there is no upgrade path it should still work for authoring. Do you have a real time encoder?

Ivan

[nelsonm]

Ivan,

Surprisingly no - i use Mediacruise if i'm in a hurry but mostly i use TMpegnc.

[ScorpioProd]

I can honestly say that with TMPGEnc for my encoding and DVD WS for my authoring, and good media to burn on, I've NEVER had any real compatibility issues.