Good DVD authoring app?

[Demon-Xanth]

I have a program called Ulead DVD Moviefactory (v1.0) for capturing and converting video from composite in to DVD. I've found that this program seems to have a bug. It takes the entire OS (and sometimes other partitions) down to unusable.

When it works, it works pretty good for what I need. But when it crashes I have to reinstall Win2k. (thank god I made an image after the first time, I had to restore twice today) What alternative programs are out there that can do the following:

1: Capture to both raw, and MPEG2 video using a standard BT8x8 tuner card.
(ability to capture to divx/xvid a plus)
2: Convert to DVD standard format.
3: Author basic DVD menus.
4: Produce finished DVD files that can be burned with Nero

Other pluses would be to convert video to/from avi to MPEG1/2 and compressed AVI (divx/MPEG4...) with external codecs.

Freeware will work, but trialware for software running under $100 is okay too.

 

[HomerSapien]

Nero

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Last I checked, Nero doesn't have any video capture capabilities.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Okay, I just looked into it. Apparantly, it does capture now. (and I already own Nero...)

 

[HomerSapien]

sorry..should have said nero 6 ultra, not just any old nero. my bad.

I dont think it will encode to divx/xvid, but the compression technology it uses is pretty good. I use autogordian knot to encode everything for me.

 

[Zero Plasma]

Yeah, Nero 6 Ultra > all

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: Smoke0
Yeah, Nero 6 Ultra > all

Uh, I don't think so buddy. Nero is great, but it doesn't go further than basic DVD authoring. If you want some good DVD authoring apps, check out the following:

1. DVDLab Pro (you can get as crazy as you want with it, but it's pretty complex)
2. Ulead DVD Workshop 2 (I mainly use this one)
3. TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 (for really quick edits and some basic DVD menus. I haven't tried capturing with it though)
4. Adobe Encore DVD 1.5 (you can make some REALLY pro stuff with this)

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: Smoke0
Yeah, Nero 6 Ultra > all

Uh, I don't think so buddy. Nero is great, but it doesn't go further than basic DVD authoring. If you want some good DVD authoring apps, check out the following:

1. DVDLab Pro (you can get as crazy as you want with it, but it's pretty complex)
2. Ulead DVD Workshop 2 (I mainly use this one)
3. TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 (for really quick edits and some basic DVD menus. I haven't tried capturing with it though)
4. Adobe Encore DVD 1.5 (you can make some REALLY pro stuff with this)

As far as authoring, basic is all I need. The main thing is the capture/conversion parts. Considering that I've had to reinstall Windows 3 times because of a Ulead product, I think I'll just give the second one a middle finger. Nero Super Happy Mega Ultra I own and did all the upgrades, I just never realized that the capture part was in one of the upgrades.

 

[homercles337]

What about windows movie maker? Never used it, but i see it there when i go to start->programs.

 

[HomerSapien]

I have never actually seen windows movie maker work beyond opening the program. It always crashed on me when opening the mpegs, regardless of the computer i was using. I think it has to do with the size of the mpegs being used, but i never really looked into it.

 

[pvogel]

Sonic MyDVD Studio is pretty nice -- with the added plus of being able to burn TiVo video with a free plug-in they provide.

Peter+

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Nero appears to do what I want to do better than Ulead's program did. But I'm now suspecting my crappy RAM as being the problem, it's just too crappy. Nero also crashed and my system came up no-boot when explorer crashed and yeilded a standard error message box more than 3000 pixels wide, and after another restore, had a bad shutdown and a number of corrupted folders. (yes, I did a virus scan with multiple vendors)

 

[fuxxociety]

Originally posted by: pvogel
Sonic MyDVD Studio is pretty nice -- with the added plus of being able to burn TiVo video with a free plug-in they provide.

Peter+

A friend of mine has the MyDVD studio with an hp DVD burner, and it seems pretty decent. However, I've got a faster Intel-based system than his, with a Lite-On burner (which is all HP's burners are) and it will let me compile all I want to, but it won't burn to CD.

My suggestion on Sonic is to check your burner compatibility first, before you go buying it.

 

[essential]

Anyone know of a Authoring prog that can decifer Divx and Xvid AVI's? I've been using Ulead's MovieFactory 4, and I like it, but when I burn anything that are Divx or Xvid, there is no sound on the burned DVD. I have to convert the AVI's first. Are there any authoring apps that can read divx or xvid?

 

[SuPrEIVIE]

i think sony's dvd architect 3 can do it but it probably is out of your price range since it bundles with vegas6

 

[John]

I use Nero OEM Suite 3 to capture video, and it has the full version of Vision Express.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Give Ulead another try... personally, I went through a lot of DVD authoring applications, and I found Ulead DVD Workshop 2 to be the best I've ever dealt with... it even beats DVD-Lab Pro....

 

[CalvinHobbes]

Isn't DVD Workshop 3 out now? Maybe I'm thinking of something else.

I would also vote for DVDLab Pro but it's very complex.
DVD Author is great for making custom or demo DVD's.

 

[Ryland]

I have been using Pinnacle Studio 9 for this with a Kworld video capture card and have had really good luck. The only caviout I have found is that you don't want to run the sound through the kworld dongle because the levels drop too much.