What authoring program they used?

[Mikele]

There is any way to discober what dvd authoring program used in a commercial DVD?
I have many DVDs (Alien, Reservoir Dogs, etc) that I like very much the authoring and I want to know what soft they used.

It is possible?

Thanks.

[Dr Mordrid]

Prepare to spend a lot. To give you an idea lets just talk about the stuff by Sonic Solutions, some of which can only be had as part of an entire workstation:

High range: DVD Creator (Mac) and DVD Scenarist run $5,000 to $35,000 USD, depending on the options.

Middle range: DVD Fusion (Mac) and DVD Producer run $2,000 USD without an encoder and up to $13,000 USD with an encoder.

Any of the above also need the support of a good graphics department and, if bundled with an encoder, a qualified MPEG encodist to really produce good results.

Don't expect much from many of their consumer products as some of them reek (DVDiT for one).

Dr. Mordrid

[schmosef]

Is this just an example of expensive software or is this what's actually being used?

Is there some module in the $35k product that actually justifies the cost?

:just curious:

[SpiralDragon]

Adobe DVD encore dose a prety good job for a lot less.. at least thats what i have experienced

[Dr Mordrid]

Scenarist is the most commonly used tool used in Hollywood studio productions.

That said you can do a VERY impressive job of authoring with DVD Workshop or ReelDVD.

I wouldn't give you two cents for Encore DVD. I have both 1.0 and 1.5 and they're so bug infested as to drive you crazy.

If you think that's a harsh opinion go to the Canopus forums sometime and see what they have to say about 'em

Dr. Mordrid

[traveller]

to $35,000 USD, depending on the options.

Oh boy
I realize such software gives much more possibilities then any freeware one but it seems such "space" price is implied by the target customer-I mean because of the high level of all investment costs of any studio producers agree to pay such huge money.
I don't believe it is better 350 times then any DVD authoring software for 100$

[Mikele]

Yes, Encore idea is good, but bugs make it impossible to use.

2 questions:
Can I Know what program are using reading something in IFO, SUB or VOB files?
What's the best "economical" DVD authoring? (1000 $)
I have tested Ulead DVD Workshop and I found it very limited (you can't fix limitations). Encore interface is better... but don't work.

I'm thinking in: DVDlab PRO (???), Pinnacle Liquid Edition 6 (authoring included inside, I think).

I want to give max control over remote control, forbide to press keys in chapters, like pros.

Thanks.

[Dr Mordrid]

The feature is called User Operation Control (UOC).

I don't believe DVDLab has that feature yet, nor do the majority of other programs. Scenarist and Encore do, but as noted one is expen$ive and the other is bug ridden.

Dr. Mordrid

[Hulk]

I've noticed LESS effort seems to be spent by major motion studios on DVD authoring. I think they're realizing that "dressing" up the packaging doesn't make the actual content any better and sometimes even distracts.

That being said, most "pro" DVD menus are created in NLE's then highlights are added in the DVD authoring application. You will get much better looking text in an NLE rather than a DVD authoring app.

As for limiting button access, that always annoys me when they do that. What, am I 2 years old?

And I'm getting real sick of these stupid 3 or 4 second transition videos I have to endure everytime I exit a menu. Yeah it's great the first time, but after that I don't want it.

Just give me a clearly laid out main menu that links to the movie, an fast.

Rant over.

- Mark

[wkulecz]

Right On! Hulk.

Too much self-indulgnet crap and mis-placed creativity in commercial DVDs!

--wally.

[Mikele]

As for limiting button access, that always annoys me when they do that. What, am I 2 years old?

Well, I wan't to fix the possibility to jump to another not desired chapter when you are playing the DVD. I want to give a path, lineal or not, but a path that you can't avoid.

Have you press "Next Chapter" in a DVD authored with Ulead's DVD workshop many times (playin in a REAL DVD?.
If you have done a "complex" navigation, with many menus and submenus, sometimes it can go everywhere, without any control.
And if you press "Title Menu " or "DVD Menu" on Remote Control?
With this "limitations" on Remote Control you can fix a lot of navigation errors and show what you want and in the way you designed. Well, this is Authoring. The other is aleatory Authoring.

Thanks.

[Dr Mordrid]

IMO the only valid reason for forced linear playback is what most companes use it for: enforced viewing of the copyright/FBI notifications at the beginning of the disk.

Otherwise I'm with Hulk in that they're annoying at best and maddening at worst.

Dr. Mordrid

[Mikele]

What happen if you press NEXT CHAPTER in a multimenu DVD created with Ulead DVD Workshop?
In Encore you can hide NEXT CHAPTER keys on the remote control.

[Hulk]

I wrote two books on DVD authoring last year and have authored more DVDs than I care to think about. Make a button, link it to the video. There you go, watch the video.

Create some chapters to move through the video quickly while hitting points of interest.

Maybe, just maybe throw in a motion menu if it's not distracting.

If someone presses a button and goes to the wrong chapter they shouldn't be sitting on the remote control or blindly pushing buttons.

Just about every feature in the DVD spec IS included in WS2, button programming is one of the few that is not, but you can select default buttons on a menu. I'm sure the next revision of most of the pro DVD authors will include EVERY possible feature in the DVD spec, then where will they go for the next revision?

Simple, BR or HD DVDs which will require a new authoring spec, so the cycle will start all over again.

Like I said I'm not into taking HUGE amounts of time to author DVDs just because I can. I think DVD authoring is simply a means to access content quickly. It should or hopefully could make some type of artistic statement, but that can be as simple as a unique font and background photo, and 90% of the time that does the trick quite nicely.

Layout a nice menu, create buttons and text in a photo editor or NLE, import menus to the authoring app and add highlights and call it a day. That's just my opinion though. Perhaps I'm just grumpy tonight!

- Mark

[Elie]

Well for what's it's worth, I'm an avid Encore user, love it and burned so many DVD's that sell world wide, tons of projects were created without issues.

I like the Photoshop integration, I like the fact that you can have play lists, and now with Encore 1.5.1 Dual Layer support which actually works.

Encore may have a few bugs but so does every software out there unless you are paying thousands of dollars for an authoring tool.

Regards,
Elie