DVD WorkShop Price Range Poll

[JackHu]

Just need to do a quick research for people whom are interested in authoring tool.

As we know, Adobe will launch Adobe Encore DVD in Q3 for the price of $549.

WorkShop 2 is coming soon as well with similar features and functions that Encore has plus WMV and Micro MV support.

Would you buy Adobe for $549 or buy WorkShop 2 for the price of $449?

The upgrade price is somewhere around $249, not sure on this.

[Dr Mordrid]

At $100 less than Adobe's product it gives you an advantage if the features are similar and both have more than basic AC3 capablities (yes folks, those Dolby licenses are EXPENSIVE), but at the same time it seems to leave a large marketing gap between DVDMF 2 and DVDWS 2.

Maybe you should consider a lite version of DVDWS2, perhaps with just basic AC3 capabilities (1/0 mono & 2/0 stereo), to cover the in-between ground now occupied by DVDWS 1.3.

Dr. Mordrid

[JackHu]

Yes, Doc

We are considering a Lite version which will consist the basic AC-3, only single audio track...etc

I thought $449 is a reasonable price for version considering all the new features and functions included in it.

Please give me your comments and suggestions then.

Jack

[Dr Mordrid]

IF DVDWS 2 full offers AC3 5.1 with multiple audio tracks etc. etc. then I think a $449 MSRP is reasonable, especially compared to the price of the competition.

I would also suggest a bundle/discount strategy of some kind....maybe even something like Matrox is doing with After Effects (a Parhelia + AE for a discounted price);

http://www.matrox.com/mga/archive_story/jan2003/bundle.cfm

Dr. Mordrid

[gt40]

comparatively speaking, the price is reasonable.
however many users as myself would not use all the features, and a stripped down lite version would be more attractive.

[fberger]

Jack,
I think most people in this forum who are interested in DVD authoring also already own MSP7. I'll speak for myself, as an MSP7 user what I want is not another standalone program, I would like to see Ulead integrate DVD authoring functions right into MSP7. This is why I voted "Too expensive". I own DVDWS 1.3 through a bundle, and there's no way I will buy an upgrade to version 2 for $249. Depending on what is included in a Lite version I may want to spend about $100 for an upgrade. But I would really prefer that it be tightly integrated into MSP7. The "Edit-Render-Author" cycle is just too painful for me with MSP7+DVDMF LE.

Thanks for your consideration.

Fred

[Dr Mordrid]

Putting all that code into one program would make it way too large and memory hungry. This is why you see standalone authoring programs, especially at this level. It would also make the development cycle way too complicated.

As for the complexity of the authoring process; you should have tried using Philips SVCD Designer

Dr. Mordrid

[Hulk]

I would like to see a version of DVDWS that DOES NOT include:

MPEG encoding
Audio encoding
Video editing
Video capture

Most people that are serious about creating DVD's have a good video editor that can do all of the above and don't need to pay for those fuctions again. I encode video with TMPGEnc, AC3 audio with MS Pro 7, as well as editing and capturing with MS Pro 7. I have yet to use DVDWS for editing, capture, or any type of encoding.

A version that simply works ONLY with compliant files would be great for serious users. Should be cheaper since less licensing is involved.

-Mark

[DarrenD]

I would go with Mark (Hulk) on this.

Authoring already generated MPG files. I don't like DVDMF/VS authored DVDs. All I want is to be able to make my own menus, I have already captured, edited, MPGd the files.

[fberger]

Terry,

What I mean by "integration" does not necessarily mean it has to be inside the same dlls or .exe. You can build a DVD menu creation tool that integrates with the timeline through cues or other mechanisms without making MSPRO7 base code grow too much.
I think that the current DVDWS has lots of redundant functions for existing Ulead customers. Capture, mpeg encoder are already built into the MSPRO bundle.

Fred

[Technoid]

Originally posted by Hulk
I would like to see a version of DVDWS that DOES NOT include:

MPEG encoding
Audio encoding
Video editing
Video capture

Most people that are serious about creating DVD's have a good video editor that can do all of the above and don't need to pay for those fuctions again. I encode video with TMPGEnc, AC3 audio with MS Pro 7, as well as editing and capturing with MS Pro 7. I have yet to use DVDWS for editing, capture, or any type of encoding.

A version that simply works ONLY with compliant files would be great for serious users. Should be cheaper since less licensing is involved.

-Mark

Mark has hit the bullseye!!

With my DVD burner I got Sonic MyDVD wich is useles because it only suport LPCM audio!!!

and the reason for it is that northamerican dvddecks is only suposed to suport AC3 or LPCM.
So if you feed it an MPEG2 with mp2/AC3/whatever sound it will make it into LPCM!!

Sure it may lack the licence for producing those but that should not prohibit it from using premade files !!!

So there is a woid for authoring programs that just "makes the .vob files"

[wkulecz]

Unless I can export DVD chapter points as markers or some kind of keyframe from the timeline I won't be updating.

I've no need for AC3 audio at all.

Ideally a seperate marker would let me export thumbnail frames for each chapter point overcomming the GOP boundry limit.

Setting chapter points and choosing thumbnail frames is the biggest time waster for me.

Strip out the AC3 and tell me what the upgrade does that I can't do already?

I thought the MSP7 update from 6.52 is too expensive by a factor of two.

I also agree that Mark has got it right -- edit and encode in MSP, Use the old EDL list logic (or come up with something new) for chaper point export and keep only the DVD authoring/burning functions -- although until you add a verify step I'll keep buring in Nero.

--wally.

[Ted222]

I would like to know exactly what new features you get before responding to an upgrade price.

And what would be the upgrade route for those of us who already have the AC3 upgrade?

thanks,

Ted

[davpen]

Originally posted by Hulk
I would like to see a version of DVDWS that DOES NOT include:

MPEG encoding
Audio encoding
Video editing
Video capture


-Mark

Spot on. I do all capturing, editing and encoding with MSP6.5 and only use DVDWS1.3 for chapter points and menus.



David.