Tmpgenc DVD Author Released

[T-rex]

Pegasys-Inc have released a new DVD-Authoring software:

Tmpgenc DVD Author

Very basic functions (Insert Chapter, choose a menu template, output to DVD Folder... no "Burning Tool" available...) and a price of 68$

You can download the (30-day) trial version from the official web site:

http://www.pegasys-inc.com/e_main.html

[Dr Mordrid]

Yup. Installed it, tried it, uninstalled it.

Dr. Mordrid

[Hulk]

Doc,

Thanks for saving me the trouble!

[Brian Ellis]

Didn't even install it, having read the blurb. Even DVD MF2 is n times better at a lower cost, on paper. Incidentally, I could not install it, as it requires an Internet connection to the video computer, which I deliberately do not have (unlike TMPGEnc encoder).

[John Wray]

Why is DVD MF2 much better? I can't tell from the blurb on the Pegasus web-site what its menuing capabilities are, but it's not obvious to me that it's that much poorer than DVD MF2.

The lack of direct burn doesn't bother me (DVD MF2 has never been able to see either of my burners, so it can't burn directly for me either - I have to use RecordNow Max to write), nor does the lack of capture (I use AVI-IO to capture). All I want from an authoring package is menu construction, and the features missing from DVD MF2 that I'd like are:

o Ability to move menu thumbnails on the page
o Ability to control what happens after a video segment plays (e.g. continue to next segment or return to menu)
o More flexible menu structure.
o Easier chapter setting (variable-speed playback when choosing chapter points so I can quickly find appropriate points).

I'm suprised there's not more competition in this market segment. Or even shareware/freeware products. There are no licence requirements for authoring software (unlike MPEG-2 encoders) are there?

John

[Sciascia]

John
Sounds like you want SpruceUP. It does all of that and is the most intuitive, yet powerful DVD author that I have found. You need to use elementary streams to import them, but the menu creation is nice and you can make some great buttons, linking them is super easy and creating chapter points is nice and you can select which frame of video for the thumbnail seperate from the actual chapter point. You end up scrubbing the entire clip, but you can use the left and right arrows to get to the exact frame. Using the Photoshop actions to create buttons is a snap and they look very professional. And you can move them around to wherever you want and it has a grid that really helps.

It is a great combination of ease and features, not too dumbed down, but not overwhelming or overkill and the help file actually helps!

Unfortunatley if you didn't buy it a few years ago, it is unavailable now. Apple bought them out and seemed to drop the product. I believe that it was running for about $99 at the time. You may be able to find someone with a copy on E-bay, an old SW distrubitor or something like that, though I have never looked.

I have to burn to a titleset on the HD and then use Nero to burn it to DVD-R, as it doesn't see my burner, but that is fine.

[keithm]

I'm surprised the site says it doesn't support DVD-r! Regardless of whether DVD+r or DVD-r is winning the format war there are a lot of DVD-r burners out there!

[Brian Ellis]

John

If it doesn't say it has n templates and all the other features you are asking for, you can bet your bottom dollar it doesn't have them.

I've been in correspondence with them and have discovered:

- they will not support installation on a non-Internet computer (I refuse to allow my video computer to even see the Internet)
- the original download would not even work with PAL (I understand they have now corrected this)
- it will not work with all DVD-compliant MPEG-2 files

Hardly an accolade of confidence, n'est-ce-pas?

Keith, it does not support any DVD type, as it supports no burners. All it will do is take an MPEG file, allow you to add chapter files and other minor edits and produce the necessary files to allow another application to burn a DVD from them: their list of approved burner proggies is limited, into the bargain.

These guys are a long way from convincing me.