REVIEW of Ulead's New DVD MovieFactory 6 (HD)

[Jerry Jones]

http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=12538

MovieFactory is the best choice I've seen if you want to produce both Blu-ray and HD DVD. If you need menus on your Blu-ray discs, Roxio DVDit Pro HD is a better choice, but costs a bunch more and has its own player-related issues.

Great review from Jan Ozer.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Notice how COREL is featuring Ulead products on the main page:

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1166109127456

Very cool.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[paulw]

What happened to Workshop and MSPRO ??

[Jerry Jones]

What happened to Workshop and MSPRO ??

This seems to suggest that Corel might be ceasing development of Ulead's "MediaStudio Pro," "DVD Workshop," and "Cool 3D Production Studio."

I don't know for sure.

Does anybody know?

That would be too bad.

If they dump MediaStudio Pro, then I'll likely be migrating to APPLE's Final Cut Pro.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[wkulecz]

At this point, the way Microsoft is going, I'll stick with Windows 2000 as along as possible. I'll switch to a Mac before I buy Vista, unless a miracle happens and Linux gets a real video editor and color management by then.

Other than Video Editing and Photoshop all my other computing needs are easily met by Linux. In terms of photo editing and retouching the GIMP is pretty much there but the lack of color managemnet and raw camera support makes getting really good prints problematic.

--wally.

[Jerry Jones]

Another fairly low cost option on the PC side is the MainConcept "MainActor" $199 video editor:

http://www.mainconcept.com/site/?id=16

There's a Linux version, too.

I've never tried using these editors, however.

Not sure how easy they are to use.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[cDynamics]

I'd rather spend ~$250 for Sony's Vegas 7 + DVD Architect 4 (both full versions). There are deals that can be had to get them at this price, and for the features you get, it's an amazing bundle. DVD Architect 4 offers some pretty advanced SD DVD Authoring options.

Before it gets pointed out -- Vegas 7 doesn't smartrender mpeg like MSP does, but it can do many other things that MSP cannot...

[Jerry Jones]

Well at least you know the lack of "changes-only rendering" is a problem for Vegas.

Most of the Vegas users with whom I've had contact get this confused look on their faces, which reveals they don't even understand the basic concepts surrounding the preservation of MPEG-2 quality on a video editing timeline.

So you get a "gold star."

The problem with all of the PC programs is the prices are pretty high when you factor in the cost of the hardware.

Right now, most people barely have the PC muscle to properly edit HDV/MPEG-2.

Along come the hot new AVCHD and "AVC-Intra" MPEG-4 high definition formats.

These new formats will likely require even faster computers.

So -- faced with an inevitable hardware upgrade -- now is the time to take a good hard look at Apple, in my view.

The new eight-core Apple Mac Pro desktop has a base price of $2,499.

The Apple laptops start at $1099.

The Mac Minis start at $599.

And they all come loaded with all kinds of multimedia software and hardware that is guaranteed to be compatible without the headaches associated with mixing and matching peripherals that is always a dangerous game on the PC side.

In addition, the Apple editing software is based on QuickTime, which is based on MPEG-4.

Apple would seem uniquely positioned to offer editing systems in the months ahead that can do "changes-only rendering" (Smart Render) on high definition MPEG-4 files.

Apple clearly suggests they are working on such editing software at the end of the PDF here:

http://data.memberclicks.com/site/hopa/Long-GOP_Editing_-_Apple_Computer.pdf

(See the last page of the PDF)

Given the fact Sony hasn't bothered to incorporate such an important feature -- not even for old fashioned MPEG-2 -- into their newest editing software, they don't impress me as being such a cutting-edge software company.

But that's just my opinion.

I would add that Amazon is offering the software you mentioned at a price about double what you quoted.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[cDynamics]

Hi Jerry,

First, let me admit that I'm a LONGGGGGG Time MSP user.

While trying to see what's out there, I stumbled across Vegas 5/6 (tried the Trial versions at first, and eventually purchased the full version 7 with DVD Architect 4).

Let me say for SD DV .avi (which is 95% of my source format), Vegas does do some pretty nice things. Try highlighting a section, have it loop-play in your preview screen (or even an external monitor connected via firiwire device), then start dropping effects, scaling the video, moving paths, etc... -- all the while the preview continues to play as you add/remove effects!

I used it to do some basic color-correction, and how easy it was to grab a dropper, select a "white" section of video, and have everything automatically color-correct (basic color correction for me). Just like I do in Photoshop.

There are things that MSP does better, and there are things that Vegas does better (imho). I still use them BOTH. If my source was predominantly mpeg, then that is one of Vegas' weaknesses (that's what Womble is for...).

btw, check BHPhoto for that Vegas price I mentioned -- I don't know if they still have that special, but it was there a few weeks ago -- it is only the CD's -- you get Vegas 6 CD, plus the Vegas7+DVDA Upgrade CD's for ~$250 (excellent price if you simply want the power of DVD Architect 4 -- Multiple Angles, Buttons Over Video, Basic Scripting, Chapter Playlists, and Mastering Functionality).

[wkulecz]

I've not updated beyond Vegas 3 because their "activation" schemes seem every bit as intrusive as Vista's.

My authoring needs are so simple none of the packages appear to be able to do it, at least without a major learning curve. What I need:

Video title plays when disk is inserted, no user action beyond inserting disk and perhaps pushing "play".

If and only if the "menu" button is pushed I want a scene selection menu to pop up.

What happens at the end of video, I don't realy care, stop, replay, popup scene selection menu -- how hard can it be?

--wally.

[Jerry Jones]

This is the one thing I dislike about the Serif programs.

Blast it.

Want to know what they do?

Well, you install the Serif programs.

Then, the program gives you a pop-up message saying you have to REGISTER BY PHONE.

The pop-up message includes two codes that you then have to read over the phone to the Serif customer service person.

Then the Serif customer service person proceeds to make sales pitches.

They are very polite I must say.

They are British and their accent sounds so "civilized" to many of us here in America.

Anyway, I didn't use my Serif programs for a few weeks and -- pow -- I get the pop-up messages again in all four programs.

Yes, I had to make two *additional* phone calls to get them all re-registered and I had to listen to two more sales pitches.

The programs are excellent.

But this registration thing is driving me crazy.

Similar issues were happening with my Serious Magic Ultra program.

I'm worried about the ominous future... a future where they charge you a high price in the first place to have a "temporary" license *or* they hook you with an ongoing monthly subscription to Web-based software.

That kind of crap is not going to fly with me.

If they push that future on us, I'm going to learn how to write my own damned software programs.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[cDynamics]

I've not updated beyond Vegas 3 because their "activation" schemes seem every bit as intrusive as Vista's.

My authoring needs are so simple none of the packages appear to be able to do it, at least without a major learning curve. What I need:

Video title plays when disk is inserted, no user action beyond inserting disk and perhaps pushing "play".

If and only if the "menu" button is pushed I want a scene selection menu to pop up.

What happens at the end of video, I don't realy care, stop, replay, popup scene selection menu -- how hard can it be?

--wally.

I don't like intrusive Product Activation either. But I didn't find Sony Vegas (and DVD Architect) activation too bad. I have them installed on a desktop that does not have an internet connection. It gave me an option to register from another computer (copying a small file that connects and registers to get the activation code). If I don't register at that moment, I still get 30 days to do so, so it seemed ok to me (but that's my tolerance level, and others wouldn't put up with that). Once registered for the machine, I've never had to re-register, and I don't need an active internet connection each time I run the software.

Regarding your DVD-Authoring needs -- if that's all you need, then just do it with free software like DVDAuthorGUI or even Muxman.

Regards,
George

[wkulecz]

Obviously your threshold of activation pain is way lower than mine. "Activation" is a slippery slope. Once you accept any of it, you are heading down the road to the ulitmate "service model" -- pay per use.

Same with GPS/RFID tracking, once they've forced it on you for convienence or "safety" or whatever, how long will it be before the tracking computer says delta-GPSposition/delta-t means your were speeding, we'll directly deduct the fine from your bank account.


I haven't really looked at the free authoring software, since Linux video editing still has a long way to go.

If some one *knows* of a authoring package than can acutually make the simple disks I want I'd love to know. I can make the movie play without a scene selection menu, or I have to go thru a selection "top level menu" before anything plays. I can't seem to get autoplay with an optional scene selection menu.

Even my set top DVDR gets it wrong -- I record a title with "automatic" chapter points and when I play the disk a stupid one selection "menu" comes up first

I see DVD Moviefactory6 has some kind of automatic commercial editing out features. How do they work? Is the scrubbing in MF6 useful? its sure not in MF3

--wally.

[cDynamics]

Obviously your threshold of activation pain is way lower than mine. "Activation" is a slippery slope. Once you accept any of it, you are heading down the road to the ulitmate "service model" -- pay per use.

Same with GPS/RFID tracking, once they've forced it on you for convienence or "safety" or whatever, how long will it be before the tracking computer says delta-GPSposition/delta-t means your were speeding, we'll directly deduct the fine from your bank account.


I haven't really looked at the free authoring software, since Linux video editing still has a long way to go.

If some one *knows* of a authoring package than can acutually make the simple disks I want I'd love to know. I can make the movie play without a scene selection menu, or I have to go thru a selection "top level menu" before anything plays. I can't seem to get autoplay with an optional scene selection menu.

Even my set top DVDR gets it wrong -- I record a title with "automatic" chapter points and when I play the disk a stupid one selection "menu" comes up first

I see DVD Moviefactory6 has some kind of automatic commercial editing out features. How do they work? Is the scrubbing in MF6 useful? its sure not in MF3

--wally.

Agreed, "intrusive" is a subjective word. I don't mind product activation (once per machine). But I would not put up with something like TMPGenc DVD Author 3 -- that forces you to have an active internet connection, and also periodically connects to their site to re-validate my license. And if there's no Internet connection a certain number of times in a row, it automatically disables my software -- now that's intrusive!

Regarding the free software -- what's is your reference to Linux about??? Both free titles I mentioned run on my WinXP Machine.

Some other SD DVD Authoring programs that will auto-play your video, and give you a menu option:

-DVD MovieFactory
-DVD Architect (Full or Studio)
-Encore DVD 2.0
-DVD LabPro
-VideoStudio's DVD Authoring module
-DVD Workshop


And if you learn to use PGCedit, you can modify dvd structures/navigation commands a number of ways...

[wkulecz]

I know DVD MovieFactory 3 can't do it.

I've got DVD Architect Studio and if it can, I sure haven't been able to figure it out. Got a clue as to how?

--wally.