Encore CS4 or Sonic DVDit ProHD???????

[Raja]

Searched the forums and just can't find the best DVD authoring package to go for for inputting Edius produced blu-ray files.

Will be producing Blu-ray discs and need to go for the 'least transcoding', quickest way to produce blu-ray and SD DVD discs.

Heard the problems with Encore. But is that fixed with CS4?
Is Sonic DVDit Pro HD better? (seems to have won many awards and Avid bundles it with their software).

I currently use DVD Workshop 2. I've read that Ulead Movefactory 7 does not allow for much customisation of menus??

Would be gratefull for any advice. Thanks.

[medeamajic]

I thought Edius 4 and 5 could do DVD menus.

I used to use Uleads DVD authoring program with Edius 3.5 but I now use the CS4 Master Collection. The integration was to hard to over look. I imagine Encore would be better than Uleads DVD program if you have AE and Photoshop. With out the Production Premium or the Master Collection it is hard to design menus in Encore. Edius is OK if you just do video editing but if you want to run the full scope of multimedia then CS4 is your best bet.

The RT of Edius is great but it is no match for the CS4 integration. On the other hand you might be dissapointed just using Encore with out Photoshop or AE. Ulead worked OK for me but it is not as good a using the CS4 Master Collection.

[Rusty]

Encore works fine with HQ files, if that helps. Look to the Procoder forums for ways to avoid transcoding. But there are no speedy miracles to BD.

[shueardm]

. But there are no speedy miracles to BD.

FireCoder Blu is almost that IMHO.

To the poster. What awards has DVDit PRO HD won? They certainly would not have won any awards for after sales service, one of the worst in the industry. Product wise, it's OK just like Encore, nothing award winning I wouldn't have thought, maybe I am just fussy and expect all the features under the sun before I would make it award winning. Problem is, there aren't too many options but you should be happy with either/or, both do the job.

[Raja]

I thought Edius 4 and 5 could do DVD menus........

I need motion menus. Transistions between menus would be nice too.

Encore works fine with HQ files, if that helps. Look to the Procoder forums for ways to avoid transcoding. But there are no speedy miracles to BD.

But won't Encore then convert the HQ files to mpeg and take time? I would have thought Procoder would be faster and better quality??

FireCoder Blu is almost that IMHO.

To the poster. What awards has DVDit PRO HD won? They certainly would not have won any awards for after sales service, one of the worst in the industry. Product wise, it's OK just like Encore, nothing award winning I wouldn't have thought, maybe I am just fussy and expect all the features under the sun before I would make it award winning. Problem is, there aren't too many options but you should be happy with either/or, both do the job.

Yeah, Firecoder Blu is on my list to purchase, but at the moment I'm trying to decide on an the authoring app. It has to have motion menus (and ideally transistions between menus like MF7), be fully customisable for menus and be compatible with Procoder/Edius exporter blu-ray and DVD files.

Click here for the awards I saw
http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/dv.../overview.html

[Vaughan Wood]

Sony DVD architect 5 supports Blu-ray and DVD menus.

I have just downloaded it and have started learning it. Seems O.K.

I tried TMPenc authoring 4 as it says it will do both, but as the project is the first thing you select, all menus etc are lost and the project needs to be re-authored.

Architect 5 looks promising but I've just done a DVD, no BD dic yet, but seems to be able to do both with no re-authoring.

Cheers,

Vaughan

[plekkie]

FWIW: I am using Sony DVD Architect 5 (comes only with Vegas Pro 8). For me DVDITPROHD, Encore CS3 (don't know CS4) and DVD Architect are very similar. I have had many problems with DVDITPROHD though, crashing, error messages and the like. That means too much time lost, and too much frustration.

Encore CS3 I have tried and I liked it, however, you have to buy the complete CS3 or CS4 suite (at least Production Premium).

DVD Architect I knew from version 3 with very good results (DVD only). With version 5 it is able to create both DVD and BD from the same project (if you wish so), just as DVDITPROHD and Encore (Encore can also create Flash from the same project). The other advantage of DVD Architect for me, is that it doesn't create many "mysterious" folders for each project, as DVDITPROHD and Encore do.

[rando]

A Little correction, you can buy Adobe Premiere Pro for $800 (or less) and it comes with Encore.

[plekkie]

Correct, my mistake. Though in Europe actual pricing is EUR 1010,-

[Raja]

FWIW: I am using Sony DVD Architect 5 (comes only with Vegas Pro 8). For me DVDITPROHD, Encore CS3 (don't know CS4) and DVD Architect are very similar. I have had many problems with DVDITPROHD though, crashing, error messages and the like. That means too much time lost, and too much frustration.

Encore CS3 I have tried and I liked it, however, you have to buy the complete CS3 or CS4 suite (at least Production Premium).

DVD Architect I knew from version 3 with very good results (DVD only). With version 5 it is able to create both DVD and BD from the same project (if you wish so), just as DVDITPROHD and Encore (Encore can also create Flash from the same project). The other advantage of DVD Architect for me, is that it doesn't create many "mysterious" folders for each project, as DVDITPROHD and Encore do.

Thanks for the responses guys.

So now it looks like it'll be between Encore CS4 or Sony DVD Architect 5.

In Sony DVD Architect 5, after bringing in a BD or SD compliant file, how long to render an ISO image (after authoring is done)?

[medeamajic]

Raja,

Edius is a good editing program but if you do get the Production Bundle (Photoshop and AE for motion menus) also give Premiere and Sound Booth a try also. You might like them and it is good to check out the competition.

[Raja]

Raja,

Edius is a good editing program but if you do get the Production Bundle (Photoshop and AE for motion menus) also give Premiere and Sound Booth a try also. You might like them and it is good to check out the competition.

Can menus created in AE be edited/integrated directly into Encore?

Now if only Edius Print to DVD had Motion menus.

[medeamajic]

Can menus created in AE be edited/integrated directly into Encore?

Now if only Edius Print to DVD had Motion menus.

Yes. As I have stated with out AE or Photoshop Encore is not that great. There is not a lot of fancy tools for menu design in Encore that I know of. Encore does have some decent presets.

[Jerry]

Thanks for the responses guys.

So now it looks like it'll be between Encore CS4 or Sony DVD Architect 5.

In Sony DVD Architect 5, after bringing in a BD or SD compliant file, how long to render an ISO image (after authoring is done)?

Until an update is made available for Adobe Encore CS4, I would stick with CS3. There is an issue with motion menu and audio on menus. However, the popup feature works pretty good, no direct preview though, but you will need to know your way around photoshop to make them work.

The issue is widely documented in the Encore forums. This is a bug....a BIG BUG!! It reared its ugly head on me on a recent project. I ended up using CS3 on my other machine. Project was delivered, but not without a big pain for me.
All I can say is wait for the update for CS4 before jumping in. It may come out at NAB...but don't hold your breath.

As far as CS3, I really like it. I also have DVDITPROHD, but do not care for it's handling of photoshop files. I am still learning DOSTUDIO. This is a more professional package, not without issues. But, will deliver Studio quality BD.
You can rent it for a month or purchase at $7,000.

I am not familiar with DVD Architect 5 and cannot comment on what it does or will not do.

As far as transcoding....that should be your responsibility to learn what the program that you have chosen requires.
The PC3 presets are posted. They work in both CS3 CS4 of Encore, and DVDITPROHD. If you use the correct settings and
read the panels correctly, you will create a successful BD.

[Ron Evans]

Thanks for the responses guys.

In Sony DVD Architect 5, after bringing in a BD or SD compliant file, how long to render an ISO image (after authoring is done)?

I just did a 1 hour 40 min project. Edit was in Edius 5, multicam with 2 FX1 tracks and one SR11 AVCHD, final render to HQ was from native files and took about 40 mins from Edius. This file was then put into Vegas 8 for final audio edit, set and name markers and output preset for DVD Architect 5 Bluray at 25mbps VBR. This took about an hour to encode. Input into DVD Architect takes about 5 mins for file to load in Architect. Authoring has most of what you may want like popup menus etc. In this case it was simple menu with a few choices although there were a lot more chapter markers available on playback and which come over automatically from Vegas. Time to make an iso image was 29 mins after authoring. Substituting SD files from a TMPGenc encode of the same basic HQ file took only 3 mins to create. This was accomplished by just changing the project properties and substituting the media. All chapters and menu remained the same between Bluray and SD versions.
It has become my standard program now as it is very easy to use once learned.

Ron Evans