Bj”Rn Forsstr”M said to Bob Gearhart at 07-26-03  08:23
 Subject: VHS to DVD

 ->> Does it exist a better program then Sonic MyDVD to make DVD from VHS?
 
 BF> What I don't like is, when I have edited the film in Studio 7 and it
 BF> is, say 1 hour, MyDVD is not capable to make chapter-points in the
 BF> movie. I'm thinking of making short cuts in Studio and then add all
 BF> this cuts in MyDVD in order to get chapter-points.

 What you want to do is use motion buttons.  Look in the tutorial that
 came with the My DVD program.  You can use still's or video in your
 chapter points, which are called motion buttons (?) in My DVD.  Guess
 that's because they can have their own animation.  From what I see the
 motion buttons use time codes from your video to determine where you
 want the chapter point to jump to.   You mentioned VHS, and I'm
 assuming you used that term as a generic for video.  If you are really
 using VHS, then maybe you will have to insert your video into the My
 DVD as clips and point to the clips.  VHS has no time codes embedded,
 but once the video has gone through the NLE phase are the time codes
 still relevant?  In studio 7, you have changed the video to mpeg 2
 digital so there should be digital time codes on it.

 I use Pinnacle Impression to author and at first I was confused as to
 what you wanted.  Thinking it was greater than one menu per disk, which
 is the limitation to my program. I'm pretty happy with that program,
 but I believe it is being discontinued.   The new Premier 7 will have
 it's own DVD authoring section, but at around 700 bucks.  There are
 several DVD authoring programs about. I have heard people who use the
 ULEAD program are very happy with it. Sonic Foundry has one that users
 of Vegas seem to like, the name slips me.  Those are both around a 100
 bucks.   Pinnacle is pushing a new NLE system called Edition, it has
 built in DVD authoring.  Both it and Premier 7 though require some
 pretty high end hardware, P4 at 3 gig, 2 gig DDR ram and FSB-800 bus.
 If your very flush with cash and professional, the Adobe Encore at
 about $500 US is great and melds nicely with Premier, Photoshop and
 After Effects.

 BG> From this part of the world, I've decided the do-nothing approach seems

 BF> I'm in the same part as you, Europe, since you live in England and me
 BF> in Sweden.

 Chuckle, the internet is cool.  I often post online from the FONix BBS
 in England, this message will come from a Florida BBS in the States,
 but I live in the State of Michigan within rock throwing distance of
 the Canadian border.   Your video is PAL, Mine is NTSC.  Mine will soon
 be NTSC HDTV and everything video wise in this part of the world is in
 a state of transition, so I'm inclined to remain motionless until the
 transition is completed or at least firmly decided on what it is to be.
 Video camera now have switch you can use to select 24 fps non
 interlaced for the film look, you guys shoot normally at 25 fps
 interlaced and us at 30.  Soon we will have to choose between the film
 look at 24p, 720i, 720p,1080i, or 1080p.  So what editor will the
 computer use for all of that,  Film is long gone, but digital film is
 used in all the movie theaters now, and they want the film look.  I
 don't have an editor to do 1080 sized frames, so that will have to be
 replaced if I get a new DV camera.  But I don't want to buy a P4
 machine when Intel and Windows are about to unleash the 64 bit
 processor on the world.  My reasons for saying, I'm going to just sit
 and wait it out.

 BG> the best for a while.  What I use now is entirely satisfactory, and I have
 BG> no ego need to be the first kid on the block with the latest and greatest.

 BF> Niether do I but I want it to work...

 I can understand your frustration.  Getting all the parts of computer
 video editing system working can be a big pain.  Many new swear words
 had their birth as I swapped parts around getting interrupts to not
 conflict etc.  Then nothing seems to speak a language I understand, it
 is English words they are using, but what the heck they mean is often
 beyond me..  Especially the My DVD program where the writers seem to
 have decided to make up their own language.  Chapter points as motion
 buttons.  

 Best I can say is to prowl the web, check into the forums,
 http://www.abcdv.com/
 http://www.digitalproducer.com/
 http://www.dmnforums.com/
 http://www.creativecow.net/
 http://www.postproducer.com/
 http://www.digitalfilmgroup.com/

 I read these, they might help you out too.  Good luck

 Bob
 


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