Looking for DVD Architect "Studio" 5.0

[Ken Jarstad]

Robert, seeing the much lower price for DVD MovieFactory 6 Plus I tried again to create an AVCHD disk using the HDV files directly. Recall that neither version 6 nor 7 would deal properly with an .mp4 or .m2ts from Vegas Movie Studio 9. So I was just re-evaluating the tool for making quick, no fuss AVCHD disks directly from the source footage. The idea, of course, was to use it just for menu creation and burning without having to do any transcoding. Doesn't cut the mustard. No deal.

I had already set DMF7P to 100 percent with 2-pass VBR.

In PD8, the AVCHD setting has quality = 6, but you'll notice sharper images when quality = 7, and possibly with deblocking unticked. You change these settings under the "Produce" tab and then produce a MPEG4 file. Then use that file on the timeline to burn on a DVD under the "Create" tab. You do it that way because you can't change the encoder settings under the "Create" tab for AVCHD.

I didn't know that. Quite frankly I couldn't figure out how to get a project from the editor to the DVD burner portion without going from one tab to another.

I still speculate about PowerProducer because it is likely to have far more capability in authoring and burning but I'm unwilling to buy it with the distinct possibility of returning it (if I even could). These products have simply burned me out. Too much fluff and not enough versatility and performance. Thanks for sticking with me through this ordeal.

[RJ Johnston]

Now I remember, the MP4 will load into DVDMF7 if you use the Main profile instead of the High profile in SVMSP.

[Ken Jarstad]

Robert, I just fell for a deal on the upgrade to Nero 10. $60 usd from v8 to v10. I was going to use multiAVCHD but it is still too much in the "propeller head" stage for me. It also does not author conventional DVDs.

Nero 10 is supposed to have an improved video editor with keyframing! I mainly want to have something utilitarian for authoring Blu-ray, DVD and AVCHD DVDs in the same product. No one seems to know whether Roxio has competitive features in this area.

Nero 10 will be available for downloading Monday and I will report at least on the authoring capabilities. Who needs DVD Architect Studio 5?

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Nero 10 will be available for downloading Monday and I will report at least on the authoring capabilities

It will be useful if you could also report on the basics, Ken. I wasn't at all happy with Nero 9 - see this thread:-

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3906

[Ken Jarstad]

Thanks for the heads-up, John. I have installed/uninstalled Nero 8 a couple of times recently, thinking it may be causing problems while trying to get some of the trial software to work. Nero always presents a rather complete table of file associations which would take some time to go through. I always de-select all file associations since I only want to select the wanted tool manually. That really helps keep Nero from being so intrusive.

The only problem I had with Nero was the feature to present a window of options whenever a disk was placed in the DVD drive. It disappeared when Nero 8 was first installed and never came back. Windows 7 has a good facility for repairing file associations but this one still does not work. A minor inconvenience.

I now have the Nero 10 download email and will proceed. I let you know how it goes.

[RJ Johnston]

I now have Nero 10 as well. In both 9 and 10 there is an option during installation to associate file extensions with Nero. I clear that check mark before proceeding. After installation there aren't any associations with Nero for the files that I use. You could easily miss that option if you were in a hurry to install Nero. You would have to uninstall Nero remove the associations.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

.... In both 9 and 10 there is an option during installation to associate file extensions with Nero....... You could easily miss that option...... You would have to uninstall Nero remove the associations.

Well RJ, I have to say that must have been what happened - I missed the option during the install. The result was quite a problem to unravel.

[Ken Jarstad]

My first impressions of Nero 10 are pretty good. I got it mainly for the ability to do authoring of AVCHD on conventional media, Blu-ray and regular DVD's in one package.

It will do until DVD Architect Studio 5.0 comes out!

The remarks I was preparing on Nero 10 will be in a new topic.

[Ken Jarstad]

This entry is a "capper" for this topic. The long-desired DVDAS 5.0 is finally here! And it is worthwhile. It comes with version 10 of Vegas Movie Studio but is available as a stand-alone product which puts all the other products I tried to shame and only costs $39.95 which is a relative bargain.

Finally, one project can produce Blu-ray, AVCHD and SD DVDs.

[Bobby]

Thanks Ken - will order soon!

[Steve Grisetti]

I too will be downloading it soon!

Aside from the ability to burn BluRays -- are there any obvious new features?

[Ken Jarstad]

I am a poor one to ask. I have simply verified that the Studio 5.0 version has added Blu-ray and AVCHD authoring and that it will successfully create an AVCHD disk. I have heard that the codec options - customization of the templates is more versatile in this release. For instance, the slider for bit-rate in the AVC codec settings. But I leave that sort of evaluation to you experts. I would assume that the Studio version is a feature-limited version of DVDA 5.0 with the same range of capabilities as the 4.5 Studio version. (Assumptions have gotten me in trouble before, though)

[Steve Grisetti]

I just downloaded the trial, and there's very little new other than the option to burn to BluRay and the options for a number of other frame sizes. That's not saying there Sony hasn't done a lot under the hood. They and the folks at Sonic Foundry have always turned out a great, ever-improving product.

And, for $39.95, how can you go wrong!

EDIT--
By the way, the entire program takes up less than 200 megs of space too. Very nice, neat and compact.

And my book for 4.5 will still work with virtually all of it!

[Ken Jarstad]

Great news, Steve. Now that I have committed to DVDAS5 I am planning to get your book.

[Chris B]

Not a lot new - this is from the readme - only 2 features (but burning HD is a big one for me).

2.0 What’s New

* Burning to Blu-ray Disc
* Enhanced window layout management – save, recall, and share custom window layouts.

That's it!