The first trial version I installed had a bug which prevented me from using TMPGENC DVD. I downloaded the latest version (posted Jan. 16th), which fixes my problem. The only problem is that the 30 day clock wasn't reset and I only have a few days left to evaluate it. Is there a way to get a full 30 day evaluation?

No legal way...

Sorry about my english. My Prob.:

When i select the menue "Double Track 1" or "Double Track 2" i cant edit this. But i like to have 2 buttons ( Play all - Chapter Menue) in my Startup Menue. Also i like to edit this Buttons with my own Photoshop alpha-PSD Buttons. Looks great in the Track Menue, but i cant change, resize and replace the 2 buttons in this Main Menue. There is no chance to make my own button in a Main Menue?? PLZ help!

You can't edit this Template, but you can edit this Style. Chose the Template, click on Edit, then on Yes...

In the menu editor I have set everything to motion menu.
I can set the seconds of the main menu animation here but can't find anywhere to set the length of each animated thumbnail.

In the help file it says...

"The chapter thumbnail will be animated for the specified number of seconds within the area of the thumbnail."

Where do i enter these seconds?

I've looked everywhere or does it use the main menu seconds?

Many Thanks

since the whole "background" INCLUDING the thumbnails is only ONE mpeg sequence, the loop-time for both is identical.
hence, you can only specify one time for the whole thing.

if you want - say - your thumbnails to loop every 2 seconds, and your background to loop every 4 seconds, you can make small mpeg-files for your thumbnails, that contain 2 runs of your 2 second loop.
that's just an example, but i hope you get the idea.

bye,
--hustbaer

Thanks for your reply.

The track menu itself is not aminated, just the thumbnails although the main menu background is animated and has no thumbnails.

Does this make a difference?

uh.
i see.
i misinterpreted your question.
sorry.

of course it would be technically possible to have different loop-lengths on every distinct page (just not within a page), but i dont think tmpgenc dvd author supports this.
adjust me if im wrong :)

so you should just set the loop-time to the duration of the main-menu-background-movie - that way your chapter-preview thunbs will loop the same length - but at least the background-loop will be the length you want it to be...

if you only have one animated thingy per page, everything will be fine, just that all loops will use the same duration.

bye,
--hustbaer

isn't that stupid: all menus must be the same length.... I'm leaving Tmpgenc.

I have 13 thumbnail chapters and want to create two Track Menus consisting of 7 and 6 but the menu editor only seems to give me 6 or 13 chapters to a page thus creating 3 or 1 track menu.

Is there a way round this so I can create two track menus without hiding any chapters?

Many Thanks

that means 1, 2, 3 etc. on the remote.

No idea.

Thanks

TMPGEnc DVD Author can't do that. Try DVDLab.

That's a bit of a throwback to VCD.

Are you sure you want a menu like this?

Number keys are for chapters rather than titles.

Is it possible to save a previously created menu ? The menus I will be using are similar, with only a few text changes between them. The "history" button does show the previous text but you still have to "cut and paste" each entry in the menu. I am trying to remove the error prone user(me) as much as possible from the creation process.

Thanks for your help

Is it possible to loop motion items - for example, having a background image + music item that loops, so that you can have ongoing music for as long as the menu page is up, or a video clip used to identify a chapter that keep looping round. At the moment, these things seem to run once, then end.

everything loops fine on my standalone-player.

did you use a hardware-player, or software?

bye,
--hustbaer

New to dvd burning so be gentle with your responses. Have a movie that was in avi format shrunk the file and converted to mpeg. Am i correct that you cannot burn a mpeg format and have play in stand alone dvd player? Do i need to reauthor this file using tmpgenc reauthor first? I tried to do that but kept receiving stream writing error.WHat can i do to get this mpeg file i have to playon my standalone dvd. This is themost frustrating thing i have ever tried to do. thankyou for your help

I see that you finally offer a plugin for AC-3, very good!

However, some things aint clear to me...
1. The periodical activation... Do i have to pay a new fee every activation?
2. The plugin WILL encode pcm .wav files I hope?
3. Is it 100% DolbyDigital licensed?

I guess the best way to get good AC3 sound would be to choose pcm sound in TMPGenc and then let DVD Author encode the .wav sound to AC3?

Question: 1. The periodical activation... Do i have to pay a new fee every activation?

Answer: I do not think so. From what I am guessing, they had to
go to great lengths to negotiate a license deal with Dolby Labs,
and that included occasional license verification. Personally
I do not know any other product that offers a certified Dolby
encoder for 29 dollars.


Question 2: The plugin WILL encode pcm .wav files I hope?

Answer: While the TMpgEnc folks are not very savy in the
documentation department, they do produce some excellent
products at an excellent price. While the docs seem indicate
that only MPEG audio will be reencoded, I just tried it,
and found that if you click the "reencode the audio using
the output format of the track" in the edit dialog box,
you can then click on the "settings" button in the track
list, and Dolby Digital will be listed in the audio encoding
options, and indeed, the file produced is encoded with the
parameters specified. I will also add that when I asked this
question directly to the TMPGEnc folks, they gave an incorrect
answer that it only used MPEG audio as a source, and that there
where no encoding options for the plugin. In short, yes, you
can use .wav, and yes, there are encoding options for setting
bitrates.


Question 3: Is it 100% DolbyDigital licensed?

Answer: The TMPGEnc folks are neither documentaion experts
nor are they marketing experts. This should be clearly
presented on the website. I have the feeling that they
are waiting for permission to use the Dolby logos on the
website. I asked this same question directly to the
TMPGEnc folks, and they answered that yes, it it is, and
yes, the product has passed Dolby Labs certification.
The plugin does sport the Dolby labs logos.

Hope that helps!

Joe

>I do not know any other product that offers a certified Dolby
>encoder for 29 dollars

The Premium between the 'base' and 'Disc Creator' versions of Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 appears to be about $50.00 (About $50.00 verses $100.00). Since the difference between the two versions is both AC-3 support, and some other features, the $50.00 difference could probably be split between part for the AC-3 and part for the other features.

So, even though it's still a $50.00 difference it probably wouldn't be too far of a stretch to attribute the AC-3 part of that total to be something close to $30.00...

As far as I can tell from their ads, Ulead 'DVD MovieFactory 3 Disc Creator' doesn't require activation (but I haven't purchased it, so I don't know that for sure).

-Greg Bohn

Joe C. Hecht : Thanks alot for the clear answers, I might get this pugin now :)

I was contemplating ordering the AC-3 Plug-in when I saw that it requires not just one Activation, but apparently repeated activation.

Looking at the Pegasys website it mentions things such as 'When the expiration date is near, if you haven't chosen [Update License automatically from next time], you will need to update the license validation file manually.
A period is set, while you can update your License even after the expiration. -But after that period, you will have to do the verification procedure from the start.'.

So, not only do you have to 'activate' the plug-in at install time, but you have to keep re-activating it on a periodic basis.

I don't enjoy the prospect of having to turn off my firewall periodically to allow the software to 'phone home' and commune with its server (sending who knows what information in addition to your email and Name that they already mention...).

I'm sorry, but this goes too far for me, and I am not planning on buying the AC-3 plugin as a result.

I bought TmpGenc, and DVD Author, but I think this goes too far. I resent the whole activation attitude of:

*) We all must be crooks.

*) You have to do the 'Mother may I' act (repeatedly in this case) to
beg to continue to use the software you've already payed to use.

and last but not least

*) In my experience, something ALWAYS goes wrong eventually that prevents you from using your software (in a 'legal' manner of course). Whether it's dongles (had problems with those), or Activation bugs/'features' (had those), it always makes life hard for the legitimate user, and usually has negligible effect on 'real' pirates... I've got to believe they either already have a crack for this, or are working on one.

I'm certainly not trying to condone software piracy in any way, shape or form, but the rising tide of 'Activation' garbage just rubs me the wrong way.

-Greg Bohn

I have bought the AC3 plugin and I am very annoyed by this continuous verification and need to be on line (or the AC3 plugin is not active).
I have officially complained to support. I have bought TMPGEnc Plus, DVD Author and the AC3 plugin and I feel I got trapped with this AC3 plugin. I have also Ulead DVD Movie Factory 3 with the AC3 plugin and Nero with another AC3 plugin and none of them is bothering me with this relentless on line license check.

Sorry TMPG you are going too far..

Sorin (a Customer)

Import Panasonic DMR-E30 created DVD-Rs (not DVD-RAM) into my PC for reauthoring(primarily creating new menus)?

I'm not familiar with the Panasonic, but yes, DVD Author will let you load a "DVD File" (the VOBs from a DVD) and reauthor. I've done this several times with DVDs created on a standalone recorder.

AC3 plugin presales questions:

1) Is the new AC3 plugin use genuine licensed code from Dolby Labs?

2) What sort of encoding parameters does the plugin support?

3) If I input a pre-encodded Ac3 file for a DVD, will your newsest DVDAuthor re-encode the AC3 file, or simply use it like in previous versions?

Thanks,

Joe

Received an email reply that indeed this is a geniuine
Certified Dolby encoder (the Dolby logos are in fact
used in the install -- they should be on the webpage).

There are no encoding parameters. The bitrate etc are
set when you encode the MPEG.

Finally, if the source is already ac3, no reencoding is done.

Joe

I was curious about the comment suggesting the AC-3 plug-in uses a fixed bitrate, so I sent my own pre-sales question to Pegasys. Below is my original question and their reply.

>> 2) I read on the BBS that the encoding parameters are fixed. What is the
>> bitrate used for encoding the AC-3 audio?
>
>No, it is not correct, with AC3 plug in you can also set you AC3
>bitrate same as MP2.

-- Scott.