Feature Requests

brettsherman wrote on 2/18/2003, 9:29 AM
In my opinion, DVD architect leapt ahead of both ULead's and SonicSolution's offerings. Finally, a DVD program that doesn't eschew the Windows interface standards. However, there are a handful of features that I think would make the product much better.

There is no support for anamorphic 16x9 video. Basically the way it works now is that you have to letterbox your original material in 4x3, and then it anamorphically expands it to 16x9. But what if you shot and edited the material in anamorphic 16x9 to begin with? Then you are forced to shrink it down to 4x3 with letter box, then use DVDA to scale it back up to 16x9 anamorphic. Of course this process loses about 40% of the resolution you started with. So there should be an "Anamorphic 16x9" setting for video in addition to the current offerings.

Sub-titles! SF could greatly solidify a lead in DVD authoring by adding this. Maybe I'm the only one interested in this feature. But I think it would be great to be able to do multiple language titles easily.

Comments

SonySDB wrote on 2/18/2003, 10:42 AM
If you add your 16x9 video to DVD-A and set the video format to "NTSC Wide" or "PAL Wide" in the Optimize DVD dialog (File | Optimize DVD...), you should get the desired results. It will be displayed as 16x9 on a 16x9 display (without loss of resolution) and will be letterboxed on a 4x3 display.
SHTUNOT wrote on 2/18/2003, 10:00 PM
When you say "subtitles" can't you just use Vegas 4's titling tool and just composite the phrases when they are spoken? Then render them out to DVD-A. It would cut down on your work. Yes/No?

HTH.

Ed.
spydakb wrote on 2/19/2003, 11:39 AM
I would like to see DVD-A format, as in audio support.

- KB
barleycorn wrote on 2/19/2003, 12:42 PM
DVD subtitles are a separate stream. If they were burnt in it wouldn't be possible to turn them off or switch between languages.

Even if the compositing approach were acceptable it would be hard work with Vegas' Text generator. If the text could be set via a script it would be a completely different matter.

The closest thing Vegas has to subtitling is actually closed captioning.
clearvu wrote on 2/19/2003, 5:09 PM
I think there should be much more control to change default buttons in menus. It seems that DVD-A just lands the cursor where it wants on a DVD menu. For example, I'd like to control what movie plays or what menu to go to after the clip is finished.

Hopefully I'm making sense.
videoman69 wrote on 2/19/2003, 6:15 PM
Yes you are. This is something that Reel DVD can do and Spruce
Virtuoso. I had Reel DVD but hated the workflow. I use Spruce
but looking for something else that will have a life.
I looked at DVDSP and short of getting a MAC that would be
the way to go - Right Now. I hope DVD-A can address these issues -
Navigation, sub-titles and the like so we can all jump on the
SoFo Band Wagon!