Adobe Encore DVD Menu Creation

[vilnius]

I have several 8mm video tapes taken on my old analogue camera that I'm transferring to my new digital camcorder so I can get them onto my PC.

My long term aim is to produce some DVDs for the family.

As the final DVDs will consist of several tapes I'd like to have a menu that will allow the user to either play the DVD right through or go to specific scenes so they can pick which "old" tape to view. Much as you find on commercial movies.

Although MS Movie Maker is freely available it doesn't have the sort of option I want so I've been looking at alternatives.

Adobe Premier Pro and Adobe Encore DVD seem a good, but expensive combination. I used Adobe Premiere several years ago (back in the days of W95) so don't expect to have too many problems picking that up again.

Adobe Encore DVD is a different matter. From browsing through various sites I'm fairly sure that it does allow the sort of menus I want. However, I was hoping to read up in a bit more detail on the actual process before spending any money to see if I think I could achieve what I want.

I've also looked at DVD Menu Studio and DVD-Lab Pro but unless I've missed it I don't think either of these allows the creation of the sort of menus I want.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to some more detailed info on using Encore DVD the way I want or correct me with DVD Menu Studio/DVD-Lab Pro?

Thanks

[setarip]

For your menu requirements, you can EASILY use "TMPGEnc DVD Author" (Different than "TMPGEnc" and "TMPGEncPlus"). You can download a FULLY functional 30 day trial version of this software from:

http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda.html

[dorico]

Encore

Have a look at this site, it may help you

http://www.wrigleyvideo.com/videotutorial/tut_encore.htm

Enrico

[vilnius]

Thanks for the replies.

I've installed the trial version of "TMPGEnc DVD Author" and been playing about with one of my home videos.

My initial thoughts are that it does seem to have the functions I want. However, I haven't yet been able to get my head around chapters. I've set five up on my test mpg file but when I try to create the menu I only seem to able to get the first chapter, haven't worked out how to add the other chapters I've set up.

I've also downloaded the Encore tutorial videos dorico pointed me to and had a quick look, and that seems to suggest dividing the movie into clips and creating the menu using the clips.

Hoping when I work through the video it will tell me how to create clips from the video file as at the moment I just have the one file which I think is called a sequence in Premiere Pro (looking through the info I've found so far), or do I have to capture the file in clips?

Any further help would be appreciated.

[dorico]

Encore

Firstly I don't claim to be an expert on Encore, I am a new user to the program and so far I like it.
Re the chapter points, with Encore there is a timeline similar to Premiere, you can place chapter points anywhere on the timeline using a single clip, (I have only used a single clip of 45minutes long so far on Encore) that creates a new menu button and it is frame accurate.
With Encore you can even design your own menu buttons in Photoshop, something I have only had a play with so far.
Enrico

[setarip]

"I've set five up on my test mpg file but when I try to create the menu I only seem to able to get the first chapter, haven't worked out how to add the other chapters I've set up."

Select a different menu format (there are several available) - One that shows ALL chapters...