Discussion: PD future release, must Improve Subtitles, Audio features and Disc Authoring

NicolasNY

Senior Contributor Location: Caracas Joined: Sep 28, 2008 17:49 Messages: 805 Offline

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Aug 02, 2011 10:23

PD9 is definitely an excellent video editor and producer,...
however, leaves much to be desired about subtitle editing, audio channels and disc authoring..

Suppose you want to create a 1 hour film, with different languages, subtitles and audio types. PD just can't.

Subtitle Room:
Suppose you put about 1200 lines of subtitles and want to drag them on the timeline. Does someone has tried to select them all? Take aprox. one second each (approx. 1200 seg) and be careful in not mistake your mouse pointer, because you would need to start all over.

- Just like with colored boards, where you can modify the duration with a single window, it should be a single window that allows move/drag the subtitles backward or forward.
- Allow to place more than one subtitle track, to do so in several languages (that also affects the Menu Room)
Perhaps the response time in handling large subtitles can be improve, by managing the data of the subtitle as a separate file (as a SRT file) and place it within the XLS project because, while there are more subtitles, delete or edit becomes complicated.

Audio:
PD is not an audio editor, for that, there is other applications, but:

- The simulated Dolby 5.1, is a delusion. The solution is simple: Insert the 5 channels in the timeline.
- Allow the selection of what audio you want to hear. This is also related to the Menu Room.

Menu Room:

- Directly related to the subtitle tracks would be the option to select them independently. (Not just the option ON / OFF)
- In addition to scenes (chapters), allow the ability to incorporate other videos already produced, for example to see backstge scenes or something like that.
- Put the capacity of selecting the audio that you want.

I know there are many other programs that can do all this, but being an excellent PD editor, not content with just that.

Regards,
Nicolas

Carl312

Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline

Aug 02, 2011 10:37

Subtitle Room:

The ability to sync the subtitles with the video by dragging all at the same time right or left.

I can sync the subtitles in an external subtitle editor by calculating the time difference, then editing the time codes.
After the time codes are edited, then load the subtitles back into Powerdirector. Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

NicolasNY

Senior Contributor Location: Caracas Joined: Sep 28, 2008 17:49 Messages: 805 Offline

Aug 02, 2011 10:51

Do you tried to drag 1500 subtitles at the same time?. Its a night mare. If on the other hand, I also use my own program to synchronize and edit the SRT files, but PD should have this simple capability.

ClancM

Senior Member Location: New York Joined: May 26, 2011 22:19 Messages: 175 Offline

Aug 02, 2011 12:54

I think PD should also have more text animation options.

And the ability to import .gif images and have them play through with out using a gif to avi converter.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 02. 2011 12:57

Carl312

Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline

Aug 02, 2011 16:57

Do you tried to drag 1500 subtitles at the same time?. Its a night mare. If on the other hand, I also use my own program to synchronize and edit the SRT files, but PD should have this simple capability.

That would be slow, but if you could just shift the time codes of all the subtitles on the timeline by editing all of the time codes the way the Subtitle Editor does. If you shifted by just a few frames, you may get the subtitles in sync with the sound. Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

NicolasNY

Senior Contributor Location: Caracas Joined: Sep 28, 2008 17:49 Messages: 805 Offline

Aug 02, 2011 18:33

..but if you could just shift the time codes of all the subtitles on the timeline..

You are right: "if you could, but PD dont". By the other hand, the subtitles time format is HH:MM:SS,000 for most ST files and editors, and PD use only frame timecode format (HH:MM:SS:FF). So another suggestion is to add the capability to select the time format from frame, to time SMPTE, like in the create room.

NicolasNY

Senior Contributor Location: Caracas Joined: Sep 28, 2008 17:49 Messages: 805 Offline

Aug 02, 2011 19:38

Chapters:

Supose you have 20 chapters and you have to edit the time of only one clip in the timeline: All chapters are going out of sync and also all your saved chapters thumbnail work dissapears. You have to to all the job again.That is disapointing.

- As PD doesnt tie a chapter point to the start of a clip, so at least, let user select some or all chapter(s) in the chapter track or chapter room, so user can drag/move it.