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I only have seven DVD Menu templates offered. Is this right? Seems a little stingy. I know I can get others from Director Zone.
After a few weeks of using PD9 I think my verdict is: 1. great editor, 2. lousy DVD authoring. It looks like the reviewers feel the same. I can't believe that I'll have to buy a separate authoring program. I would understand if my needs were extreme but perhaps mine are too simple for Cyberlink. All I want to do is create an AVCHD DVD with a single layer menu (play; that's it), without that industrial "AVCHD" looming at the top of the menu, with my own image background and a non-looping video. It's just a single video DVD. Don't care about "Scenes." I'd like to have chapters that the viewer can toggle through with their remote but if adding chapters FORCES a second layer (Scenes) to the menu then I'll forgo the chapters. Don't understand why I have to adapt though. Cyberlink, the euphoria is wearing off.
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Ok Jeff. I guess I'm just being stubborn. But in my defense, PD9 allows you to set interval chapters. With interval chapters, you just toggle through the video. You wouldn't necessarily want or need to label, or identify them, the viewer just hits the chapter button on the remote. So for many occassions, there is no need for a chapter menu. If there is no need, then PD9 shouldn't impose that on the (disc) creator. So if I continue to be stubborn, I'll have to remove the chapters (specific, not interval).
Bill
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Jeff, thanks for that clarification. I'll remove the chapters.
I think it's an odd situation. I'd like to keep the chapters so the viewer can toggle through the video but still keep a simple initial screen. As my signature shows, I used to use VideoStudio. PowerDirector 9 is far superior to VS (it actually allows editing of AVCHD without hiccups) and I am happy with it. However, VS never imposed such an odd limitation. I may have to research an authoring program to use with my PD9 edited/rendered videos.
Bill
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Jeff, there is something I surely don't understand because you seem to contradict yourself with what you said (below) to another post:
"Not possible with the current version of PD9, the menu MUST have the root menu page which contains a "play" button and a "scene" button and a "subtitle" button if you have subtitles. The layout of this top level menu page can not currently be changed via the user with PD.
Jeff"
I guess what I want is only the root menu, with my own background image and a "Play" button. No "Scenes," and no chapters on a sub-menu.
I did view that tutorial before I wrote the original post. I watched it again and I'm still confused. I wish the tutorial used a simpler project.
Oh, and I only have 7 menu templates. Is that right? I did download and install the content package.
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OK I'm starting to understand a little better. That creepy Gift Box opening was part of a single template. Also, from reading some of the recent similar gripes, it seems that unless I choose "no menu" I'm stuck with a two layer menu. From all of the templates I've viewed the second (chapter) menu is far busy for me.
Bad Cyberlink. You should allow more control for something so basic. Home videos are often simple and singular, i.e. one video that you share with family. Load the DVD, see a nice background image (typically a screen shot from the same video) and one "Play" button. Simple and clean. There is no reason to deny that to the user.
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Please bear with me as I'm struggling through this good program. I created a small test project (a couple of titles, transitions etc). and created an AVCHD DVD. I've read the manual and watched the turorials but still have two questions.
First, my completed AVCHD DVD has that weird Gift Box opening and lobotomized music. I don't see how I can remove it and don't understand its purpose. Please tell me how I can remove it.
Second, can someone guide me on the simplist menu structure for a single video project? I'm only burning one video to the DVD. The project has six chapter points but I don't need a screen to idenfity/offer them. I'm looking for a structure whereby I can select a background image and a single "Play" button. That's it. I know it has to be easy. When I select the "No Menu" option, it defaults to a simple screen with a thumbnail but it has a bold "AVCHD" at the top. The viewer probably doesn't even know what AVCHD is and I don't know why it has to be there.
Thanks,
Bill
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Kevin, I agree with you. One would think that if a company like HP bundles a blu-ray player with their systems that they would give you the tools to actually use it. I've googled this problem and I'm not alone. The bundled player software doesn't play Blu-ray discs (and apparently not AVCHD discs). Very strange.
Pjc3. Ideally I'd like to actually view the disc with its menu and other functionalities. Even if I can't view it, I'd like to be confident that I can provide a hi-def video to a friend that will actually play in their blu-ray players. Otherwise, I'm confined to DVD standard def format which kind of defeats the whole AVCHD camcorder purpose.
If I have to buy a software player, I'd rather just pony up for an internal blu-ray burner which presumably will include the playing software. (Or will it? hmmmmm).
P.S. Obviously, I don't have a TV blu-ray player or I'd try it there.
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I'm thoroughly frustrated by this whole AVCHD thing. I've owned and used a Panasonic SD9 for almost three years and shot all my videos with it; sitting patiently until the hardware/software could catch up and allow me to edit like I did with SD tape. From my signature you can see I have the necessary hardware (one would think) and PD9 (which I think I love).
My first attempt at a burning an AVCHD DVD went smoothly (that opening gift box routine has to go; but that's for another posting). However I only think it went well because I can't seem to find anyway to play it on my blu-ray player in my computer. So, this probably isn't even a question about PD9 but I'm reaching out to anyone who was in my position and found a solution.
The problem is that in Windows 7 autoplay settings, the only setting for "blu-ray disc movie" is HP Media Smart; nothing else is offered. First, I realize that an AVCHD disc may not be a "blu-ray disc movie" however, for every other choice (including "DVD Movie" and "Enhanced DVD Movie") I've selected Windows Media Player (v12) as my default start-up program (yes I rebooted after the changes). But whenever I insert the above mentioned AVCHD Disc I created in PD9, it still defaults to HP Media Smart. Well guess what; HP Media Smart ain't so smart. It doesn't recognize the format and those geniuses in Silicon Valley don't seem to think it is important that their "smart" software enter the 21st Century.
This is all so very frustrating. Does anyone out there have any solutions?
Bill
P.S. I got a 30 day warning and activation requirement before I could burn the AVCHD DVD. Is this some sort of "extra charge" feature that I'll have to buy?
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Wow. Couldn't be any simpler. Thanks.
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Is there a way to keep the alignment of the clips in the video track with their supporting clips in e.g. title, audio tracks. Specifically when I either delete or add clips prior to the video/support clips, everything gets out of alignment.
I thought Group Objects would do it but it doesn't.
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Thanks guys. Both methods work. It seems to me that PD is a little quirky and not as intuitive as it could be. Why for example does the Control+V method work whereas copy/paste doesn't work?
Also, when using the WaveEditor method, why X out and save it (without any saving options) instead of using File/Save (from the file menu or the Save Icon). Neither is available here.
Admittedly small complaints (towards PD, not to the good guys here).
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I have a project where I have to substitute some background audio that I've unlinked from another video segment. This works fine for the first time I need it but I'd like to just copy it from the timeline and insert it again at another point in the same timeline (and again as often as I need). So the same audio clip would be in the time line multiple times.
I can't see anyway to do this. As an alternative, can't I copy that unlinked audio segment into the media room for use in the current project and other projects? I suspect there is an easy solution but I can't seem to find it.
Bill
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Jamie, that's what I call "simple but brilliant." I'll give that a try.
Cranston, I'll try your solution also, once I finish downloading and installing the Content Pack. Thanks to both of you.
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I just bought PD9 after about 5 days using the trial version. I made several projects during the trial and it contained the "Trial Version" banner for the first 5 seconds or so. OK I expected that. I "Produced" the project to file but now I still want to polish the project and re-render. I'm disappointed to find that (after purchasing the program) if I call up the project file, the first clip contains the "Trial" banner. Even if I remove the first clip, the banner is inserted in the new first clip. It even happens if I re-save the project (with a "v2" name change). It happens if I "clip" the clip at the point where the banner disappears (and remove the front stub). I really don't want to start all over. Is there an easy way to remove the "Trial" banner from projects that were made during the trial but now in full payment?
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I recently made a project of 15 minutes of AVCHD shot at 1080i/30fps. I rendered to two files, AVCHD 1080i and AVCHD 720p. I was very surprised to find that the 720p file was significantly larger (2.57 Gigs) than the 1080i (1.79 Gigs). Can anyone explain? Also, would there be any improvement in quality if I rendered it in 1080p. Is that even possible? The video was shot on a Panasonic SD9 at its full HD setting (I think it is 17mps).
Right now I am using the trial version of PD9 on a Windows 7 64bit OS and an HP Computer with an AMD Phenom ii X6 (six core) cpu and an ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card.
I intend to purchase the full version as I am extremely impressed with PD9. With my new hardware, it really flies. I am a refugee from Ulead/Corel VideoStudio. I do find Titling confusing in PD9 but I assume it will be easy once I learn. It was easy under VS but VS is a dog for AVCHD. Thanks in advance.
Bill
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