Introduction

DVD-lab is a new DVD authoring tool which combines a modern professional interface with an easy to use approach that gives the user freedom to create what they want.

DVD-lab is built on a very strong Developer Studio-like model for very good reason. Unlike many other DVD authoring tools, you can reorganize the user interface to suit your needs. All DVD-lab windows are dockable and un-dockable, which works with multiple monitors as well. What is inside is a very powerful multi-tasking engine. This software will surprise you with it's overall speed and light feel. Scrolling through a Movie and adding chapters is a breeze. As you compile the DVD, you can even do other things on your computer, such as work on another DVD. DVD-lab has integrated DVD Menu creation, a visually based connection module, asset management, NTSC adjustment and a DVD burning module. It doesn't hide advanced aspects of DVD creation from you, yet it covers your back with strong automation. For example: DVD-lab does Auto-Routing of button navigation on Menus, though allowing the DVD Author to switch this feature off and route the buttons manually as you like.

Movies
Your DVD project can have 99 Movie titles. The software supports elementary MPEG streams or it can automatically demultiplex a program stream on import. DVD-lab supports 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios, NTSC or PAL TV formats.

Audio
DVD-lab supports MPEG, AC-3, DTS, WAV and AIFF audio file formats. From stereo to 6 channel Dolby Digital, you can use it all. An internal Audio Transcode feature helps get audio into the right format.

Slideshows
String together up to 99 still images into an automatic Slideshow which is treated as a special kind of Video within DVD-lab. A Project can have an unlimited number of Slideshows. Each slide can have a default duration or be individually set for duration. Audio can be played with the Slideshow, the Slideshows can also be made to match the audio length.

Menus
A full featured, integrated Menu designer is an integral part of DVD-lab. We believe the DVD-lab Menu designer section is second to none. You can add text with great control over fonts and drop shadows; easily Drag & Drop backgrounds, buttons, frames and arrows from Asset libraries into a Menu. DVD-lab is supplied with a complete library of backgrounds, buttons, frames and arrows to which you can add your own custom graphics to.

You also can do other visual and navigation tricks which only the best professional tools offer, some of these are only available with DVD-lab. For example: you have P, E1 and E2 subpicture groups; DVD-lab allows you to change the color and transparency of the Menu subpicture elements for each Menu separately and add auto-action, etc. DVD-lab will allow you to create a wide range of different Menu types offering the DVD Author a high degree of artistic choices.

Connections
Doing a complex project with many Menus and Videos? No problem, the connection window will help you to visually organize the DVD flow. Connect Movies together as you like, set timeout for Menus, see the whole design right in front of you.

Strictly multi-tasking
Fast, easy and light. Long processes such as DVD compile are done as a background process, so you can do other things while it is working. Yes, you can compile a DVD project and start working on another at the same time.

Advanced Exception Handling
All sensitive operations runs as a separate process from the main application. Even if something unexpected happens, your design is safe.

Wizards for speed and ease
The automation features of DVD-lab are designed to make the project faster and easier, but not to limit your control.

Auto-Chapters: You can add chapters manually, it's easy and fast. You can also use DVD-lab's Auto-Chapters wizard to automatically add Chapter Points to your Movie using Cut Scene Detection. That is, it will add a Chapter Point on a cut scene or change of scene, not in the middle of scene.

Scene Selection Menus: This amazing wizard can make scene selection Menus from Chapter Points automatically. Start with a template you like, DVD-lab will analyze the Movie, find scenes, make Chapter Points and then make Menu buttons from those Chapter Points. You can create your own templates from Menus you like or use the DVD-lab supplied templates.

Menu Template: You can create your own Menu templates and then re-use these Menus in the same or other projects, over and over again.

Menu Transitions: DVD-lab is the first DVD authoring tool to give you full Menu transitions. Move, Slide Pan, Zoom from one Menu to another in seamless fashion. Or use cool effects such as Random Burning, Page Curl or one of the many other filters to add a high degree of visual effect to your project.

Menu Effects
All Video stills dragged onto a Menu will be auto-deinterlaced making them smooth without jagged edges. You can also sharpen or blur objects. But the most fun you will have will be with the unique Gen-EFX tool. Thousands of visual effects are at your fingertips. These are effects range from basic adjustments to complex effects suitable for creating interesting backgrounds. The more you try the Gen-EFX, the more interesting it becomes.

NTSC Safe
You no longer send every image to Photoshop to set NTSC safe colors. DVD-lab provides a superb NTSC Safe Colors tool which produces most accurate output by simulating (and also showing you!) the Video Signal Voltage as it might appear on the viewer's TV screen.

Trimming the Movie Video
You can easily trim off the end of the Movie without recompressing. Good for recordings where you start on time, but the Video continues way past the end of the program.


System Requirements

DVD-lab is available for Microsoft Windows 98/NT/2000/XP (recommended 2000 and XP)

Note: You need at least a FAT32 disk filesystem on Win98 (which supports up to 4GB file size). However, a NTFS volume in Windows 2000 or XP is strongly recommended (no size restriction).