Complete Manual

Version 3.0.0.5, March 28th, 2008

 Table of Contents

Key Features 3
System Requirements 3
Installation 4
First Run 8
Interface setup 10
Basic Conversion 12
Customizing your Project 14
DVD Options ..................................................................................................................14
Title Options ...................................................................................................................16
Titleset content editor 20
Merge several video files to one title ..............................................................................21
Add audio/subtitle streams .............................................................................................22
Image resizing and processing options 23
Burning your Project 25
Settings 26
General...........................................................................................................................26
Language .......................................................................................................................27
Chapters.........................................................................................................................27
Menu ..............................................................................................................................28
TV Format ......................................................................................................................29
Burning ...........................................................................................................................29
Subtitles..........................................................................................................................30
Subtitle style editor .........................................................................................................31
Audio ..............................................................................................................................34
Encoding ........................................................................................................................34
Video processing ............................................................................................................35
Sound events .................................................................................................................35
Frequently Asked Questions 36
Copyright 37

2
Key Features

• Supported video formats: AVI, DivX, XviD, MOV, MKV, FLV, MPEG-1, MPEG2-, MPEG-4, NSV, DVR-MS,
TIVO, TS, IFO, VOB, ASF, WMV, RealMedia, RM, RMVB, OGM, existing files from digital camcorders, TV/Sat,
capture cards, etc. No external codecs needed.
• Create DVD menus with different templates available, possibility to add background video, image or audio,
have chapter and audio/subtitle menus
• Conversion advisor wizard, control of the conversion speed vs. quality
• Fast and quality encoder, typically less than 1 hour for converting a movie, and support for multi-core
processors!
• Included burning engine with burn speed control, choice of SAO or packet writing methods, supports all DVD
formats
• Custom and/or automatic chapter creation with markers and preview window
• Advanced file merging possibilities
• Supported audio formats (internal and external): AC3, DTS, PCM, OGG, MP3, WMA and more...
• Supported subtitle files (internal and external): SRT, .SUB/IDX, .SSA with color and font selection, and
supports tags like italic, bold
• Video output in NTSC/PAL, selection of TV screen (Widescreen 16:9, Fullscreen 4:3), and DVD resolution (Full
D1, Broadcast D1, Half D1, SIF), or choose automatic for all choices listed above. Also convert video from
NTSC to PAL, or PAL to NTSC
• Video post processing settings like video resize (pad/crop) and de-interlacing options
• Multilingual support
• Optimized for Windows 2000 / XP / Vista

System Requirements
The following are the minimum system requirements to run ConvertXtoDVD. We do not recommend running the
software on a computer not meeting these requirements, as the performance will be very poor.

Processor: Intel Pentium III or AMD Athlon XP (2000+)

Memory: 512 MB RAM (running Windows 2000/XP)
1 GB RAM (running Windows Vista)
Graphics: AGP/PCI video card with DirectX 9.0c support (or DirectX 10 for Vista)
Sound: PCI 16 bit sound card
Hard drive: Hard drive with at least 4.3 GB space free
Burner: DVD burner with latest firmware released by the manufacturer
Operating System: Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, or Windows Vista

3
Installation
The first step during the installation process is to select the language you want to use during this process:

Figure 1

Announces the version you are about to install and any suggestions you should follow during installation.

Figure 2

Select the folder where you would like ConvertXtoDVD to be installed. We recommend installing to the default
folder proposed:

Figure 3

4
Next, you have to select the video standard you would like ConvertXtoDVD to use for output. Select the region
where you live. Some DVD players are able to read both formats but not all.

Figure 4

Select the folder where you would like the Start Menu folder to be created:

Figure 5

5
Check the options you would like to be set up during installation:

Figure 6

Some additional information about “media statistics” (last option):

In order to improve the quality of our software, and to establish a chart of good media based on the end user's
experience, we are collecting media and hardware information.

Each time a burn process has been finished, information about the process (software version, used writer and
media, success/failure) is submitted to our server.

As an internet connection is required, you should only activate this feature if you have a permanent connection.

NOTE: We do not collect any information that may help to identify a given computer or person!

A summary of what will be done during installation:

Figure 7

6
Shows the version history of ConvertXtoDVD, i.e. the last changes that were made to the application, list of bugs
fixed and features added:

Figure 8

Now that installation has finished, you can choose to launch ConvertXtoDVD immediately:

Figure 9

7
First Run
When opening ConvertXtoDVD for the first time, you will see the following window, which allows you to use the
software in trial mode (just click “Try”), open the shop to buy a license, or enter your personal license key if you
already have one.

Figure 10

NOTE: If you own a license to the precedent version, you will need a new license key. Just click the blue link and
follow the instructions on the website.

If you have a license key for version 3, click “Enter key” and paste it in the corresponding field. Click “Activate” to
continue.

Figure 11

8
After the trial window, the next thing to appear is the update prompt. It allows you to decide, if ConvertXtoDVD
should check for updates on the internet. Check “Do not ask again” to save your choice and not display the prompt
again in the future. Please allow ConvertXtoDVD access to the internet in your firewall settings if required.

Figure 12

NOTE: You can also check for updates manually via Help Æ Check update from the main window.

9
Interface setup
ConvertXtoDVD has an interchangeable interface you can configure for your comfort. Here are some of the ways
you can set up the interface.

Additional windows presenting different information can be opened (Video Preview, and Log). To open these
windows go to Main Menu, select Window, and choose from Video Preview, or Log (see below).

Figure 13 (Video Preview)

Figure 14 (Log)

10
Highlighted below are the ways in which you can move and resize each window. To move a window, place your
mouse on the title bar (boxed in red), hold down the button and drag it to the desired position. The double arrow
cursor (boxed in green) appears when you place your mouse between two touching windows. You can change
their size by holding down the mouse button and moving.

Figure 15

You can also have all windows open all at once detached or within the main frame window of ConvertXtoDVD:

Figure 16

11
Basic Conversion
The basic procedure for a conversion consists of just a few mandatory steps. First, add the video file(s) you want to
convert, by simply clicking the Add button or via File Æ Add video file:

Figure 17

Once your video has been added, it will appear in the project tree as Titleset. Notice that whenever you add a
video, the “conversion advisor” on the bottom left will display the expected quality of the output. If it turns red, a
very low quality output is expected. Remove one or more videos to improve quality.
Note: The Conversion Advisor is exclusively based on the total time duration of the files added, providing only a
rough indication of expected quality output assuming the files are of Full D1 standard video format. The traffic light
assumes that for a single layer DVD-5 (4.7 GB) 2 hours of video will fit on the DVD with excellent quality (green
light), 2-4 hours of video will fit on a DVD-5 and could have some quality loss that may or may not be visible to the
eye (yellow light), and over 4 hours of video will require compression and therefore most high chance of visible
quality loss (red light). Some users are more or less sensitive to the quality of output.

12
If you are happy with the DVD title and video title (highlighted in green), just click Convert to start the conversion
process:

Figure 18

Following this procedure, ConvertXtoDVD will create your DVD based on the default project settings. Please refer
to section “Settings” (page 26) to learn more about these default settings.

If you want to lean more about customizing your individual project (e.g. change titles, choose a different menu
template, and more), read the next section “Customizing your Project”.

13
Customizing your Project
Assuming you have already added your video (as described in previous section “Basic Conversion”), there are
several options in your project that can be customized.

DVD Options

Click on the symbol in front of DVD Options to expand the following options:

Figure 19

Template
Allows you to choose the menu template to be used for your DVD. Double-click to display a list of available
templates:

Select the desired menu template, and then click the checkmark button on the right. Select “No menu” to have all
titles be played after each other without a menu. Hover the mouse cursor over DVD Options to see a static preview
of the selected menu template (it will not reflect changes you do to titles or background).

Play video automatically

If checked the burnt DVD, when played on your living room player, will start by playing the first video on the DVD
(without showing the menu even if there is one)

Loop playback
Check to play the first title again once the last title has finished.
14
Play videos one after the other
Will play video files one right after the other instead of going back to the menu, even if there is one on the DVD.

Skip root menu

When a title is selected from the title menu, it is played immediately instead of showing its root menu.

Title Menu parameters

Title text in Title menu

Double-click to specify the text which will be shown on top of the title menu (where you select which video to
play):

1) Enter the title here

2) Shows if the title will fit into the menu (green = ok, red = too long)
3) Text style to be used
4) Click this button to edit/add text styles
5) Click here to apply your changes

Background video in Title menu

Double-click to specify the background to be used for the title menu (may not be available for all templates):

1) Possible choices: Use a custom file – allows selecting an image or video file to be used as background
Remove – no background will be used
Do not change – will use the default background as defined in the menu template
2) If a video has been selected as background, specify the starting time code to use from the video. 30
seconds of the video will play in loop here as the background from the starting time you indicated.
3) Click here to apply your changes once you are done
4) Displays the image or video file (only if Use a custom file is selected)
5) Specify the transparency for the background image or video (0 = transparent, 100 = opaque)
6) Click this button to browse for an image or video file (only if Use a custom file is selected)

Disc name
Double-click to change the label of the burned disc, e.g. how the disc will be identified when inserted into a
computer (default is “My DVD”):

Menu text style editor

Double-click to open the text style editor for menu items. The number of pre-defined styles is determined by the
template you have chosen. At most you can have the styles for “title” (used for menu titles by default), the other
“caption” (used for buttons by default), and small caption (used for content in the sub menus, i.e. names of subtitles
and audio streams available). For a detailed description of the style editor, please refer to section “Subtitle style
editor” (p. 31).

15
Title Options

Click on the symbol in front of Titleset [Number] to expand the following options:

Figure 20

In Title Menu

Double-click text item to modify how this title will be labeled in the title menu, or thumbnail to modify the small
preview image used in the title menu. See previous page for details on the edit mask.

Menu Parameters

This section lists several menu items (like titles, buttons, and backgrounds) which can be changed. Double-
click an item to change the text or background image to be used in the respective menu.
Double-click Background video in several menu pages to set the same background for all menu pages, or
expand the item to change them individually.

16
Audio

Audio streams contained in your video file are listed here. ConvertXtoDVD assumes the language to be the
one set in Audio settings (see page 34), but you can change this in case it is not correct. You can also
change how the audio stream will be labeled in the audio menu. To do so, double-click the stream:

1) Select the language of the stream

2) Enter the text to be used in the menu
3) Check to use this audio stream as default audio (selected automatically when you play the DVD)
4) Click here once finished

Subtitle

Subtitle streams contained in your video file (internal subtitles), or have been found in external files are listed
here. If you have a subtitle for your video and it does not appear here, you can add it manually (see “Add
audio/subtitle streams”, page 22). Analogous to audio streams, you can change the language identifier and
how the subtitle will be labeled in the menu.

Chapter

This section lists the chapters for this title that have been created automatically by ConvertXtoDVD (based on
the Chapter options, see page 27). To change how a chapter will appear in the menu, expand it and double-
click the text or thumbnail item (see previous pages for details on the edit mask):

To add more chapters, just right-click on Chapter or any existing chapter mark and select Add Chapter.
Then enter the start time of the chapter.
You can add chapters in the video preview window as well. Use the slider to navigate through the video, and
right-click on the cursor to add or remove a chapter. The individual chapters are displayed as little pins ( ) on
the timeline. Hold down the left mouse button on a chapter pin and drag it to move it along the timeline.

17
Video

Resolution
Double-click to choose the resolution this title should be encoded in. For a list of possible resolutions see
Encoding settings (page 34).

Standard
Double-click to choose the standard (PAL/NTSC) this title should be encoded in.

TV Screen
Double-click to choose the aspect ratio this title should be encoded in. Click the button to open Image
resizing and processing options (see page 23 for details).

Video resize method

Double-click to choose if and how the video should be resized (cropped/padded). Click the button to
open Image resizing and processing options (see page 23 for details).

Deinterlace
Check this option if the source video is in interlaced format (often applies to TV or camcorder recordings). If
you have converted a project and find that the result appears choppy or horizontal movement is distorted like
in the image below, convert again with this option enabled.

interlaced deinterlaced

18
File set
This section lists all files that belong to this title. Expand individual files to display some information about
them. The following image shows a video file’s information:

Most of these are just for informational purposes and cannot be changed. You can change the offset of audio
or video streams though. This might be required if you converted a project and find that the audio is not in
sync with the picture. In such a case you can adjust the audio offset by selecting the audio stream here, and
then click it once again. Use a positive value if audio comes too early or a negative one if it comes too late.
For subtitle files, you can click on Subtitle style editor (grayed in above image) to change the appearance of
this subtitle (see page 31 for details).

If you want to add another file (video, audio, or subtitle) to this title, click the button on the right. See
“Merge several video files to one title” (page 21) for more information on this procedure.

19
Titleset content editor
The titleset editor helps you manage all the files that are used to build a title (video, audio, and subtitle files). Use it
to merge several videos into one title, or add more audio and subtitle tracks.

Access the editor by selecting a title from the project tree, then click the button on the right (or right-click on the
title and select Merge more files to this titleset).

Figure 21

In the editor window, you will see the individual files (video, audio, and subtitles) that our title is composed of. At the
moment this is only one video file:

Figure 22

The different icons represent the types of streams that can be added at this place:

Video files

Audio files

Subtitle files

20
Merge several video files to one title

Sometimes it is required to put more than one video file into one title, for example if you have a movie that consists
of two or more files (e.g. “Movie cd1”, “Movie cd2”). To achieve this, add the first file to your project normally (as
described in “Basic Conversion”, page 12).
Next, open the titleset editor as described on previous page, and then click the icon in the very right column to
select a video file to be added (or drag and drop the video file to the corresponding place):

Figure 23

The added video file will appear in the queue list, right next to the first file:

Figure 24

Click OK once you’re done, and the added files will appear under File set in your project:

Figure 25

21
Add audio/subtitle streams

ConvertXtoDVD tries to detect additional streams for a video file (like subtitles) automatically. This only works for
subtitles that are named accordingly to the video files they belong to (“Movie.avi”, “Movie.srt”). However, audio
and/or subtitle streams can be added to a title manually. To do so, open the titleset editor as described on previous
pages.

Next, click one of the add icons below to the video file to select a video/audio/subtitle file to be added
(or drag and drop the file to the corresponding place). In this example we want to add a subtitle:

Figure 26

Select the subtitle/audio track to be added and repeat for additional video parts if necessary. The added streams
will appear in the queue list, below the video track:

Figure 27

Note: If you add a video file as a stream, only its audio track will be used. If you want to merge a video to a title in
order to play one file after the other, please read the previous page.

22
Image resizing and processing options
To check and adjust how your video will be displayed on screen, expand a title by clicking on the symbol in front
of Titleset [Number], and then right-click on Video and select Set video parameters.

The following window will appear:

Figure 28

4:3 / 16:9
Select if the video should be encoded in full screen (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format. The correct choice depends
on the aspect ratio of the source video and is usually determined by ConvertXtoDVD automatically.

Resize
Automatic
This is the default setting, which makes ConvertXtoDVD try to fit the video into the selected DVD resolution
the best way, losing as little of the picture as possible.
Stretch
This setting will stretch the video into the selected resolution. This may result in a wrong aspect ratio.
Letterbox
This will fill the whole width of the screen and add black bars on top and bottom if required as the icon
illustrates. Useful if you want to encode widescreen (16:9) material to full screen (4:3) and do not want to lose
any part of the picture.

23
 Pan-Scan
This will zoom in on the center of the video and cut off the rest as the icon illustrates. Useful if you want to
encode widescreen (16:9) material to full screen (4:3) and accept some parts of the picture being lost.
User-defined
Use this setting if you want to control exactly which parts of the picture are visible on screen. For that, use
the sliders below.

User-defined resize
Use the sliders to control how much padding (black bars) is added to the picture and how much is cropped off (or
zoomed in).

Show safe area

Check this option to display a frame in the preview that visualized the safe zone that is guaranteed to be displayed
on every screen. Due to the “overscan” performed by your TV, some of the outer parts may get cut off. For more
information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overscan

Preview
Use the slider on the timeline to navigate through the video and find a suitable still image to verify your settings are
satisfactory (picture is not warped, etc). A still image with a round object (tire, etc) allows for easy checking. The
dropdown box allows you to select the video file, in case the title consists of more than one file.

24
Burning your Project
By default, ConvertXtoDVD will automatically burn your project (see page 29 for burn settings) after conversion.
The following window will appear, asking you to insert a disc. If a disc is detected, the burning process will start
automatically after 15 seconds.

Figure 29

Please note that by default, the folder containing the DVD files will be deleted. If you plan to burn additional discs of
this project, uncheck Delete folder after successful burn.

If you have disabled automatic burning after conversion (see page 29), you have to burn your project manually. To
do so, click Action Æ Burn already converted project:

Figure 30

Select the folder you would like to burn. By default ConvertXtoDVD opens a selection dialog with the folder where
your converted files are stored. The folder will usually be named after the first file contained in your project.

Once the folder has been selected, a new window will open where you can specify your burning options (see
above).

25
Settings
The settings are accessible from the main menu:

Figure 31

Here is a look at each of the tabs found under Settings. Notice that the button “Reset to defaults” will reset all
settings to their default, not only those on the current tab.

General

Working Folder
Where ConvertXtoDVD will place all created files. You
can change this location.

Remember last folder

If checked, the dialog for adding files will start at the same
place you added files from the last time. Else it will start at
the default location (Documents).

Flip preview
If the preview appears upside down in the interface check
this box, close ConvertXtoDVD and open it again. The
preview will now be right side up.

Check internet for updates regularly

Will check for version updates. Allow ConvertXtoDVD to
access internet in your firewall settings if required.

Do not prompt for updates

If checked, ConvertXtoDVD will not ask for permission
Figure 32 before checking for an update.

Theme
Change appearance of the interface by clicking on the various themes in the list.

26
Language

Allows you to select the language you want

ConvertXtoDVD to appear in. For certain languages you
must first select the language, and then restart the
application for all the changes to take effect.

Figure 33

Chapters

A chapter is an invisible mark in the video that helps you

navigating through the film as you are watching it.
Instead of fast-forwarding to a specific point you can jump
at intervals, these intervals are chapter points that you
can determine here.

Insert Chapter every

Allows you to automatically insert a chapter every X
minutes or seconds. M = minutes, S = seconds
If unchecked, no chapters will be added automatically. In
the main interface you can manually add chapters at
specific places.

For videos longer than

Inserts a chapter at the value indicated above only if the
video is longer than the specified duration (default value is
15 minutes). In this example it means that no chapters
will be added if you would add a video that is only 10
minutes long, e.g. suitable for music video clips.

You may also set up chapters manually in your project.

See “Title Options” (page 16 and following).
Figure 34

27
Menu

On this tab you can specify menu defaults that will be used for new projects. You will be able to customize the
menu options within each project individually as well (see “DVD Options”, beginning on page 14).

Default template
The default template to be used for new projects.

If a text label is too large in the menu?

Select how text should be dealt with that is too long to fit
into the menu. Possible choices are:
• Ask (a message box will appear to ask you what to
do)
• Reduce the text (the size of the font will be reduced)
• Crop the text (letters will be removed)
• Ignore (do nothing, some parts of the text may not
appear)
• Fail (cancel the conversion and highlight the
problematic text)

Default values for text labels

Specify default texts for certain buttons that may appear
in the menu. Which buttons will actually appear depends
on the template used for a project.
Figure 35

Auto-start playback
The burnt DVD, when played on your living room player, will start by playing the first video on the DVD (without
showing the menu even if there is one).

Loop playback
This will play the first title again once the last title has finished.

Play videos one after the other

Will play video files one right after the other instead of going back to the menu, even if there is one on the DVD.

Skip root menu

When a title is selected from the title menu, it is played immediately instead of showing its root menu.

28
TV Format

On this tab you can specify video format defaults that will be used for new projects. You will be able to customize
video format options within each project individually as well (see “Title Options”, page 16 ff.).

Video Standard
Select your video output format here. Not all DVD players
can read both formats (PAL/NTSC). If you are unsure,
select the region you live in.
Select Automatic to let ConvertXtoDVD use the video
standard of the source file.

DVD Resolution
The output resolution for your DVD projects. Possible
choices are:
NTSC PAL
Full D1 720 x 480 720 x 576
Broadcast D1 704 x 480 704 x 576
Half D1 352 x 480 352 x 576
SIF 352 x 240 352 x 288
Default is Full D1 resolution; you may however change
this to a lower resolution to fit more videos onto one disc
(will reduce image quality).
Select Automatic to let ConvertXtoDVD decide the
resolution based on the resolution of the source file.
Figure 36

TV Screen
Allows you to select whether you want the video aspect ratio to be set automatically or either be full screen or
widescreen format. Normally, this should be left to Automatic.

Burning

Burn results to DVD

If checked will burn video files to DVD after conversion
has finished; select the default burner and speed you
would like to use. If not checked, the files will be saved in
a folder on your computer (see “General” tab).

Default DVD Label

Default text to be used for menu title and name of the
disc. Leave empty to use the name of the first video file.

Add original files to DVD (if possible)

Will add original files to DVD (useful in terms of a backup,
saving space on your hard drive)

Delete folder after successful burn

Will delete project output folder created during
conversion. Original files are not touched.

Send burn statistics to VSO online database

Will send burn statistics to VSO, requires an internet
Figure 37
connection (for more information see “Installation” section,
Figure 6)

29
Do not eject disc when burn is complete
Will not eject media when burn is complete

SAO options on DVD-R

Specifies the burn method for DVD-R media used by ConvertXtoDVD. This should be left to Automatic, unless you
have problems burning to DVD-R media. Possible choices are:
• Automatic (recommended)
• Force SAO (will stop in case of failure)
• Force packet writing (will stop in case of failure)
• Prefer SAO (try SAO, then packet writing)
• Prefer packet writing (try packet writing, then SAO)

Subtitles

On this tab you can specify subtitle defaults that will be used for new projects. You will be able to customize subtitle
options within each project individually as well (see “Title Options”, page 16 ff.).

Default language
This is the default language which is assumed for all
added subtitle files.

Text subtitles rendering settings

This button opens up the Subtitle Style Editor (see next
page), proposing advanced subtitle editing possibilities.

Figure 38

30
Subtitle style editor

Figure 39

Current Style
You can save the default style with the setting you prefer and create additional styles for your subtitles and save
them each with a new name. To create a new style, click on the plus button. You will see “Copy of default” appear
on the left, modify this name by clicking on it and entering in the name you would like to call this style. Click on the
settings you want to apply to this style. The little arrow button resets all values to their defaults.

Font
Select the font and font size. If you click on the button “Font...” you have the option to specify a color in HTML
code. For a more complete definition of this please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_color_codes.
In this section you can also change the code page. For more information on what Code page is please see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_page. The default code page (ANSI Latin 1) is the character set for Western
European spoken languages. If you are not sure what Code Page to use please consult this page which identifies
different code pages: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms776446.aspx

Colors - Contrast
Define the color of the text, outline, shadow, and the background for your subtitles. In the boxes beneath each of
these you can modify the transparency of the color applied (0-100: 0 = transparent, 100 = opaque).

Text rendering
Define if and how subtitle text should be wrapped: Evenly distributed text, Top line wider, End of line, No word
wrapping, or Bottom line wider. Define character and line spacing, and maximum number of characters to be
displayed per line.

31
Margin
Define left, right, and top margin on screen (0 being edge of screen for left right and bottom, and 535 being top
edge of vertical)
Outline
Define the thickness of the outline desired. You can check Square outline or not (see difference in images below).
Square outline fills more pixels when outlining your subtitles. What is considered the most “clear” each varies from
person to person.

Square outline disabled Square outline enabled

Text Align
Select how to align subtitle text on screen.

Shadow
Define the shadow position used on text. Offset lets you define the space between font and shadow. Check
Opaque box and a box (somewhat transparent) will be placed around your subtitles. Some prefer this for better
readability.

Multi-line subtitle test zone (1)

Space provided for you to type your own text as subtitle example.

Background (2)
Add a background image from your hard drive to preview, or change the background color (via arrow).

16:9 (3)
If checked will preview will be displayed as video would be in widescreen format.

Safe view (4)

Display a frame that shows you parts of the screen which may not be shown, depending on the amount of
“overscan” done by your TV. For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overscan

Note: If you are having a hard time seeing what each adjustment does, set font of text to 72, and enlarge the
preview window.

Additional information on subtitles

DVD Standard allows only 4 colors for subtitles (and the number 4 includes the background color, so the real
amount is 3). What this means is depending on the number of colors you will use in your subtitles you border
and shadow may or may not show:

Number of colors used in subtitles Border Shadow

1 9 9
2 9 –
3 – –

32
List of SRT Tags supported

<BR> Break

The rest of the tags work in pairs with a beginning and an end:

Example: Here is <i>text with applied tag</i>text without applied tag

Tags are invisible when correctly applied in subtitles.

<I> Italic </I>

<B> Bold <B/>
<U> Underline </U>
<S> Strikethrough </S>
<Font size = “xx”> Font Size </font> (replace xx with desired font size)
<Font color = “xxx”> Font color </Font> (Font color is a number in html color code. For a more complete
definition of this please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_color_codes)

Multiple tags can be applied at once:

Type your <u><font color = "#FF0000"><i>text </i></font>here</u>

When using these tags, make sure to nest them properly. If you open Tag A then Tag B, you must first close B
then A, you cannot close A before B.

List of SSA tags supported

1= apply
0 = don’t apply
{\b1} Bold
{\i1} Italic
{\u1} Underline
{\s1} Strikethrough
{\fn} Font name (ex {\fnArial} )
{\fs} Font size (ex {\fs33} )

No color tag is currently available for SSA subtitles

Multiple tags can be applied at once:

{\fs33}Type {\u1}{\i1} your subs {\u0} here{\i0} and more

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Audio

On this tab you can specify audio defaults that will be used for new projects. You will be able to customize audio
options within each project individually as well (see “Title Options”, page 16 ff.).

Default language
Select the default language identifier to be used to name
audio tracks.

Audio boost
Check this option to modify the audio gain. Use the ruler
below to select the desired loudness. Volume can only be
amplified (checking this option and moving ruler to the left
will still amplify sound compared to original file, not reduce
it).

Don’t check/fix audio discontinuities

Normally, ConvertXtoDVD will try to fix discrepancies in
the audio stream automatically, in order to avoid video
and audio being out of sync. Check this option to disable
this automatic fix for new projects.

Figure 40

Encoding

Log engine messages

Allows very technical messages about the engine
behavior to appear in log file (for diagnostic purposes).

Encoding quality/speed
If you choose high quality this will take up more space; the
encoding process will also take a bit longer. The output
quality can be of equal quality as the input but the output
quality can never be better than the original (make sure to
have good sources if you are looking for good quality
output).

Target size
You can choose your target size DVD-5 (Single Layer, 4.7
GB), DVD-9 (Double Layer, 8.5 GB), or a custom value (in
MB). The engine will make sure during conversion that
the output file size is small enough to fit on the type of
target size you selected. On average, about 4 hours of
compressed video file can be converted and burned on to
a DVD-5 without losing significant amount of quality – thus
Figure 41
keeping Encoding quality at either medium or high.

Conversion priority
If you are doing other tasks at the same time on your computer you can set the priority level in which your
computer will treat the conversion in order to not slow down your other tasks or to prioritize the conversion instead.
Generally, it is best to run ConvertXtoDVD without any background tasks going on.

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Video processing

On this tab you can specify video processing defaults that will be used for new projects. You will be able to
customize video options within each project individually as well (see “Title Options”, page 16 ff.).

Deinterlacing
Check this option if your source videos usually are in
interlaced format (often applies to TV or camcorder
recordings).

Video resize method

Select how videos will be resized to fit the screen by
default. Please see “Image resizing and processing
options” (page 23) for more details on the avilable
choices.

Figure 42

Sound events

On this tab you can specify audio files to be played once a specific event has occurred.

Play Sound Events

Uncheck this option if you do not want to be notified using
sound events.

Process Completed
Is played whenever an operation has been finsihed (i.e.
conversion or burning process is done).

Question
Is played when the application needs you to make a
selection in order to continue.

Writable DVD Required

Is played when you need to insert a media to burn.

Problem Detected
Is played when an error or other problem has occurred.

Update Available
Figure 43 Is played when a newer version is found online.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does audio discrepancy mean?

This may appear in the log file during conversion. It is simply a note that the encoding engine makes to itself so
that it can treat the file appropriately. It does not me that you with have audio synchronization problems. Let the
conversion finish and watch it on your computer before burning if you want to be sure the file is fine before burning
it to DVD.

How come I do not see my subtitles?

When watching your DVD on your living room DVD player hit the “subtitle” button on your remote control for your
subtitles to appear.

What does unsupported encoder for output stream mean?

It means that in this version there is no support for the file format that you have added. Future versions of
ConvertXtoDVD may support that file format. Check regularly for version updates or contact VSO to inquire about
the file format.

Can my computer be shutdown automatically after the conversion has finished?

Yes, open ConvertXtoDVD go to main menu: Action and check Shutdown when finished.

Why does nothing show up in the preview window?

If the preview window is not functioning properly, make sure you have the latest version of Microsoft DirectX®
installed on your computer. Run Windows Update to obtain latest version of DirectX®. Also, if you have 2 versions
of ConvertXtoDVD installed you may need to uninstall both of them, reboot, and then just install the one you prefer.

How do I burn several copies of the same project?

First, go into Settings Æ Burning and disable Delete folder after successful burn. This will leave your converted
project files on your hard disk so you can burn additional copies. Please refer to page 25 to learn how to burn an
already converted project.

I want to add more videos to my project. How do I make them fit?

Normally, ConvertXtoDVD uses the best quality to encode your videos. To fit more content on a disc, you can lower
the encoding resolution for titles in your project. See “Title Options” (page 3), or “Settings - Encoding” (page 34) if
you want to change the resolution in general.

Why does my burned disc not work in my DVD player?

Please make sure your DVD player is able to read the used disc format (+R, -R, +RW, -RW), not all players are
able to read all formats. Try if the burned disc works in your computer. Sometimes changing the recordable brand
and/or disc format helps.

How do I remove the trial watermark once I bought a license?

The watermark inserted by the trial version cannot be removed from the DVD. To have your DVD without the
watermark, you need to convert your project again, so do not delete your source files once converted by the trial!

Why is my system crashing/freezing during conversion?

The conversion is a very CPU intensive process. If not sufficiently cooled, the processor can overheat, which
makes the computer crash. If you experience crashes regularly when converting with ConvertXtoDVD, please
check the insides of your computer and remove any dust or dirt that may impede proper cooling.

I have a question not answered here. Where do I get help?

First, please visit our forum community, where others share their knowledge and tips. Often you will be able to find
your answer there quickly: http://forums.vso-software.fr
If you could not get help from the forums, or need to contact us directly, please visit the support section of our
website: http://www.vso-software.fr/support.php

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Copyright
ConvertXtoDVD © Copyright 2005-2008 VSO Software SARL, France. All rights reserved.

All trademarks, logos, brand names, pictures etc. are the rightful properties of their respective owners.

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