The Next GUI?

AutoGK ;) It doesnt ouput Video DVD but it covers pretty much of the rest (the XviD/DivX SAP aspect).

Isn't this kind of what AutoGK does anyway? Codec selection, resolution settings & audio type is in the Advanced Options. So if simple-sue doesn't want to make a choice regarding those or doesn't know what choice to make, then she doesn't need to go into Advanced Options. For video and audio, you cannot just bluntly classify them into good, great etc because they are very subjective. Which is why something like a target quality percentage helps, so she can decide "OK, I want about 70% quality of the DVD". For playback, simple-sue would need an MPEG-4 decoder anyway, so it's not as plain-jane as playing back MPEG-1 even. As for WMP, it is just another DShow app (bloated, I may add), like BSPlayer or ZoomPlayer. If the output play fine on any other DShow based player, it will play fine in WMP too. So no output needs to be tailor-made for WMP per se. I think simple-sue should stick to a DVD Player. :p

[joke] IMO the problem isn't the app, is the wife :D [/joke]

well... my wife has been so accustomed to good quality rips that i can go lower then 1CD (for SAP) :D , and audio must be dolby or 160kbps mp3 at LEAST ! seriusly any so GEEK software cannot be used because anyone would be something different. Better to have open application that can be adapted to multi pourpose encodings BHH

M$ transformed computer users into brainless zombies... when you buy a home theatre system, or a router, or a car stereo, or even a freezer, or anything that requires a certain user interaction that's more than pushing a button you have to RTFM. It's the same for software: AutoGK is a one click solution with almost no user interaction... for other softwares with more user interaction you have to RTFM!

Shark, you RTFM only if it doesn't work. You are a man, act like it :sly:

Sorry Sirber , i have to disagree If manual/readme is present i (and i hope many others) read it before lauching application I have learn that without reading i can use only few parts/aspect of a program, or at least not at fully capabilities I suppose that if a RTFM is present than is a good thing to read it BHH

Of course you read the manual. Read the Manual for MeGui or even AutoGK and highlight every word or acronym that your mom would not understand. The paper would covered in highlights. All I am saying is that it does not have to be like that. I am working now on a piece of very technical medical equipment that we need to make the interface easy enough that Nurses (without training) can understand how to operate it. This made me think of the same type of situation that exist in the Video Encoding world.

You could have a simple and complex product in one: Have a "Simple" section / tab with the minimum settings for end-users. Also Have an "Advanced" section where expert users can change all the advanced settings like they want. Now combine that with profiles and ship some default profiles that already have the advanced settings tweaked. Let the end-users load the profiles in the basic section so they dont have to worry about advanced settings, and let the experts be able to tweak the profiles to their liking. A fairly decent compromise imo.

The compromise which MeGUI already aims to reach. Especially the One Click Encoder. Profiles are missing, though, and the other thing to remember is that designing a GUI for novices isn't as simple as just dumming down an advanced GUI: that'll give you a still-advanced GUI, but without the control.