Authoring software that makes thumbnails on DVD cases?

[moxiecat]

Hello all,

I have been asked about this for weeks, and need to come to the pros here for answers.

Some DVD services offer video transfers that include a DVD case cover displaying thumbnails of all the automatic chapter stops on the disc. As an example, see this page:
http://www.apmstudio.com/video-transfer/copy-video-vhs-to-dvd.asp

The company Yes Video, which is in a lot of drugstores, offers a similar DVD. All of the chapter stops that the software automatically adds are pictured on the DVD case cover (as well as a scenes menu on the disc itself). Yes Video also goes one step further and claims that its software creates chapter stops at natural breaks between scenes, rather than at set intervals.

I have not been able to find DVD authoring software that offers these features. I know DVD Encore, my program of choice, does not. Apparently Roxio once produced software in concert with Yes Video that did something similar, but it has long been discontinued.

Does anyone know of DVD authoring software that exports scenes to a printable cover? Or one that creates these "natural chapters"? I've been creating DVDs for my friends and family for years, and it's annoying to be asked now "why can't you do this?" because they've seen it offered. So if there is a software program that has these features, I'd love to try it out.

Thanks for all help!

[filmboss80]

There may not be a 1-button software option, but it is easily doable. Every DVD authoring program allows you to set chapter points. Thus, as you set each chapter point, write down the timecode number of the frame where each chapter is set, then go to a program like VirtualDubMod and find the selected frames and export each to a bitmap still. It is not that difficult or time consuming. Thereafter, you can then resize and fit each still image into the DVD artwork in Photoshop, Illustrator, or whatever drawing/painting software you're using.

Of course, you can pay someone else to do the work for you, if it's too difficult for you.

The creation of chapter points should be deliberate and logical. I don't see anything positive about a company that brags on using mindless software to automatically set them randomly at scene changes. (Unless I misinterpreted your post. I did not have time to check the link.)

[moxiecat]

Thank you, Film Boss.

I completely agree with you, and if I had the time, I could absolutely do the process you described. And you're right that scene selections should be deliberate and logical. But people see "pictures from my video on the cover!" and "chapters at scene changes!" and think WOW! (At least the people I know did. So it is actually a positive selling point for the product, though we may think otherwise.

These companies are charging $20 or so to do these transfers. They MUST have software that exports the scene selection stills to a DVD cover automatically. It would not be cost-effective otherwise for them to charge that price and include these features.

I was just curious as to whether anyone had experience with, or knew of, software that did this automatically.

[aedipuss]

dvd-lab pro can set chapters on scene breaks if you want it to and it can make thumbnail chapter menus. you could use a screen grab program to save jpgs of the menu's screens if you wished since they would have to be tiny anyway to fit a reasonable number on a cover.

[moxiecat]

Thanks. Good to know about DVD Lab Pro.

There has to be a program that does this automatically, though. I just saw where another big company, iMemories, does it too: scene thumbnails on the case cover. Considering the low price they charge per DVD, they simply CAN'T be doing this with screen grabs, Photoshop, etc. It would be too much work.

These companies MUST be using some program to do this. It's too prevalent to be done manually. And look...I'm not lazy. I'm just not willing to spend the time making all these screen grabs for my friends' and family's DVDs. But if there is a way out there to do this easily--and obviously there is--I am definitely open to trying it. Just have to know where to start.

[lingyi]

And look...I'm not lazy. I'm just not willing to spend the time making all these screen grabs for my friends' and family's DVDs.

\

I hate to be rude, but you don't sound like a very good friend or family member.

Maybe I'm just from a different era, but I live by "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.".

From your posts, it seems that you're working with videos that you've captured (i.e. emulating what the "Big Boys" do). Considering that these may be priceless friend and family moments, isn't it worth the time to make sure the transfer is correct and while scanning for visual defects, mark and create appropriate chapters and thumbnails?

If you're doing this as a business, make yourself stand out by explaining that while your work may take a little longer and cost a little more, your quality control, superior chapter stops and superior thumbnails (i.e. appropriate versus random) are well worth it.

This is one of these cases where just because it can be done (automated chapters and thumbnails) doesn't mean it should be. *sigh*

[moxiecat]

I hate to be rude, but you don't sound like a very good friend or family member.

Oh my gosh--who are you to judge me? Why in the world did my simple question "Does anyone know of a DVD authoring program that does this automatically?" provoke such a response? I merely thought that if there was a program that had this feature, someone would know about it. That's all. Clearly, no one does.

Heaven forbid we should ask questions of our fellow members in an attempt to simplify our workflow! No, everything should be done manually--who cares if it takes forever?

I have transferred hundreds of VHS tapes for my family and friends--for free. If I'm not a very good friend or family member for doing that, then I don't know what is. (But, you know, feel free to make your assumptions without knowing me!)

I honestly have no idea why my simple question about software features turned into such a personal attack. I'll be sure not to post questions here again about simplifying the DVD authoring workflow, since such questions obviously make the poster look lazy.

[classfour]

I believe the YesDVD built into a Polaroid dvd recorder can do this thing.

[p_l]

Yes, it does: http://www.yesvideo.ca/en/why_yesdvd/yesdvd_features.aspx

[scorps]

How about this

http://www.dvdlabeler.com/

[p_l]

Nice find, scorps!

I tried it on my dual boot machine. I couldn't get it to work in Windows 7, but it does work in XP. Depending on how the DVD is authored, it may just give you title thumbnails, not chapter thumbnails. On other DVDs though, it gave me chapter thumbnails as well. There's also an option to just gather essentially random thumbnails.



But hey, it does what you asked for, moxiecat, and there's a free trial. Previously, when I wanted this type of thumbnail cover, I just saved a screen grab of the thumbnail menu I created as it played in WinDVD or something,



or if I wanted specific thumbnails on my cover, I went through the DVD and captured the stills individually.

This program automates the process.

[wisny]

I found out last weekend that the software that comes bundled with the Ion Video2PC USB video capture gadget does this automatically. It lets you select a thumbnail to set for the title menu, then when you select the title, chapter thumbnails automatically appear, which you can select by arrowing through the chapter thumbnails.

It also will generate a jewel case cover, or a dvd case cover, which shows the chapter thumbnails on the back cover.

The software will not let you set your own chapter marks, however. Nor will it let you select your own thumbnails for the chapters. The software is supposed to let you 'edit' the video, ie trim the original to a shortened version. It does save a trimmed video, but it only burns the longer, original version. I'm not sure what the good of 'saving' a trimmed video is, if you can't burn the trimmed video??? I wrote to Ion customer support, but they haven't emailed back yet.

I saw on a YouTube tutorial that I was not alone in encountering this problem with burning edited videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTgB1Gx0xn0