Burning a DVD with a full menu, while putting files on it that can be read.

[WIRM.KJones]

I'm wanting to burn all of my wedding video's and picture slideshows onto a DVD, but leave it open so that I can put the pictures in jpeg onto a folder inside the DVD, then finalize it. I'm wanting to have the DVD open up a title menu with scene selections, and an option for wide/full screen when it’s put into a DVD player; but when you put the DVD into a computer, you will be able to access the jpeg files in a folder on the DVD.

· The DVD's I’m using are D9 Dual Layer DVD’s
· I’m using Wondershare DVD Creator, but I’m really wondering if there is a better program out there, that gives me these features.
· I’ll be burning the DVD’s using my Microsoft Surface Pro running Windows 8.1 through a USB DVD writer.

[usually_quiet]

You shouldn't try to burn a video DVD as an open session disc. However, you can add a folder to hold pictures along with to the standard DVD VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders, , and still burn the DVD as a normal DVD video disc. You can name your folder "PICTURES" or SLIDESHOW" or whatever you want. I have added a custom folder like that many times to hold documents related to the videos on the DVD.

Use ImgBurn to burn instead of Wondershare DVD Creator. From ImgBurn's main window (the EZ-Mode Picker), select "Write files/folders to disc". You can drag the VIDEO_TS folder, AUDIO_TS folder (if there is one) created by your your authoring software into the Source list, and then add the PICTURE folder there as well.

[WIRM.KJones]

Will I still have a full menu, scene selection, and an option for wide/full screen? I know that I can burn just the ISO with the files to the disk, but this doesn't give me the option of having a DVD menu in a DVD player. Thanks for your reply, this is a lot more help than Wondershare gave me.
Also, Wondershare DVD Creator will let me burn it onto a DVD, or as an ISO. But how would I get the VIDEO_TS folder and the AUDIO_TS folder without burning it to a DVD?

[smrpix]

WIRM, you seem to be conflating burning and authoring. They are two different processes. Consumer oriented software like wondershare deliberately makes this murky in the hopes of keeping things simple, but you're trying to do something more sophisticated.

Creating menus and links and an appropriate file structure are all authoring functions. Burning is simply copying the structured folders to a physical disc. ( or .iso)

Once wondeshare creates your authored file structure to a DVD folder on your hard drive, you can manually add another folder at the same level as the video_ts and audio_ts folders which contains your slideshows photos and other data. This material, of course, will not be accessible through the DVD menus, but it can be read by a computer from the DVD disc.

Imgburn is the best burning software available.

[WIRM.KJones]

WIRM, you seem to be conflating burning and authoring. They are two different processes. Consumer oriented software like wondershare deliberately makes this murky in the hopes of keeping things simple, but you're trying to do something more sophisticated.

Creating menus and links and an appropriate file structure are all authoring functions. Burning is simply copying the structured folders to a physical disc. ( or .iso)

Once wondeshare creates your authored file structure to a DVD folder on your hard drive, you can manually add another folder at the same level as the video_ts and audio_ts folders which contains your slideshows photos and other data. This material, of course, will not be accessible through the DVD menus, but it can be read by a computer from the DVD disc.

Imgburn is the best burning software available.

I may be really new to all of this, but I realize the difference between authoring software, and software that simply burns a DVD. The question that I'm asking is if I burn an .iso file through wondershare onto my hardrive, will it still have the DVD menu, or will it just be the videos? Any ideas how I can check? If the .iso will still have all the menus and options then my problem is solved, but isn't an .iso file just the videos without any options or menu? If an .iso is just the videos, will the VIDEO_TS folder and the AUDIO_TS folder that I burn onto the DVD with the files still play with a menu and options in a DVD player, and how do I access them without burning the DVD? (wondershare will only allow you to save these files onto your hard drive once its been burned onto a dvd.)


I agree that Wondershare deliberately makes this murky, but that's why I'm interested in other authoring software that may have these options. (As you can tell I've never tried to do anything this custom on a DVD, so I've never looked at any other software). Please let me clarify, I'm not wanting to access the files through a DVD player, in the DVD menu. I want it to play like a normal DVD would in a DVD player with a menu and options, but have files accessible through a computer. I'm planning on looking into Imgburn tonight after I get home, I'm eager to see what options I have with it.

Hopefully I'm not asking really dumb questions, but as you can tell I have some experimenting to do tonight. Thanks guys, I really appreciate your feedback and ideas.

[smrpix]

I realize the difference between authoring software, and software that simply burns a DVD.

if I burn an .iso file through wondershare onto my hardrive, will it still have the DVD menu

Those two statements show you're still not really clear on the difference. But that's okay. Yes, the menus will be in the iso. You need software capable of playing an iso or an iso mounter such as DVD FAb Virtual drive to play isos directly.

Adobe Encore directly allows for "3rd" folders, not sure about DVD archtiect. -- but it doesn't matter. Imgburn can add the extra content along with the video_ts and audio _ts folders no matter what software you've used for authoring.

[Cornucopia]

An ISO is just a "disc image" or byte-for-byte transcription of what would be burned to a disc (had you done so) but saved to a file (for later burning).

An ISO has whatever you have provided it when creating it. If your original authoring included a menu, etc and it was generated in the appropriate VIDEO_TS IFO/VOB structure, it will still be there on disc and still be there in the ISO. If you didn't create the menus, etc in the authoring, it won't be there in the ISO file either.

The thing about the ISO file: it is already a completed thing, so you can't ADD/SUBTRACT to it without first extracting the contents. Think of the ISO as a non-compressed version of a ZIP file (which itself can contain the same VIDEO_TS structured files). There are differences in that analogy, however (sector ordering, especially).
This completedness thing also means that you have to add the ROM contents (aka "3rd" folders) separately (usually) AFTER the authoring but before the creation of the ISO so it can be included in the ISO's creation (which you'll have to explicitly design in, unless your authoring app again has a feature for its inclusion).

If you expect it to play in a standard settop (hardware) DVD player, you'll need to convert your slides to video (many authoring softs will do this for you, incl. DVD Slideshow GUI). Note that when it does this, it creates a piece of video in 1 aspect ratio at a time 16:9 or 4:3 (unless the authoring app supports incorporating multiple slideshows). DSG allows for multiple shows, but you have to first generate the shows and then later combine them, IIRC.

Note also, that on a PC, there would be no menu, etc when looking at the ROM contents (e.g. original pictures in SLIDESHOW folder), unless you specifically designed some form of app that provides/generates a PC menu application (or unless you rely on the stock OS's slideshow features).

Scott

[Mr Chris]

Wondershare DVD Creator will let me burn it onto a DVD, or as an ISO.

I've never used Wondershare DVD Creator, but it says on their website that "Supported Output Formats" are "DVD Disc, DVD folder, ISO image file, DVD9 and DVD5".

(http://www.wondershare.com/reference/dvd-creator.html)

If it really can output to a DVD folder, here's what I'd do:

1) Finish authoring the DVD project with the videos, slideshows, menus and all that.

2) Output to a DVD folder.

3) Open that DVD folder, and copy the JPEGs into it (not into VIDEO_TS or AUDIO_TS, but next to them in a folder of their own).

4) Launch ImgBurn and burn the entire folder to disc. (Actually, I'd probably select "Create image file from files/folders" to create an ISO, and then burn that to disc. It's an extra step, but it helps to verify the disc when it's finished.)

That should give you exactly what you're going for - hopefully.

[WIRM.KJones]

I realize the difference between authoring software, and software that simply burns a DVD.

if I burn an .iso file through wondershare onto my hardrive, will it still have the DVD menu

Those two statements show you're still not really clear on the difference. But that's okay.

smrpix, help me understand please. Isn't an authoring software (Like wondershare, TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works, and CyberLink PowerDirector) makes the menu, and titles. These programs/app usually have the option to then burn the disk. Burning software is what is capable of burning and copying DVD's (Like Rio, DVD Cloner, and Slysoft CloneDVD), right? Please correct me and educate me if I'm wrong. I want to understand this subject as much as possible.

[smrpix]

Focus less on what any given software can do in its entirety -- because there is a lot of overlap. Focus on the functions.

Authoring is collecting the DVD assets, arranging the DVD structure, and building the navigation.

Burning is copying those files to a disk.

[johns0]

You don't need to create an iso file to burn to verify,just burn the folders and imgburn will verify the burn anyways.

[WIRM.KJones]

Thanks Mr Chris and Cornucopia,

I've got wondershare to make an iso file(It wont let you make an output to a DVD folder unless you burn it to a DVD first.), and I've verified that it does have the menu and features that I've put on it using Virtual DVD Drive. I've also got Imgburn, but I cant quite seem to find a way to burn both the iso and the picture folders onto the dvd together. Using winrar I've tried to open the ISO file to insert the folder next to the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, but winrar wont let me access the files that way. I'm now looking into DVDFab, and CloneDVD. Thanks for your help so far.

[smrpix]

I've got wondershare to make an iso file(It wont let you make an output to a DVD folder unless you burn it to a DVD first.)

Wondershare's website says they can create a DVD folder.
http://www.wondershare.com/reference/dvd-creator.html

[WIRM.KJones]

I've got wondershare to make an iso file(It wont let you make an output to a DVD folder unless you burn it to a DVD first.)

Wondershare's website says they can create a DVD folder.
http://www.wondershare.com/reference/dvd-creator.html

These are the options:Burn to disk, or save as ISO. Once you burn to a disk, then the option to save disk image to file pops up.

[smrpix]

Well, it says it in at least two places on its website -- none of this improves my opinion of the software.

[Mr Chris]

Using winrar I've tried to open the ISO file to insert the folder next to the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, but winrar wont let me access the files that way.

Hold on - I think you're nearly there. You've got your ISO file, right? I don't have WinRar (I use 7-Zip), but you should be able to use it view 'inside' the ISO. At least, you can if it's anything like 7-Zip, which it should be. You just can't add anything to the ISO. So...

1) Create a new folder on your hard drive.

2) Open the ISO in WinRar and use it to extract VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS to that new folder. (It may be as simple as dragging and dropping - try that first.)

3) Copy your JPEGs to that new folder.

4) Burn the entire new folder - i.e. all three folders, "VIDEO_TS", "AUDIO_TS", and "JPEGs" or whatever - using ImgBurn. (As johns0 said, you don't have to create an ISO first, but I've always been under the impression it helps somehow in the reliability stakes. Perhaps not - never mind.)

That should be that.

[WIRM.KJones]

I never tried to improve your opinion on the software. I agree, it sucks, and I'm getting frustrated with it. Hence why I asked what other authoring software was out there. I hope I'm not coming off as rude, but why are you commenting on this thread if your not giving any new solutions after I explained my results to what you offered? I've tried every solution you offered, and it hasn't worked. What else do you think I could do?

Please only reply if you have a solution or answer to my original question.

[smrpix]

why are you commenting on this thread if your not giving any new solutions after I explained my results to what you offered? I've tried every solution you offered, and it hasn't worked. What else do you think I could do?

..

Your solution is here (honestly). Sort it out for yourself wise guy. Sorry for wasting your time.

[Cornucopia]

There are some authoring apps that don't put the "To Folder" option in the burning section, because, strictly speaking, it is NOT a burning function.

Look for "complile" or something similar.

*****************************

Or,
Create an ISO. Mount the ISO with DaemonTools/VirtualCD/etc. Copy & paste to a Folder on your HDD. Add the JPEGS folder within that folder. Use ImgBurn to Build+Write to Disc (will recognize the "root" folder, with VIDEO_TS folder within it, as a DVD-Video format and will then include the JPEGs folder as a ROM type on disc).
DONE!

Scott

[WIRM.KJones]

Using winrar I've tried to open the ISO file to insert the folder next to the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, but winrar wont let me access the files that way.

Hold on - I think you're nearly there. You've got your ISO file, right? I don't have WinRar (I use 7-Zip), but you should be able to use it view 'inside' the ISO. At least, you can if it's anything like 7-Zip, which it should be. You just can't add anything to the ISO. So...

1) Create a new folder on your hard drive.

2) Open the ISO in WinRar and use it to extract VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS to that new folder. (It may be as simple as dragging and dropping - try that first.)

3) Copy your JPEGs to that new folder.

4) Burn the entire new folder - i.e. all three folders, "VIDEO_TS", "AUDIO_TS", and "JPEGs" or whatever - using ImgBurn. (As johns0 said, you don't have to create an ISO first, but I've always been under the impression it helps somehow in the reliability stakes. Perhaps not - never mind.)

That should be that.

Finally figured it out! Extracted the .iso, copied the picture files next to the folder, then turned it back into an .iso using imgburn, and then burned it to the DVD! Success! For some reason though, it'll play on my Playstation, but not on my Blu ray/DVD player. but hey i'm in no mood to complain. Thanks for the help guys!

[manono]

Extracted the .iso, copied the picture files next to the folder, then turned it back into an .iso using imgburn...

You didn't put all the pics into their own folder named 'PICTURES' or some such? Or did I misunderstand? The final result should play on all DVD players so something's wrong somewhere. Did you continue to use this Wondershare POS?

[WIRM.KJones]

Yeah, I used wondershare. It is in its own folder, so it looks like this when you open up the DVD on a computer:

AUDIO_TS
Kent & Connie Pictures
VIDEO_TS

When I put the DVD in my Playstation, it lets me run through the menu and options, but when I put the DVD in my Blu ray/DVD player it opens up the title menu, and just loops there. If you push play, the pause icon comes up and then it just sits there.

[manono]

Assuming the DVD itself (the DVD video and audio) is okay (which may be a big assumption), if you don't mind using up another DVD9 I might suggest doing it again, this time using ImgBurn. Maybe you'll lend out the DVD sometime and the person might not be able to play the DVD you have now.

I'd rename the pictures folder as JPEGS (as Cornucopia suggested) or PICTURES (my suggestion), and then create an ISO as suggested a couple of times before. Follow Mr Chris's directions. The creation of the ISO isn't strictly necessary, but it's how I've done it before, too. Make sure all three folders are included (VIDEO_TS, AUDIO_TS, JPEGS). Then have ImgBurn burn the ISO to disc.

[WIRM.KJones]

ImgBurn is the software i used to to burn the iso to the DVD. Here are my exact steps:
1. I put the folder containing the pictures next to the video and audio folders that i got from Wondershare.
2. Using ImgBurn i created an image from files/folders.
3. Using ImgBurn i burned the image to the DVD
I got one DVD 9 left, I'll see if renaming the picture folder comes out with a different result. Since this is my last try, is there anything else ya think i could do better?

[manono]

That sounds right. And when you open the DVD on the computer you see the three files? Then if it doesn't play on one of your DVD players, it could come down to that player not being able to play burned DVDs (which shouldn't happen with a recent Blu-Ray/DVD player) or maybe there being something not quite right with the DVD itself and the way it was authored. Maybe another suggestion would be to try out the DVD on some of your friends' DVD players.

[WIRM.KJones]

Deal. I'll try playing the DVD at my inlaws house tonight. I believe there DVD player is a little older than mine, but i know it can play D9 DVDs

[Cornucopia]

ALL dvd players can play 8.5GB DVDs (they can't be legitimately called that if they can't support it). But not all players can play 8.5GB DVD±R/RWs (it varies greatly with + or -, with R or RW, with SL vs. DL, and with "Book Type").

Scott