Adding Transition Slides/Info to a DVD

[pmatthews1]

Hi, I am new to DVD recording/authoring/etc. and am making DVDs out of mini-DV camcorder tapes. I have recently used TMPGEnc DVD Author to make my first DVD. I would now like to add a few seconds of a title screen between chapters/transitions to describe the next clip (i.e. Jim's 5th Birthday, June 2005) or a text overlay on top of the video with the same information. Is there an easy way to do this?

Thanks,
Paul

[mikiem]

Probably easiest if you can re-open your original project and add what you want. If you don't have it, might be easiest to strip the various pieces out of your DVD, and use those in a new project.

To add content you'll have to redo the DVD layout, and while possible to alter what you've already got, by the time you find/read guides, download software, and try to re-create, you could have been watching the results of a newly authored DVD. IMO anyway

[pmatthews1]

I guess my question should be more specific. How do I add in a title screen - do I need to make picture file (jpeg, etc.) and add it between scenes? If so, how do you keep it on screen for a few seconds? If not, how can I add this in?

Also, if I would like to overlay the info, is there a way (software, etc.) to add overlay text to existing mpeg video?

As you can see, I am REALLY new to all of this.

Paul

[guns1inger]

Best place to do all of this is in your editor before you worry about authoring. Your editing software will allow you to insert stills between scenes and probably overlay text.

What software did you get with the camera ?

[kisrum]

Are you editing an avi file or mpeg file before you author with TDA? Any basic editing program should do what you want. It wouldn't have occurred to me to add these titles in TDA. Never tried it.

[pmatthews1]

I have a Sony HC42 mini-DV camcorder. This is the process that I used:

Capture: WinDV
Encode: TMPGEnc
Auhtor: TMPGEnc Author
Burn: Nero

I guess that I skipped the edit step although I did a bit of editing/cleaning by removing some snippets via TMPGEnc Author during authoring. What is the most simple, accurate and easy to use editing program to do what I need (I know this is a subjective thing)? I really like TMPGEnc for encoding and would like to keep using this.

Also, can I just convert JPEG to MPEG and add them in TMPGEnc Author? Is there a tool to do this conversion?

Thanks,
Paul

[mikiem]

For stills to use as menu pages, you can use whatever file type your authoring prog will accept. Most authoring prog. have small libraries of background pictures, several have free downloads of pictures, or capture one from your vid, or...

Usually you can create the mpg2 video instead of letting the authoring prog. do it, but (no offense intended) if you're not sure what to use, probably not worth the bother.

Generally, following the help files for your authoring prog., you create a menu page, import the still, create or edit titles and buttons. THe authoring prog then takes care of all the details.