Caching menus

[JimMueller]

Some of the professional DVD's I've purchased have menu's which seem to have uninterruptible video/audio. Whenever I add audio to a menu theres a noticeable delay (in the same player) as it the head seeks. Do they make the video/audio small enough to fit in a buffer? If so, how can I determine how to do the same thing with my personal DVD-R's?

I just got started in this, and I'm currently stuck with Studio 9. Considering Vegas 5 and DVD Architect for my next project. Any other product suggestions? At this time I'm mostly interested in coverting miniDV into a highly compatible full-featured DVD format.

Thanks!

Jim

[JimMueller]

t/t/t

[JimMueller]

No ideas?!

[guns1inger]

Can you give an example ?

DVD Lab Pro, and some other authoring programs with high end features allow you to create a motion menu that includes rolling straight into the main menu. This is done by fading in the menus over the video, then setting a chapter stop which is used to bring in the subpictures. You will still find that when you change options there will be a moment of silence. Clever menu designers can cover this by careful placement of fades so that changes appear seemless. I don't know if DVDA2 supports this menu structure.

Vegas is a great choice for DV sourced material, and DVDA2 is also pretty good, although I believe it is expensive for what it does. I use Vegas for editing and audio mixing, and DVD Lab Pro for authoring.

[JimMueller]

Hmm... maybe I only remembered it being that way Upon reviewing the movies I thought had them (LOTR series, LucasFilm movies, etc), the music fades in/out, and the background image pauses while it reloads the menu. I think what's most noticeable is that the menu's length is close to 30s, whereas the one I created was only 10s so it just makes it more noticeable.

I noticed the LOTR:ROTK menu only plays the music the first time, and then is silent.

I'm going to try re-creating the DVD with WinDV, TMPGenc, and DVDlab-Pro. One thing I'm concerned about (perhaps unjustly) is quality. Studio 9 had an option to capture the footage in mpeg mode or DV mode, and AC-3 output. WinDV converted 30 minutes of data into a 7G file, so I guess that'd DV quality - but I haven't seen any reference to AC-3 in the aforementioned products.

[jeanl]

Some of the professional DVD's I've purchased have menu's which seem to have uninterruptible video/audio. Whenever I add audio to a menu theres a noticeable delay (in the same player) as it the head seeks. Do they make the video/audio small enough to fit in a buffer? If so, how can I determine how to do the same thing with my personal DVD-R's?
Jim

As far as I know, it's not possible to have a "seamless" loop. That's because the player has to loop back to the beginning of the track, and that can't be seamless (too long a jump, usually), plus I don't think the DVD spec allows that to be done (cell commands are by definition non-seamless, and that's usually what's used to loop back to the beginning).
The best you can hope for is a fade in/out (which is what I usually notice in commercial DVDs)...
Jeanl

[guns1inger]

You cant capture AC3 with DV, as DV's audio is LPCM. I'd capture as DV if you need to do any editing, then output an mpeg video steam, and an ac3 audio stream. Load these into DVD Lab Pro and author away.

[Josef K]

Some of the professional DVD's...

There's your answer right there. The people who create these pro DVDs are exactly that - they do it for a living, on pro hardware with pro software and with pro experience. They know exactly what they're doing - otherwise they'd be out of a job. I came to realise long ago when I first started that I'll never be able to recreate a commercial DVD no matter what consumer or 'prosumer' product I use. Harsh fact, harsh reality, I'm afraid. Good luck in your authoring but the most any of us who aren't pro's can hope for is something that simply 'works' on a standalone if we try to add anything flashy.

[thecoalman]

Some of the professional DVD's...

There's your answer right there. The people who create these pro DVDs are exactly that - they do it for a living, on pro hardware with pro software and with pro experience. They know exactly what they're doing - otherwise they'd be out of a job. I came to realise long ago when I first started that I'll never be able to recreate a commercial DVD no matter what consumer or 'prosumer' product I use. Harsh fact, harsh reality, I'm afraid. Good luck in your authoring but the most any of us who aren't pro's can hope for is something that simply 'works' on a standalone if we try to add anything flashy.

I completely disagree with that, with good software that compliments each other you can create just about anything you want. The only limitations are your source and creativity.

[canadateck]

I completely disagree with that, with good software that compliments each other you can create just about anything you want. The only limitations are your source and creativity.

Yup...

[Josef K]

...pro experience. They know exactly what they're doing...

...is what I said.

[jeanl]

I completely disagree with that, with good software that compliments each other you can create just about anything you want. The only limitations are your source and creativity.

and time! Without good tools it can take quite a while to get the results you want... But otherwise I agree!
Jeanl

[thecoalman]

...pro experience. They know exactly what they're doing...

...is what I said.

If your happy with mediocre results that's fine but anyone that wishes to take the time to learn how to do this can make just as good looking menus as a professional. You need good image editing software and a good authoring app.

[alsyed]

Tell me, what qualifications do professional dvd authors have? say other than good allround computer knowledge? DVD authoring and the use of vm commands are not the same as windows programming. It is just time and experience, before an amateur can become a pro. I've known a couple of pro's dvd authors and i tell you they have no formal qualifications other than experience.

oh, i forgot that the most important ingredient in a dvd author is creativity.

[Josef K]

If your happy with mediocre results that's fine but anyone that wishes to take the time to learn

I don't put up with mediocrity - I just know my limitations with the tools I have at hand. I never said it was impossible, I just said you need experience. Time = experience. You'll also never get the same results (quality-wise) as pro DVDs unless you have the pro hardware/software.

[canadateck]

oh, i forgot that the most important ingredient in a dvd author is creativity.

You wouldnt happen to know where I could buy some "creativity"?
I'm running low..

[alsyed]

post a cheque for $100 million (US currency) and your email address, and ill post you some creativity.

[Josef K]

oh, i forgot that the most important ingredient in a dvd author is creativity.

That's beyond the point. The original poster asked about something on a technical level. It wasn't 'how can I accomplish this with this tool?' or some question about inserting some flashy event that does this, that or the other. In this situation, creativity will do you no good unless it's to screw with the DVD spec to achieve your aim.

[canadateck]

Loop the Video/Audio Within the Video Menu that you make..Play Video/Audio 30seconds then Menu shows up , Video/Audio Plays with menu another 30seconds then menu goes away Menu Video is still Playing...30seconds menu shows up,This can go on as long as you want..."semless Loop"

keep in mind that this is on the menu Video you make..

[canadateck]

And all this time you have Hidden Highlight buttons..


Think this will answer the original posters question.

[thecoalman]

In this situation, creativity will do you no good unless it's to screw with the DVD spec to achieve your aim.

But as it was pointed out there was no screwing with the DVD spec, it's simply a matter fooling the viewer into thinking the transition was seamless.