chaptering/pioneer 520h

[johnxl1s]

Just bought a Pioneer 520H and would like some help when recording to the HD then to the dvd to be showed as a wedding dvd, how do i get chapters in "say four" as in titles, intro.. cake cutting... first dance.. then the montage, to get it to look like a proper dvd one would rent, play movie... scene selection... etc. do i have to wait until i load a blank dvd for the chapter to happen, or can i get it all set-up , preview it then burn it.
as far as i can see i have to wait until the blank dvd is loaded, is this right, all i want to do is have it looking presentable like a rented dvd.
help really appreciated.
john.

[bingolong]

I recently purchased the Pio 420. It's the same as the 520 without the firewire.

I don't think you can do scene selection on the unit, but you can create chapters.

You might have to author the dvd on the computer for what you want to do. Tmpgenc DVD Author is a good program for this purpose. You copy the wedding to a dvd-rw disc. Transfer the file to your hard drive. Author the file with TDA. Burn to a rw disc and test on your 520 before burning to a -r disc.

Remember to initialize the rw disc in video mode before burning the wedding to that disc.

Here is a good guide on the TDA process.
http://www.dvd-guides.com/content/view/53/59/

TDA is trialware, so you can try it for 30 days before having to purchase it.

[johnxl1s]

what's the difference in scene selection and chapters.
many thanks john.
.

[johnxl1s]

anyone know?

[Frobozz]

My reply to your private message gives you a practical way to create the effect of having chapter menus (split the video into separate titles).

I believe that bingolong was referring to the difference between having a menu where you can select scenes (which the Pioneer cannot do unless you split the video into multiple titles) and having chapter markers. The latter - when recorded on a Pioneer - cannot be accessed via a menu but only by pressing the chapter skip key. (They also can be accessed by using the programming and search functions of some DVD players, but are only listed as chapter 01, chapter 02 and so on).

[bingolong]

Frobozz,

Agreed.

johnxl1s,

The work-around on the 520 would be to split your wedding video into three "titles" in the playlist: 1) intro, 2) the wedding, 3) first dance.

When you burn the disc, you will be able to select one of the 3 "title" menus on the 520. When you play the burned disc, you will be able to select each title from the disc menu as if they were chapter menus.

However, authoring the dvd on the computer will give you what you are looking for because you will have a main menu and chapter menus. Also, you will have access to a greater number of menu templates to chose from.

[Guitarman]

what's the difference in scene selection and chapters.
many thanks john.
.

There is no difference in scenes and chapters. The difference is Main Menu and Scene Select Menu (Chapters Menu). The Pioneer 420, 520, etc... is only capaqble of creating a main menu which will have an icon representing each recording written to the disc. Each recording can and may have chapters inbedded but there will be no "chapter select" menu. It is actually this way on most DVD recorders. Very few, if any, have support for main and chapter menus.

As listed above, the best way to get what you are looking for is to author the video content on a PC with decent authoring software. That way you can create your own menu theme with a main menu and chapter select menus.

If you choose to do the editing on the Pioneer, as listed above, you will need to use the divide feature to split your recording into seperate clips. Once the clips are named and copied to the disc, you will have icons for each clip on the main menu.

The only drawback to this method is there will be no option to play all clips without stopping.

[Frobozz]

The only drawback to this method is there will be no option to play all clips without stopping.

I've tested the splitting Titles method with my Pioneer 510 and regardless where playback starts (from any Title in the menu or from the start of the disc) playback automatically continues to the next Title without stopping. Isn't this the opposite of the above statement?

[johnxl1s]

Thanks frobozz
I never recieved your pm.
Totally confused now between "chapters" and "titles" and "scene selection",on the pioneer 520h it has six backgrounds, to ME that is the menu, now, within that menu there are "three boxes" where you can put in titles, and i take it when the titles are put in these boxes they become chapters/scene selection, am i correct?
john.

[Frobozz]

Thanks frobozz
I never recieved your pm.

Rats. That was a very detailed description and I must not have pressed the correct button so it's lost. Finalization creates the DVD's menu that displays the Titles on the disc. You also may have chapter markers but those are not on any menu.

Here are the steps to follow:
Before burning the DVD do the following in the Playlist window:
1. Split the Title into multiple Titles at the points you want to be shown in the DVD's Title menu.
2. Name each of these Titles with up to 32 characters. The Finalized disc will have 2 lines of 16 characters each. There is no automatic word wrap so add spaces to force a whole word to start on the 17th character. Do not name the Titles with the name of the wedding. You'll do that elsewhere.
3. Select Navimarks for each Title so they have the button image you want.
4. If you like you also can place chapter markers within each Title
5. Now you can complete the copy to DVD.

6. After the DVD is burned go to the Disc Setup menu. The first item in the menu gives you the option to name the DVD. This is where you enter the name of the wedding.
7. Select the Finalize menu. Here you select which background you want for the video (There are 3 choices with three Titles per page, 3 with four Titles per page and 3 with 6 Titles per page.
8. After selecting the background you want you'll see a preview of how your Title names and navimarks will look. Quickly after the final navimark appears the Finalization begins. Be prepared to quickly press the cancel button if anything looks wrong.

By the way, you can change the Navimark buttons and the Title names after burning the disc and before Finalizing. I choose to do this in the playlist before burning the disc, but it can be done either place.

You might try doing all this with a DVD-RW disc so you can test it out and see that it looks the way you wanted it to. If all is good, you can use the DVD Copy mode to copy the DVD-RW to the hard drive and easily make addition copies to DVD-R.

[johnxl1s]

thanks frobozz

i will try it tonite when i get home from work
john,
belfast,
ireland.

[johnxl1s]

hello frobozz, i
the playlist window, i have the Wedding on my HD, the playlist window is not illuminated,what am i doing wrong


Here are the steps to follow:
"Before burning the DVD do the following in the Playlist window: "
thanks
john

[Frobozz]

John,
I used the incorrect terminology. It actually is called the Copy List. The instructions for copying from the HDD to DVD are in Chapter 7 of the manual. In the Home Menu choose Copy. Then choose HDD to DVD. You'll now be in the Copy List window.

[johnxl1s]

thanks frobozz

When i burn a wedding disk and finalize, then put the dvd in someone elses dvd player, will the pioneer menu be dislplayed, or will it just run like a normal vhs tape, ie "no menus "reason i am asking is the pioneer menus are a bit naff and i would now like it to run on a dvd player without the menus.
many thanks
john

[Frobozz]

The DVD automatically plays the video when inserted in a DVD player. The menu is only seen if you press the menu button on the player's remote control.

[bingolong]

Unless you don't have a dvd burner in your computer, it sounds like you will need to use dvd authoring software for the wedding in order to get better menu options.

[Guitarman]

The only drawback to this method is there will be no option to play all clips without stopping.

I've tested the splitting Titles method with my Pioneer 510 and regardless where playback starts (from any Title in the menu or from the start of the disc) playback automatically continues to the next Title without stopping. Isn't this the opposite of the above statement?

I stand corrected. You're right, it will continue through.

Also, on my 420H, if you have created a DVD in video mode and finalized, when you place it in a player, the menu will show first.

[Frobozz]

Also, on my 420H, if you have created a DVD in video mode and finalized, when you place it in a player, the menu will show first.

Oh, that's different from my 510H which doesn't show the menu unless the menu button is pressed. Thanks for pointing this out.

[johnxl1s]

yes , but wiil it show the pioneer menu on a different dvd player.
john

[Guitarman]

yes , but wiil it show the pioneer menu on a different dvd player.
john

When you finalize on the Pioneer (420/520), it first allows you to select from 6 different menu formats. This menu format is written to the DVD during the finalizing process and will be shown on any DVD player the disc is put into.

[sync]

Also, on my 420H, if you have created a DVD in video mode and finalized, when you place it in a player, the menu will show first.

Oh, that's different from my 510H which doesn't show the menu unless the menu button is pressed. Thanks for pointing this out.

It's also different than my 420H which creates discs that don't show the menu unless the menu button is pressed.

[johnxl1s]

is there a way so the 520h menu does not show when finalizeing the disc, i mean whenit is played in someone elses dvd player and they press the menu button will the naff pioneer menu be shown or is there a way to not show it.
john