DVD Lab Pro chapters question

[jesterhud]

Yesterday i bought DVD Lab Pro 2, took me a while to get my head around it but i think i am getting there.

When i import the VOB files of the movie i want to create into a DVD i get a message saying something about GOP and the chapters might not be as i set them, sorry i forget the actual message right now.

Indeed once i have burned the DVD the chapters dont start where i set them, whats going on and how do i get around this ,

Cheers

Mike

** Edit - damn posted in the wrong section , sorry, should be in DVD authoring, not sure how to move it..

[mats.hogberg]

Well, I really think that's how things work. Chapter points must be at GOP (Group Of Pictures) boundaries. These can be max 18 frames (NTSC) or 15 (PAL) apart.

/Mats

[Midzuki]

Probably it was complaining about:

--- open GOPs;

--- long GOPs;

--- both things;

In order to get chapter points working correctly, you need
MPEG-video encoded with closed GOPs and a maximum of
18 fpG(ntsc) or 15 fpG(pal). If your NTSC video is 23.976 fps,
it would be even better have a maximum of 12 fpG.

=====

[tinker]

I think what DVDLab is telling you that some GOP are open. You can ignore that warning, it will be OK.
As for chapters, you will have to "Frame index" your movie (Under: Movie-Frame Index-Rebuild Frame Index) to get proper chapter points. After that the red flag for chapters will change to green diamond and you can use side tool bar icons to position chapter point to the place you want.

[SCDVD]

FYI, closed GOPs (Group of Pictures) are complete with respect to the associated I-Frames. I-Frames are complete; that is all video data for the I-Frame is within the frame. Usually, about one out of every sixteen frames is an I-Frame although this can vary somewhat. The rest of the frames are P-Frames or B-Frames. These frames are incomplete in and of themselves. They actually represent only the differences from I-Frames they precede or succeed. If a video is cut between I-Frames, the P and B frames at the cut point are disassociated from the I-Frames they are referenced to. These are called Open GOPs. This can result is a perceptible glitch in the video at this point when it is played.

[guns1inger]

Turn off the open GOP warning in preferences and forget about it.

[jesterhud]

Thanks for the help so far guys, i think i have figured it out now, and the burnt DVD now plays fine.

One quick question, on the scene selection menu the default button that goes between the scenes is like two red circles within each other, can i change that style of button ? and can i change it to one of my own design, specifically if i was to import a Jpeg of someones face could i have that as the button that flicks between the scenes on the screen.
If so , how !

Cheers

[jesterhud]

Another question, on my Main Menu in VTS1 i have a made a motion background, but the title i have put over this using the text function ( " Main Menu"), disppears when burnt onto DVD, how can i get this title to stay ?

[guns1inger]

I don't use any of the default templates in DLP, but everything should be able to be changed. Just hight-light it, delete, and put a new button. Link the new button and you are away.

Motion menus can be done in several ways. You can create them entirely in DLP, you can create the video in your editor and add the text in DLP, or you can do everything in your editor and just add the select sub-pictures in DLP. I do that latter, so all my text is already in the video when I bring it into DLP. The only thing I add in DLP is the sub-picture highlight for the selection. Why do I do it this way ?

1. Better control over the text, and more options for effects if I need them

2. If you add any text in DLP that is to remain on screen (i.e. more than just the selection sub-picture) you have to render it in DLP, which means yet another encode of the video. It is better to do this only once. Look under the Menu menu and select Render Motion Menu (or similar)

[Marvingj]

that's just how things work in DLP...