Unskippable DVD Intro's

[mr. nawtynuff]

I'm wanting to author a disc (DVD) which has an intro that cannot be skipped. And while I know there is much disdain for such content found on commercial DVD's, (personally I do not like them myself) I however; want to put a small personalized "stamp" at the beginning of the DVD I've made.

I know that I've read a tutorial (somewhere) regarding how this is done quite a few years ago. I know this because I did it before, but can't remember how to go about it since I haven't messed about with authoring DVD's in a long time. So if anyone could point me in the right direction it'd be greatly appreciated.

Please forgive me if this info is already posted somewhere on the site, (as I'm sure it is) however I'm having trouble locating it. I already tried searching the forum for instruction on how to achieve this, but was unable to turn up anything. I used search terms such as the subject title of this post, FBI warning, etc.

I'd prolly get better results if I actually knew the technical term what this action is called in regard to authoring a DVD.

Thanks,
mr. nawtynuff

[hech54]

Although it will not be unskippable....I've been looking for that guide too. It was done by a guy named 2COOL and it involved an already authored DVD containing the intro clip and either Vobedit or Ifoedit...or both.

[sambat]

Post #6 talks of ' not skipping' the message
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=94834

[minidv2dvd]

you can add prohibited user operations to the ifos. a user can just as easily remove them, though. ifoedit or pgcedit should be able to program them.

a better way would to encode it right into the beginning of the main movie.

[hech54]

Post #6 talks of ' not skipping' the message
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=94834

I made one with the missing 2COOL guide. I still have the disc.
The 2COOL method I referred to is easily skippable in both
the computer player and by simply pressing MENU on the set-top player.
.......hence me saying that it will NOT be unskippable....it plays instantly and
will run to the end(if the user allows it) and then go to the main menu.

[tinker]

mr. nawtynuff
It is easy to do with PGCEdit (free).
Just load DVD in, double click on part you want to use Prohibited User operation.
Window will open, on upper left side expand Prohibited User Operation and uncheck what you do not want user to do.
Save DVD-done.

[mr. nawtynuff]

Thanks guys!!

I suppose it isn't mandatory that the personalized content I want played - cannot be skipped thru. But rather it is the first thing played upon insertion of the DVD prior to the menu being displayed. I don't really care if it can be removed, since the original person the disc is for will not have the desire or means to do so (my mum). And frankly, I want it there more for amusement and to get her attention than anything else.

I'll look over the info ya'll provided, which looks to be quite helpful. Although, I think what you mentioned tinker seems to be simplest; however I would like to say thanks to all of you for your help!!!

Cheers!
mr. nawtynuff


-------------------------------UPDATE-------------------------------------
After reading thru these msg's again, the desired effect I want to achieve has me leaning more towards what sambat & hech54 mentioned. The motion intro (with audio) I have is exactly 47 seconds long.

sambat: the link you provided only discusses using stills for the intro; any ideas on using video (motion)

hech54: the more I think about it; I believe it was the same guide from 2COOL that got me thru it before. I usually make personal back up copies of any tutorials that I want to learn for easy access. I don't recall making one to do this, however I'm going to do a search now just to see. Although even if I did, it's prolly been saved to CD/DVD along time ago & not on any of the hard drives currently connected to my pc. Do you remember what the title of this guide was? Was it sum'n like: "2COOLS guide to......" ????

Anyone know where I could find this guide?

Naturally, I'm just gonna have to dig in and get my hands dirty; but if anyone thinks of anything else.....don't hesitate to say sum'n.

Thanks!!!

[hech54]

There is payware....like the new TMPGEnc DVD Author maybe(?) that can easily do it nowadays.....which is probably why 2Cool's guide is gone.

[mr. nawtynuff]

I have (TMPGEnc) DVD Author, but I haven't read in the help file how to go about this. I prolly need to go over it again.

[manono]

A search of the PGCEdit guides at this site would have turned up 2 guides to easily do what you want:

Most commercial DVD begin playback with some annoying stuff: FBI warnings, previews, studio logos etc, and in some cases, it can take up to a minute to get to the main menu (and in some very annoying cases, you can't even skip all this with the remote because of PUOs (prohibited user operations) in the VOB files!). This guide will show you how to skip all this stuff and rapidly get to the first menu.

http://jean.laroche.free.fr/SkippingStuff0.4.3.1/index.html

Also:

This method allows you to jump to any menu or title on insertion of your DVD, setting the audio and subtitle streams of your choice and by-passing anything in your way (e.g. annoying FBI warnings, studio promos and Dolby Digital trailers) and having all the DVDs internal registers set exactly as they would be if the commands followed the original path.

http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/third_party/blutach/How_to_use_PgcEdit_new_macro.htm

The second is the more recent, but still a bit out-of-date. 2Cool's guide uses the no longer needed jump2pgc.exe and isn't included here.

Turn on the Trace, trace past all the intro garbage and to the menu (or whereever you really want to start), right-click the menu and hit 'Toggle PGC pre/post breakpoint'. The menu turns red. Run the trace again back to the menu and then PGC->Jump to PGC upon DVD insert.

Disabling the PUOs only makes it possible to hit the menu button on the remote control to go to the menu, not quite the same thing.

[mr. nawtynuff]

Okay, I was able to get the content I wanted to play prior (or first play) to the menu being displayed accomplished using TMPGEnc DVD Author. But instead of showing the disc menu as the next action, it just begins playing the videos without showing the disc menu at all. The terminology that DVD Author is confusing and I can't seem to make the disc play back as desired. This is even after trying different settings in hopes that I'd eventually stumble upon it. However no such luck!

I know there must be a way to correct this using one of the many tools out there. It may seem like I'm being totally lazy about finding the resolution to this myself, but that's just not the case. Truth is, I'm not even really sure what to search for in order to find what it is I want to do . Any help would be great!

Thanks again!!

[manono]

I already gave you 2 guides and explicit instructions on how to do what you want. What else do you want? For me to come through the computer monitor to do it for you?

Of course, if you already messed it using with some other program, then fixing it might require that you actually know something. PGCEdit prevents that from happening by saving the original IFOs before you ever do anything, so you can go back to the way it was in case you mess up.

However, if it starts with the movie now, trace through the movie and back to the menu. Then make that the start point. The guides explain the gory details

[Alex_ander]

Okay, I was able to get the content I wanted to play prior (or first play) to the menu being displayed accomplished using TMPGEnc DVD Author. But instead of showing the disc menu as the next action, it just begins playing the videos without showing the disc menu at all.

Which TDA version did you use? As I can remember, in v.1.5 the default setting was to bypass the (existing) menu and one had to manually change that behaviour in menu editor's dropdown. Can't remember if the 'add first play track' option is available in that early version, but since v.2 it is in place and it is created unskipable.

[mr. nawtynuff]

manono - ya know, I prolly posted my most recent request for help a bit prematurely. Since I started browsing the Authoring guides immediately afterwards, and was going over the guide that you'd previously linked to. However I hadn't actually authored the disc yet, as it was still two mpg2 files & menu within DVD Author. But honestly is there any reason to be all ?? Although if that was an offer to come finish this for me, I'd gladly take you up on your offer :P .

I can manage to trace thru the DVD, however at this point I'm totally new to the program and while I can understand the general concept of what it is I want to do; the process is more complicated than what the guide makes it out to be. So obviously I got some reading to do.

Alex_ander - I'm using 1.6, and within the .tda file I have 2 mpg files. The first being the intro, the second being the actual movie (which has 8 chapters). As I mentioned above the terminology has got me stumped (track vs. clip vs. chapter, etc.).

Here are some screenshots I took:

Main Project File
http://s662.photobucket.com/albums/uu345/mr_nawtynuff/?action=view&current=TMPGEncProject.png

Menu
http://s662.photobucket.com/albums/uu345/mr_nawtynuff/?action=view&current=TMPGEncMenu.png

Menu Settings
http://s662.photobucket.com/albums/uu345/mr_nawtynuff/?action=view&current=TMPGEncMenuSettings.png

Chapter Settings
http://s662.photobucket.com/albums/uu345/mr_nawtynuff/?action=view&current=TMPGEncChpSettings.png

[hech54]

I believe I just did it with PGCEdit.
USE A BACKUP COPY OF YOUR DVD TO BE SAFE!!!!

1) You need to prepare your COMPLETED DVD(with menu) and your intro clip(also authored as a DVD...but with no menu) ahead of time.

2) Open your completed DVD in PGCEdit.
3) In the left pane - top item...should say First Play PGC.
4) Right click that and it will pop up a menu with the option
to "Import First Play Clip".
5) Now you need to import your intro clip that you have already
authored to DVD format.
6) Select Copy The Clip(or something like that) and the original
DVD VIDEO_TS folder will now be updated with the intro clip added.
7) Delete the backup folder that PGCEdit placed there and play
in your software player to check it.

I didn't burn this yet....I just played it in PowerDVD and the intro
clip played instantly and went on to the main/regular DVD menu.

[ron spencer]

just author it properly to begin with. DVDLab and others will let you add something to first play domain...why hack it?

[hech54]

just author it properly to begin with. DVDLab and others will let you add something to first play domain...why hack it?

No thanks. I don't have an extra $100 and two months to learn DVDLab. DVDShrink is free
and my old version of TDA has been paid-for for many years.

[mr. nawtynuff]

SUCCESS!!!

.................................Thanks hech54

[Alex_ander]

I'm using 1.6, and within the .tda file I have 2 mpg files. The first being the intro, the second being the actual movie (which has 8 chapters). As I mentioned above the terminology has got me stumped (track vs. clip vs. chapter, etc.).

Within TDA a track means a future VTS with 1 title. That title can be divided into chapters by addition of chapter points on timeline (accessible from Edit menu). You can add clips (with the same AR, resolution and audio track) to the same track for joining, or put them in different tracks.

In versions 2-4 the page like that on screenshot 1 has an additional button 'Add First Play Track' on the left. In TDA 1.6 you can't do exactly the same. It looks possible to make the first track play before main menu (your picture 3) and go to menu after it, but the menu will probably have a button for that track. Unlike chapter buttons in track menu (pic. 2), the buttons for tracks can't be turned off internally.