Jumping between DVD titles?

[pedrovay2003]

Okay, so something tells me I've had a misconception about DVD authoring for a while now, and I could use a hand. I'm trying to make a DVD with about eight different video files (right now I'm using DVD Flick, but I'm open to better suggestions). Whenever I convert the videos and burn the disc, I can't use the back and next buttons on my remote to jump around between the eight different videos -- On an actual player, I get the symbol telling me I can't use that button, and on the PC through VLC, it just brings me back to the beginning of the first title. I've tried adding chapters every couple minutes, but it still doesn't work, because when I get to the final chapter of a title, I can't move beyond that chapter, and must watch until the end of the title before the next one comes up.

Is there any way to author a DVD that will let me skip between titles in both directions, or am I just not understanding how this works at all? Thanks in advance for the help.

[manono]

Stick a chapter right at the end, maybe a second or less before the end. Then when you hit 'next' you'll go to that chapter and almost immediately to the next title (if you have it set up to play the titles consecutively). Or hit the 'menu' button and then choose the video you want in the main menu.

Or author the whole thing as one large title and have chapter points between what was formerly the separate videos. I don't use DVD Flick for these sorts of things though, and have no idea how it'll handle it or if any of what I just wrote is even possible using DVD Flick.

[pedrovay2003]

Do you have a recommendation for a DVD Flick alternative? You're right, the program can't do what you're suggesting -- Unfortunately, you have to choose chapter points by minute, and it's not very accurate. Thanks for your help, though -- I didn't think of putting a chapter right at the end. What program do you use? (Freeware would be best, but I'm open to anything.)

[MindController]

DVD Remake is a good program. But it does require some technical know how.

[Bjs]

Back and next in dvdflick is for within titles with chapters ... there's an option in project settings which allow to change what happens after playing a title ... return to ... then select method.

[videobruger]

In DVDStyler you may add a video to a title as a chapter

[manono]

Do you have a recommendation for a DVD Flick alternative? )

When I need to create menus I use DVDAuthorGUI (freeware). It can easily handle the first paragraph of my suggestions. For the idea of making one large title, I'd have to have already joined all the videos together before then opening that one large title in DVDAuthorGUI. Apparently DVD Styler handles that more elegantly, and if the idea appeals to you you might try videobruger's suggestion

[pedrovay2003]

This is fantastic, thanks for your help guys. I'm trying both DVDAuthorgui and DVDStyler right now. Thanks again!

[pedrovay2003]

One more question: In DVDStyler, is it possible to author a DVD without a menu, or is that kind of the point of the program?

[videobruger]

One more question: In DVDStyler, is it possible to author a DVD without a menu, or is that kind of the point of the program?

DVD -> Options -> First Play Commands -> jump title 1;
Post Command for title 1: exit;

will skip any menu; play title 1 and exit.

[pedrovay2003]

...Never in a million years would I have figured that out. Thank you!

[pedrovay2003]

videobruger, I want to confirm that what you suggested worked beautifully, and I thank you again. If you don't mind me bothering you one more time, do you know why the program would put black borders around my 4:3 videos? (I have a combination of 4:3 and 16:9.) DVD Flick didn't do that.

Again, I couldn't have done any of this without all the help you guys have provided me with. Thanks again!

[manono]

(I have a combination of 4:3 and 16:9.)!

You can't combine 4:3 and 16:9 videos in the same title. If I'm not mistaken, each one of your videos was a different title in DVD Flick.

[videobruger]

do you know why the program would put black borders around my 4:3 videos?

In short: These are needed to fit a 4:3 video on a 16:9 DVD - called pillarbox bar - one on each side of the video.
But Aspect Ratios (AR) is a HUGE topic. Try Google "sar dar par aspect"

[pedrovay2003]

(I have a combination of 4:3 and 16:9.)!

You can't combine 4:3 and 16:9 videos in the same title. If I'm not mistaken, each one of your videos was a different title in DVD Flick.

Oh man, I feel like a moron. I forgot I was making them all one title this time! I got all caught up in all the methods I was trying.

@videobruger

Okay, excellent. I'll definitely research that. Thanks again!

[videobruger]

@pedrovay2003

Since you are working with chapters in DVDStyler I would just mention page 7 in this guide http://www.dvdstyler.org/docs/dvd_styler_guide.pdf
and that you may change the defualt chapter length by Configuration -> Settings -> Interface -> Default Chapter Length

[pedrovay2003]

@pedrovay2003

Since you are working with chapters in DVDStyler I would just mention page 7 in this guide http://www.dvdstyler.org/docs/dvd_styler_guide.pdf
and that you may change the defualt chapter length by Configuration -> Settings -> Interface -> Default Chapter Length

Oh, okay, fantastic. I've downloaded the guide, and I'll take a look at that. Thank you!

[rcubed]

@pedrovay2003

Since you are working with chapters in DVDStyler I would just mention page 7 in this guide http://www.dvdstyler.org/docs/dvd_styler_guide.pdf
and that you may change the defualt chapter length by Configuration -> Settings -> Interface -> Default Chapter Length

Oh, okay, fantastic. I've downloaded the guide, and I'll take a look at that. Thank you!

pedrovay2003,
I think the movies must be in a different video title set (VTS ) according to the DVD spec. when the ARs are different. Also if I remember correctly all the videos in a VTS must have the same audio format (I may be wrong with this). In DVD Lab Pro 2 the main menu is a VMG (video manager) that can have multiple menus and those can link to the different VTSs. DVD Lab Pro 2 allows quite extensive menu construction, but can take some time to get familiar with (this is not an advertisement or endorsement for the program, but is the one I use and which I am familiar). I normally encode the video in an app such as HCenc and then import the encoded video into the authoring program. Also in DVD Lab Pro 2 (and probably other authoring programs) you can build the menus in a photo shop application and import them as a background including the text for the buttons, or make the buttons text in the authoring program. You can then frame, build a over layed transparent block, or underline the buttons to make them selectable. In this case the resolution on the text may have better resolution (less fuzzy) this way than if the text is defined as a button itself (i.e. defined with the authoring program as a button). It may be a short coming in DVD Lab Pro 2, but I have noticed if I make the text a button, the effect is to make it a little fuzzy when viewed on a TV screen. Hope this helps.

rcubed - still learning about DVDs and having to relearn stuff I seem to keep forgetting - oh to be young again

[videobruger]

I think the movies must be in a different video title set (VTS ) according to the DVD spec. when the ARs are different. Also if I remember correctly all the videos in a VTS must have the same audio format

Rigth. However DVDStyler re-encode the videos (unless you're actually trying to use a MPG2 DVD compliant video - which I would advice against) so all titles and VTS on the DVD has in fact the same AR and audio format.

[pedrovay2003]

Wow, this stuff gets complicated. I'll check out HCenc and DVD Lab Pro as well.

A couple things about DVDStyler:

1. I seem to be getting black borders around my 4:3 titles, even if I set the project to 4:3. DVD Flick never did this.

2. Is there a way to skip to the PREVIOUS title? I tried to author a DVD with separate titles and chapters at the tail end of the titles (to keep the orignal aspect ratios of the individual videos), so I could skip between them. But this only works moving forward and not back. If I keep hitting back, it just goes to the beginning of that title. Is that nomal?

Again, thanks, everyone. I swear I'm not trying to take over the forums with this stuff.

[Alex_ander]

Is there a way to skip to the PREVIOUS title?

There is, but it needs some advanced command editing (DVDRemake or PGCEdit). Basically, as follows.

1.Create a dummy cell in the beginning of the current title's PGC.

2.Make it a 'Program', then a 'Chapter': in DVDRemake use 'Insert Program' command for this new cell, then re-register chapters in VTS Titles. Restore navigation commands which use explicit chapter numbers (the numbers got shifted).

3.Add a Cell Command to the newly created cell: Jump VMG PGC# and create a new empty PGC# in VMG ('Add PGC'). That's for the case the previous title is in another VTS (in most cases it is). Add a pre-command to the current PGC for normally skipping the dummy chapter: Link Program 2.

4. Add a pre-command to the new PGC for going to the previous title. If you want to play it from the beginning, the command would be simply Jump VMG Title#. If you want to go to its last chapter instead, previously to that command add one more - to set some unused register to some number like 1: R[#]=1 (# is the number of your register).

5.Add (or edit) pre-commands of the prev. title's PGC for skipping to the last chapter. In simple case (no 'link program' commands yet in the pre-command list) you need a) to check the condition of your register (if number 1 found), to reset that number to 0, then go to the last chapter. So you add the commands:

If R[#]==1, go to line # (put the number here of the line with the Link Program command)
Break (this command stops executing further commands in case it's not '1' in your register - for normal playback)
R[#]=0, Link Program# (number of the program for your chapter)

[pedrovay2003]

Holy crap.

I'll have to sit down and check your tutorial out. Thanks for outlining all that!