Menu Programs?

[DVDHelpPlease]

Hi I'm trying to make menus off of my backup copy of a DVD, but I don't know which software to use that doesn't require my vob files to convert to mpeg2 files.

I used DVD Shrink to save back up to my harddrive. Either Iso or VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS files. Then what program do I use to add menus?

[DVDHelpPlease]

In other words, how would I burn 2 DVDs on a DVD+RW and create menus for each video from each DVD? What methods/programs do I use?

[jimmalenko]

In other words, how would I burn 2 DVDs on a DVD+RW and create menus for each video from each DVD? What methods/programs do I use?

Just clarifying:
You have two store-bought DVDs and you want to put them both onto 1, with perhaps a menu at the start which allows you to choose each movie's separate menu ?

If so, do you wish to create all of the menus yourself or would you like, if possible, to retain each DVD's original menus ?

[andkiich]

Probably the 2 easiest ones to use would be TMPGEN DVD Author or DVD-Lab.

You can inmport the whole VTS sets into these and then create a VMG ROOT menu to pick which movie to play.

[DVDHelpPlease]

Either way. Either keep the original menus or make my own, which ever helps to select the video I want to play instead of having my DVD player just string out and play them one by one without my choice.

Probably the 2 easiest ones to use would be TMPGEN DVD Author or DVD-Lab.

You can inmport the whole VTS sets into these and then create a VMG ROOT menu to pick which movie to play.

Do I import from the original DVDs or from what's backed up onto my harddrive?

[jimmalenko]

Retaining the original menus can be done but it depends on how complex each DVD is, and there are some it just can't be done with. MackemX has a link to a guide in his signature and I think it also appears in the guides section here if you want to check it out.

It will be much, much easier if you create the menus yourself. My experience has been with TMPGEnc DVD Author, which can only do two levels of menus, so one way of doing it would be to put 4 options on the main menu (first movie, first movie extras, second movie, second movie extras) and then add each extra feature for each movie within the one track. Effectively each extra would then be a chapter, enabling you to select any one you want from the chapter selection menu or just watch them all one after the other if you prefer.

I've got the feeling that DVD-lab might be able to do it better, but I have found that there's a bigger learning curve with DVD-lab. andkiich might be able to help you out though.

[DVDHelpPlease]

Thanks I'll look into TMPGEnc DVD Author.

With DVD-Lab I'm having trouble hearing sound when I import the vob files from the Video_TS. There is nothing in the Audio_TS to drag, so I'm assuming the audio is attached to the vob files?? But I don't hear anything.

[DVDHelpPlease]

With TMPGEnc DVD Author, I"m getting two errors.

1) While adding DVD video Title:

Audio existence differs from the present track.
The existence of audio differs from present track.
The existence of audio has to be standarized on the track.

There is audio on the present track.

2) When Begin Output:

The combined bitrate of the clip exceeds the upper limit for a standard DVD.

The combined bitrate of the video and audio of clip "title of" "where my VIDEO_TS" of track "Untitled Track1" is exceeding the upper limit for a standard DVD

The current bitrate is video: 9800kbps, audio: 192kbps, combined:9992kbps.
The combined video and audio bitrate can be no more than 9.848 Mbps (9848kbps).

I backed up these files onto my harddrive from the original DVD. How would I correct the errors?

Also most importantly when I begin writing onto my DVD+RW, it plays back fine on the DVDplayer, however when I select Chapter 1 for example, after the end of the clip instead of returning to the main menu or Track Menu, it starts playing Chapter 2 as if I selected "Play all" instead of just Chapter 1. How do I fix this in TMPGEnc DVD Author?

[rkr1958]

With TMPGEnc DVD Author, I"m getting two errors.

1) While adding DVD video Title:

Audio existence differs from the present track.
The existence of audio differs from present track.
The existence of audio has to be standarized on the track.

There is audio on the present track.

What this means is that the format of the audio is "different" from the two DVDs. I've run into the same problem before. For example, my first DVD had mp2 audio format created by TMPGEnc and my second one was ac3 audio format. The way I corrected this problem was to reencode the audio from the first to ac3. Problem solved (for me). Note that if you have the ac3 plug-in for TMPGEnc DVD Author that you can choose to have your audio encoded to ac3.

2) When Begin Output:

The combined bitrate of the clip exceeds the upper limit for a standard DVD.

The combined bitrate of the video and audio of clip "title of" "where my VIDEO_TS" of track "Untitled Track1" is exceeding the upper limit for a standard DVD

The current bitrate is video: 9800kbps, audio: 192kbps, combined:9992kbps.
The combined video and audio bitrate can be no more than 9.848 Mbps (9848kbps).

I backed up these files onto my harddrive from the original DVD. How would I correct the errors?

Also most importantly when I begin writing onto my DVD+RW, it plays back fine on the DVDplayer, however when I select Chapter 1 for example, after the end of the clip instead of returning to the main menu or Track Menu, it starts playing Chapter 2 as if I selected "Play all" instead of just Chapter 1. How do I fix this in TMPGEnc DVD Author?

I'm not too sure on this one but I think it's just a warning. It should allow you to create your DVD. But I'd write it to DVDRW and try it our first before writing to DVDR.

[DVDHelpPlease]

Is there a setting for menus where when I pick a chapter, it won't play all instead? (Please see last question to the above post)

[jimmalenko]

Is there a setting for menus where when I pick a chapter, it won't play all instead? (Please see last question to the above post)

unfortunately, because each extra is a chapter, that's the way it works I'm afraid. You should just be able to press either the Menu or Title button on your DVD remote to return to either your main menu or the extras menu. As I said earlier, DVD-lab might do it better.

[jeanl]

With TMPGEnc DVD Author, I"m getting two errors.

1) While adding DVD video Title:

Audio existence differs from the present track.
The existence of audio differs from present track.
The existence of audio has to be standarized on the track.

There is audio on the present track.

2) When Begin Output:

The combined bitrate of the clip exceeds the upper limit for a standard DVD.

The combined bitrate of the video and audio of clip "title of" "where my VIDEO_TS" of track "Untitled Track1" is exceeding the upper limit for a standard DVD

The current bitrate is video: 9800kbps, audio: 192kbps, combined:9992kbps.
The combined video and audio bitrate can be no more than 9.848 Mbps (9848kbps).

I backed up these files onto my harddrive from the original DVD. How would I correct the errors?

Also most importantly when I begin writing onto my DVD+RW, it plays back fine on the DVDplayer, however when I select Chapter 1 for example, after the end of the clip instead of returning to the main menu or Track Menu, it starts playing Chapter 2 as if I selected "Play all" instead of just Chapter 1. How do I fix this in TMPGEnc DVD Author?

One simple way to fix both problems is to import each chapters as different "tracks" in TMPGEnc DVD Author (as opposed to adding them to the same track). This way, the two chapters can have different audio (no problem) and you can make it so playback returns to the main menu at the end of "track" 1. I don't remember off the top of my head, but it might be that you then have to have 1 main menu (with the 2 tracks) and 2 track menus, I'm not sure you can have only the main menu that would go directly to the elected chapter. Also, in my experience, you can simply ignore the warning about the bitrate exceeding the upper limit.

Jean