VCD Builder menu activation?

[rorschach]

Although I've written to the programmer regarding this, I wonder if someone could help:

I recently had an opportunity to use a still picture as a menu and a VCD and I used Menu + 1 Sequence. When playing this program, I was unable to access the VCD. All I saw was the still and no buttons (play, track right, #2 button, etc.) gave me access from the still to the VCD. On the Menu + 1 template, I assumed that a Play or a Right Arrow or something gave me access to the VCD itself. (I can see the schematic of the structure on template.)

I dropped the Still into the square with the red dot and #1 and the VCD on the 2nd square (in all previous usages that I had been doing, I had been dropping S/VCDs on the Red dot #1, not realizing that is really reserved for menus.)

I have just taken Missing Menu Gen which does create an XML file, but using VCD Tools, in an attempt to create a disc image from that, doesn't work...? What other programs can I use to generate disc image from XML file? (I wish, instead of Previous, Next, Return and Timeout, the programmer would provide an option for simple PLAY on the remote control!

Sizzle, obviously, is intended for DVD and would work but not for standard CDs. Thanks!

[terryj]

VCD Builder builds your XML and .DAT files for you.
all you need are:

Using the Menu + 1 sequence is correct. From there:

window #1 with red dot -The Splash image for your VCD, in .tif ( TIFF) or .jpg
(JPEG) format.

window#2- a Toast compatible .MPEG-1 file. Not .mov, .avi,
or an Internet downloaded .mpg file, which most are made
with audio codecs that would render it non-compatible.


Once you have both, if you click Burn, it will ask you for
a place (destination) to store the .img file it will create.
It will create the .img file for you, with the proper XML,
.DAT file, etc. and launch Toast (or Missing Media Burner)
if you have on your system. It will then show up as a
XA Multi-Track Disc Image, you click toast, and volia,
it creates the disc.

Your navigation will then be on the finished disc:

Play-->Play Disc or Advance to Movie from Splash
Stop-->Stop Disc
Pause--> Pause Disc

within the movie itself you will have:

Play-->Play Disc
Stop-->Stop Disc
Pause--> Pause Disc
FF--> skip forward on movie 1x, 2x, 4x
rew--> skip backward 1x, 2x, 4x

The more Sequences you have, the more Toast compatible .MPGs
you must have and thus, you will get the following functionality;

Play-->Play Disc or Advance to Movie from Splash
Stop-->Stop Disc
Pause--> Pause Disc
1 ( #1 button) -sequence 1 select
2 (#2 button) -sequence 2 select
etc.

[rorschach]

Yes, I use VCD Builder all the time for video and it's way easier than using VCD Tools but I've never previously attempted to use it for a splash screen still JPEG. What I DON'T GET in the proper configuration is a PLAY from the still to the program as you describe. I still haven't heard from the programmer...

[terryj]

Perhaps it's your DVD Player?
I've made 325 VCDs this way using
VCD Builder 1.1, all with Screen Splash
(menu) and then Movie, and all
have the functionality I have described.

I do know that, from personal experience,
that on a Phillips DVD unit ( I can't remember
the number, but it is a combo unit) and a
GoVideo 4225, that it doesn't properly read
the VCD, and so instead of Splash Screen
and then Movie by pushing PLAY, you
get (Chapter 1) Slideshow Picture and
(Chapter2) Movie, and to navigate you
have to use the NEXT button for NEXT
Chapter Sequence.

I would follow the steps I in my first post,
and take some samples with me to
the local Best Buy, CompUSA,
Radio Shack, etc, and test out
different machines. Could just be
your player isn't handling homemade
VCDS right.

[rorschach]

How frustrating! I have an Electrohome EH-8181a which has been working flawlessly on both S/VCDs. It even plays SVCD burned as a DVD via Sizzle and Sizzle menus. I'm now considering taking several of the VCDs and compiling them into a DVD as a workaround.

But as I said before, in using VCD Builder, I have used it many times before, with 1 to 5 Sequences and okay navigation access via #'ed buttons and the NEXT buttons. I've just only now attempted with JPEG still and ONE Sequence and it's not working?!

[terryj]

Ok, lets go back...what types of files where you using
for your splashes before? PICT? BMP? TIFF?

This JPEG file...what is it's resolution? Size in pixels?
Is it a properly encoded JPEG 6.0 file, or is it a Quicktime
JPEG?

Another thing...is the JPEG header valid?
If you open it in Graphic Converter, do you get
any messages about the Header or JPEG marker being invalid?

Also, looking forward: Did you change media when you burned this time?
Had you rebuilt your desktop, fixed permissions, or had any
other troubleshooting/problems around the time you made this VCD?

Last, have you tried to burn the VCD, but with the JPEG as a TIFF
or Macintosh PICT file, instead of a JPEG, as your splash?

I'm throwing several things out...all things point to the JPEG
your using as the Splash, but.....

[rorschach]

Thank you, thank you! I liked your questions and I decided to try a TIFF format of my splash image and it works! I tested it 2x and it does indeed respond to the Play button press. I guess the JPEG didn't work. Image was 800x600 at 72ppi rez.

Thanks to you and this board! <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap> <clap>

[terryj]

Your welcome!
Glad I could be of help!