Multi Audio DVD

[Wolvy]

I am using Spruce DVD Maestro 2.9 and am not sure how to create a multi audio DVD. I have successfully created a DVD with english audio but would like to re-create and add a second audio. Can anyone provide me with the step by step instructions.

Your help is appreciated.

[beartums]

You should simply be able to import your secondary audio (as long as it's in the correct format) and then add it to the second audio channel in your movie. After you have done that, you can double click on the "en" at the beginning of the audio track to set the language code.

Done this way, your viewers can switch back and forth using the "audio" button on their remote. If you want to allow them to select it by navigating menus, that is more complicated, but let me know and I'll give a shot at explaining.

I hope this helps.

[Wolvy]

Thank you for your response beartums. I was hoping to provide my viewers the option to select the language by navigating the menus.

Regarding the answer you already provided, if I was to implement this option, how would I set language 1 as the default language?

Your help is appreciated.

[beartums]

How comfortable are you with the command sequences? If you want your user to be able to set the language using the menus, then you will have to create a menu with your audio options as buttons. Then when they select a button, the command sequence can set the audio to the appropriate stream. I think you can also do it using the audio preselect option of the button definition, but I haven't tried it and am not sure how it would work.

The default audio stream can be set in the project properties.

Good luck.

[Wolvy]

I am not familiar with the command sequences and your help would be appreciated, unless I can use the audio preselect option of the button definition.

Thanks

[beartums]

Best I think not to use command sequences, if we can help it. In theory, I know how to do it without, but you'll have to play around.

In the "buttons" tab for each button on a menu there is a stream pre-selection option for Setting Audio, Subtitle and Angle. If you have two audios and two buttons, the first one will have a stream preselection of Audio to 1 and the second with Audio to 2. Both buttons then should have the main menu as a target. This should do it.

Also, you can go to the advanced tab for that menu and use the audio stream for button pre-selection. That way, if audio two is selected already, then when your user comes to the menu it will shaw audio 2 as selected.

I hope this is clear. Let me know if you need more.

e

[Wolvy]

Thank you, I will try it this weekend and let you know. One more question if you don't mind. What do I set in the targets if I want the first play when you insert the DVD to be chapter 1 but at the end of chapter 1 to go to the main menu.

[beartums]

If I understand your question correctly, then you need to set the end of chapter action to display the main menu. The problem with this is that you won't be able to play the full movie (including chapter 1).

You can use playlists, but that will only work if your chapter points are black (so that the transition time is not as noticeable).

Another solution, if you have enough space on the DVD, is to have chapter 1 in the project twice -- once as part of the full movie and then once in its own movie. You could then set the shorter movie as first play with an end action of displaying the menu and set all your menu items to play from the longer movie.

I hope this helps. Let me know if it isn't clear.

e

[Wolvy]

Thank you for your help, I was able to create the DVD successfully. Hopefully you can answer one more question for me though. How do I go about creating moving images on the main menu.
I would like to create a button on the main menu, but I want the button to be a moving file. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[beartums]

Yeah. This is not as easy with DVD maestro as it is with some others. basically, you have to create a video file of your menu. I do it by creating the still portion in Photoshop, importing that into Vegas Video, sizing the button clip to the size that I want it, create a video segment (20 seconds or so long), then encoding it to MP2 and using it as my menu background. Then you can do what you want with the subpicture.

I believe there are some tutorials on this site.

Hope this helps. Good luck.