Im so confused!! (Creating DVD menu)

[SEALs1230]

I downloaded both DVDAuthorGUI and GUI for DVDAuthor. Im just trying to create a menu for a movie that I converted from an avi file. It doesnt have a menu so I want to add one so when I burn it wont just play the movie. I tried to use both of these programs and found that I have no idea what I'm doing. I dont even know what it means to author a DVD (I'm really new to this) If anyone can help this is what I would like to do:
Add a menu with the option to "Play Movie": Maybe have a picture if possible, like the cover of the DVD or something so we know what movie it is.
I would be happy with just that. If possible if the movie is broken into chapters, create a scene select. If this is pretty simple I would like to do it, but its not too neccessary.
Basically I just want a menu to prevent the movie from starting as soon as you put it in the player and to stop the movie from just repeating and repeating until I push the stop button (I watch movies alot when I'm trying to sleep). I would like it to go to the menu instead of restarting the movie.
I tried this guide: https://www.videohelp.com/~gfd/GUI_DVDauthor_eng_07.htm
for GUI for DVDAuthor, but found it very confusing to do what it is I want to do. Maybe I'm just an idiot or something.
If doing the things I listed above is at all possible and anyone could give me an idiots guide to making menus (step by step walkthrough) for this I would really appreciate it. Thanks alot

[rkr1958]

Sorry I can't help you with DVDAuthorGUI and GUI for DVDAuthor as I'm not familar with either program. I see that both are freeware programs for DVD authoring. I'm not sure how novice-friendly they are. Others are better able to speak to how much of a learning curve they require.

While this doesn't help you with these two programs, I use TMPGEnc DVDAuthor to author my DVDs. It's fairly straight forward to use and to create menus. I believe TMPGEnc DVDAuthor comes with a 30-day trial so you could download and use that program for 30-days and use that time to learn more about DVD authoring in general or more about DVDAuthorGUI and GUI for DVDAuthor.

Suggestion, check out the Guide and Tool sections to the left for DVD Authoring. You have a lot of options available to you.

[liquid217]

if you are using dvdauthorgui, I suggest you use this guide. It will walk you through creating a simple menu, and chapter entry.

https://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl?p=guide1

[SEALs1230]

I tried that guide too. I havnt had too much luck I'll keep messing around with it though. The TMPEGEnc DVD Author looks easy enough...but I'm not sure if it will be worth it to buy considering the stuff I will be doing. Thanks for the suggestions.

[SEALs1230]

I have Sonic MyDVD that came with my computer that I figure I'd try. I forgot that I had it. I think it does menus and stuff but I dunno if it works with the .vob's that I have. The main problem (with everything I've tried) is how do I get the menus to work with the movies that I have? I have .vob files that I converted to from .avi files. How do I get them to come first in the movie then have the buttons do what they need to do? I'm getting kinda frustrated if you cant tell.

[SEALs1230]

Is there any kind of authoring program that is compatible with .vob files? every movie I have has been converted to .vob files and when I try to use the program to add a menu it doesnt like the fact that my movies are .vob.

[rkr1958]

Seals,

Download the trial version of TMPGEnc DVDAuthor. It's free to use for 30-days. Install and Open the program. Hit the Source Setup tab, select Add DVD Video. Browse to where your DVD Video is, i.e., where the VIDEO_TS folder (which contains your .vob files as well as .ifo & .bup files) is of the video you made. Add it. Next, select Chapter cut edit tab and add as many chapter points as you want. You can do this manually or let the program automatically add points. Hit ok on the Add Clip screen which will then take you back to Sourc Setup. Next, hit the Create Menu tab and create your menu. Then hit the output tab, specify where your want the new video to be written and then hit Begin Output. After than, either use the writing tool with TMPGEnc DVDAuthor to burn your DVD or burn it using another application.

It's simple and it's free for 30-days. At least you'll get past your current frustration and can learn / read some about this hobby (if you wish to continue in it).

[SEALs1230]

[quote="rkr1958"]Download the trial version of TMPGEnc DVDAuthor. It's free to use for 30-days. Install and Open the program. Hit the Source Setup tab, select Add DVD Video. Browse to where your DVD Video is, i.e., where the VIDEO_TS folder (which contains your .vob files as well as .ifo & .bup files) is of the video you made. Add it. quote]

I did that already, before my last post. When I tried to add the VIDEO_TS folder, it gave me a weird error. I cant say what the error said. It was about 8 characters that were weird letters, not part of the normal alphabet. They were things like an e with a ^ on top and stuff like that. So thats why I got frustrated and put my last post. Then I tried adding each file individually and that didnt work either because the files were vob and not mpeg

[burnman99]

SEALs1230, DVDAuthorGUI supports vob files. I would recommend using the GIMP or other software to create menus and buttons though.

Later

Rog

[mats.hogberg]

FWIW, VOBs is (some of) the output from authoring, not the input. Input (sources) is m2v video and AC3/mp2/lpcm audio. Not VOBs. That said, some apps (like TDA) can take what it needs out of a VOB.

/Mats

[borax]

... a movie that I converted from an avi file.

How? Which program, encoder, settings...
The correct authoring process depends very much on the source material!
I think if we have an idea what your source really is, we can help you much better!

[SEALs1230]

I started off with .avi files such as (lets say I was doing the movie "We Were Soldiers"): We Were Soldiers CD1, We Were Soldiers CD2. Generally the avi files are the movie I want and is split into two or three different files for better quality. To convert these into a burnable DVD format I use DivXtoDVD, which has been working real well so far. The result of this is a few bfu, ifo and vob files. From there I burn the Video_TS folder using Nero burning ROM. And then I watch the movie. This process works well for me to burn my movies. However, I dont have a menu. So instead of the movie keep on looping around I figure I'd add a menu, also so that I can put the movie in the DVD Player and have it not play right away. Thats about it I think, I hope it helps in you helping me, if you need more information let me know. Thanks alot

[borax]

OK. DivXtoDVD is a one click solution, which tries to do everything by itself. I have no idea about the vob files it creates (i.e. how they are multiplexed). You may try to join the vob files into one large mpeg file and use it with GFD. A short description of this procedure can be found here:
https://www.videohelp.com/~gfd/GUI_DVDauthor_eng_07.htm#Notes_to_the_source_material

But it may fail, if the format of the vob files created by DivXtoDVD is not compliant with dvdauthor.

Other possibilities are:
-Another encoder (tmpgenc, quenc, cce...) that can produce elementary streams
-demultiplex the vobs with ProjectX, vobedit, pgcdemux...

Use the elementary streams (audio as mp2 or ac3, video as m2v or mpv)

[mats.hogberg]

Use the elementary streams (audio as mp2 or ac3, video as m2v or mpv)

Amen to that. The fundamental building blocks for a Video DVD.

/Mats