Intro Clip in TDA?

[Sakuya]

I want to author a DVD in TMPGEnc DVD Authoring out of these DVD Video files. The DVD Video files contain 4 titles and I have put each title on a separate track in TDA.

Now, how do I go about adding a small intro clip (which is also in VOB format) that plays when I insert the disc? The disc plays the clip first and then jumps to the DVD's still menu. And when I click to play each track, the track plays accordingly.

So the only time the intro clip plays is when you insert the DVD into the player. How do I achieve this in TDA? I'm using TDA because I want it done really fast.

[jimmalenko]

There's no "easy" way to do this in TDA. It can be done, however. Make your intro track 1. Set up the DVD to play track 1 on insert, then set up "return to main menu" as the action taken when a track is finished. Edit the menu and delete any text and/or images that link to track 1, and/or drag them outside the TV-safe area.

It won't be "real" good, but it should do what you want. Alternatively, use an authoring software like dvd-lab where you can do whatever you want.

[rkr1958]

There's no "easy" way to do this in TDA. It can be done, however. Make your intro track 1. Set up the DVD to play track 1 on insert, then set up "return to main menu" as the action taken when a track is finished. Edit the menu and delete any text and/or images that link to track 1, and/or drag them outside the TV-safe area.

That's a great tip! TDA is my authoring workhorse and I didn't think a play-once intro clip was possible ... wow ... how simple it is now that I know how!

[jimmalenko]

There's no "easy" way to do this in TDA. It can be done, however. Make your intro track 1. Set up the DVD to play track 1 on insert, then set up "return to main menu" as the action taken when a track is finished. Edit the menu and delete any text and/or images that link to track 1, and/or drag them outside the TV-safe area.

That's a great tip! TDA is my authoring workhorse and I didn't think a play-once intro clip was possible ... wow ... how simple it is now that I know how!

Yeah, it's do-able but it's far from perfect. The problem comes when your DVD Player selects the track 1 menu item - you need to be aware of it and just hit the down arrow again for track 2 to then be highlighted. The Play All Tracks button will play this intro clip as well.

So ...

[Baldrick]

authoring a dvd is not dvd to avi. moving you.

[manono]

Hi-

This can be done quite easily using a combination of TDA and PGCEdit. First, author without the intro clip. Open the newly authored DVD in PGCEdit. Up at the top go Title->Import First Play (Startup) Clip, and follow the short instructions from there.

You will also have to have authored that startup clip into a "mini-DVD" in advance. Muxman can do it quickly and easily.

[Sakuya]

Thanks. While we're on the subject of TDA, is there a way to type in Chinese/Japanese text for the still menu text? I tried but it comes out gibberish.

And in PgcEdit, when I open a DVD folder, it prompts me to scan something. Should I? And the "Automatically launch BOVs finder when a DVD is opened" option is checked by default.

Also in the Insert Intro Clip screen, it says it needs GPRM 1 and not to mess with the slider if you don't know what you're doing. What is GPRM? And does doing this alteration need a reauthor?

[manono]

Hi-

I can't help with the Asian text question.

As for PGCEdit, you can let it scan. Or not. Doesn't matter. I usually abort the scans. Whichever you choose, it doesn't take long. None of it has anything to do with what you want. It first does some tests to make sure your DVD is OK, and then checks for BOVs (Button Over Video).

Don't worry about the GPRM. It needs an unused one and finds it . That's just my way of saying I haven't any idea what it is, but it doesn't matter. Reauthoring not needed. It's going to add the clip as an intro and make any other changes to the DVD IFOs necessary to play it and go to whatever's next, most likely your menu.

It saves your IFOs in a backup folder it creates, so if you happen to screw up along the way somehow, just replace the IFOs and you're back to square 1. After it's done, thoroughly test the DVD in your software player before deleting the backup folder and burning.

[Sakuya]

It saves your IFOs in a backup folder it creates, so if you happen to screw up along the way somehow, just replace the IFOs and you're back to square 1. After it's done, thoroughly test the DVD in your software player before deleting the backup folder and burning.

The IFOs in the backup folder are the edited IFOs or are they the original ones? And is this method supported by all DVD players?

[manono]

It saves the originals. You'll notice that as soon as you open the DVD in PGCEdit for the first time, the backup folder is created.

Of course it's supported by all DVD players. Have you never seen a retail DVD start with a logo or some other kind of short video, as well as all kinds of other crap it might play before taking you to the menu? Same principle. All you're doing is redirecting the First Play from the menu to your intro video.

[Sakuya]

Thanks, it works beautifully. One thing I noticed is that when you author with TDA, you have to click "Title" on your remote to return to the menu. Clicking "Menu" won't work. Why is that?

[manono]

Good, I'm glad it worked for you.

I don't know the answer to your question, as I don't use TDA. When creating menus I use the freeware DVDAuthorGUI. By the way, if you do a similar project in the future you might consider using it, as it's easy to set up your intro video as the First Play followed by the menu when using it. Perhaps someone else can answer the TDA question.

[Sakuya]

I don't know the answer to your question, as I don't use TDA. When creating menus I use the freeware DVDAuthorGUI. By the way, if you do a similar project in the future you might consider using it, as it's easy to set up your intro video as the First Play followed by the menu when using it. Perhaps someone else can answer the TDA question.

Actually, I do use that. But I find that authoring in TDA takes at least 10 minutes whereas it usually takes longer in DVDAuthorGUI. And not to mention TDA already has those menu templates with all the icons so whenever I don't feel like making buttons for still menus, I use TDA.

[jimmalenko]

Thanks, it works beautifully. One thing I noticed is that when you author with TDA, you have to click "Title" on your remote to return to the menu. Clicking "Menu" won't work. Why is that?

Do you just have a Main menu, and no Track menus ?

[Sakuya]

Yes, no track menus because I can just use my remote to select a chapter.

[jimmalenko]

That's why your Menu button doesn't do anything

[rkr1958]

Hi-

This can be done quite easily using a combination of TDA and PGCEdit. First, author without the intro clip. Open the newly authored DVD in PGCEdit. Up at the top go Title->Import First Play (Startup) Clip, and follow the short instructions from there.

You will also have to have authored that startup clip into a "mini-DVD" in advance. Muxman can do it quickly and easily.

THANKS! Just tried this and this worked liked a charmed ... it was suprisingly easy and I got the exact effect that I wanted. The only thing I did different was that I used TDA to make my "mini-DVD" of the intro-clip. By "mini-DVD" I interperted that to mean only one video titleset.

[p_l]

Thanks. While we're on the subject of TDA, is there a way to type in Chinese/Japanese text for the still menu text? I tried but it comes out gibberish.

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=272416&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

This thread might provide some insight for using Chinese / Japanese text in TDA. I haven't figured it out in XP/SP1, even tough I have Chinese / Japanese IME, but someone in that thread got it to work and I've even seen some DVD's from China (in Chinese, of course) that were obviously done with TDA. So if anybody can tell me exactly how, I'd be grateful. For now, even if use Chinese or Japanese IME and type directly into TDA or copy and paste Chinese / Japanese into it, I still get ?????

[presto]

I have Tsunami DVD Author Pro which is actually the latest version of Tmpgenc DVD Author. When you add a chapter one of the options is to add an intro video.

[Sakuya]

I found having a animated sequence play before coming to the menu is a nice trick if you don't know how to create animated menus. So this time, I want to try making the footage on my own.

Here's what I want to do. I want to have it play a short clip, then the menu comes on. The menu image is of the exact last frame of the clip so it'll seem like it's an animated menu. :P

I have created an intro clip that's in widescreen, sized 640x360. I convert that to M2V in TMPGEnc using an aspect ratio of 16:9 (NTSC). In Muxman, I opened it and it says it's 16:9 and "LB" is automatically checked. I have a 4:3 TV by the way. When I play the DVD, the clip and the menu are different dimensions. The clip is more squished than the other. Why is this? Should I have checked the "PS" or "both" option?