Rank beginner with easter egg using Nero 6

[Qun Mang]

Let me start by saying I am 99% done with authoring a DVD the way I want it using Nero 6/Nerovision Express 2 with two videos (a slideshow I made with DVD Slideshow GUI and a video I want to be hidden). Everything works great with this, videos, hidden button and all, except one small problem. The video I want hidden plays right after the slideshow instead of going back to the menu! On regular DVD players, the chapter button even works to skip between the two, though at least computer DVD software will not do this (I have WinDVD on one computer and PowerDVD on another).

I really don't know how to solve this one- though it will probably be something easy I'm missing (I hope). It's just two videos, both playable from the menu (one with an "invisible" background-colored button), that shouldn't be linked together but somehow are. The only trick is I am currently unemployed so I can't purchase any new software, especially Some of the stuff popular here ($250-$5000!). So if I can't do it with Nero, are there any suggestions on free software to do what I want? Thanks.

[jimmalenko]

Continue as you are with Nero but then use PGCEdit to tidy up.

[Qun Mang]

Okay, I have downloaded this program and at first glance it looks like it should do the trick. The only thing is just how to do the trick I'm not sure. Most of the info it can show/edit is new to me. As I said, I am new to this- I have never authored a DVD before. What should I look for? Again, there are two videos, each with its own menu button on the root (only) menu. Each should be completely separate from the other, no access to the other via skip or any other buttons, and should go back to the menu once complete.

Thanks, and sorry for the newb questions...

EDIT: I think I figured it out. I just changed the post commands on both VTSM 1 and 2 from calling each other (well, they were calling PGCs under the title menu which had pre-commands to link or jump) to calling PGC 1 (Title Menu) directly. This seemed to work in WinDVD. Now to try a real DVD player.

Thanks Jim. If there's anything I missed, or should clean up before burning, please let me know.

EDIT2: Well, that definitely fixed the problem of it going on to the next video at the end of the first. It goes back to the menu now instead, as the jump tells it to. Unfortunately it did not fix the skip buttons skipping to the next/previous video. I notice in many commercial DVDs the skip buttons are actually disabled when there is only one chapter (usually in the special features). I wonder if it's possible to do that on mine? Any ideas?

[Qun Mang]

EDIT 3: I believe I have this one figured out. I found an answer to the skip buttons from another forum- I added a chapter mark at the very end of the video so a forward skip goes there, then the menu instead of the next video. And I worked around the NV Express, ah, limitation (chapters means forced chapter menus!) by using the chaptered video files with the unchaptered video.ts files.

The only thing remaining as far as I can tell is that once the first video is over and it goes back to the menu, the "hidden" menu item is highlighted. Sigh. I could go back to PGCEdit and cause the DVD to stop at the end of the video instead of returning to the menu, but aside from that idea I have nothing else. Maybe I'll just leave it alone and give it out as-is.