DVDWS2 Question...

[sdsumike619]

Should I be importing one long mpeg2 video into dvd workshop and then making chapter points in that one video, OR should I encode each video to a separate file and import each file and have no chapter points? i've been doing it the latter way for previous DVDs but if I make a play all function to play each title/file, it only works if the user doesn't hit the next button on his remote during the playlist. If he hits next to go to the next "chapter", it will revert back to the menu after playing that title.. If I make one long 2 hour MPEG2, and use actual chapter points instead of separate files, this won't happen, correct?

[lordsmurf]

Correct.

[sdsumike619]

son-of-a......Guess I've been doing it wrong the whole time... And as I understand it, you can only add chapter points at I-Frames? How often do the I-Frames appear? I've done my editing to have 2-3 second fade ins/outs at the beginning and end of each title, so should I find an I-frame within those fades and insert the chapter marker there?

[lordsmurf]

I do separate files. If they choose a play all and then start skipping around, and mess up their play list, it's not my problem.

Quite a few DVD players don't properly adhere to playlists anyway, so there's really nothing you can do besides disable the abilities with a PUO. Of course then all you'll do is piss somebody off.

I-frames happen twice a second or more. There is one about every 12-18 frames, depending on the MPEG settings, sometime more if you set up different GOP settings (scene detection I frames, for example). This is only a problem when you're dealing with video that only has a latitude of 2-3 frames, like tv commercials on some networks.

[sdsumike619]

Well I got a few complaints about it going back to the menu after they hit the play all button.. so perhaps for this DVD I might as well use one large video file and use chapter points instead... Before, when I was using a separate file for each lesson, I just dragged it to the playlist, do I do the same thing, but with the chapter points instead (in the vertical listing on the right)?

[GeorgeW]

i've been doing it the latter way for previous DVDs but if I make a play all function to play each title/file, it only works if the user doesn't hit the next button on his remote during the playlist. If he hits next to go to the next "chapter", it will revert back to the menu after playing that title..

Try adding a "dummy" chapter mark near the very end of each separate mpeg clip (the last I-Frame of the clip). Then when the viewer hits NEXT near the end, it will jump to that "dummy" chapter, and then continue playing according to your playlist.

Regards,
George

[sdsumike619]

ahhh interesting idea there, so doing that will prevent him from advancing to the next title which is apparently what breaks the playlist sequence? Do I understand that correctly? They will be able to advance to that chapter which is essentially the beginning of the next title, but they won't know they're at the end of the title they just watched?

[lordsmurf]

ahhh interesting idea there, so doing that will prevent him from advancing to the next title which is apparently what breaks the playlist sequence? Do I understand that correctly? They will be able to advance to that chapter which is essentially the beginning of the next title, but they won't know they're at the end of the title they just watched?

Yes. And that's a good idea too.

Just be careful, sometime chapter marks near the very end of a title can piss off authoring software or DVD players. I don't know if it violates the spec or something, but I've seen it happen. Don't not try George's advice, just be wary of potential consequences and look for them.

You should be all set now. Good luck.

I might even try that on something, should the need ever arise.

[sdsumike619]

It's probably really not even worth worrying about, these are instructional lessons so it's not like you're watching a movie and it suddenly jumps back to the menu, each lesson is its own thing so I'm thinking of not even worrying about the few people who complain about that minor detail. Lordsmurf, that's right, I definitely want to remain within spec and not piss off any dvd players. It's already bad enough that these are duplicated discs so now I'm rethinking that I should just stick with using multiple titles/files...