How to include other files in a DVD?

[ljCharlie]

I want to auther a DVD video that also include a folder that contains some photos. How do I do that?

[borax]

It depends on the burning application. Technically just put any folder in the root directory of the DVD (same level as the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders)

[noki]

create a new folder when you compile your dvd (along with the standard Audio and Video TSs) with anything you want. you won't be able to access this folder when you PLAY the dvd video, but you can access whatever you place in this extra folder thru your file manager on the PC.

[ljCharlie]

Thanks! That's what I wanted. I want the user to be able to pull the photos from the folder when the DVD is in their computer.

[cheezum]

It seems easy, but when I tried this using Sony DVD Architect 4.0 it didn't play on a Sony RDR-HX510 and not on a Panasonic EH-65. The sony just wanted to play the photo's on a slideshow but it seemd that it couldn't handle the filesize of the photo's. The Panasonic just said nothing.
However, my very cheapo-cheapo dvd-player (integrated in a cheap tv) did play the video well.

File structure:
/VIDEO_TS
/AUDIO_TS
/FOTO
|----- 20070224
|----- 20070225
| . . . etc.etc.

The Sony first reads the FOTO directory and starts the slide-show.
The Panasonic does nothing.

Is there some incompatibility issue here or has anyone got a suggestion what happens here?

[David K]

Add your DVD-ROM content (that is your non-video content) in your burning program like Nero, not your authoring program (DVD Architect). Prepare your video content as usual in DVD architect and then have it compile a DVD folder to your harddrive (that is a Video_ts folder). Then use Nero or other burning program to make a DVD with that and with your DVD ROM content.

I've done what you are trying to do, add photos to my DVD home videos, many times, and have never had the standalone player not read the disc as a video disc. All I can think is that DVD Architect is doing something that is causing the problem.

[GeorgeW]

It seems easy, but when I tried this using Sony DVD Architect 4.0 it didn't play on a Sony RDR-HX510 and not on a Panasonic EH-65. The sony just wanted to play the photo's on a slideshow but it seemd that it couldn't handle the filesize of the photo's. The Panasonic just said nothing.
However, my very cheapo-cheapo dvd-player (integrated in a cheap tv) did play the video well.

File structure:
/VIDEO_TS
/AUDIO_TS
/FOTO
|----- 20070224
|----- 20070225
| . . . etc.etc.

The Sony first reads the FOTO directory and starts the slide-show.
The Panasonic does nothing.

Is there some incompatibility issue here or has anyone got a suggestion what happens here?

You probably burned a "DATA DVD", instead of using the DVD-VIDEO format. What program did you use for the actual BURN?

Regards,
George

[cheezum]

I burned it directly from DVD Architect.

It does play on my cheap dvd-player. It doesn't on a Sony DVD-recorder or Panasonic DVD-recorder (both HDD-recorders).

I'll try to burn it with Nero 7 (as David K described).

I'll let you know.

[cheezum]

Tried it with Nero 7.5 but with no result. The Panasonic still wants to format de DVD. My Philips DVD-recorder (Non-hdd) does recognize the DVD now, but that recorder is pretty crappy so it's not a very good comparison. I'll try the Sony later on.

Another thing I'm gonna try is to start the DVD-ROM content folder with an X or at least a letter that comes later in the alphabet. Maybe the DVD-players/recorders scan the directory-structure and stop scanning if they found a VIDEO_TS folder.

It's just a wild guess but who knows......

[guns1inger]

Many players will ignore all other content if they find a valid DVD structure. They will register that the disc is a DVD, and play it accordingly, but that is all. Some will allow you to browse the disc for other content, or automatically recognise it, but the majority wont. This is not a function of the burning process, but simply the way they are designed.

I have a 3 year old Pioneer player that can also play WMA, mp3 and jpeg files, however it cannot play them off the same disc. Whatever it sees first is all that it will play, so if the first file is an mp3, it will only see the mp3 files on that disc, regardless of what else is on there.

[GeorgeW]

Are you burning in "DVD-VIDEO" or "DVD-DATA" mode -- you should use DVD-VIDEO mode if available?

Try telling DVDA to create an ISO image, then burn the ISO image to disc...

Regards,
George

[David K]

Programs like Nero give you different templates to make things easier, but there is no special DVD Video Mode. DVD video is the same format as DVD data (UDF 1.02/ISO) with a certain file structure (a VIDEO_TS folder and the required files, ifo, bups, vobs etc.)

In contrast there are different CD data and audio modes, and for DVD-R recorders there is a distinct video mode for unfinalized recordings.

If burning directly from DVD architect did not work, then I don't think that saving an .iso file and then burning from that will make any difference (since it is essentially the same thing in that DVD architect lays out the DVD disc structure.) But it's worth a try.

[edong]

If I put a folder of .jpg files in the root directory as mentioned above, will DVDDecrypter/Imgburn record it as part of the image? I'm not really concerned whether or not the DVD player plays them as slideshow. I am more interested if that folder can be viewed in the computer as data. Anyone tried this? Thanks.

[hech54]

Create an .ISO image of a "master folder" that contains your VIDEO_TS, AUDIO_TS and your pics folder. Just call it(the pics folder) DATA or something simple. I believe I used ImgTool if I'm not mistaken to create the image....then burn with DVDDecrypter or ImgBurn.

[GeorgeW]

Programs like Nero give you different templates to make things easier, but there is no special DVD Video Mode. DVD video is the same format as DVD data (UDF 1.02/ISO) with a certain file structure (a VIDEO_TS folder and the required files, ifo, bups, vobs etc.)

I have a scaled down version of NERO that came with my DVD Burner (I think it's version 6 Express). It allows me to specify whether to burn "DVD-VIDEO" files, or to make a "DATA DVD" -- if your version of Nero has these options, then I would recommend using the DVD-VIDEO option (for authored dvd's).

Regards,
George

[cheezum]

Since my last post above, I tried the Sony with better results. Now the disc is readable but it jumps to the FOTO-folder and tries to read the big JPEG's. Sony probably can't handle the big sizes so it returns with an error. But hey... at least the disc is recognized.

I've tried again last weekend and this is how it worked out.

I used Nero 7.5 all the time with DVD-VIDEO template. It's nothing more than just creating the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folder for you and sets the format to UDF (just like David K mentions above).

I burned the DVD again with the data-folder on it except now I called the data-folder XFOTO instead of FOTO. (X comes after V in the alphabet )

1. On the Panasonic the DVD+RW didn't work. Panasonic wanted me to format the disc. Yeah, sure. So that's a no-go for Panasonic EH65.
2. The Sony RDR-HX-510 now played the disc. It didn't start on the top-level menu but immediatly started to play a movie (but that maybe my own mistake). When I press the Root-menu button on the remote it WORKS !!!!
All video's play fine. Menu's are working etc.etc.

So basically it seems that DVD Architect does burn something different than Nero. I don't know what but Nero works, DVD Architect doesn't.

To answer edong: yes this is what the question is about. And yes it seems to work now.

Working config:

Nero 7.5 with HP External DVD Burner (840e I think) using DVD Architect 4 as authoring software.

[GeorgeW]

Did you try using DVDA4 to burn to an ISO Image first, then burn the ISO Image to disc

I used Nero 7.5 all the time with DVD-VIDEO template. It's nothing more than just creating the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folder for you and sets the format to UDF (just like David K mentions above).

Well, DVD-VIDEO mode is a little more than that -- it should also write the files within the VIDEO_TS folder in the proper sequence (IFO, VOB(s), BUP -- for each "set" of files).

Regards,
George

[cheezum]

No I didn't create an ISO first. It seems pretty useless to me. What I did was I prepared a project in a folder in My Documents. Afterwards I burned that folder with Nero.