How would I change the order in which chapters are played, please?

[c627627]

I have a music DVD that I can edit by throwing out some songs and leaving the others in.

However, I would like to additionally specify chapters in order that is different than the way the songs are lined up.

So I would like to specify from this time to this time on DVD I would like there to be chapter 1 and so on, so it plays the songs in order I like.


EDIT: Skip to August 28, 2007 posts where this was finally figured out.

EDIT2: Here's the entire thing that appears later in the thread:

EDIT3: Better method found.




• Method 1: REW / FF works within any single chapter but not across chapters. Going back/forward by chapter works.

• Method 2: REW / FF works within any single chapter. REW / FF also works across chapters.


How to change the order in which chapters are played on a concert music DVD [Method 2]:


1. Clone the entire DVD to a hard drive folder before editing.
It can be 40% faster to use CloneDVD to clone a DVD to a hard drive folder and then import it from there for editing,
than it is to just import it directly from a DVD disc for editing.

2. DvdReMake Pro > File > Import DVD... > browse to the DVD folder (usually VIDEO_TS) > Select.

3. If the entire Video Title Set obviously contains content to be removed (such as warnings, disclaimers, coming attractions, introductory graphics, etc.):
Right click on that Video Title Set > Hide all blocks.


4. Click on + next to the Video Title Set that contains the chapters to be rearranged >
Click on Program Chains >

5. Go to Domain Content window (Top right) > Right-click on each cell > Replace block... >

6. Click on the Pool # that contains the chapters to be used > slide right to get to the desired block (chapter) and click on it > OK

7. Repeat to place all the blocks (chapters) in the desired order.

8. Under one of the Video Title Sets, click on Menus en to get to the main DVD menu.
Right click on any button > Hide button can be used to hide certain buttons that lead to the removed content. [Be sure not to hide any buttons that lead back to the Main menu.]

Right click on chapter button > Edit button command... > Type in the new chapter # where the button should lead to.


9. It can be 40% faster to File > Export DVD to a folder on another hard drive than to a folder on the same hard drive as the source.


[File > Export modified files... quickly replaces small files, if nothing was removed and only links were changed.]



How to set custom start/finish chapter points:

Click on + next to the Video Title Set that contains the chapters to be rearranged >
Click on + next to Program Chains > Click on PGC # to be edited >


In the right window:

Press Play/Stop to get to the desired frame > Right click on the frame > Cut to here

Then use the slider to get to the end of the chapter then again use Play/Stop to get to the desired frame > Right click on the frame > Cut from here


Click on the play button to test, for example, slide toward the end and actually click on the play button to see which frame the chapter will end on.



To preview Audio: Click on Stream in the Audio Tracks window on the right. (AC3 and MPEG audio preview are supported.)


How to restore blocks if 'Restore all blocks' option is grayed out:

1. Click on Video Title Set that contains the blocks to be restored

2. In the right window, right click on block > Replace block... > Load... > Browse to .VOB file that contains the hidden block > Open > Inside the newly opened Select block window click on the block to be used > OK



Use a program such as PgcEdit to get the DVD to start playing immediately upon insert


1. PgcEdit > File > Open DVD > Close, No (if prompted)

2. CTRL+T > Run (lower center left) > Wait a few seconds for the preview window to appear >

3. Inside the preview window, click on the button that starts playing the DVD > Click on Select & Break >

4. PGC > Jump to PGC Upon DVD Insert > OK > OK

5. File > Save DVD > OK

[hech54]

DVDShrink in re-author mode will do the trick. Just keep reloading the entire concert then use the start-stop dropdown to pick the chapter. Only take the complete chapter though or you may end up with sync issues.

[c627627]

Oh, OK, keep reloading the entire concert for each chapter? Thanks.

Sometimes the end of the chapter contains intro for the next song, you say I may have sync issues if I cut that out, huh?

Any other way to deal with that, I'll give it a shot anyway just to see what happens.

[hech54]

Sometimes the end of the chapter contains intro for the next song, you say I may have sync issues if I cut that out, huh?

Yea...I've run into that problem too occasionally. If you feel brave you could do all of that "editing" in DVDShrink(as I suggested against doing - not taking the full chapter) then run your finished output through FixVTS....but it may or may not fix the probable sync issues....and that would be a lot of time wasted in my opinion...if it doesn't fix the sync issues.
The sync problems when NOT taking a full chapter are not a guarantee...BUT it has happened to many people so the risk is pretty high.

[c627627]

Maybe I'll do it with a couple of chapters just to see what happens then report back in a few days with results for everyone's information.

What's FixVTS and why would I need it?

[hech54]

Maybe I'll do it with a couple of chapters just to see what happens then report back in a few days with results for everyone's information.

What's FixVTS and why would I need it?

FixVTS is a must-have tool in your arsenal. It was initially designed to work with DVD recorder discs and they challenges they present to editing them on a computer. It has since evolved into a great "fixer upper" for all sorts of nagging little problems. When all else fails....before you give up and start over...run it through FixVTS. You'll probably be pleased.

[c627627]

It worked perfectly! No sync issues even with edited chapter starts & ends.

This was done with a 2.5 GHz Athlon XP CPU and 1 GB of RAM.

_____________________
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ AXMH 2500 FQQ4C
IQYHA 0348 SPMW
2 x 512MB Centon PC3200 (Samsung chips) @ 9 4 4 3
[200] FSB x 12.5 = 2500 MHz @ 1.85 Vcore with memory frequency at 100% [200 FSB] @ 2.90 Vdimm and 1.6 Vdd
Epox 8RDA3+ v2.1, BIOS 07/29/2004
Thermalright SLK-900A with 80x38mm Delta EFB0812HHE fan
AIW 9600XT 128MB; Antec SX-835II case ; 380W Antec TruePower2 TPII-380
Five 80x25mm Case Fans

[hech54]

Awesome.

[c627627]

But the thing is, you can forward and rewind the song but you can't go back or forward by chapter because there are no chapters.

So the only way to get to the end of the disk is to forward all the way to the end, pressing forward each time a new song starts.


Any other programs that can do this but then actually assign chapters?


How about taking the newly made content and making a new menu with new chapters?

[guns1inger]

You could extract all the video and audio and build a new disc using something that supports playlists. DVD Lab Pro and DVD Architect both have them. You basically set up your title with chapters, then create chapter playlists that have the chapters in whatever order you want them. You can then link to the playlist as you would any other title.

[c627627]

When you say 'extract,' will the final product in any way reduce the quality of the original?

If no, how would I use DVD Architect to accomplish this?

Is lengthy re-encoding necessary?

[p_l]

Ulead DVD Workshop 2 also allows you to set up custom playlists for any and all of your buttons.

[c627627]

DVDShrink in re-author mode does not re-encode and quickly rearranges order of chapters, are you saying Ulead can do that too?

How would I import an existing DVD, then assign new chapter order without re-encoding and degrading quality using Ulead software or DVD Architect?

[hech54]

But the thing is, you can forward and rewind the song but you can't go back or forward by chapter because there are no chapters.

Damn....you're right. I remember this problem when I took only the music videos from the Phil Collins farewell tour DVD.
I'm almost positive I solved it with either VOBEdit or PGCEdit....I'm looking for the guide.

[hech54]

I think I found it thanks to jimmalenko:
http://members.dodo.net.au/~jimmalenko/test.htm

[guns1inger]

The problem with the DVD Shrink approach is that is means actually cutting up your video into separate titles and changing the physical order of the clips. That is fine is you only want them in one order. If you want to play them in different orders then you have to replicate the clips.

The advantage to using play lists is that you have one version of the video, as a single title. You can create as many playlists as you need, in any order you want, and can even have playlists for individual chapters or subsets of chapters. because you only have one copy of the video on the disc you can encode it to the best possible quality you can.

[Alex_ander]

You can easily edit navigation commands for desired playback order in DVDRemake without any reauthoring.
1.Open 'programs' tab for a program chain (PGC) selected in DVD tree. This is a list of programs and cells (a program has one or sometimes more than one cell).
2.Open 'cell commands' list for the PGC (in most DVDs it is empty). Add commands from right-click menu/link instructions/Link Chapter# with numbers for the second, third... last but one chapters in your desired playlist. Add one more command 'Link Tail PGC'.
3.Assign the written commands to the cells (if more than one cell in a program=chapter, use the last one) in 'programs' list from right-click on cell/edit block attributes/command# where '#' is the number of the line in 'cell commands' list. When you highlight a cell line in programs list you see corresponding video to identify the chapter. So you give to the first played chapter the number of the next one via # of cell command executed after its playback. The last one played will have Link Tail PGC command that means it will execute the post-commands for the whole PGC and return to menu (or do whatever was prescribed in original DVD).
3.To make playback begin from the chapter according to your custom list, add 'Link Chapter#' command to 'pre-commands' list of the whole PGC.
I think you can do the same in free PGCEdit (I don't use it).

There can be more sophisticated ways to organize e.g. random playback (ABBA DVD) along with possibility to play sequentially, playback of a selected item with return to menu, juke box with selecting several numbers and playing them on button command (Rolling Stones 'The Biggest Bang' box). Those are not as easy to edit and they use register parameters along with cell commands.

[p_l]

Ulead DVD Workshop 2 allows you to import from a DVD and will not re-encode a compliant file. Then, assign chapter points and make playlists from those.

[GeorgeW]

Ulead DVD Workshop 2 allows you to import from a DVD and will not re-encode a compliant file. Then, assign chapter points and make playlists from those.

DVDWS does not allow you to create "CHAPTER" Playlists -- like have a button that will play chapter-3, then Chapter-1, then Chapter-5. You can't even have a button that will play a single Chapter and return to the menu (unless it's the last chapter in the Title).

Regards,
George

[p_l]

Sure you can.

1. On the Edit page, drag the Jog Bar to where you want to set your chapter point and click Add Chapter on the left under the Video tab. Repeat for however many chapter points you want to create.

2. On the Menu page, highlight a button on the menu, select Playlist under the Button tab, then drag and drop your chapter points from the right into the playlist and arrange them in any order you wish.

[GeorgeW]

Sure you can.

1. On the Edit page, drag the Jog Bar to where you want to set your chapter point and click Add Chapter on the left under the Video tab. Repeat for however many chapter points you want to create.

2. On the Menu page, highlight a button on the menu, select Playlist under the Button tab, then drag and drop your chapter points from the right into the playlist and arrange them in any order you wish.

No you Cannot.

Playlists in DVDWS DO NOT work that way (i.e. play Chapters of a single Title in any order).

You can "CUT" a single TITLE into many pieces -- but then you don't have a PLAYALL that will play through the Title smoothly (at the joins).

Have you ever tried playing back a "Playlist" the way you described

How do you play a SINGLE Chapter (like Chapter-2 ONLY, without duplicating it to take up more space on the DVD)

Regards,
George

[hech54]

Guys.....STOP......the original poster is NOT asking about playlists or anything like that....he just wants chapters that he can use his "next" button on his remote.
Jimmalenko's guide that I posted earlier has worked for me in the past and it is free.

[GeorgeW]

Guys.....STOP......the original poster is NOT asking about playlists or anything like that....he just wants chapters that he can use his "next" button on his remote.
Jimmalenko's guide that I posted earlier has worked for me in the past and it is free.

hmmm, have a look at the first post in this thread:

However, I would like to additionally specify chapters in order that is different than the way the songs are lined up.

So I would like to specify from this time to this time on DVD I would like there to be chapter 1 and so on, so it plays the songs in order I like.

Regards,
George

[hech54]

Oh...silly me....looking at the month-old post vs. yesterdays post:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic324830.html?sid=4424e25b8610a17b94772e014b235c79#1740197

[GeorgeW]

Oh...silly me....looking at the month-old post vs. yesterdays post:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic324830.html?sid=4424e25b8610a17b94772e014b235c79#1740197

yep -- and the TITLE of this thread...

How would I change the order in which chapters are played, please?

Regards,
George

[c627627]

Thank you very much for all your help and apologies for any confusion. Information posted is helpful and educational in any case.


My main objective is to, without any video quality degradation, take a concert DVD and from it make a new one that I can put back into an ordinary DVD player to be able to play songs (chapters) in order I would prefer, not consecutively. DVD Shrink can do this but you can't go back/forward by chapter.


Additional steps are advanced that I would later like to try to master:
1. To actually specify exact point to point chapters.

2. To rearrange the main menu, (since the content is the same), to just take screens captures and then cut/paste chapter numbers next to chapter pictures as rearranged on the new DVD.


Thank you for your time and for even making illustrations.

[hech54]

How would I change the order in which chapters are played, please?

Regards,
George

Already been answered:

Posted: Apr 14, 2007 08:57
It worked perfectly! No sync issues even with edited chapter starts & ends.

NOW he has realized that he doesn't actually have chapter points that he can utilize on his DVD player. He has already changed the order in which chapters are played during the ripping/re-authoring process with DVDShrink. He has his desired order already...all he is missing is chapter points instead of titles.

[edong]

I used Tmpgenc DVD Author to compile a seletion of music videos and karaoke songs. I have menus, I can play ALL or press "Next" or I can enter a chapter number to jump to that song. I can trim each chapter/title before rendering. I do not think it is reencoding(?). I also tried DVDShrink but there is a gap after the selected title. Must be the reason why "Next" or chapter number won't work. I do not mind that because those are 'selections' so the presumption is I like everyone of them to play from start to end. With either program, I can choose the order of the titles/chapters. Sometimes I mix DVDs if there are still space.

[p_l]

Thanks to GeorgeW for raising a valid point, to hech54 for trying to keep us on track and to edong for a good alternative.

GeorgeW, you are correct that even if DVDSW allows you to add several chapters to a playlist and even change the order as illustrated above, it won't play them that way! It'll just play from the first chapter point in the playlist until the end of the track. The problem is that DVDWS doesn't seem to know when a chapter ends, and it just keeps playing the track.

edong, I've used TDA as well in the past to do what you say, and yes, you can make a menu with chapters, by clicking Edit on the track on the Source Setup page, then
1. selecting Chapter Cut Menu
2. moving the jog bar where you want to create your chapter point
3. clicking the Add current frame to chapter button.




You can make a pretty nice menu, put the songs in whatever order you wish, and clicking the Next button on your DVD remote takes you to the next song on your menu. However, once again, when a chapter (song) is finished, the rest of the track keeps playing to the end.




In fact, you can do the same thing in DVDWS by assigning a different button on your menu for each chapter (song), putting the songs in whatever order you wish, and clicking the Next button on your DVD remote takes you to the next song on your menu. However, yet again, when a chapter (song) is finished, the rest of the track keeps playing to the end.

Of course in both cases, with DVDWS or TDA, you can go back to the main menu anytime, like when a song is finished, by clicking the Menu button on your remote.

As George points out, in DVDWS you can CUT the concert into a track for each song, then use the playlist as I originally illustrated in the previous post to automatically play songs in an order you determine, and even set an end action for each song to automatically go back to the menu, but the whole concert will not Play All smoothly because there will be a slight pause between each track (song).

However, at this point, just to confirm, since you've already ripped the concert with DVDShrink, can I ask you if you now have a single big file for the whole concert with the songs now in the order that you want, or do you have several smaller files, one for each song?

[GeorgeW]

How would I change the order in which chapters are played, please?

Regards,
George

Already been answered:

Posted: Apr 14, 2007 08:57
It worked perfectly! No sync issues even with edited chapter starts & ends.

NOW he has realized that he doesn't actually have chapter points that he can utilize on his DVD player. He has already changed the order in which chapters are played during the ripping/re-authoring process with DVDShrink. He has his desired order already...all he is missing is chapter points instead of titles.

hmmm, if you feel discussion of software that offers "Chapter" playlists is "Off Topic" -- please ask the moderators to kindly remove...


btw, here were some more posts by the OP (before the latest post)

But the thing is, you can forward and rewind the song but you can't go back or forward by chapter because there are no chapters.

So the only way to get to the end of the disk is to forward all the way to the end, pressing forward each time a new song starts.

Any other programs that can do this but then actually assign chapters?


How about taking the newly made content and making a new menu with new chapters?

DVDShrink in re-author mode does not re-encode and quickly rearranges order of chapters, are you saying Ulead can do that too?

How would I import an existing DVD, then assign new chapter order without re-encoding and degrading quality using Ulead software or DVD Architect?

So, answering some questions or offering some info on how "Playlists" work in DVDWS is not really "off topic"...

Regards,
George