'chapter' transitions - freeware?

[john999]

I've checked a lot of places on videohelp and the net, and haven't found anything, so - one last try.

I've got a series of DVD segments, and want to put them on one DVD with freeware. DVDshrink is working fine for me, but it just puts the segments one after the other without any transition. I'd really like to fade from the last frame of one to the first frame of the next, but simply a blank section between them would be OK.

Is there any freeware that anyone has tried that might do the fades? Or, is there any freeware that can create a DVDshrink-ready segment (VIDEO_TS IFO) from a still image?

[MOVIEGEEK]

You will have to use an NLE(Ulead Videostudio,etc) to add transitions and reencode.

[guns1inger]

You could use something like WAX2 or even avisynth to create transitions between stills, then encode with HCEnc, then author everything back together again with GUIForDVDAuthor. All of this is free.

[manono]

Yep, AviSynth's FadeIn/Out and/or Dissolve commands:

http://avisynth.org/index.php?page=Fade
http://avisynth.org/index.php?page=Dissolve

As for Authoring a picture; make it a 720x480/576 BMP and Muxman will author it for you directly. If you add some audio (music maybe), the "DVD" will last as long as does the music.

[john999]

"As for Authoring a picture; make it a 720x480/576 BMP and Muxman will author it for you directly. If you add some audio (music maybe), the "DVD" will last as long as does the music."

Made a 720x480 BMP and a 6 second blank WAV.

But, when I run muxman from windows, I get only the option of loading an existing project, there is no option for a new project. No help. No indication as to how I might start a project. Nothing anywhere about images. When I run it from a command line, it tells me I need a script, and I went through about a dozen pages of Google with no luck on how to write a muxman script...

Any pointer to the info I need to make muxman work for me?

[john999]

Started with Wax: it doesn't accept VOBs, so got AGK to convert VOB to AVI. Even selecting 100% quality, the AVI file is about a third the VOB - where has the info gone? But the AVI plays OK in WinDVD.

Tried to import the AGK-generated AVI to Wax to try a transition: got "Wax has performed an illegal operation". Closing the window results in an infinite loop of Waxinvoker error in KERNEL32 that prevents normal shutdown, so had to hit hardware reset.

Noticed that Wax accepts BMP, so tried importing one, set length to 6 seconds then rendered. Result is an AVI file that plays properly and would work fine as a spacer between my programs.

Tried HC to convert the BMP-derived AVI to DVD: it only accepts AVS and DV2.

Will start looking tomorrow for an encoder that handles AVI to DVD...

[guns1inger]

All your avs script needs to be is

AVISource("full path to file.avi")

Write it in notepad, save it as movie.avs, and load it into HCEnc.

[manono]

Made a 720x480 BMP and a 6 second blank WAV.

But, when I run muxman from windows, I get only the option of loading an existing project, there is no option for a new project.

Hit the Video button (blue) to load the BMP. Hit "Close" in the new screen. Then hit the Audio button (red) to add your WAV file. Hit "Close". Give it a "Destination Folder" and hit "Start".

[john999]

Started with HCenc: created AVS file, ran HCenc, it told me to add ConvertToYV12() to the script, which I did. I works, but all I get is an M2V, not VOB. I gather I need muxman or something like it after all...

Tried Muxman again: (I didn't realize that the buttons would work; normally greyed-out means not available). It accepts the BMP but rejects my WAV file. (Windows Media Player plays it properly.) Any idea why?

[manono]

Any idea why?

No, except there's something wrong with it (not 48kHz maybe?). WMP playing it isn't the same as it being DVD compliant. If you have access to a WAV editor, I might suggest taking an already existing WAV file (or make one from a small AC3 track from a DVD) and seeing if Muxman accepts it. If it does, then open it in your WAV editor, cut it the length you need, and lower the amplitude to 0, so you can't hear anything (if a silent WAV is what you want). Save it and then try again. Or create one at 48kHz this time?

but all I get is an M2V, not VOB. I gather I need muxman or something like it after all...

Encoders encode. Authoring apps put the pieces together (audio, video, subs, chapters) and author for DVD.

[john999]

"(not 48kHz maybe?)"

That was it - turns out my sound system only records at 44.1 kHz. Used Audacity to generate a 48 kHz stereo silence WAV. Muxman accepts it, and DVDshrink puts the result together with everything else to give a black space between segments.

Only one minor thing: muxman seems to only output 4:3 ratio, not the 16:9 of most of my DVDs, so there is a glitch of a few seconds while the player/TV switch from one to the other. If there's a way to change muxman to 16:9 output, it would be nice.

But, anything that works is better than anything that doesn't. Many thanks for the help.

[guns1inger]

Try using IFOAR2WS to set the IFO aspect ratio setting correctly.

Are you encoding to 16:9 in HCEnc ? If not, do that first.

[manono]

Yes, as guns1inger says, encoding for 16:9 in the first place would be better. Then Muxman will show it as 16:9. But if you did it wrong, you can also change the DAR of the MPV or M2V using ReStream before authoring. And if you've already authored, in addition to changing the DAR in the IFOs using IFOAR2WS, PGCEdit can also easily do it.

Open the completed DVD. Right-click the video in question and hit "Domain Streams Attributes". Change from 4:3 to 16:9 Automatic Letterbox, OK, Save, Test, and burn.

[tinker]

Hi john999
Why don't you stop fooling around. Get Mpeg Video Wizard from Womble.
Import your VOBs, do transitions, fade in-out sound or video and more. Export to final DVD, any format you want, that simple, but is it is not free.

[john999]

Here's what worked:

Audacity: make a blank DVD-compliant WAV
Project: new stereo track
Audio Track Rate: 48k bits/s
click stereo track (left goes blue)
Generate: Silence
set duration
File: export as WAV

Muxman: create a DVD folder from BMP
import 720x480 BMP as video
import 48k bits/s stereo WAV as audio
select output file name
start

if 16:9 format desired, use IFOAR2WS on the folder

DVDshrink: merge titles
Reauthor
select right DVD Browser
2-click folder
drag title from right to left
repeat last two steps as needed
OK
Backup

Again, many thanks to all.