Creating a DVD with Interactive Menu

[magus2008]

Hi all,

I have been creating video tutorials for some time and am almost ready to
put them to DVD.

I need some advice on software available for creating a DVD with interactive
Menu capabilities.

I have added a picture here of something similar although i understand being new
and a complete novice to this i wont be able to get this type of result, but something close would be nice.

Basically its a menu with all the different videos listed. When you click on the video name the video plays
in the window where the girls face is.

So what i need to know is what software can do this, is it possible for a novice to do or do i need to employ
someone or a specialist to do it for me?

Many thanks

Mark

[noemi7]

any: https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/authoring-dvd

[filmboss80]

Photoshop or other similar photo image software will help with general backgrounds. Motion menu items, buttons, and navigational texts are layered onto the background using DVD authoring software. (The more advanced the authoring software, the more advanced the navigational menu.) Just remember how it will be viewed by the end user. While the graphic in your example is fine for high resolution monitors, the fonts in the left column are WAY too small for most non-HD home television viewers.

[guns1inger]

In order to do what you are asking you will have to create the frame, with menus etc, and overlay this onto the video, then re-encode all your videos. The menu will not reflect reality, as it will be a fixed image.

What you are trying to create is not well suited for video, but more a multi-media, PC based experience. It can be done for DVD, but working in standard definition, and having such a large and complex border and menu, means that the menus will be difficult to read, and the movie itself will appear much smaller than full screen. If the movie contains a lot of screen shots or screen video, it will also be difficult to read.

[usually_quiet]

If the DVD is to be played on a DVD player, the DVD standard imposes a lot of restrictions that limit what can be done.

As guns1inger said, the screen resolution available for DVD, standard definition, will make it difficult to read text or see detail in the video, if it is confined to a window taking up a fraction of the screen. Look at text in a commercial DVD’s menu and you’ll see that it needs to be fairly large to be legible, especially on a small SD TV.

If you have never authored a DVD, it will be a challenge to start out with a project where the appearance of the menu apparently changes depending on what menu choice is highlighted. In that case, you'd be better off using a more traditional menu. one that does not change based on what is highlighted.

It would be possible to make it seem as though the appearance of the menu changes based on the selection that is highlighted by making a series of switched menus, one for each selection. Each menu could include a thumbnail (either a short clip, or a still) related to the selection that is currently highlighted. They would be still menus or motion menus, depending on whether or not the thumbnail is a still or a video clip. The video for the menu selection would play when the user presses “Play” or “Enter” on the remote control. A user would press the menu button on the DVD player's remote control to go back to the menu and make another selection.

[magus2008]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of your answers they are very informative, BUT i obviously didnt explain myself very well, so i will clarify.

The picture you can see is from an ACTUAL DVD ROM and everything is 100% interactive.

This is what i am trying to do, its for a DVD ROM NOT a dvd for DVD players, sorry i should have mentioned this :O

I understand with DVD ROMS you have more options regarding Menus etc, infact i have been in touch with the guys who created the menu you see above for ASKVIDEO and they can do it for me at $55 PH with the work taking about 20 hours :O so too much $$$ for me.

So what i am after is any recommendations for good DVD ROM Authoring software for creating decent menus, something i will be able to cope with as a newbie to this, i hear on the grapevine that the better (the more expensive) the software the greater the options for complex menus.

All recommendations appreciated,

many thanks

Mark

PS I all ready own Adobe CS3, so can ENCORE do what i am after?

[guns1inger]

DVD-ROM isn't a format like DVD Video. A DVD-ROM is simply a pressed DVD - it could be video, it could be software, it could be audio.

What you are talking about is a software based video tool, which could be programmed in flash, VB or any number of other languages. I don't know of any packages that would allow you to simply create what you have presented. They guys who have offered to create it for you have probably created their own, proprietary tool that allows them to change the menu and video content as required.

If you want to replicate that format then you may well have to learn flash.

[magus2008]

Thanks Gunslinger,

I was beginning to think that myself.

Can you recommend me a tool that will allow me to make a basic "click here to move to chapter"
DVD Rom Tool.

As i am just starting i think a basic menu will suffice, i was overstretching with that type of menu
anyway i think.

Many thanks

Mark

[guns1inger]

You might be able to use a menu creator to put something together. A selection of freeware ones can be found here : http://www.snapfiles.com/downloadfind.php?st=cd+menu&action=s&search=Find+it&lc=1

This one jumps out : http://www.ampsoft.net/utilities/MediaMenu.php

You might also try searching source forge for multimedia builders

[magus2008]

thanks again gunsl1nger,

That one looks not too bad, i will give it a try.

Also i am not adverse to buying some good software (as long as the old adage goes - you get what you pay for - no point spending money if you can do it all for free) to do this as i will
be creating more than a few tutorial discs in the next year and would quite like to try something a bit fancy so spending a couple of hundred £££ would be ok by me so if you know of any more advanced programs please let me know.

thanks

Mark

[guns1inger]

If you are willing to spend the money and put in the time then something like flash would be the way to go. Build yourself a frame work in which you can quickly build new discs with a similar feel but different content.

[magus2008]

THanks again.

I already have flash so maybe i will look into creating something with it, although i
am not sure if i have the time as making 100`s of videos is time consuming enough.

Many thanks

Mark