Newbie DVD format for maximum playable distribution. HELP PLEASE

[davebullock]

Hi experts,
I am a member of a small singing group of retired people that visit care homes entertaining the elderly for free.
We have been doing this for may years with a 'Summer tour' and then a 'Christmas extravaganza'.
Due to Covid we couldn't entertain our old folk this Christmas so had the bright idea of creating a DVD of our concert.
Working all remotely we learned how to video our individual parts and then 'stitch' them together to create our festive extravaganza.
I believe we recorded our DVD in MPEG-2
However upon distributing the DVD's to all our old friends, we only got a couple of feedback messages and have the suspicion that many of the DVD's wouldn't play on the care home's DVD players. We did test them before distribution and they all seemed fine here.
Please bear in mind we are not Video experts and don't necessarily wish to be, as it was enough of a very steep learning curve just to generate the DVD.

So now to my questions:-

What do commercial film makers do to make their DVD blockbuster movie releases play on all DVD players, that we have failed to understand?
Can someone please explain or point us to a 'Dummies Guide' to making DVD's play on most machines?
What are we doing wrong?

It is so disappointing to discover that all our hard word seems to have been failed by out misunderstanding of the technology.
And that we failed our residents, many whom have no visitors and look forward to our concerts.
We should now be rehearsing for our "Summer special" but without being able to commit it to DVD we are unable to bring cheer to our elderly residents.
Please help us.
Thanks in anticipation
Dave

[DB83]

Maybe you should first state what software you used to create the dvds and, equally important, the brand and type (dvd-R or dvd+R) of blank media.


Also confirm that your testing was done in a dvd player and not just in a PC.

[ProWo]

For the future it might be an option for you to encode the recordings with x264 (video) and ac3/aac (audio) and distribute them as mkv or mp4 on a USB 3.0 stick. This is easier, with better quality. The USB sticks can be easily plugged in and played on all newer TVs.

[DB83]

^^Whilst your future suggestion might be sound, one still has to cater for the lowest common denominator. And certainly since there is no guarantee that these homes will have up-to-date hardware.


Re-reading the words it appears that the OP was not the final creator and that complicates assistance all the more.

[davebullock]

Hi,
Thanks for your replies and sorry for the delay in replying, I ticked the "email me when someone replies" but it doesn't work
So as far as I know the lady that made the DVD's used Movavi to compile the video content into a complete concert and then NERO to burn the DVD's.
She tested them both on her PC and then in her home DVD player. (but whether she tested every single one I can't say!)
As regards (dvd-R or dvd+R) this is also an issue as kind benefactors to our cause donated both types and again advice on the most suitable would be appreciated please?

I agree it would be great to put the video content on a memory stick (this was my first thought) but remember care homes DO have large TV's but maybe NOT smart TV's with USB input. Also, the staff may not be very technically minded or have the time/inclination to start messing with AV inputs to enable a USB input.
We have to make this as effortless as possible so our care home friends get to be entertained without annoying the overworked, stressed out staff.

So, we are not video 'experts' and our main concern was to thwart Covid 19 and let our local care homes see our concerts.
I have no idea whether there is a similar VHS/Betamax incompatibility issue with DVD standards, or whether we are just stupid and choosing the wrong method of producing our DVD's?
Do commercial movie producers have this same problem or do they have a secret spell?
This is why I am here
Please help.
Thanks
Dave

[DB83]

As far as getting email notifications for forum subscriptions/replies you select "automatically" from the drop-down list. The check-boxes only concern private messages.


I do not trust the later versions of Nero to create fully compatable dvds and it's burning capabilities are also suspect. With blank media I have always found that dvd-R are the most compatable for players but it can also come down to the quality of the blank-media and burn speeds (no more than 50% of the speed stated so 16x media should be burnt at 8x. And Nero does have confusing options as to the type of dvds it creates. So what may play in some players might not work in all.


When you come to do your next dvd you require two free programs.


By all means use movavi to create the intial video. But the dvd-authoring (what creates the files to burn to disk) should be done with avstodvd


And the actual burn at the speed stated should be done with imgburn.


These programs WILL create compatable dvds which should definitely play. I would suggest blank media but if you are at the mercy of voluntary donations that may not be practical. But do keep the name Verbatim in mind.

[davebullock]

Dear DB83, Great thanks for your reply and information.
Somehow I did get a notification that I had a reply thus time, did you fix it?.

OK, so this sounds more promising and I will have a look at the applications you suggest.
I have no idea which version of Nero she uses or the settings but will ask......
As I may be recommending the applications to our musical director (who has taught herself all the video editing stuff) are these two applications safe and 'advert/virus' free as best as you can tell?
I wouldn't be popular if I mess up her PC!

We only used donated DVD's because everyone seems to have a stash of unused ones, so they were 'pooled' to save money (maybe a false economy?).
We perform for free fund all our own costumes (daft Christmas tinsel/lights/ hats etc) and try to run the concerts on a shoestring.
However I would be perfectly happy to buy your recommended media just to make our efforts a success.

Our personal visits to the care homes are really uplifting, to see the residents singing along and looking happy is really great. Sadly the pandemic has put paid to any jollity, though we did write loads of Christmas cards to be distributed to those that had absolutely no family or friends to help them feel they weren't forgotten.
It looks like we need to get this DVD issue sorted looking at the current predictions.
All your thoughts and technical kinks no matter how small will be most gratefully appreciated, anything that seems obvious to you will not be to me.
Thanks again
Dave

[DB83]

The software is safe. They are highly recc in these forums. And they are well supported in the forum.


Since they are free you must pay attention when you install them and not widely click away. Then you will not install any adware that may come with them.

[davebullock]

Hi there,
Great thanks for the reassurance. I have asked our video lady to check her Nero version and the settings she used.
In the meantime I will 'carefully' try downloading the new applications.
[Attachment 56912 - Click to enlarge]
Now you get to see how daft we are in person (attached) we have a great time, I'm in the middle..LOL
Thanks
Dave

[DB83]

No comment


But that you, in normal circumstances, do this triggers my admiration. Thankfully, my late mother never found herself in a care home but she, and my father, had several vacations in rest homes or similar in South Wales. Every week, a guy would come in and entertain the guests and I know just how much his work was appreciated.

[davebullock]

Hi Thanks for your kind words, we really enjoy singing to our friends even though sometimes it is a challenge.
If things 'kick off' its like trying to sing in the middle of an agitated football crowd but the show must go on and that's what makes it so exhilarating.

So I asked my friend what her Nero settings are and she has replied:-

1) Nero 16 Classic. Settings - not quite sure what info you want here, but I've copied this from its details -
Audio format:Automatic
Sample format:Automatic
Encoding mode:Fast Encoding (1-Pass)
SmartEncoding: Automatic (recommended)
Number of titles: 1
1. Singalong (Movie, 0h 41m 53s)
- Audio SmartEncoding ratio: 0.0 %
- Video SmartEncoding ratio: 0.0 %
Video disc menu: Advanced

2) Burn speed set automatically to Max (could be - one of - the problem(s) - see point 3 below)

3) Maxwell for the FTS (-R) I couldn't see any 'Write speed', The Amazon order shows it as '16x', so I guess I should have selected '8x' rather than the automatic 'max':

I had a quick look at the two software packages and was slightly alarmed at all the warnings about ImgBurn messing up folk's PC's with various pernicious malwares.
Also the AVStoDVD looks a large learning curve.
As we will have our MovAVI file compiled in the correct running order, what is the special 'spell' that AVStoDVD casts on the file to make it 'bomb-proof' and play on any DVD player.
Is there an 'idiots guide' that circumnavigates most of AVStoDVD's features and allows one to open a MovAVI video and immediately burn a DVD in the correct (playable on every DVD player) format?
I don't want to suggest she has to go through a lengthy training again

Tricky isn't it?
Thanks
Dave

[DB83]

Here's a 'avstodvd guide for dummies' - no disrespect intended


(Although I prefer a fully manual two step process this can be done semi-automatically in one step)


1. Start the program. There is a default output folder (if you change that you may have to restart the program after that change)
2. Ensure that 'PAL' appears on the bottom info bar. If not...
2a. Click on the settings menu
2b. Select video tab
2c. Change to PAL and click ok
2d. restart the program.
3. Load your video.
4. Need a menu. No ? (this keeps it even more simple)
5. From the output menu select 'Burn DVD' (imgburn will have to be pre-installed)
6. Click the 'Start' Button
7. After some minutes, imgburn will start. Insert a blank disk in the writer. Change write-speed from auto (Device Menu). Ensure that the 'verify' box is checked and click the middle button below. The disk will now be burnt and verified. Confirm the playback before doing more.




There should also be some more detailed guides on here and elsewhere on the net. But no need to over-complicate the issue.

[davebullock]

Great thanks,
No worries 'Dummies guide' is what I need LOL!
You said:-
5. From the output menu select 'Burn DVD' (imgburn will have to be pre-installed)

So am I to understand that AVStoDVD will automatically find ImgBurn, link to it automatically, launch it, and burn the DVD?
Or have I got to have told AVStoDVD to specifically use ImgBurn beforehand?

We will get there ... sorry for being dim,
All the best
Dave

[DB83]

If imgburn is installed, you see a message in the information box when you run avstodvd. Yes. It will find and run the program.


The actual burning is only semi-automatic as I described. It may be automatic if a disk is already in the burner but then, I guess since I have never done that, you will still burn at max speed. It is NOT recommended.


When I create dvds, I actually output to folders. Test the dvd in a PC software player before using imgburn.


No problem. We all have to learn some time. And some of us, myself included, are still learning.

[davebullock]

Thank you .... you are a star
Dave