(S)VCD Menus not working on DVD player

[Chich]

Hi,

Can someone help me please.

I have a Sony DAVS-880P standalone DVD player with surround sound(Australian version, yet I believe it's multi-region).

I have created VCD menus using both Nero and VCD Easy, but my standalone DVD player refuses to play them.
When I insert the VCD, it immediately starts playing the first video track, and it doesn't display the menu at all.

After exhausting all methods (believing I was doing it incorrectly), I put the CD in my computer and opened it with PowerDVD.
The menu displays as designed on my PC.

Can someone please tell me if I need to set up the menu any differently for this particular type of DVD Player (DAVS-880P), or is it that my standalone DVD player just cannot play menus?

Thanks.

[adam]

Some dvd players automatically play the first video track, regardless of whether there are any segment items which are supposed to be played first. What you need to do is create a dummy video track that is at least 4 secs and make that your start item, then have it jump to your main menu.

[tempe]

Some player requires you to press PBC button on your remote control.

[Chich]

Hi guys,

I've tried burning a "blank" video clip as the first track, and then putting the menu. It didn't work on my DVD player.
However, it did work in my computer using PowerDVD. This tells me that I am creating the SVCD correctly.
I am burning the SVCD as a standard VCD, and creating the menu using VCDEasy.

What is a PBC button? I can't see this button anywhere if it meant to labelled as PBC...

Please help.

Thanks.

[adam]

Probably just a typo but, you are burning SVCD compliant files as a SVCD right? Not as a VCD, cause that wouldn't make any sense

PBC stands for playback control. It must be enabled in order to play menu's, ff, rw, etc... Most dvd players have a PBC button on the remote but not all. By default PBC should be turned on though. Maybe take a look through your player's settings to see if this option has somehow been turned off.

Well I've never heard of this happening, but perhaps your svcd compliant player just doesn't support menu's in a SVCD. If I were you I'd call the manufacturer and ask.

When you said you tried my advice, what did it do? Did it just not play at all? If so try making the dummy track a little bit longer. Did it play the dummy track and then end?

[Chich]

hehehe
Yes - it was a typo...
I have been burning SVCD compliant files onto SVCDs..

I will have to look into the Playback Control button, but I do not believe that I have one on my remote, or have ever seen it in the system menus, etc.
Having said that, I can fast forward and rewind the video using the remote control, therefore making me feel as though the playback control is enabled.

Here's what I did when I followde your advice
I created an SVCD with a video track first, then the menu, and then another video track. The 1st video track was 10s long.
My DVD player simply played the 1st video track followed by the 2nd video track. It didn't even stop for what was meant to be the menu...
However, when I put it in my PC, it played the 1st video track, then displayed the menu, then played the 2nd video track, thus proving I created the SVCD correctly...

Any more ideas?

[scottb721]

Hi Chich
I'm just up the highway in Newcastle.
You're best bet in my opinion is to use VCDEasy to set up playback control of menus and mpeg files.
VCDEasy creates an image of the disc then just burn the image using Nero.
I do it all the time.
It's very simple and can be fun.

[adam]

I believe he already is using VCDEasy.

Well your DVD player is either just quirky, or it just doesn't support menu's in a SVCD. I have only one other suggestion, include a way of navigating to the main menu on that first dummy track. So basically make the #1 key take you to main menu, or something. Try playing the SVCD and hitting 1 before that first track finishes. Other than that I think you may be out of luck.

[Chich]

Thanks Scott,

However I am using VCDEasy. I know that I am creating the menus correctly, because they work when I play the SVCD in my PC.
I am creating the menus exactly as per the guides on this website.

There appears to be something wrong with the way my DVD Player reads the menus.


I'm asking if I need to set it up in a different way so that I can get the menus to play?

Please help.

[Chich]

Guys,

I've just finished testing with it, and seem to have found the answer..

It would appear that the DVD player does not play the menus of a SVCD, but will play them for a VCD.
When I insert a normal VCD with a menu, a "PBC" message appears on the screen. When I insert a SVCD with a menu, it just plays the video files without displaying the "PBC" message.

This leaves me to believe that my DVD player cannot play the menus of SVCDs. Weird!

Anyway - Now I have to worry about burning my files as a SVCD, but with a VCD header so as to trick my DVD player..

Thanks for your help guys - very much appreciated!