Multi session slide show

[farhat]

Hello, I am new to this site and have just received DVD Movie Factory program.
Now I have run into difficulty as the program tells that several slide shows of 99 photoes can be created but doesn't show how to format for multi session as after buring a slide show it desn't allow for the 2nd on the same DVD-RW and if I have a formatted disk from Nero then it doesn't recognize it.
Please anyone with info guide me as how to multi session burning with this software.

Thanks

[thecoalman]

You can't create multi session for a DVD compliant DVD. To be DVD compliant it has to meet cetain specifications and contain a specified structure to be playable in a standalone DVD player as a DVD with menus and chapter points.

The 99 limitation is a DVD compliant limitation, you can only have 99 chapter points. In other words for your remote control to go directly to the next image requires a chapter point hence you can only have 99 images.

You can however create a video with multiple images. For example if you created a video with 10 images with a duration of 10 seconds each and inserted a single chapter point at the beggining of the clip. If you followed this pattern you would be able to add 99 video clips with 10 images each providing there's enough space on the DVD. You will not however be able to go directly to any image, only the first one in the clip. To view the rest will require that you sit through them or use the fast forward.

note: this is not say you can't create chapter points in the middle of a clip. you can do that but you just can't exceed 99 overall.

[farhat]

Hi, thecoalman,
I very much appreciate your detailed answer and have made many things much clearer.
Now if you could please also be kind to tell me how i can put several slideshows of 99 pictures on one cd. do I have to write them on my hard drive and then burn them on a cd and not go through multisession or is there any other way of doing it.

I thank you once again for your time in educating me.

[GeorgeW]

The 99 limitation is a DVD compliant limitation, you can only have 99 chapter points. In other words for your remote control to go directly to the next image requires a chapter point hence you can only have 99 images.

note: this is not say you can't create chapter points in the middle of a clip. you can do that but you just can't exceed 99 overall.

afaik, the DVD Spec allows for up to 99 Titles, and each Title can have up to 99 Chapter points. So you could have more than 99 overall chapters on a DVD and still be DVD compliant.

[thecoalman]

afaik, the DVD Spec allows for up to 99 Titles, and each Title can have up to 99 Chapter points. So you could have more than 99 overall chapters on a DVD and still be DVD compliant.

George it appears that I have stuck my foot in my mouth yet again.

@Farhat If you wish to put more than one image on a DVD you would need to create a single video of up to 99 images. A chapter point can be set for each image. Repeat for each new clip....

MF is probably creating each image as a seperate clip, yoyu would have to combine them to into a single to add more chapters. There may even be shorcuts in MF for doing this. Plus I don't know what the limitations are for chapters and titles in MF so that may not be possible.

You can make a VCD but the menu for a VCD is fairly limited and the video is low quality compared to DVD.

[farhat]

Hello, Thecoalman and George.
Thanks for your input. I have just finished looking into as how to make chapters and add clips but I may be missing something or not getting what you gentlemen know. If i have to add more chapter it keeps asking me to have erease the previous one to creat the new which again can hold upto 99 photoes, whereas it keeps telling me that It is possibile to creat 36 slide shows of 99 photoes each.

I am totally confused and looks like i can't further without yours help .

Please don't giveup on me.

thanks

[GeorgeW]

What version of DVD MovieFactory are you running? Is it a FULL version, or is there an "SE" or anything else in its name?

Did it come bundled with some hardware, or is it a retail version?

When does the "99" message show up?

Can you just hit the Slideshow icon again to add another slideshow to your timeline?

[maddrummer3301]

Hi,

I remember the trial version had a limitation and also the original retail
release of MF3 had many bugs for slideshow creation.
I think you were limited to 99 pictures for a slideshow in the trial version.

After you install the updates to the original release of MF3 ulead corrected
the limitation for the amount of pictures.

I make slideshows with hundreds of pictures per slideshow (not chapters).

If you want to make a slideshow that you can progress through the pictures
back and forth using the remote then the newer dvd players use the
directory structure method along with the new microsoft spec.
Same method as making a MP3 disk to play in a dvd player.
The slideshow uses the same method.

The difference is one method (MF3 slideshow) is creating a video(s) on the
dvd and the other method is putting the actual pictures on the dvd.

Hope this helps,

MD

[farhat]

Hello George and MD thanks for taking time to help me.
I have DVD Movie Factory 2SE which came with the bundle.
On Picture and Slide show options it tells that (" In this version of Ulead DVD PictureShow a DVD can have up to 30 Slideshows with 99 photoes each") and the same goes with VCD/SVCD options.

Before buring it tells in the "advance" tab that by selecting ("not to Close after burnning") can allow to add files in the future on the same disk using other burnning softwares.

Well I have tried these but of no use. It prompts to earse the content of the disk before it can be burned.

The 99 pictuers comes up after 99 photoes have been added to a slide show and goes no further. And it is not a trial version I have registered it and is fully functional with (Create Movie DVD, Create Photo/SlideShow DVD, Edit Video and Play DVD.)

I hope to have provided enough detail or will give more if needed.
Thanks for Your Time

[GeorgeW]

Hello George and MD thanks for taking time to help me.
I have DVD Movie Factory 2SE which came with the bundle.
On Picture and Slide show options it tells that (" In this version of Ulead DVD PictureShow a DVD can have up to 30 Slideshows with 99 photoes each") and the same goes with VCD/SVCD options.

Before buring it tells in the "advance" tab that by selecting ("not to Close after burnning") can allow to add files in the future on the same disk using other burnning softwares.

Well I have tried these but of no use. It prompts to earse the content of the disk before it can be burned.

The 99 pictuers comes up after 99 photoes have been added to a slide show and goes no further. And it is not a trial version I have registered it and is fully functional with (Create Movie DVD, Create Photo/SlideShow DVD, Edit Video and Play DVD.)

I hope to have provided enough detail or will give more if needed.
Thanks for Your Time

Is it DVD MovieFactory or DVD PictureShow?

I believe the reference of being able to leave the session open means you can burn other "data" to the disc, but you won't be able to burn another DVD Image to the disc. Notice it says you can "add files in the future" with other burning software...

[maddrummer3301]

Hi,
It sounds like the program is working properly.
The program isn't packet writing the disk. It's probably formatted
for packet writing and the program simply will use it as a regular
dvd. The only difference is it's a re-writable disk. Otherwise the
program would say disk not writable or disk full.

So formatting it in Nero is useless because MF isn't packet writing
to the dvd. MF is writing to the dvd as it would any dvd EXCEPT
it's a re-writiable. MF knows it's a rewritable and asks if you want
to erase it and start a session.

Simply let the disk be erased and then write the slideshow to it.
If you want to add files to the dvd later you can do so by leaving the session open.
That is what the "Do Not Close disk" checkbox is for.
The next writing session would be another SESSION.
You can't write another SESSION that is identical to the 1st session
or directories will clash each other with duplicate file_names.
But, you can open up NERO, then import the 1st session written
by ulead and add another session of files to the dvd.
When you do this you have to start Nero with the template
"Continue Multsession".

Now, if you want to write another slideshow to the disk you will have
to erase it again and start from scratch unless you HIDE that session or not link it. to the next session because of "Duplicate" directory
and filenames.

This isn't "Packet_Writing". It's simply using the dvd+rw as a
rewritable disk and writing one session to it without closing the disk.

Hope this helps,

MD

[farhat]

Hi George and MD,
I am very greatful to you for educating me.

The software says. ("Ulead DVD MovieFactory Studio Suite Deluxe")

And this is the message under advance command before finnishing.
("Do not close disc Select to not close the the CD/DVD after the burning process. This allows you to use the same disc to add new files in the future using another CD/DVD burning software.")

Now MD. You have addressed the issue in very detail which have made many things much clearer and I am getting the concept.

Regarding leaving the session open, I have done so but did not work or probably as Geroge had mentioned it is for data, which I have not yet tried. But this wording of ULead in this regard is confusing. MD, you too have mentioned ("If you want to add files to the dvd later you can do so by leaving the session open. That is what the "Do Not Close disk" checkbox is for.") which did not allow me to write DVD, VCD or SVCD from MF and Nero 6.6.

I was able to import by Nero to combine with other project by Nero but did not allow me to add on the same disk but requires a clean disk. Now if you could please let me know HOW TO HIDE OR NOT TO LINK THE SESSION.

All I was looking to once I start a Re-writable disk it should with open session allow to add more photoes into once written slideshow by adding or editting it. One should be able to selectively delete or add one or more photoes into any available slideshows. This is what I thought with
DVD-RW and having an option of OPENSESSION, I probably have misunderstood the terminology and I wish if this could be possible which makes more sense by not having to rewrite the whole project anytime one wants to add couple of photoes.

Once again I thank you for the detailed reply to my post.

[maddrummer3301]

Hi,
Maybe in the suite of programs to do what you want it might
be better to try "Edit Disk".
There are many ways to make a slideshow.
I like the new spec that dvd players use which is putting the files
into a directory on the disk. The same as making a MP3 audio disk.

MovieFactory3 makes a slideshow that's turned into
a video then the video has to be re-created to add/delete pictures.

Technically I don't think you can actually close a
DVD+RW. I know you can a DVD-RW but I think that's the new
cross compatibility of the newer dvd+rw's. You can write data to
them and read them in almost any computer.
Even though you can tell a prgram to close a dvd+rw I don't think it's
technically closed because you can't close them. I think.

There is one tip when using ulead products and slideshows.
Ulead by default also puts the pictures on the cd/dvd by archiving
them to the written cd/dvd. This adds space and sometimes when
you have put alot of pictures on a CD at the burn process you
get an error "Not enough disk space". The option is somewhere's
under the "Advanced" tab in the burning stage to enable/disable
this feature. So even if your project only reports 600megs, after the
pictures are added they would exceed the CD's capacity.

Ulead's Burn_now program is very confusing with dvd+rw's.
If packet writing you format the disk in one screen. To add
data to it you use another screen. If you go back to the original
screen it only wants to format it again and replace the data.

I think the fact that your using a rewritable may be confusing
I would say the "Do not close disk" is really for dvd-r+r's.
It can only close a dvd-rw / dvd+r /dvd-r disk.
I think if you write a session to a dvd+rw and tell it to close the
dvd+rw that you can still use nero and add another session to it
Providing there's enough room on the dvd. Also providing you
aren't duplicating directories or filenames on the root side.

Probably none of this helps your situation.

MD

[farhat]

Hello MD,
You have done alot for me by putting every aspect in very detail and I must thank you for that.

Now I want to ask you one more thing, which is let say I have several photos and I wanted to organize them on CD-RW OR DVD-RW not +RWs.
what shoud I do, Which program to use so that as you have mentioned

("There are many ways to make a slideshow.
I like the new spec that dvd players use which is putting the files
into a directory on the disk. The same as making a MP3 audio disk." )

I like to follow your lead in resolving this. I am sure you have understood my problem and know how to bring this to end.

1) able to write am manay as possible to use maximum space available on a disk.
2) add or edit photos on the same disk, if possible without rewriting what is already been written.
3) playable on dvd. (my dvd plays, VCD, SVCD, DVD, DVD-RW AND CDRs AND CDRW.

I can see that you have good knowledge and know-how and I want to follow your steps in resolving this matter. I know I am asking too much and have already spend much time in educating me. I really am gratefull to you.

Thanks

[maddrummer3301]

Hi,

The newer dvd players produced by "Panasonic" and others are now
using the "Multi-Format" playback. These players play many types of
CD/DVD formats and disk-types.

Microsoft introduced a new multi-media format called "HighMat".
These disks conform to the "DCF" (Design Rule for Camera File System)
directory/file_naming structure.
You can create a directory structure on a RW disk and play the contents
on the dvd player. These disks are for audio & pictures although I would
suspect the wmv (windows_streaming_video_format) may be next for that
spec. According to the book you can also add audio background but the
instructions aren't very good. I would get a copy of the "HighMat" specs.

The "Panasonic" Multi-format" 5 disc unit I have plays these disks.
So does the Panasonic dvd recorder.

You would need to create a directory structure starting with 3 digits so the
units can sort easily (that must be the DCF spec).
Example:
001-Tull (music files)
001-Jethro tull song1.wma
002-Jethro tull song2.wma
003-Jethro tull song3.wma
004-Jethro tull song4.mp3
< etc, etc, etc>
002-Bermuda_Pictures
001_Picture001.jpg
002_Picture001.jpg
003_Picture001.jpg
004_Picture001.jpg
<etc, etc, etc>

You can also nest the directories.
If you have a panasonic dvd recorder with a harddisk you can also copy
the pictures to the harddisk.

The only Glitch on my panasonic unit is I have to change the mode in the
setup menu to either play the audio files or the pictures. Takes 10 seconds.
You can have the unit play a slideshow and select the time for pausing.
It's mainly done from the dvd player unit. The unit also previews the clips
showing about 12 thumbnails per page.
Everything is controlled by the remote.

1) able to write am manay as possible to use maximum space available on a disk.
..........................................................
I would use Nero (the best!!!)
..........................................................

> 2) add or edit photos on the same disk, if possible without rewriting what is > already been written.
........................................................
Using rewritables that's easy.
........................................................

> 3) playable on dvd. (my dvd plays, VCD, SVCD, DVD, DVD-RW AND
> CDRs AND CDRW.
....................................................................................................................................
I don't see a problem except you may have to purchase a player that
plays the HighMat format.
....................................................................................................................................

Also some information, when you see a dvd player/recorder or TV that can
take the SD/flash memory cards (same type as in digital cameras) these
use the DCF spec.

Hope this helps,

MD