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Hi there.

VS X2, beginner but fast learner.

I want to make a DVD of 2008 for each of my three kids. This will include football (video and still pictures), gymnastics (video and still pictures) and some holiday video and still pictures.
This is what I WANT to do, but, is it PRACTICAL?

I know I will have to have chapters (for each of the three events) and sub-chapters (for every match).

How will you approach something like this? I really need your guidance as I don't want to start on this project only to realise that something like this won't work.

Thanx so long.
Deon

I'd do it exactly as you've said.
Bear in mind their are limitations to dvd specs of 99 chapters.
Plan it out on paper, then put into action.

Graham, thank you very much for your reply.

I know I am throwing myself in the deep side here, but that is the only way I am going to learn.

Last question: Can I make different projects for each of the events: football, gymnastics and holiday and then when sharing each of these projects make 3 Video Files and then using those three video files to make my DVD?

Thanx again for your help.

Deon

Deon, that's exactly how I do it. Every year I make a family DVD; holidays, birthdays, vacation, and my son's soccer, basketball and baseball seasons. I treat each one as a single project, and after editing I render to its own MPEG-2.

For example, basketball season is the first because it's over the winter. I edit it then render to an MPEG-2. Easter is usually next. Edit it then create an MPEG-2. Then baseball season, etc. At the end of the year, after all the projects are edited and rendered to MPEG-2 files, I go to Share>Create Disc and insert each of those MPEG-2s to be burned.

On the menu each of those separate projects will have their own thumbnail. I don't include chapters with those, but you certainly could.

Thanx again for your help.

I will start with last year's stuff. I'm glad I am on the right track. Do you also include some still pictures in your different projects?

The only reason I want chapters, is because I think all the gymnastics, for example, will be to long. I am still unsure about the chapters because I sometimes don't see it on the final step just before burning the DVD.

I will be posting a lot of questions from now on, but I am also very enthusiastic about this whole project.

Regards,
Deon

Do you also include some still pictures in your different projects?

Sure. Sometimes it's all video, sometimes all stills, and sometimes a mixture of both.

NOTE - I don't use Video Studio for DVD authoring, so I can't tell you exactly how to do the following things...

I know I will have to have chapters (for each of the three events) and sub-chapters (for every match).

A DVD can have up to 99 titles (programs) and each title can have up to 99 chapters. On a commercial DVD, the main movie will be one title and the "extra features" (if any) can be additional titles.

You can select titles and/or chapters from the menu. When you select a chapter from a menu, it will normally play through the remaining chapters to the end of the title. You can structure the DVD so that at the end of a title, it goes back to the menu, or plays the next title, or repeats the title, etc.

The >>| and |<< keys on your remote will skip between chapters, but it won't automatically skip to the next title. (It depends on how your DVD is structured/authored.)

You don't need a menu button for each chapter. I'll sometimes add chapters without associated menu buttons to make the >>| and |<< buttons work "nicely". i.e. For a (American) football game you could put a chapter every 5 minutes, and menu buttons for the start of each quarter.

If you play a sequence of titles, there will be a gap between titles. But, a chapter is simply a "marker", and there is no gap between chapters.

Ok, your explanation causes me to think hard now.

Initially I thought that Chapters can also be little thumbnails that I can click on. But, your explanation caused me to understand that chapters are only a "marker" in the title to where I can "skip" or "fast forward" to.

What causes the end video to have the different titles on the menu?

Regards,
Deon

Take your Idea.
Gymnastics
The video is one hour long.
It is one title.
You put chapters every 5 mins. You can skip quite quickly to any chapter point, either by pressing the ff button or a chapter number.
Once you reach the enxt chapter the video will continue to play until the end of the title (end of gymnastics).
At the end of the title you return to the menu.

Birthdays is one title.
But the video is only 10 mins long so you don't bother with chapters. You can fast forward to the end or rewind to watch something again, but you cannot jump to any set location in the movie.
At the end of the title you return to the menu.

Family holidays.
This might be 2 hours long.
So you decide to split it up into smaller movies of each holiday.
There were 5 holidays in the year.
From the main menu, you click on holidays and instead of seeing the movie you go to a second menu.
On this menu you have the titles of holiday 1 - 5.
You click on holiday one and you watch it.
Again this movie is 30 mins long so you put chapter points in every 6 minutes (or whatever).
To do this though, each holiday movie has to be rendered sperately as a solo file. (maybe someone who uses VS a lot can tell me this is now wrong)


Hope this helps in understanding.

skier-hughes wrote:Hope this helps in understanding.

Dear Graham.

Thank you very much; you will never know how much it helps me. you must convert this into a tutorial. There are many tips & tricks on VS but not really much on basis stuff, and to me this is on the second step from basic. The special effects come later.

Thank you again very much.

Deon

I think Steve did a diagram, but I can't find it!!

I have the diagram, but it does not tell me the steps you have written down.
Saying this, I know that it serves a very good purpose; I have also used it.

I think they call it Recommened Workflow.

Deon

Maybe not the same diagram, as there was one done for how a dvd menu (title/chapter) system works.

Authoring a DVD.

Cheers Jeff