Burning a DVD

[andyfranks]

Hi - I have a few questions on creating a DVD, in VS Pro X5.

I'm creating a DVD with just one MPEG2 feature length movie. I've selected the movie and done all the technical burn settings.

What I want is for the DVD to begin with a screen that has the options to 'Play Movie' which plays the whole thing or 'Chapters' which then goes to a chapters menu. Obviously they have to be able to get back to the option to play the whole movie.

I've separated the movie into the chapters by doing Add/Edit Chapter and clicked Next.

Am I right that Add Title Menu creates the first screen, and the Add Chapters Menu then creates the Chapters Menu? How do you have the Play Movie option - or is that just achieved by playing the first chapter (ie does it carry on with the whole movie?) With each chapter, does it proceed to play the whole of the rest of the movie after that chapter?

Also, the first chapter has a black screen thumbnail. How can I change the look (but not the actual starting point) of that chapter?

What does 'close the disc' mean? Does closing it give better copyright protection on the movie being taken off the DVD?

Finally, how do I save all these chapters and settings so I can just a burn the DVD quickly next time without creating chapters etc? (I am creating a Disk file, but can I save it as a Project?).

Please help a first time DVD burner!

Thanks, Andy F

[BrianCee]

By default all the menu templates have a 'play all' button - depending on the template it's appearance will alter but it will always have the basic right pointing 'play' icon used by most video playing equipment - either clicking on it - or just pressing 'play' on your remote should play the whole movie all the way through. you can add a text line to the menu telling people how to access the play all - like "Click here to play the movie"

depending on what sort of template you are using you should also have one other selection - one thumbnail or one text line - selecting this should take you to the chapter selection menu.

you switch between which menu you are editing by using the drop down immediately under the preview window in the menu set up screens

To change just the picture in your first chapter thumbnail - RIGHT click over the thumbnail and from the pop-out choose "Change this scene thumbnail" this will open a small window where you can change the image which is showing

not sure if I've completely answered your question - but feel free to expand your question if I have not explained to your satisfaction.

[andyfranks]

Thanks - few more questions:

How do a give the DVD itself a different title to the actual movie clip I imported to use eg my movie clip says 'Film Title 6000kbps for DVD' but I just want the DVD to asppear on people's DVD player as 'Film Title'?

When I right click the chapter thumbnails, nothing happens - no drop down menu appears.

How do I add a text box?

What does 'close the disc' mean? Does closing it give better copyright protection on the movie being taken off the DVD?

If you tick 'add copyright information' or whatever it is does that just appear at the start, before the menus?

How do I save all these chapters and settings so I can just a burn the DVD quickly next time without creating chapters etc? (I am creating a Disk file, but can I save it as a Project?).

And also, is there a way of marking threads on the forum as finished - ie I'm happy with everything being answered?

Thanks, Andy F

[BrianCee]

Are you right clicking over the thumbnail in the menu editing window - that is the window which has the gallery down the left hand side - the first window you get to after adding chapters. change to the thumbnail menu by changing the drop down under the preview window.you should get a fly-out with numerous options to allow you to edit the text - change the font - change the picture etc.

to add text click on "Add Text" under the bottom right corner of the preview screen.

Closing a disc means that no further information can be added to that disc - you must do this if the disc is to play on many stand alone DVD players.

I do not normally use the add copyright button - but I understand it adds a separate file to the disc in which you can put specific information regarding ownership of the copyright - it does not appear when playing the disc.

I always add a copyright note together with the international copyright symbol as text on one of my menu screens.

at any time when editing the menus and you want to stop (to eat or go to bed) then close the create disc menu and a message will flash by "saving project" - after that you MUST do 'File >> Save" as a project - this will preserve the menu in that project.

there is no option to "finish" topics on the forum - they all just stay open forever - for anyone subsequent to read or ask further questions.

[andyfranks]

Thanks - I'm getting there.

I don't need or have a title menu because there's only one film on it, I just want to have a menu with chapters but with the option to play the whole movie from the beginning.

I think it's done, but I just want to check - the (four) screens of the chapters menu I've created show chapters as thumbnails with headings. On each screen is a right arrow icon, like this:

>

Does this mean play from the beginning or play the selected chapter?

How do I get a play movie from the beginning option without a title menu?

If a chapter is selected and played, does it then play to the end of the film?

Thanks, Andy F

[BrianCee]

You cannot have a menu structure in VideoStudio which does not include the title menu - you can make a DVD with no menu at all - but if you want chapters you must have a title menu as well.

the little arrow > plays all - you have to actually select individual chapters to play them.

what happens at the end of a chapter depends on what you set - in the bottom left corner of the create disc window are four icons - click on the one which has a gear wheel on it - a new dialogue window opens.

at the bottom of that window is a checkbox next to "auto repeat when disc playback ends" - click to uncheck that box and the drop down next to it will become available - use that to select the option you require.

You can test out the complete operation of your menu by using the 'Preview' option at the very bottom of the create disc window - this allows you to see exactly how your menu will work when burnt to DVD.

[andyfranks]

I see thanks.

On the title menu I've just created I can't seem to change the background from the template - I'm in Background image / video and it changes OK in the selection box but not actually on the screen. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Andy F

[BrianCee]

I have never ever come across that

is the image you are choosing one of the more standard formats (bmp. jpb. png etc.) or is it a oddball of some sort

I can't explain that - if the dropdown is showing it the preview window should as well.

Does this video help you at all :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMDId9qnVV0

[andyfranks]

It's certainly helpful, but I think I've got the background image right - it has worked OK on the chapters menu which has the right background image, but for the title screen it selects it in the selection menu thing but it doesn't actually appear on the screen. Doesn't matter if it's JPEG or BMP or whatever. This is the last bit before I'm ready to burn!

When it comes to burning, I want to burn a disc file and DVD file as well as the actual disc. The movie clip is in the format it needs to be so it doesn't need to render, it should just burn. Should I do each operation separately, or can I tick all the boxes?

Thanks, Andy F

[canuck]

Andy, what do you mean by "disc file" and "DVD file"?

[andyfranks]

Sorry, I mean where it says 'Create DVD folders' and 'Create disc image' on the Output page. Should I do each of those actions separately or can I do them and burn the DVD at the same time?

The background image was hidden behind the 'background' of the template. When I hid the object, my background image appeared!

Thanks, Andy F

[BrianCee]

Personally I never burn all three options at the same time - in fact why would you want to do all three.

I usually just create DVD folders - then check all is well by playing them in "Roxio" (or whatever DVD playing software you have) and if they are good then I use those to burn as many DVDs as I need.

Many users prefer to just create the disc image file and check that out in Roxio or the free VLC player - then if all appears well VideoStudio has the option to burn .iso files to DVD.

Either of these avoid making "coasters" by ensuring that the DVD works as you want before wasting a disc.

[andyfranks]

OK Brian thanks so much for your help. I think I might be ready to burn a DVD!

[andyfranks]

And indeed I appear to have done so! Thanks Brian.

[Brain Champagne]

How do you get from DVD folders on the hard drive to a burned DVD? Is just copying the files to the DVD enough to make it play on a DVD player? Or do you have to get the files back into VS?