Simulating "DVD mode" in a "Share" movie creation?

[Old_Friend]

Here's an off-wall-question. I have never tried to output a movie to a physical DVD, since I don't have a DVD drive, currently. So, since I don't know what options the VS DVD mode has, I'm wondering if there's some way to simulate/emulate Chapter (Titles) [within a "wmv" movie] output which, when mouse-clicked, will link-to and then open separate movies from the initial, main list of Chapters? Can this be done now with the DVD tools?

[Ron P.]

Is the video going to be viewed on a PC using a media player? This can be done very easily. Just go through the normal process of creating your DVD. This is done a couple of ways.
1. Create your video files first before entering the burn module. That way you can view them first to ensure they are how you want them to be. Then from the File menu select New Project, this will clear your timeline, and you will then go to Share>and click on the DVD icon along the left. This will open the burn module. In the burn module you will add all the video files you created and want on your DVD.
2. Proceed through the burn module, selecting your chapters, menus, ect.
3. The very last window/tab (Output) there is a drop-down menu button on the right side. Click on it to reveal more options.

Select the Create DVD Folders.

This will create all the files/folders on your hard drive instead of on a disc. Once that is done, you can use your media player of choice, to view it.

Now I did sort of intentionally skip one thing you mentioned, WMV file format. If you want to use the DVD structure, chapters, menus and all, they will not be in WMV format. The actual file containers inside the folders are *.VOB files. There will be 2 Folders, VIDEO_TS and an AUDIO_TS. All the DVD required files will be inside the VIDEO_TS. These are VOB (video), BUP, and IFO files. The BUP files are Back-up IFO files. The IFO files store the chapter, menu, start-up scenes. This is what the International standard requires for a DVD.

I don't use Windows Media Player, instead I use Media Player Classic Home Cinema or VideoLan Player. You just point the player to the Video_TS folder and it will play just like a DVD, complete with functioning menus.

[Old_Friend]

Is the video going to be viewed on a PC using a media player?..............
This will create all the files/folders on your hard drive instead of on a disc. Once that is done, you can use your media player of choice, to view it.

Ron, your reply is excellent. It's complete and easy to understand and even includes pictures. I'm going to view the final on my PC. When I mentioned *.wmv movies, it was only because my brother and some friends use only Windows Media Player, and also because *.wmv files are much smaller in file-size for e-mailing, etc.

Near the bottom of your post you gave me the answer I was hoping for. I also use VLC Media Player. However, it often displays a 'glitch' near the beginning of movies, which I have not been able to correct within VS. Windows Media Player does not display the glitch.

I don't use Windows Media Player, instead I use Media Player Classic Home Cinema or VideoLan Player. You just point the player to the Video_TS folder and it will play just like a DVD, complete with functioning menus.

The last sentence about '...pointing to the Video_TS folder...' is something I never would have guessed. Thank you for being so helpful!

--Old_Friend

[Old_Friend]

I've been reading and trying to learn more about creating output files for viewing from my own hdd. A few problems have me baffled.
Here's one of those problems. I'll state this with a couple of questions.

(1) Does the final movie project always play ALL the chapters, one-after-the-other, automatically, even after a user selects only 1 chapter (movie) to view? Mine plays them all non-stop.
(2) Is there a way to avoid that?
NOTE: I've tried placing the movies in the top Timeline and also tried placing them in the Overlay tracks.

Here's what I'm trying to do:
--Netflix (online streaming movies) has a Menu (they call it "My List") which lists all the movies I want to watch, in a column. I can choose one of those, watch it, then return to that "My List" column to select another movie. It does NOT play all the movies in that list, automatically.

[BrianCee]

Unfortunately the answer to question 1 is yes - it has always done that - right from the very early days - don't know how to change that with chapters

and to question 2 - the answer is also yes - but to do that you do not use chapters, you prepare each section (film) as a completely individual video - now they are called Titles - and will appear on your screen looking very much like chapters BUT you now have the option to set 'back to menu' aat the end of each title (film)

have a look at this video - - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvWu0lw6G4

it is one I made a while ago in X5 to demonstrate ways to customise a menu - the beginning is slightly different but once the DVD creation module opens it is the same as X9 - you will see there the result of importing 3 individual tiltes (films) and the resulting menu - which uses thumbnails to select but you can do similar with text titles

[Old_Friend]

Thank you, Brian! Very informative. I'll try some of the things I saw in your Demonstration video.

--Old_Friend