Authoring query..

[ouidini]

hi all.. I'm attempting to put together a mini-DVD (i.e. burnted on a 74min CDR).

I'd like a sugestion plse as to a nice quick start package for this..

What i'm trying to do, in effect, is make a mini disc that has a few video sequences, menu and can be Region 1 (usa).

I'm not trying to authoring for commerical/pro reasons, its that i'm wanting producing a test disc to use to test DVD Players (stand-alone, not dvd-rom drives), to check to see if they are already open to region 1 and also to test if an unlock process works..

I dont watch DVD's, so i don't own any discs.. plus, where i work, if i left a commerical disc floating around.. it'd be swiped in no time..

any suggestions would be great... thanks... Chris B.

[mattward2k]

RE: Authoring query..

I suggest DVDJunior, its a simple program to use where u just use an easy-to-understand interface to create menu's, text and buttons as well as titles. you can select the buttons to link them to titles and chapters with in the titles, there's also a sub-program for splitting vob streams into chapters. there's also a subtitle editor and you can link specific buttons to several audio and subtitle layers. input mpeg streams have to be mpeg2 or vob, and the program will turn mpeg2 streams into vobs. made by AuthoringWare (http://www.authoringware.com/) who also make other DVD Authoring programs but this is the best.

[gazza]

Hi Chris,

It's irrelevant what authoring software you use, you will not be able to region encode a DVD or cDVD (CD-R/RW).

If your sole purpose as I understand it in your message, is to test set-top DVD players to see they are able to accept region 1, then you will have to buy a cheap commercial DVD.

Another thing to note, is that any CD you create with DVD content is classed as a cDVD, which is incompatible with the majority of set-top DVD players.

I create my own DVD's using the Pioneer A03 and author using a number of programs and can tell you from experience that you are wasting time and effort if region encoding is your goal.

Cheers

Gazza

[mattward2k]

I disagree....

DVD Junior will in fact let you select any region code between 1 and 6 aswell as multi-region for all players. This can be done when you select Pre-Mastering and select one of the pre-mastering options, eg Write to Hard Disk or Write to CD-R and selecting the checkbox which loads the regions. You can select, 1, several or all of the options there. Any DVD-Player that says it supports CD-R's should in fact support miniDVD's (DVD's on a CD-R) unless it specifically says it has some sort of protection against it.

Wish you luck