PhotoDex ProShow Producer DVD Menu Issues

[Bubba Magrew]

After struggling for months with the horribly buggy CyberLink PowerDirector to create my photo DVD, upon the recommendation of a professional photog friend I downloaded a trial version of the PhotoDex ProShow Producer software. LOVED it (OMG, a program that doesn't crash every 60 seconds - what a concept!), and ended up coughing up the $400 to buy it last week. Of course I had to completely re-build my slide shows that I'd created in PowerDirector, but got that done and the result is awesome.

Unfortunately, I've run into a problem in the burning process. I have two "shows" within my project, so I wanted to set my menu up to play each show individually or Play All (play both shows in succession). ProShow Producer gives these options (Play All is actually an available default) and I set everything up on my menu to link appropriately, but once the burn is complete, I can't access my second show while playing it. The menu link to the second show doesn't work (although the link to the first show does), and Play All plays the first show, but not the second; after the first show finishes, it returns to the DVD player's menu (not my DVD's play menu). I've tried this on three different home entertainment DVD players and with the DVD player software on my computer, and get the same result - can't access the second show.

PhotoDex has a unique offering in their customer service - you can actually send the project to them for testing and diagnosis - AWESOME idea, which I did yesterday, but of course I am on a tight deadline (Christmas gift that has to be shipped out by Wednesday), so I thought I'd ask here (since you all usually seem to know more than any tech support!)

Any thoughts on why this is happening or what I could try to do to fix it? I've wasted four DVDs so far....

Oh and another weird, but minor issue with this software. The text on the play menu is "fuzzy" after burn. It doesn't matter one bit what font I use or the size - and stranger still, it doesn't happen on slide captions; just on the DVD play menu. It's an irritant, but something I can live with - the not being able to play my second show is not!

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

[ffreezinmn]

Hey bubba

it sounds like your second title is not referenced, try using Pgcedits trace function to check.

if you posted your ifo's perhaps someone who is good at editing ifo's would be willing to edit them or at lest take a look at them for you.

F

[r0lZ]

Yes, post the IFOs AND the menu VOB.

[Bubba Magrew]

Thanks!

OK, thanks for your help - AND the link to the PGCEdits tool. I'll give it a shot first.

[Bubba Magrew]

Well, I can't trace the problem 'cause I get an error right away; the PFCEdits tool can't open my DVD file. Here's what it says, in three different messages:
First pop-up:
"Error 1000 checking IFO file type. File <name> is not of correct type DVDVIDEO-VTS."
Second pop-up:
"Error: Could not open the VTS 2 IFO file. Try to fix the problem with IfoEdit or restore the backup."
Third pop-up:
"Error in VNG_TT_SRPT table. The Title 2 is assigned to a non-existing PGC. "
It then asks me if I want to remove Title 2....

Got the IfoEdit software and the VTS file for menu item 2 is empty. So, this is something that is happening within the PhotoDex software. Is it possible for me to copy the VTS info from item 1 to item 2 and edit it so it will work?

[r0lZ]

No, that's really difficult, almost impossible.
But post your IFOs. Maybe it's something odd that can easily be fixed...

[Bubba Magrew]

Ifo

IFO files attached. I tried starting from scratch with a new project; same issue.

[ffreezinmn]

my goodness!
rOIZ or blu will most likely need your menu vob.
I will be very intrested in the out come.

[Bubba Magrew]

VOB Files Attached

Thanks for coaching me, ffreezinmn - I'm definitely a rookie! I hope I sent the correct VOB file.... The other two are gigantic!

Funny how beginning a photo DVD for my Mom's 70th birthday could start out as such an innocent project in June...here I am in December still trying to make it work correctly!

[ffreezinmn]

No coaching on my part, it was just a guess.

unfortunately your Ifo's are beyond my skill to repair.

FYI: the free dvd editing software is often the best software. Try DVD styler for creating menus next time. rOIZ's program PGCedit is a fantastic tool!

I truly hope someone will be able to solve your dvd issue.

F

[Bubba Magrew]

Workaround for Issue

Well, I "fooled" the software to get around my current problem. Further experiments determined that no matter what order or how many "shows" I placed in my project, the software only detected and burned the first show - that's why the second menu doesn't work; the show itself isn't there.

My project had two shows, so I put them together into one huge show and was able to burn successfully. I'm still going to pursue this vigorously with the application vendor; this is obviously a bug and if I'm paying $400 for their product, issues of this magnitude need to be resolved.

[blutach]

Truly crappy authoring package you got there.

VTS_02 IFO is not an IFO at all. That's what the DVDVIDEO_VTS message is all about. It is more than corrupt - it is irretreivable since it is just 2kb of 00s!

If you have a VOB for VTS 2, you can make an IFO. Use the Create IFOs function of IfoEdit. First copy (don't move) your VTS 2 VOBs to a new folder and rename them to VTS_01_X.VOB (where X = 1, 2, 3, etc corresponding to the same number in VTS_02_X.VOB you have now). Then open IfoEdit and click Create IFOs. Use the following settings:



(Obviously browse to the folder you have with the now renamed VOBs in it). Use the . at the right to browse.

When finished, close IfoEdit and do this:

1. Substitute the attached IFOs for the ones you have already in your ORIGINAL folder.
2. Delete VTS_02_0.IFO
3. Open the original project in PgcEdit - there will no longer be any warnings.
4. Import the new titleset you made with IfoEdit into PgcEdit using the File - Import VTST Titles function. Save and Test in a software player.



Regards

[r0lZ]

I agree, It's probably the best and simplest way to fix the problem.

[classfour]

ProShow

I've been using ProShow (Gold or Producer) for a couple of years now, and while I'm impressed with the product and ease of creating a slideshow, I've always been unhappy with the final DVD when authored with ProShow.

To remedy this, I usually save each segment of the slideshow as a DVD quality Mpeg2 file instead of sending it to DVD. I then put it all together in TDA (Assemble, MENU, Burn) and have a test disc that will play every time.

Just be certain to put a blank panel in the first and last slides (under 1 sec duration) and fade into and out of them.

[Bubba Magrew]

Thanks everyone for your prompt and sensible advice. I finally heard from tech support at PhotoDex, and it sounds as though they have a new version of the app that may fix this awful bug. We'll see. I'll let y'all know how it goes!