There are some minor grammar errors in dialog boxes. After a disc is finished writing, a small dialog box pops up that says "Writing". This should say "Writing Done" or "Writing Finished". The same for the DVD Author program, after it creates the DVD folders.

This is a small request, and could confuse new users. The first time I saw this box say "Writing", I thought it still needed to continue to write, but actually it was finished.

How about making it so we could replace the "Highlight" layer with a "Rollover" layer; in "Specify image for thumbnail frame" dialog?
You could have the "Rollover" layer be just like the "Thumbnail" layer except that it can be invisible until mouse-over, like the "Highlight" layer. A text rollover layer would be nice too, but it's already there with the ability to make a text layer the "Highlight" layer. ( an interface to do it in TDA would be nice though) Of course, you could just make a still image with your text on it and load that with a "Thumbnail" type "Rollover" layer

Personally, I would like a "Layer Edit" selection under the regular "Edit" selection of the right click menu for a thumbnail on the "Edit menu theme" page.

The current bottom "Frame" layer should also be made available so that you can
select its image and parameters. A text option here, including the ability to paste from the clipboard, would be good.

A "Rollover" layer that can replace the current "Highlight" layer over Text
items, would be teriffic. You could have a text of the title and when you mouse-over it the "Rollover" layer image or clip would appear.

All the elements seem to be there we just need TDA setup to allow us to use them.

Luck;
Ken

I am using a *.m2v file as the video source and a *.wav file as the audio source , but when I finish output to a DVD, I found that AUDIO_TS folder is empty, aslo, as for sure, I couldn't hear any sound after I burn to disc.
can anyone tell me why? thanks!

The AUDIO_TS folder is always empty---it's supposed to be. It may be used for DVD-Audio discs, but on a normal video DVD, the folder is empty.

Was your .WAV file a proper 16-bit, 48Khz PCM Audio file?

It seems that "DVD Lab" is the only tool with which SVCD-DVDs are creatable. What I want to do: making a SVCD on a DVD medium with a easy automatically created DVD menu.

FIRST: I miss an option in "Pegasys DVD Author" for creating a SVCD-DVD to put several SVCD-standard video-steams (480x...) on a DVDR. This can save very much space on the discs and as well reduce the number of needed DVDR/SVCD discs in the DVD-shelf.

SECOND: It would be nice, if the menu creating step would give the possibility to use the file-name of a video-clip as chapter-name. This is not possible.

The aim was: Creating a music video-clip-collection in SVCD-resolution on DVDR. Much work, if you have to correct 100 video-clip-chapter-names!!!

I hope, the programmer can make things true in the next version of the program. "DVD Lab" as alternative is very hard to handle (making connections between all the videos, rename all the so called movies, manually menu creation...). I like the easy and fast handling of "Pegasys DVD Author" much and hope, the need of the two new features will be heared.

...forgotten...

As well: "DVD Source Creator" should give an option to "leave file-names as they are originally" in the output-step after "create for every video a seperatly file":

[X] Do NOT rename output file names, use the originally file-names.

How can I change the combined DVD sound and vision) bitrate so that it will work on a DVD?

Here's what I have....
1 set of .ifo, .VRO and .BUP files from a set-top Sony DVDR.

I have downloaded a trial of TMPG Enc. and want to convert this to DVD-R.
When I try to complete the TMPG steps then at the final stage I get a warning saying that the combined bitrate is too high.
How can I reduce this and keep decent sound & picture quality?

Peter

Heya, Ive got TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 and when creating dvd menus, the only way that i seem to be able to get a picture for the menus (of the paticular title) is what the start frame is. As in if it starts with black, the thumbnail is black etc. Can anyone please tell me how to add my own pictures for thumbnails for menus?

Just click on the Picture and use the Slider to choose an other Pic...

I've come across several "tricks" to make just about any menu
you can dream up, in TDA.

First off you will need a graphics editor that can make ".psd" files,
Photoshop, or the free GIMP 2. (for the first two ideas)

The latest is the "kk_oop Thumbnail Speck" trick
("kk_oop" provided it on the "rec.video.desktop" Newsgroup)

When you make your own Thumbnail Frames, you create a .psd
file with three layers. The bottom layer gets labeled "Frame" and
normally is shaped as a frame. On top of that is a solid black
layer that normally fills in the an area "inside" the frame, this is
labeled "Thumbnail". Lastly, a copy of the thumbnail layer is on
top, it's visibility is set "off" and it's labeled "Highlight".

"kk_oop" came up with this trick so that he could have fancy "layer"
effects on his text menu buttons. TDA's text lets you use most fonts
but only with solid colors, no gradients or such. He posted:

" I made my frame layer the fancy text. I made the thumbnail layer
have a very tiny rectangle. Note that if I made the rectangle too small,
TDA would not let me import it. So I just had to make it the size of a
spec. I made my highlight layer have a rectangle cover the frame
layer, and made the highlight layer invisible, as normal.

This worked great. Since the Thumbnail rectangle is so small, you
really can't see it on the TV (though it is big enough that TDA will
accept it). And the" Frame "can be any graphic you want. The trick
is that you set the highlight size for the frame instead of the "spec"
thumbnail. Like I mentioned, if TDA chokes when you pull it in, it
probably means you made your spec too small."

I've used the "kk_oop Thumbnail Spec" trick to finally make the
TiVo episode description into a "track"/title selection button. I
leave the "Thumbnail" layer transparent and set it at 10x3 pixels.

"Roll-over Text" trick:

Another thing you can do when making your own "Thumbnail
Frame" based graphic "Button" is to use a fancy font text layer
as your "Highlight" labeled layer. You can now adjust the color
and transparency of the highlight effect, so set it to opaque and
when you mouse-over your "frame" the text will appear.

With the above approaches you can make objects that you can
manipulate within TDA.

My older method won't allow as much manipulation within TDA
but is very versatile otherwise;

I have a trick that I use, that allows me to define any
square or rectangular area, of the background, as the button.
Basically I use blank text characters and a dot, asterisk or
something from the "Wingdings" font for the mouse over highlight.
You incorporate whatever you want to be your "Button" into the
background image. Then, in TDA, you position the blank text area
over your "button" area. The text "button" area's width and height
can be adjusted within TDA.

I've made some with a still background using Gimp-2,
but anything that can make any of the formats the
background selection dialog allows will work. Motion
menus could also be produced -externally from
TDA- and brought in as background clips. As long as
the button area(s) remain in the same spot/area it should
work. (actually, as long as the item you select on's
movements keep it in an area on the screen that doesn't
overlap the area of another selection item, you will be ok.)

Hope this can be of some use.

Luck;
Ken

Thanks for this - could be very helpful. However, I'm having a problem designating the SIZE of my buttons. I made them 120x60 in Photoshop, but they're being displayed as squards, all distorted.

I want to be able to use text as buttons, and have yet to figure that out...

Also trying to figure out how to just type text on the menu screens... or remove buttons I don't want, etc. I wish this great program would give us more power over layout and displayed options...

JG

hello.

I am using DVD Author and it works great. However, I've run into a problem with some new DVD+R 4x media that I am using. The media is very high grade, but the TMPGEnc burner software is only recognizing the media as 2x. I've used other 4x media with no problem, so I'm not sure what to make of it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Faceman

Hi,
I don't know if any like this has happened to you, too.
I have encoded, edit, etc some files and burn them into a DVD-r. But, the thing is whenever i want to play with a DVD player it appears as "No Disc". I have already tried with 2 different DVD player, so i think it's not the player's wrong.

Anyway, could someone tell me what to do? Thx

It might be the discs. I have experienced this too with my Memorex DVD-RWs for some reason. Try buying another disc from the same pack. If it happens again, I suggest you demand a refund.

You're right it was my DVD-R media's problem. I've never thought about it.
Thank you so much

I try DVD author 1.6, can burn multiple .mpg to DVD-R disc, it video/sound is ok, but when it is play on a standalone DVD player , there is no sound, why and how to fix this ??

maybe your using an mp2 codec for audio and youe stand alone doesn't support it
AC-3 or LPCM will work on all players
some support mp2
check out www.videohelp.com/articles for help

Ok, thanks.

Some DVD-player can play with sound now. But I find some .mpg sound are out-of-sync (slower), some are ok. The source .mpg do not have problem (view in PC)?

How to resolve out-of-sync problem, need ripple sound track to .wav ?

Using TMPGEnc DVD writing tool in dvd author 1.5 or 1.6,
get the message "ordinal 3001 not found in module px.dll"
tried copying px.dll to dvd author directory and same thing.
Any ideas ???

I had the same problem with TEMPGEnc Author 1.6 when starting burning a DVD;

I got px.dll Version 1.8.34.500 from sonic solution and copied it into the programm folder of TMPGEnc and now it works fine (the dll in Windowssystem32 did not help!)

Is there a max file size that can be edited ? I have a 19 GB MPG2 file that's about 9 hours. DVD Author will only recognize the first 6 hours and 37 minutes.

JSN

The Limit is 8.68 GByte. The Maximum you can store on a Dual-Layer DVD.

Thanks. However, I routinely edit files as large as 15 GB. I'm not talking about how large a file can be burned, but rather, how large a file can be edited.

JSN

Use the Freeware MPEG2Schnitt or Cuttermaran for a propper MPEG2-Cutting/Editing.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

JSN

I've search the posts and I think I'm doing this correctly but can't get "play only first track" to work.
Have 2 clips. First one is an "intro" video and the second is main video divided into chapters.
I've got "Firstplay action" set to "Play only first track".
I've got "Action to take after each track....." set to "display track menu".
"Display menu settings" set to "only track menu" (get the same problem with Main menu selected).
Even though the "intro" track appears in the track menu as chapter 1 (which you can stop from displaying), I assumed it would play the "intro" track and then put up the title menu. It doesn't.When dvd file is played (in PowerDVD)it plays "intro" (chap. 1) but continues with the rest of the video and only at the end does it put up the title menu.
Tried all variations but can't get it to work.
Got any ideas?

Firstplay action - "Play only first track".
Action to take after each track - "Display Main Menu"

This works for me. It plays intro movie, then immediately goes to Main Menu. From Main Menu, you can hide the first "intro" track button, and only have the "second" track displayed. So it looks like one track on main menu.

How do you hide a track on the main menu?