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Pushbutton DVD Authoring Tips |
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Introduction
If you plan your exhibit with a DVD that uses standard user navigaton (Up, Down, Left, Right, Enter/Go/OK), then you don't need this section. Just attach 5 buttons to the appropriate connections and you're underway. If, however, you want a specific button to play a particular scene/segment then there are some considerations.
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Know Your Player!
The DVD Forum specifies only certain control requirements for all players. These include the regular navigation controls, and some other controls. Please be certain that you can perform all the required functions via your hand-held remote before asking the BCD Controller to do the same.
What we use: This the general layout that we use with ViaDVD formerly DVDMotion. (viamtc.com) This $24.95 program lets you do things that few other Authoring Systems can do... even the expensive ones. It's authoring metaphor uses what we call slides. A Slide can be a still image, a video .VOB file, a menu, or have separate video and audio streams. You give each slide a name, and navigation is from slide to slide by dragging visible links between the slide icons.
There are two ways to make the destination targers of your menu: as separate .VOB files or as Chapters. Separate VOBs are easier for most authoring systems, so we'll do those first.
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Video Segments as separate VOBs
(Our preferred method)
The target of each Menu Item is a separate video segment, and a separate VOB file. When the video ends playing, the program branches back to the Attract Loop. This is based on the assumption that your authoring system can assign Key Numbers to menu items. Key Numbers refer to the numbers on the remote control. Press #3 and the player selects Menu Item #3 and then branches to the target of that item. (Some players, like Philips and Panasonic, require you to press only the number. Sony requires the number followed by the Enter key. (The BCD BCD Controller can do it both ways.)
- Video Segments as Chapters
Most authoring systems permit Chapter Marks. Usually that means that the video begins playing at that specific Chapter, and continues playing until the end of the whole file! That's bad. We want the system to play only Chapter 3, not from the beginning of Chapter 3 to the end of the VOB.
Fortunately, ViaDVD permits chapters to be either Entry Points like most authoring systems, or Exclusive chapters. For this application, we use Exclusive and branch back to the Attract Loop at the end of the chapter.
Player Notes: Many DVD players put something on the screen when a menu item is selected. In many applications, this doesn't matter, but sometimes it does. Some machines put a blue bar across the screen; other models put a discrete notice in the upper left and upper right corners of the screen when Chapters are selected. The Pioneer DVD-V7400 and Philips DVD-170/175 don't display anything when a Menu Item is selected by number, but they do put up Chapter notifications.
Customer Support: We'll be glad to help. Just call us.
If you can make the player do what you want by using remote control, we can help you do it with the BCD Controller!
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