Inconsistent Chapter Skip

[ian lucero]

I have a compatibility issue where the "Chapter Skip" is not consistent on all machines. Let me describe:

1st how the DVD is built -
• First Play(FBI Warning)
• Menu Intro
• Menu (2 buttons going to alternate movie intros - Intro 1 goes to main movie, Intro 2 goes to main movie) meaning no matter what intro the user picks it eventually end jumps to the same main track that has 51 chapters.
• Main movie (51 Chapters) End Jump to
• 2 minute Montage (No Chapters) End Jump to
• Authoring Credits (non-skippable) End Jump to Main Menu

This is a graduation if you were wondering about the 51 Chapters.

So up until the Main Track with the 51 chapters, the 2 alternate intros, Menu Intro, and FBI warning tracks have no chapters. I have set all these tracks so that the user can skip through it (except for the menu of course). The problem I am having is that in certain players (like my girlfriends iBook using DVD Player 4.0) it WON'T let me skip tracks BUT will let me on the Main 51 Chapter track, the one that actually has Chapter Markers on it.

At the end of the main movie (51 Chapter Track) it end jumps to another track and after that end jump to DVD Authoring Credits. But if you manually navigate to these 2 ending tracks it completely skips them and goes back to the Menu Intro Track.

Does this have to do with the burn speed i'm burnin these dvd's at? I thought that had more to do with being able to play in players. My problem is more like a Navigation problem and it being not consistent from player to player.

It works exactly the way I want it to on my main authoring machine:
867 MDD Mac, FCP 3, DVDSP 3 using DVD Player
and also works fine on GoVideo DVD player

Doesn't work well on Panasonic SA-HT810V (VHS/DVD player)
and on 14" iBook 933 G4 using DVD Player.

Anyone know what's going on here?

Thanks in advance

[THiNSPiRiT]

It seems like it has to do with what kind of skipping you're doing. On DVD players there's the fast forward and the chapter skip buttons... the chapter skip button is like changing tracks on a CD player.

If your track only has one chapter there's a good chance the chapter skip button won't work but the fast forward button will. Check on the incompatible DVD players to see if they have two different kinds of navigation buttons. I highly doubt it has to do with burning speed because the same digital information is recorded regardless...

Some DVD players will allow you to skip tracks using the Chapter skip button although I'm not sure which ones these are for sure and whether or not this is a sure fire thing.

I do believe that when dvd's are created the different tracks are not considered different chapters. Only the chapters specified within the specific tracks are considered "chapters" according to your DVD player.

To possibly allow your viewer to skip past the parts you'd like them to, try adding them onto the same track as seperate chapters. Your dvd player might allow end actions to go to specific chapter points in a timeline and allow chapter end points to navigate to other locations. This way when the audience skips on this track, it will in fact jump to the next chapter point.

[Guest]

It seems like it has to do with what kind of skipping you're doing. On DVD players there's the fast forward and the chapter skip buttons... the chapter skip button is like changing tracks on a CD player.

If your track only has one chapter there's a good chance the chapter skip button won't work but the fast forward button will. Check on the incompatible DVD players to see if they have two different kinds of navigation buttons. I highly doubt it has to do with burning speed because the same digital information is recorded regardless...

Some DVD players will allow you to skip tracks using the Chapter skip button although I'm not sure which ones these are for sure and whether or not this is a sure fire thing.

I do believe that when dvd's are created the different tracks are not considered different chapters. Only the chapters specified within the specific tracks are considered "chapters" according to your DVD player.

To possibly allow your viewer to skip past the parts you'd like them to, try adding them onto the same track as seperate chapters. Your dvd player might allow end actions to go to specific chapter points in a timeline and allow chapter end points to navigate to other locations. This way when the audience skips on this track, it will in fact jump to the next chapter point.

[ian lucero]

disregard above post which was from me. I tried to quote but it didn't work for some reason...

----- It seems like it has to do with what kind of skipping you're doing. On DVD players there's the fast forward and the chapter skip buttons... the chapter skip button is like changing tracks on a CD player.-----

I realized this earlier but thought there might be a cleaner way to work around it without having to trick the player. But i will have to go that route as other ways have not manifested and i'm running out of time. Tricking the player will have to do for now till i learn some scripting.


thanks for the help

[THiNSPiRiT]

Scripting doesn't do you much better... tricking the player is everything when it comes to making DVDs...

[bodaphoto]

I just got done a Graduation that included the Senior Banquet, Bacc. Service, graduation, 7 minute clip of the main speakers, photos from the events, (I work for and with the photographer), and various video footage of the seniors run with the credits.

I made 2 menus. The first gave them 2 options 1. Play Video (it jump to FBI, 2. Select chapters. There are 26 Links. The DVD is 2 hours and forty minutes. That second link on the first menu goes to the secon menu. Each menu will use a maximum of 36 links (According to Pinnacle Liquid Edition). As far as I know you can make as many links as you want, you just have to create more menus. I have stuff on different tracks and all of my links work.

I have used several authoring programs in the past couple of years and it seems the same rule applies in all the programs. Usually when I am working on a big project like a graduation, I burn a "rough draft"
With about 1/2 the amount of links I want to use. I then let 2 people watch and look through it (to correct my spelling errors and other stuff) and to try the links out.

On my technical info, I may be wrong, but I read that a menu can only hold 36 links. I actually read that in several places. If I am incorrect on that would someone more senior please correct me.
Bo

[ian lucero]

Scripting doesn't do you much better... tricking the player is everything when it comes to making DVDs...

if tricking it is what has to be done...

and it did work. I'm printing all the copies today. thanks for all the help

[THiNSPiRiT]

No problemo