A few questions about the DVDa... at DVinfo.net

David Delaney · September 17th, 2006, 06:08 PM

I have finally burned a successful DVD with Architech - few problems though :

1) The audio/sound seems to have picked up annoying clicks and smacks when the actor talks - I am don't know if this is a case of compression of the sound? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this?

2) I rendered this in VV widescreen 24p HD - but when I ran DVDa it boxed it 4:3 - is it just a matter of changing the properties to widescreen?

3) I want to take snapshot images of the first image in the chapters - how can I do this and insert that into a button?

4) Since I rendered this out in VV, do I need to prepare the disc in DVDA? Isn't it already prepared from the rendering?

Thanks in advance.

Mark Bryant · September 18th, 2006, 03:38 AM

1) The compression shouldn't cause this. Are you sure it's not on the original audio? Could also be an issue with the PC or playback device.

2) Yes - you need to set the DVDa properties to Widescreen to create a widescreen DVD.

3) Not quite sure what you are asking. When you say insert an image into a button, do you mean choosing the image to display on a button? That is simply a matter of setting the button properties (Button properties, media, thumbnail settings). You can chose still or animated and select any frame or section of any video or still.

4) If you have rendered out in VV, then DVDA won't need to re-render the video. But it still needs to prepare - the prepare step is creating the DVD structure. Most likely it will also need to render the menus.

David Delaney · September 18th, 2006, 07:06 AM

Thanks Mark,

For the thumbnails, I thought it would automatically pick the first frame of the chapter for me (video frame) and put it in the button - so instead, I pick thumbnail?

Mark Bryant · September 18th, 2006, 07:17 AM

I see what you are asking now.. and yes - if you create a scene selection menu, by default it sets the thumbnails to be a still of the first frame of the chapter. (Now it may not be exactly frame accurate... possibly in VV7/DVDA4 it is if the markers are set at I-frames). You can change them to a different frame if needed.

Mike Kujbida · September 18th, 2006, 07:59 AM

David, the other thing you could do is go back to the project in Vegas, do a still frame capture at the chapter start, save that image and use it in DVDA as the button image.

David Delaney · September 18th, 2006, 11:47 AM

Yeah, it is not automatically putting an image in the thumbnail for some reason. I have 7 chapters and none of them are showing up.

Edward Troxel · September 18th, 2006, 12:09 PM

How did you create the menu options? Did you create a "scene selection menu"? If yes, that should have put the first frame of the chapter as the image for the button for that chapter.

Ron Ball · September 18th, 2006, 01:32 PM

If you Fade-In to your chapters, then the very first frame will be black... as will the thumbnail on the button.

David Delaney · September 19th, 2006, 09:06 AM

No I picked one of the templates to do it, but I can't find for the life of me, the option to pick thumbnails for the buttons...Alot of my chapters start with a graphic/image, so they shouldn't be black, but they are...

Mark Bryant · September 19th, 2006, 09:20 AM

In DVDA - go to your Scene selection menu

- Single Click on the first button/thumbnail
- In the "Button Properties" window, click on the "media" tab
- There you will see "Thumbnail properties": The media file, if it is still or animated, and the "start time". For a still thumbnail, "start time" is the specific frame to be used. You can also use a still (e.g. jpeg) file as the media file, in which case the "start time" will be 0.

Mark Bryant · September 19th, 2006, 09:22 AM

Or, it might be easier to delete the Scene Selection you've done, and add it back using the "Insert Scene Selection" method.

David Delaney · September 19th, 2006, 09:37 AM

Ok, I do notice the start time, but it is greyed out...
Maybe the problem is I am using the FILM negative buttons (provided in the template) and they won't allow me to put an image in the middle of it?

Mark Bryant · September 19th, 2006, 09:42 AM

If start time is greyed out, it means either:

- The thumbnail media is a still (in which case the start time will be all zeros), or
- The thumbnail media file specified can not be found. (which would explain why you'd be getting black thumbnails). Check that the media file path is correct.

Mark Bryant · September 19th, 2006, 09:47 AM

Sorry you've lost me - I'm not sure what "the FILM negative buttons" are.
When you say you applied a template, do you mean a theme?
What version of DVDA are you using?

David Delaney · September 19th, 2006, 10:13 AM

Yes a Theme. It is the film theme with the clap board in the background image. It has some ready made buttons of a film-negative - so that is my guess why I can't add an image into the center of them (but it also seems weird that I can't either because it would be a perfect fit).

September 17th, 2006, 06:08 PM	#1
David Delaney Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Niagara Ontario Canada Posts: 1,121	A few questions about the DVDa... I have finally burned a successful DVD with Architech - few problems though : 1) The audio/sound seems to have picked up annoying clicks and smacks when the actor talks - I am don't know if this is a case of compression of the sound? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this? 2) I rendered this in VV widescreen 24p HD - but when I ran DVDa it boxed it 4:3 - is it just a matter of changing the properties to widescreen? 3) I want to take snapshot images of the first image in the chapters - how can I do this and insert that into a button? 4) Since I rendered this out in VV, do I need to prepare the disc in DVDA? Isn't it already prepared from the rendering? Thanks in advance.

September 18th, 2006, 12:09 PM	#7
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	How did you create the menu options? Did you create a "scene selection menu"? If yes, that should have put the first frame of the chapter as the image for the button for that chapter. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

September 18th, 2006, 03:38 AM	#2
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	1) The compression shouldn't cause this. Are you sure it's not on the original audio? Could also be an issue with the PC or playback device. 2) Yes - you need to set the DVDa properties to Widescreen to create a widescreen DVD. 3) Not quite sure what you are asking. When you say insert an image into a button, do you mean choosing the image to display on a button? That is simply a matter of setting the button properties (Button properties, media, thumbnail settings). You can chose still or animated and select any frame or section of any video or still. 4) If you have rendered out in VV, then DVDA won't need to re-render the video. But it still needs to prepare - the prepare step is creating the DVD structure. Most likely it will also need to render the menus.

September 18th, 2006, 07:06 AM	#3
David Delaney Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Niagara Ontario Canada Posts: 1,121	Thanks Mark, For the thumbnails, I thought it would automatically pick the first frame of the chapter for me (video frame) and put it in the button - so instead, I pick thumbnail?

September 18th, 2006, 07:17 AM	#4
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	I see what you are asking now.. and yes - if you create a scene selection menu, by default it sets the thumbnails to be a still of the first frame of the chapter. (Now it may not be exactly frame accurate... possibly in VV7/DVDA4 it is if the markers are set at I-frames). You can change them to a different frame if needed.

September 18th, 2006, 07:59 AM	#5
Mike Kujbida Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Windsor, ON Canada Posts: 2,770	David, the other thing you could do is go back to the project in Vegas, do a still frame capture at the chapter start, save that image and use it in DVDA as the button image.

September 18th, 2006, 11:47 AM	#6
David Delaney Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Niagara Ontario Canada Posts: 1,121	Yeah, it is not automatically putting an image in the thumbnail for some reason. I have 7 chapters and none of them are showing up.

September 18th, 2006, 01:32 PM	#8
Ron Ball New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Adrian, MI Posts: 14	If you Fade-In to your chapters, then the very first frame will be black... as will the thumbnail on the button.

September 19th, 2006, 09:06 AM	#9
David Delaney Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Niagara Ontario Canada Posts: 1,121	No I picked one of the templates to do it, but I can't find for the life of me, the option to pick thumbnails for the buttons...Alot of my chapters start with a graphic/image, so they shouldn't be black, but they are...

September 19th, 2006, 09:20 AM	#10
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	In DVDA - go to your Scene selection menu - Single Click on the first button/thumbnail - In the "Button Properties" window, click on the "media" tab - There you will see "Thumbnail properties": The media file, if it is still or animated, and the "start time". For a still thumbnail, "start time" is the specific frame to be used. You can also use a still (e.g. jpeg) file as the media file, in which case the "start time" will be 0.

September 19th, 2006, 09:22 AM	#11
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	Or, it might be easier to delete the Scene Selection you've done, and add it back using the "Insert Scene Selection" method.

September 19th, 2006, 09:37 AM	#12
David Delaney Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Niagara Ontario Canada Posts: 1,121	Ok, I do notice the start time, but it is greyed out... Maybe the problem is I am using the FILM negative buttons (provided in the template) and they won't allow me to put an image in the middle of it?

September 19th, 2006, 09:42 AM	#13
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	If start time is greyed out, it means either: - The thumbnail media is a still (in which case the start time will be all zeros), or - The thumbnail media file specified can not be found. (which would explain why you'd be getting black thumbnails). Check that the media file path is correct.

September 19th, 2006, 09:47 AM	#14
Mark Bryant Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bath, England Posts: 119	Sorry you've lost me - I'm not sure what "the FILM negative buttons" are. When you say you applied a template, do you mean a theme? What version of DVDA are you using?

September 19th, 2006, 10:13 AM	#15
David Delaney Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Niagara Ontario Canada Posts: 1,121	Yes a Theme. It is the film theme with the clap board in the background image. It has some ready made buttons of a film-negative - so that is my guess why I can't add an image into the center of them (but it also seems weird that I can't either because it would be a perfect fit).