Adding "other" files to DVD

PeterWright wrote on 8/23/2004, 2:16 AM

I want to include a pdf document and a distribution copy of Acrobat reader on a DVD.

I realise this can't be done if I burn in DVDA2, which is a shame, so I shall have to use Nero or similar.

What I was wondering was could this possibly cause any playback problems? - there will be the usual AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders, plus an extra "Acrobat" folder.

Thanks for any advice.

Peter

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 8/23/2004, 5:09 AM

I've done this many times with DVDs prepared in DVDA-2* and it's always worked perfectly. DVD players ignore any directories besides AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS so you can create an additional directory and put anything you wish in it. I would suggest keeping the number of additional root directories very low, just in case some old DVD player only looks at the first sector of the root directory. I'm not sure how many entries that would be, but you're probably safe up to 7 or so. Since you usually only need 1 this should be sufficient. Subdirectories under that addition root directory are no problem; make as many of those as you wish.

* For some odd reason, when i prepared DVDs in DVDA-1 and then burned in Nero with additional directories, many of the discs failed for seemingly random and nonrepeatable reasons in various DVD players. Then again, sometimes they worked. And they all worked without additional directories. *shrug* Maybe it had to do with DVDA-1's nonstandard VOB sizes, although i can't imagine why that had any effect on having an additional directory or not. DVDs prepared with DVDA-2 don't have these problems.

GlenL wrote on 8/23/2004, 8:01 AM

If you use Nero and follow johnmeyer's receipe (below), you won't have any problems. (My thanks again to John!)

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=285292&Page=0

I tried using DVDA2 (copied only DVD folders) and Roxio (ECDC6 and EMC7 - copied files but not playable on other players). Nero copied the files and the discs could be played in all players that I was testing with.

johnmeyer wrote on 8/23/2004, 9:18 AM

Here's a clickable link:

Nero to Burn DVD

I do this all the time, and never have a problem. As I said somewhere in the above-reference thread, it would be a pretty brain-dead player that would refuse to play something because of extra folders. Just make sure you don't put ANYTHING in the VIDEO_TS or AUDIO_TS folders except what is supposed to be there. Put your "extras" in a new folder, created directly off the root directory.

PeterWright wrote on 8/23/2004, 6:15 PM

Thanks Guys - that's good news.

johnmeyer wrote on 8/23/2004, 9:07 PM

P.S. to my earlier post: Make sure you keep the folder file names to 8 characters or less. Probably not necessary, but the DVD file spec uses short file names.