DVD not automatically playing the main menu

PhilW_32 wrote on 9/25/2011, 12:29 PM
Hello,

Newbie here. Can I start and say thank you Sony for this excellent software.

My first project is a video with a main menu with a sub-menu with chapter selections. I am happy with the results, apart from one thing - my DVD player (a Sony RDR-HXD710) does not automatically play the main menu after the disc is loaded and played.

My main menu has the "Set Disc Start" symbol in the project overview window. The main menu displays automatically in the Preview, however does not on my DVD player.

To get the main menu to be displayed, I have to press the "MENU" button on the DVD remote. What am I missing?

By the way, not sure if this is relevant, but when I press the "TITLE LIST" button on the DVD remote, I see a blank entry with a "00:00" time duration. I expect to see the name of my project and its correct duration. I don't think I have set up all the settings in the project.

Thanks for any advice
PhilW.

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 9/25/2011, 1:41 PM
Sometimes home-burned DVDs don't play correctly on some disc players.

So, before you assume something has gone wrong, test it on a friend's DVD player.

A number of things can cause this goofiness. One is a low-quality disc brand (like Memorex) or a DVD that was burned at too fast a speed. The other is a disc player that's not 100% compatible with DVDs.

In other words, check it on a friend's DVD player. If it works fine, you can assume it's your disc player. If not, try burning your disc at no faster than half the speed your disc is rated (4x, for instance) and see if that makes for a cleaner burn.

And, of course, NEVER use a Memorex disc!
Steve Mann wrote on 9/25/2011, 5:28 PM
Where do you have the disk start icon in the project overview window? It should be on the first menu.
Steve Grisetti wrote on 9/25/2011, 8:41 PM
Steve, Phil says: "My main menu has the "Set Disc Start" symbol in the project overview window."
PhilW_32 wrote on 9/26/2011, 1:45 PM
Hi,

Thanks Steve, and thanks Steve, for the advice. I'll try all the things you suggest, starting with slowing the burning speed down and changing the make of the DVD disc.

Just a thought, though, all of the commercial DVDs play just fine on the DVD player - there must something different in the my DVD setup to produce this different behaviour.

I will post my findings if I discover what that is.

Thanks again,
Kind regards
PhilW.
Steve Grisetti wrote on 9/26/2011, 2:05 PM
Yes. Commercial DVDs are produced by pressing the data onto the metal plate inside the plastic disc. Home-burned DVDs are produced by altering the chemistry of a material inside the plastic disc. That's why some players have no problems playing commercial discs but aren't so compatible with home-burneds.

It's also why it's important to use discs of high, consistent quality, like Verbatim. And to stay away from inconsistent, crappy discs like Memorex.