What will people see when they first play the dvd (the so-called splash video)---I have that working, but after it plays, I can't seem to get it to go directly to the main menu. It simply plays and stays in black. Under the splash properties, I have tried setting the destination to the main menu, but to no affect.
In DVD Architect, it's called the "introduction media." If you saw the term "splash" in DVD Architect, it's referring to the screen that shows up when you first start the program -- it has nothing to do with your DVD project directly.
That said, if it's an Introduction Media that you've added, go to the End Action tab and be sure that Command is set to Link, and not to Stop. And be sure that Destination points to a specific menu. If it points to "Most recent menu," you're not going to get anywhere since no menu has been displayed yet at that point.
I must be doing something wrong; here's the scoop:
I rendered this startup media out of Vegas as an avi file, since I recall Gary Kleiner's video series suggesting that. In DVDA, when I preview the disc, the startup video plays flawlessly--every frame of it, but after if fades out, it stays in black. I'd like it to go to my main menu after its completion.
In the End Action tab of my startup file I have command line set to link and the destination points to the specific menu. Still doesn't work.
In the bottom right corner of DVDA, where the timeline video and audio are located, I do notice that the video for whatever reason is all black except for the last part, which shows a little footage. I guess this is irrelevant to my problem because, as I said, the video is playing completely---just not going anywhere after it plays.
I figured it out. For some reason, my rendered ten second footage actually rendered out as a very long segment---that's why it never went to the main menu; it was staying in black because that's what was rendered out; don't know how I did that. So I set an outpoint and voilla!
my rendered ten second footage actually rendered out as a very long segment ... don't know how I did that.
Can't be sure, but I'm guessing you had a loop region selected that went beyond the end of your actual video, and then you had "render loop region" checked when you rendered out the file.
Why should intro media not be mpeg2 anyway?
Not sure what this is in response to. Who said the intro media shoudln't be MPEG2?
Any media that you're going to overlay with titles, buttons, graphics, or any other such thing should be fed to DVDA as an AVI file since DVDA is going to have to re-render it. If you're just playing your intro clip straight with nothing added over top of it then MPEG-2 should be fine.