Multi-branch DVD menu - feature in 2 aspect ratios

cinemaphyle wrote on 4/7/2008, 11:54 PM
Hello~

I'm using Vegas 6 Pro and DVDA 3. On each project I try to experiment with a feature in my authoring that I haven't previously done. For this project, I've captured video and rendered it to both 16:9 and 4:3 mpgs, each about 65min length.

As they are identical, I'd like the consumer to be able to choose which aspect ratio they'd like to watch. I could do this using the 'Video Angle' so that each video file is effectively part of the same movie/title. However, I do not believe that's the way it's done professionally (cf. Monster's Inc. for a decent reference on what I'm after). Additionally, it means that the aspect ratio I choose for the movie must hold true for each angle (thus if I specify 16:9 as the primary AR for the title, the 4:3 video is stuffed in a 16:9 frame, or vise versa).

Ideally, each different aspect ratio is it's own title, and you choose which you want to watch from a setup menu. That's easy.

Here's the part I can't figure - how do I get DVDA 3 to allow me to specify my preference in video file (as two separate titles), but still have common audio files (rather than the same audio attached to each video) and common scene selection menus? Conceptually I think you need to branch out on the setup menu, but somehow branch back in to a common media file. Duplication of these will create too much overhead, and I'll exceed my 8.5GB DL space.

Anyone ever tried this with DVDA 3? First, is it possible? Second, if it is, would you kindly share your solution?

My thanks for any constructive commentary. Please let me know if my concept as described is unclear. Cheers!

Comments

richard-courtney wrote on 4/8/2008, 7:30 PM
I dont have version 6 and 3 just 7 and 4.

Method 1:
I dragged the video files as assets.
Then clicked on media to show the Media Properties pane and added the audio
to both Track Media -> Audio1.

Method 2:
Made project 16:9.
Dragged wide mpeg as only asset.
Made two buttons pointing to the mpeg.
Added the 4:3 mpeg as a second angle in timeline.
Modified one of buttons to select angle 2.

My menu simply had two buttons with thumbnails that showed up as 4:3 and 16:9
in method 1 but I had to select the 4:3 mpeg as thumbnail source for one of the buttons in method 2.

As you suspect disk usage was smaller using method 2 since only one copy of
audio was mixed into single vob title file.