Multiple Mpeg files--can they be linked?

Rogueone wrote on 10/22/2003, 12:17 PM

This idea came to me and I wasn't sure if DVDA can do it or not. Hopefully someone can tell me.
I will be filming a play, there is one role that is shared by two different people. Is it possible to insert those short sections with those people into the main movie file? For instance; some movies have a widescreen & full screen option available when you play them. Can I record a section with one actor, and make it linked to the main film so that when you chose which file to see, it plays the entire movie, only changing the section with the different actor. Does anyone know if this can be done?

Rogue One

Comments

JSWTS wrote on 10/22/2003, 2:21 PM

It can be done, just not with DVD-A.

Jim

jetdv wrote on 10/22/2003, 3:03 PM

Edit the scenes in and create a single complete file. Then they will be inserted and play straight through.

JSWTS wrote on 10/23/2003, 2:21 PM

You would have to duplicate the assets with DVD-A--one instance with actor one, and the other with actor two, if I'm understanding the original question correctly. It's like an alternative ending, or 'director's cut'--you have scene(s) that aren't contained within the original, but have an option to play/view the movie with the added scenes. You can't do this with DVD-A, unless you make a duplication of the entire movie, with the addition (or subtraction) of material. In the case presented, the option would be to have the option of viewing the movie with one actor in certain scenes, or select the option to view the same movie, except with the other actor in the scenes. DVD Maestro and DVD Studio Pro allow for what's called 'playlists'. You don't have to duplicate the entire movie (and thus avoid duplicating file sizes), just define the playlist for each actor.

Jim

Rogueone wrote on 10/23/2003, 9:27 PM

I wondered about rendering two different files, but how does that work with space limits?? The whole movie should be at least an hour, so if I try to get two of those files on there, that's really close to maxing out a DVD, isn't it? Thanks for all the feedback, though. I just might have to cram two movie files onto one or go with splitting it to two discs.

Rogue One

farss wrote on 10/24/2003, 3:05 AM

You can stretch the amount you can fit onto a DVD by using ac3 audio but about 90 minutes is the limit before you have to set the bit rate so low its going to be noticeable.

What you are really after is called seamless branching. A menu option on the DVD lets you set just how the movie plays. You could have two versions of one scene, say one for G audiences and the other the R rated version. In your case it would be actor A or actor B. It can even be linked to parental control. I believe it was done on Total Recall.

Unfortunatley DVDA doesn't let you do it, I suspect only the very big ticket packages will author it and its not 100% reliable on all players.

JSWTS wrote on 10/24/2003, 12:17 PM

Seamless branching is technically different, and some forms of true seamless branching can only be accomplished with super high end proprietary authoring equipment. You can easily accomplish this with DVD Studio Pro and Maestro (which don't cost anywhere near as much as Scenarist--which can't do some of the seamless branching stuff) without using seamless branching. You would render your movie as one long clip (along with the extra scenes with actor A/B). You then define chapter marks, and in this case, you have to have some chapter marks that correspond to the beginning and end of the different actors scenes. You then create what they call 'playlists' (you can create up to 98 of them). You just define play back of the playlist off of the original movie by selecting what chapters you want played. For actor A, you would include everything but actor B's scenes and vice versa. You then have a menu with buttons that would play one or the other playlist version, depending on which actor you want to show. You don't duplicate the assets, and since it's one long clip and the laser doesn't have to jump around, playback (in my experience) is essentially seamless. There might be a very brief pause, but I don't find it noticeable.

Duplicating your assets, while trying to maintain quality, is going to limit how much video you could have per disc. It would be better (IMO) to have two discs, then to try and cram both on to one and suffer the quality loss.

Jim