Question???

kbruff wrote on 1/7/2004, 4:29 PM

I would like to know if it is possible to create a DVD disc that has a Table of contents, with selections that point to picture where there can be an associated audio file. For example I am working on a best of Janet Jackson collection for myself. I want to be able to scan through the Album art, and select a song from each chapter (album, etc.) and then listen to it via the stereo connection? It seems like DVD's can exhibit this feature but can I do this with DVD Architect?

Thanks --

Comments

dvddude wrote on 1/8/2004, 1:41 PM

I'm not sure if I understand exactly what it is you want to do, but I can explain how I did something vaguely similar.

I created a DVD Video disc with very short program material. Since I had all that extra space, I decided to include five songs that were associated with the video as "extras."

So on the final disc, I have my Main Menu, which has a link for "Play Video," and then five other links, one each for the five songs.

What the links actually point to are simply static submenu pages; these are graphics of the album cover art. I then dropped the audio files on top of the menu. So while you "think" that you are selecting an audio track that has a complimentary image, what you are really doing is just creating menus that have audio background sound, with nothing other than a "back" button on them for active controls.

The artwork on mine were scans of the original artwork, brought into Photoshop, retouched, and resized. I created a black file at 768x576 pixels (for NTSC, and be mindful of DVDs' non-square pixel ratio), cropped and dropped the artwork on top of it (being mindful of a TV set's overscan and 'safe title area, I didn't let it bleed to the image edge), and saved it as a TGA file (Targa). Drag it into DVDA...Viola!

There may be more elegant methods; DVDA lets you import still images as slideshows. But this worked for me. And DVDA gives you control over the "looping" behavior of a menu.

Hope this helps.

kbruff wrote on 1/8/2004, 3:43 PM

OK -- that sounds good.
I am contemplating purchasing DVD architect.
This would be one of my goals, to create these audio compilation dvd's since they can hold a lot more than -- standard cd's.
Thanks -
Kevin
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wobblyboy wrote on 1/8/2004, 11:38 PM

You can just use the Music Compilation option in DVDA and drop your songs into the compilation. However if you want to have a menu with pointers you can place your pictures by right click, insert media. Double click on object and drag desired song to media timeline. This will create a menu that will allow you to select song to be played when that media object is selected. Because you will have to include the picture as video you will not be able to get as many songs on a DVD. But you can access them with a menu and have a picture or video to go with the song.