Part of the answer is that many set-top player remotes mislabel their menu buttons, thinking that by only having one menu button, they don't confuse their customers.

See the extensive reply to this double-post in the DVDAPro forum.

Much appreciated.

G

I do recall being able to author a DVD that used the buttons that you're asking about such that it worked in a logical fashion. Just because different manufacturers label buttons differently isn't a reason to throw one's hands up in the air. In my lifetime I've driven vehicles with the handbrake in all manner of places and various ways of operating the darn thing, some even call it by different names. It doesn't matter, it does the same thing even though I recall one vehicle where it was conceiveable to confuse the handbrake for the accelerator you could still drive the vehicle.

I know my Sony STB remote has two menu buttons, one called Top and the other Root. To my mind that's the same thing but they don't do the same thing. One could run away to a padded cell but it's really just a matter of working out what they are doing in conjunction with what you've programmed your DVD to do via DVDA. This is not a trivial task and I recall devoting a lot of time to authoring the training DVD that I did. Yes it is not going to work the same when the same button is pressed on different DVD players, nothing can be done about that. However just like the handbreak issue a user can get over this problem.

Unfortunately it was years ago that I authored said DVD so the specifics of what I did are now very dim. Don't give up, this can be cracked but it is not easy, I recall having to specify everything including all the button actions for every piece of video.

Bob.

I recall having to specify everything including all the button actions for every piece of video.

Yes, I've done exactly that. And for 2 days. I've drilled down each and every Control in DVDA. If you can't recall how you did it; provide a project or recall any sequencing of the Top Menu and alternative Menu buttons, then what I'm left with is your invitation to do what?

As to throwing ones hands in the air or "padded cells", I know when something isn't logical. This is one of those times. What have you provided to shine any light on this situ, other than to maintain a closed recycling of the same investigations. No, Bob, what I need, and reading the responses from others here AND on the DVDA forum is that the situ is unfathomable. What you've suggested is that it IS possible but don't have a readily available solution.

Thanks for your caring about my and others plight here.

Cheers

Grazie

And Bob, here is the post videoITguy posted on the DVDA Forum to "delve" further:

The site (

And even so, this well-meant invitation to "understand" why we have this situ - I'm not reading/getting a solution.

And to respond to you, Bob, my SONY STB doesn't even have a "Root Button" - nada. It has a "Top Menu" Button and "Menu" Button. How would you translate those to your Remote?

Grazie

"it's really just a matter of working out what they are doing in conjunction with what you've programmed your DVD to do via DVDA."

Yes, I've most certainly realised that one, and started last Friday.

But after Preparing and Burning at least 8 attempts (oh yes, BTW, the ONLY proven way to Q&A this is to produce a Platter, the Virtual Remote is misleading. While testing in the DVDA Preview I can get things to work, but using the "Resume" Preview button as my virtual "Menu" !). To really test I need to burn to a RW.

If I am doing something wrong, I'll be the first to admit it. But so far, and in making many changes to the Remote Button Controls, nothing has come through.

Grazie

""If I am doing something wrong,"

Not that I can see although remember everything that you create in DVDA has a default set of button actions assigned to it.
Also keep in mind that one of the actions that DVDA uses is "Previous Menu".
In your original post you asked :

"Sometimes when I hit the "Top Menu" Button on my SONY STB Remote I get to a Sub Menu - eh? However, if I'm in another Submenu and hit Top Menu on my SONY STB Remote I get to the Top Menu."

That sounds to me like the action is Previous Menu. In other words where the button will take you depends on how you got to where you are, assuning the action is Previous Menu.

"And to respond to you, Bob, my SONY STB doesn't even have a "Root Button" - nada. It has a "Top Menu" Button and "Menu" Button. How would you translate those to your Remote?"

Don't even try to fathom that. You'll almost certainly have to accept that you cannot predict what will happen on different players. Hopefully the user will fathom out that one button does a certain thing and they'll adapt, just like we do with the handbrake in different vehicles.

Also the Resume function is something not in the original DVD spec as far as I know. The idea is that a DVD player remembers where you got to watching a DVD or even more than one of them. Then when you put the same DVD back in the player it asks if you want to continue watching the movie from where you left off. Great idea but it's caused me quite some grief.

Bob.

That sounds to me like the action is Previous Menu. In other words where the button will take you depends on how you got to where you are, assuning the action is Previous Menu.

Put that another way?

I've scrutinized and interrogated all the controls, and I don't see a Previous Menu? In fact when I come from Menu A and press the Remote's "Top Menu" I go to Menu B - even though I have NOT come from Menu B at all. And - RIGHT THERE - is what I am hassling.

And then, to completely confuse me, if I go from Menu C to play media and then press the Remote's "Top Menu" Button . . . I DO get to the "Top Menu".

So, where should I track done this return to Previous Menu, even though I had NOT come from a/the "Previous Menu"?

Cheers

G

Yes, I edited to get my correct statement. Which should read: "So, where should I track done this return to Previous Menu, even though I had NOT come from a/the "Previous Menu?"

Put simply, I am being taken-back to a Menu that I hadn't even accessed.

G

The limited subset of DVD spec in DVDAPro. The reason you will get referred to the DVD specs anytime you mention going to "Top" or other sets of menu returns....is because you need to understand in the spec that is DVD Title sets...just where I pointed you last time.

Sony SCS DVDPro does not include the ability to include more than one Title SET... that is why your set-top remote controls will not necessarily produce the actions that an authored DVD with multiple title sets can allow.

Try playing several Hollywood titles on your set-top player that have been pressed and not burned. Some ot them will have been authored with multiple title sets. Try to rehearse your failures with burned discs to see how the commercial DVD reacts. That will give you a clue whether this particular player is good to go as a testbed.

I have access to 15 set-top players of diff make and firmware versions to allow for a lot of testing to reach common ground before I release a burned DVD.

"I've scrutinized and interrogated all the controls, and I don't see a Previous Menu? In fact when I come from Menu A and press the Remote's "Top Menu" I go to Menu B - even though I have NOT come from Menu B at all. And - RIGHT THERE - is what I am hassling"

Does this help?



Those options only exist for media, you have no control over this in a menu.
Note it says "Most recent menu", if you didn't get there from a menu directly I'm not certain what will happen.

You also get other choices and you might do better explicitly defining the link rather than relying on Most Recent Menu.

Bob.

This issue sounds similar to whatever is causing the "Next" button issue Sony hasn't even attempted to resolve with Blu-ray menus.
An issue (I should add) that does not occur even with cheap software like DVD Movie Factory. Although I found a workaround which is in that first link. A workaround is not a solution however.

EDIT:

Grazie wrote:
And Bob, here is the post videoITguy posted on the DVDA Forum to "delve" further:

VideoTGuy had the same explanation for the "Next Button Issue". Blame the player not DVDA. I dismissed it (as you should) because if cheap $49 software can deal with it, so can DVDA if they took an interest.

John

You also get other choices and you might do better explicitly defining the link rather than relying on Most Recent Menu.

As I wasn't getting the "Most Recent" Menu result, back on Saturday, I did exactly that, I FORCED the Remote to GO to my "Launch Menu". And it STILL insisted on picking an alternative Menu.

Cheers

G

Thanks Craftie (John)! - Just got to read your Post. I've been playing with my new best friend - RODE NT1A! - OO er, missus!

I'd been sickling with a dodgy Audio box and have had replaced under warranty and now I have a noise floor only BATS can pick up. Yeah I know that's HIGH freqs, but you get the picture . . .

This is a terrific V/O mic. I've just tested it and it sounds full, warm and has that high sparkle too.

G