Solved MP4 with menu possible via DVDA?

I have VP12 and DVDA 5 and would like to burn an educational program using MP4. It is also important to have chapter points.

The program would be used on a computer, not a DVD player.

Is this possible with VP12/DVDA or if not are there alternatives out there.
Thx

Hi Razbak

You cannot burn .mp4 videos onto a DVD.
All DVDs in the Universe only support MPEG2 Standard Definition video for DVD.

If you already have video files made for your training program, that have been saved to .mp4, you will have to re-render them into the MPEG2 format for DVD.

Adding Chapter Points is easy to do.

The DVD will play in a computer exactly like it would in a DVD player.

What is the nature of your educational program ?
Is it video only or screen captures showing how to use software ?
If your program is more technical like the type of tutorials I upload to YouTube and requires full HD video quality, you may need to use a different solution.
Blu-ray does support HD video.
OR
Instead of creating a normal DVD that is playable in a DVD player or computer, you could burn a Data DVD.
A Data DVD would mean you can't use DVD Architect, but instead use a disc burning program like Nero.
This would give you the ability to burn .mp4 videos directly to the DVD and fit more content onto a single disc.

Regards
Derek.

Hi Derek
Thx for the reply

As you point out burning a Data DVD works (to a point).. I have done it myself as a Data DVD disk and the image quality is fantastic - just what we expect in this day and age. So I am on the hunt for a software package that uses current technology, not old technology that simply does not do what is needed in this current day and age.

My reason for wanting to go the MP4 route is image quality - HD format deserves a full HD image, after all we shoot everything now in HD so who wants to go back to SD resolution.

Thx for the info and if you hear of anything pls let us know. So will I as I am trolling the net for a resolution.

When I think about Sony and others selling DVDA I have to wonder why. They are in fact selling us technology that is years old and a technology no one (for the most) wants to use - we all want out images presented in HD on a disk or other media. So why is it they continue to sell this now ancient SD format. They should be replacing it with a high def equivalent - ie, DVDA in high def as opposed to DVDA in low def...

Oh one more thing

The client wants the programs to be viewed through a computer only, not a DVD box to a Tv screen.

The programs are instructional ones dealing with animal training for new students and further training for tutors.

Sony isn't selling an inferior product with DVD Architect Studio and Pro. The program is following the precise specifications for DVD and Blu-ray, which all software companies and hardware manufacturers must adhere to. Currently there are no other solutions that are supported.
Every single DVD in the world today only uses Standard Definition video format, because that is the specification - it will never change because DVDs only have limited capacity.

There is already a solution for burning HD Video, which is Blu-ray Disc. So if you want to burn HD video using International standards, DVD Architect can do that for you right now.

Sony is actually ahead of the game in my opinion, because they still support DVD and Blu-ray. Whereas their larger competitor Adobe, has completed ditched software for burning discs altogether. Adobe believes that most content will be streamed online and does not need hard copies any longer. I think this is completely arrogant of Adobe to take such a strong stance - they obviously haven't been to a DVD/Blu-ray store for a while.

Future Technology
A newer technology is about to be rolled out soon by the Blu-ray Disc Association, of which Sony is a member.
Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and players will be able to handle all the latest high frame rate HD video formats and 4K video.
So maybe Sony Creative Software will also release software that can burn Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.
www.engadget.com/2015/05/12/ultra-hd-blu-ray/

My own experience
I will soon be releasing my own training product like yourself and want to deliver my product in full HD.
Initially I was going to go the traditional route and make DVDs, however I have decided to use online Streaming technology instead. There are a few reasons why I have decided to try this.
Most of my customers are spread out worldwide. So if someone bought my course on DVD, they could possibly have to wait up to 3 weeks for delivery. Delivery of a physical product also adds more cost to me and the customer. Whereas a downloadable/streaming product gives customers instant access directly after purchase. I can also add things to the course over time without having to send anything in the mail.
The solution I am going to use is Vimeo.
A Vimeo Pro account is an extremely cost effective way to deliver high quality HD video worldwide.
With Vimeo I can embed all my training videos into a members only section on the website. Vimeo can also automatically handle all the different formats and devices for me, which means if someone buys my product, they can watch it on their TV, Desktop/Laptop computer, Tablet or Mobile phone. I can also create download links, so that customers can download their own copy of the videos if they want to.

I have been using Vegas Pro to make all my videos.

A few years ago when I started researching how to make training DVDs, I discovered some special software that may help you out instead.
This software allows you to create very professional Data Disc DVDs.
Check this out here:
www.indigorose.com/products/autorun-max/

Thx for the info Derek

The idea that Sony are not selling an old technology is a mute point in my opinion.
Yes you are right that DVDA does have great technology as its core - but for Standard Def only.
No one could ever be happy with the image quality that comes out of DVDA for Hi Def - it just isn't there hence why I say Sony needs to be producing an upgrade of this otherwise great product. I for one would snap it up.

Many say DVD's have had their day but I'm not so sure - there are a lot of players still out there and it has the advantage of "size" - you can actually write a title and place a pic on the disk cover which has its advantage. Also there are millions of disks out there still to be bought.

i had a look at autorun-max but didnt pick up that it does PM4 or a higher res that mpeg2. Did i miss something?
I have Vimeo myself and agree it is a great service. Trouble in this case is that the client won't want to go online each time they start a training session, another reason is some training centres are in the bush where internet speed is an issue - they definitely want DVD's.

But what about a thumb drive/mp4. Is there a way of making a menu through that system? Cheers

Projects with Menus made with DVD Architect and burnt to a DVD or Blu-ray disc, will only work in DVD/Blu-ray players or a computer.
If you want working Menus on a USB Drive, you will have to find a different solution.

If you have Microsoft Word, you can create an HTML file with a list of your videos.

Step 1
Create new project folder

Step 2
Import copies of all your .mp4 videos into this new project folder.
Make sure the total file size is no greater than your DVDs disc size.

Step 3
Open a new Word document and save it immediately as a .html file

Step 4
Now you can add text and create a text driven menu with links.
Example: Introduction blah, blah blah
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3 etc.....

Step 5
Highlight each video link one at a time and then go to Insert tab (top menu) - Hyperlink
Window should open up showing all the videos in your new project folder.
Select Video 1
Then repeat the process for each video link.
Save your project again.

Step 6
If you open the new project folder and double-click html file, it will open in your default web browser.
If you click on a video link, it should automatically start playing each video.
If it does not auto-play, you may have to answer a pop-up menu in your web browser that asks if you want to play this file type.

Step 7
Burn data disc.
If you want to create an auto-play DVD or USB drive, there are many tutorials on YouTube that will show you how to do this.
Google search "how to create autorun dvd"
You can insert the code yourself or use a program like Nero Burning ROM to do the job for you.

Great stuff Derek
I'll give it a go and let you know.

So this will work using MP4?

You can burn anything you want to a DVD as a Data Disc when not using true DVD protocols.
However you will need a program like Nero Burning ROM, Nero Express or Cyberlink Power2Go, to burn a data disc.