Still image in menu only 00:00:00:01 long

[framerman]

I'm relatively new at the menu authoring bit. I can't seem to link the demuxed audio and video of a still image menu to make my muxed menu work correctly. I have DVDMaestro for authoring. When I import the video(still image) to the menu screen, I get a timeline of 00:00:00:01 which doesn't work with the audio portion. When Maestro muxes, I only get a menu of about 150kb's. It seems it skips the audio completely. How do I stretch the still image to match the audio?

I know this is probably pretty easy for some of you, but I would sure like a direction to go in. Thanks.

[Arky]

Ok, 2 questions just to start the ball rolling:

Did you definitely add the audio to the menu in the correct manner?

Is the audio definitely in the correct format?


Check that the audio was added correctly to the menu (actually it can simply be dragged from the assets bin and dropped directly onto the menu). See the attached picture and notice that there is a specific area in the menu editor which will tell you if you have indeed added an audio stream to the menu. In the case of the picture, it is not added.


Arky ;o)

[framerman]

Oh yeah, it's definitely right. I've done many menus, but only the ones that have an actual video feed. I haven't been able to figure out still images. What I do is demux in VOB edit and get an m2v file and ac3 file for the still image. Then I import into Maestro along with my other video and audio feeds. Then I drag the file onto the menu screen along with the ac3 file. They both show up on the playback control tab, but I can't seem to get the still image to be a certain length to match the audio. I don't know if this is the correct way though. I know it has to be something simple I'm doing wrong.

Thanks for responding, I appreciate it.

[Arky]

Ahh! well then I know what your problem is!

You need to use a genuine still image, rather than a 1-frame.m2v file for your menu background :)

Maestro is currently playing what it believes to be a video file, to it's full duration, and then stopping at the end. You can't blame it for doing that. If you feed it a genuine still image, however, it does not interpret it as short-duration video, but rather alters the playback of the menu to suit your parameters and/or your embedded audio.

You could either use PowerDVD or WinDVD to do a 'screengrab' of the original menu, and use this screengrab as your still image, or you could use a little util' called m2v-2-bmp (I think - can't remember..!). Assuming the original DVD had a still menu, then it may even be possible to directly extract that still menu background with VobRator, but I've never been particularly interested in Re-authoring Hollywood content, so I can't say for sure if VobRator will let you do this (VobRator is also criminally unstable!). Personally, I'd be inclined to take the lazy route and just use your playback software to do a fast grab to .bmp, and have done with it. Maestro will be quite happy whichever method you choose. Remember that you cannot do a screengrab with the standard Windows 'Print Screen' key, because it does not encompass the video overlay used during DVD playback. WinDVD and PowerDVD do.


Arky ;o)

[framerman]

Wicked good, Arky! Thanks alot.