eDVD URLs and Mac

[Ss Scott]

how are you burning your final project (video_ts, audio_ts and eDVD content)? Using the included RecordNow software or pulling the eDVD image into your authoring application? If it is the latter, and your authoring application is DVDSP, you will need to make sure you don’t damage the files in transferring them over to the Mac. I think James Manz’ review/tutuorial of the project covers that.

[Wts(jmanz)]

Andy,

Maybe you could give a few more details how you are setting it up to get an idea. They should and do work if done right.

Jim

[Andy Taplin]

hi

I’m burning the files on the PC using RecordNow and not copying them back to the Mac. As I said the disc works fine on the PC but the URLs do not open on the Mac. Very frustrating!

Thanks

[Wts(jmanz)]

As I posted before, you don’t give much in terms of details. Not sure why your links don’t work, because they should–if viewed on a Mac that has the minimum specs to run the IAP application, and the Mac has the software on board that recognizes the file type it’s asked to open.

Mac executables and launching a folder require you to format and output from a Mac to work on a Mac. The other file types (including URL’s) can be formatted and output from either platform, and the disc should then work on both. I don’t have any issues with URL’s myself, so I don’t know why they don’t for you with the information presented. You posted in the DVDSP forum as well, so I am assuming you have that application? If so, you could import the image folder created in eDVD 4 and follow the steps as outlined in my article to format with DVDSP. Instead of outputting to disc, output to your hard drive as a disc image. You can then mount the image on your Mac, and use the Interactual Player to test the project and see if the links now work or not.

Jim

[Andy Taplin]

Thanks Jim

I did reply to your post in DVDStudio Pro as below:

“The URL links are launched from a chapter marker at the start of a video track with a 3 sec delay.

After building in eDVD (V4) all the files are burnt to a DVD-R using Sonic RecordNow (V7) as a data disc.

This disc works fine on my PC – it plays on the Mac as well in the Interactual player but the URLs don’t launch.”

I’ll your soulution and try a disc image on the Mac.

Andy

[Wts(jmanz)]

I have answered you in the DVDSP forum as well. You get more than one reply from me, because you posted in both forums. I responded here before realizing you had additional info there. In any event, I think you have to do more than just try the image creation and Mac testing. I think your potential problem is the delay in launch of the link, and the fact it (IAP) doesn’t have time to launch the link while your dvd video continues. I don’t know the specifics of how you set your link, other than you put it on a 3 second delay. It’s important to know how long your track is, or how long before the next chapter is reached on that track. It’s also important to know what action you set for your dvd video with that link–ie to continue to play, pause, or stop. Try the other suggestions I posted on the DVDSP forum as well. URL’s work great on both a PC and a Mac, so knowing this additional information might give me the info I need to help you get the same results.

Jim

[Andy Taplin]

Thanks for your help Jim – here’s the info I think you need.

The video clip that launches the URL is 6 seconds long. I put a 3 sec delay in before the web link launches so you have time to see the video before the web window appears. At the end of the video it’s set to jump back to a menu.

In eDVD the action is set to LAUNCH URL POPUP PLAY.

I don’t believe there are any basic issues with the Macs – all are G4s and have Tiger and play DVDs fine.

I’ll try the things you have suggested and report back – sounds like the delay might be the culprit. In which case I’ll move the chapter marker 3 secs in and take out the delay.

If anything else occurs to you I’d be very grateful for your thoughts.

Andy

[Wts(jmanz)]

I think the culprit is the delay in launch is 3 seconds, and your clip only has 3 seconds more before finishing. IAP needs time to launch the ROM content, and for whatever reason (mind you, it’s by experience, not by some deeper understanding of the operating system differences and the handling of the eDVD content) Mac’s seem to take a little longer to launch the links. If there isn’t enough time, then the link will not launch.

For a URL, set the window off to the side so it doesn’t cover your video. I doubt it will launch so fast anyway as to cover the message on your video, but if it does, having it launch off to the side will keep the video window uncovered (or at least partially uncovered). In your set up, I would set the link at the very beginning (as you have) and set the launch to immediately (0). Make your video clip longer (like 7-10 seconds). I use a slate that says something like–“email/web opening please wait” and set the action to “play” with the video slate directed back to your menu (like it sounds you already have). By doing it this way, your URL should start launching as soon as it opens your video and have enough time to finish launching before the clip goes back to the menu.

Hope this helps. If you build a disc image as I posted before, you should be able to test it without wasting discs.

Jim

[Ss Scott]

This may have been the conclusion you came to, but try putting in a second chapter of video into your timeline and launching the eDVD event from the second chapter rather than the first. First chapter 2 seconds, second chapter 4.

As an alternative, you might be able to point to a 5 or 6 second one slide slideshow rather than your title.

[Andy Taplin]

Thanks a lot Jim – I’ll give it a try and post back in a day or two.

Andy