Well guys

I'm new to the field of multimedia, and was having some questions. Wondering if anyone could help me ...

So, I heard that Toast is great to make hybrid CDs. Now, I don't have a mac. I use PC. Is there anything else that does the same thing but for PCs ? I found Easy Media Creator interesting, with so many options. I am interested to buy it, but will it do the work that Toast does, like can I make platform independent CDs / DVDs with this that will run both in Mac and PC ?

Then, when I made my CD normally using my PC and inserted into my DVD player, instead of playing the file directly (I'm using an autorun script) it shows me the content, viz., the icon and the movie file. I need to select the movie file to see the movie. Is there a way to make it in a way that the autoruns work in normal CD / DVD players just as it is in my PC (directly) now and I intend to make the same for Macs as well. I learned that Mac OS > 9 and Windows Vista do not support the autostart thing. User interaction is needed.

Next, I heard about something called enhanced CDs. Any idea how to make those ? Will any Roxio product will help me achieve that ? Easy Media Creator for example.

I appreciate the time time you took to go through this long post and will sincerely appreciate any help. As I understand, I am a newborn in this field and I am hoping to meet many multimedia gurus here

Best.

Long post - I'll try to keep the answers short

Mac s/w - if you are trying to copy a Mac CD disc copier should work. The problem is that Windows can't even see Mac files so it may appear blank in your PC

Enhanced CDs - not sure what you mean but it will do mixed mode

Video CD - you can't have a menu - that only works in DVD maker

Why not give it a spin - there's a 30 day free trial available - check here

Hi gi7omy, thanks for your reply man.

. Yes, that's why I was looking for a way to make a hybrid CD that will work both in the PC and Mac. Toast (a Roxio product) is a program that one can use from a Mac that can make such hybrid CDs. I was looking for a program that will make similar hybrid CDs using a PC. Problem, I don't have a mac.

Enhanced CDs are a type of CD where contents are added in two sessions, one for the multimedia content that will run in a normal player, and an additional session that can be browsed while the CD is used in a computer. Here is a nice tutorial I found after posting my previous post, incase it helps any. However, I am still looking for a software that will help creating CDs based on different sessions.

Actually I am not looking for a menu here. Sorry for not being clear. I want my CD to play automatically once I insert this into my DVD player. Now, it's not playing automatically. I am getting a blue screen with the content of the CD written there, and need to press the play button to run the movie.

Many many thanks for the link. I am downloading it.

Thanks once again for your reply.

The Mac file problem is a doze one - while a Mac (or a Linux box) can read NTFS, FAT and FAT32 - doze steadfastly refuses to recognise anything BUT those

Enhanced = Mixed Mode

Video CDs should autoplay if the DVD player is capable of playing them

Ok, thanks again.


Yes, it is a mixed mode.


Here is the issue. When I see films (purchased or rented DVDs), I see the menu that's specially created for this purpose, no blue screen with the content of the CD / DVD displayed. In this case, I am getting a blue screen with the content of the CD displayed and I need to press on the play button to play the movie

With DVD, you can select the output to be DVD no menu. It will auto start with the movie and loop untill you shut it off. DVD's blank are so inexpensive now that it is better to do DVD rather than CD. Quality of a CD is mpg1 - not very good, of a DVD mpg2 very good or even HD if you have the equipment.

Don't think you can make enhanced DVD's easily but I thnk it is possible if you work from folders> I'm not the expert on that however .

Hi Sknis. Working with DVD is a wonderful idea. Yes, I have checked. The cost of a good DVD is slightly higher than a good CD. May be 10 cents more. But are we addressing the main issue here ? The problem is that as it stands now, the DVD player is unable to read and play the content directly, it is displaying the contents of the CD directly like a menu.

Actually there is a difference.From the help files:

An Enhanced CD is a multi-session CD that contains both music tracks and computer data. The first session on the CD contains the music tracks, so a home or car stereo CD player can play them. The second session contains data intended for your computer’s disc drive. Many Audio CDs are made as an enhanced CD to provide Audio CD tracks and a music video all on the same CD.


A Mixed-Mode CD is a single-session CD that contains both computer data and music tracks, and is typically used for entertainment and educational programs. Data is written to the first track on the CD followed by one or more music tracks.

Note: Mixed-Mode CDs are used in ROM drives and recorders only and cannot be played in home or car stereo CD players.

I think the issue is that you're using a CD and not a movie DVD. I'm not sure what the content of your CD is, but since it doesn't have the file structure of a movie DVD (as opposed to a Data DVD) then the only thing your DVD player can do is show you the contents and let you tell it what you want it to do with it. Yes, EMC can make a regular movie DVD that either has a menu that is automatically played when the disc is inserted, or without a menu so the movie starts playing automatically.

Autorun doesn't mean anything to your DVD player like it does on your PC. Your DVD player isn't running Windows, so the autorun file is just another file to it.

Thanks for your informative post, tbrewst.



d_deweywright, I am having a couple of files relating to the autorun, an icon and an mpeg file. Do you mean to say that if I record those things in a DVD instead of a CD my problem (autoplay in a DVD / car player / etc.) will be solved ? I will try that now, thanks.

Hi guys

I was having a question regarding the EMC9. Can I make an autoexecutable movie / music using the EMC9 that will play directly on inserting independently of the workstation (PC, Mac or normal DVD players, Car audio, etc), I mean autorun, autoplay and autostart. If not, how do you guys develop platform media?

I know that their program Toast helps to make a media file that runs independently in both PC and Mac, but that needs to be installed in a Mac. Problem, I don't have a Mac.

I may not be answering your question as I really am not sure what you are asking but I record tv shows and burn to disc with MyDVD using the No Menu option and my movies start automatically.

There is no "one size fits all" type of disc you can make that will play in anything.

PC's, Mac, Windows based, Linux based, etc.. will play any of the standard Audio Cd's or Video DVD's provided they have a player software installed. Whether they will "autostart" them depends on the settings they have configured for their OS and player software. Even if a disc has an autostart config file, it's not going to do anything if the pc is set up to ignore it.

A standard Audio CD has a specific format to it, and will play in any Audio CD capable player, including PC's. Many DVD players will not play them.

A standard Video DVD has a specific format to it, and will play in any Video DVD player compatible with the type of disc you used, including PC's. CD players will not play them.

It sounds to me like you want a way to get to Mars, but that type of space craft hasn't been built yet.

No, I'm not saying that an Autorun file will help, I'm saying that it won't help make your disc play in a standalone DVD player. Autorun.inf only has meaning when the disc is inserted into a drive in a computer running Windows! If you want to be able to insert a disc into a standalone DVD player and have it start playing a movie, you need to create a DVD movie disc, not some cobbled together Data disc. You need to take your video files, and author a movie using MyDVD, which will create the very specific file structure needed. There's also a good chance a disc like this will kick off whatever DVD playing application is installed on your PC when it is inserted.

If we had a clearer idea of exactly what you want your disc to do, and just what the content is, it might be helpful

Hi Beerman

Yes, I guess you almost replied to my question. Thanks for your time. Just one question, does that start playing automatically in all platforms, like PC, Mac, DVD players, etc ?

On the PC and Mac, the answer is a qualified "yes". The "if" is if they have Autorun enabled, and DVD playing application (like Cineplayer) watching for an appropriate disc to be inserted.

Hope that helps!

Hi Larry (or Monk )

Thanks for your detailed reply. Actually I was having an mpeg video file. For the moment, I can autostart this in a PC (burning this to a CD). Probably if I burn that to a DVD it will autoplay in a normal DVD players as well.

If I had a Mac, I could do the same using Toast that would autoplay in PC and Mac (and hopefully in DVD players as well). Actually I wanted to know whether EMC9 allows the functionality that Toast provides (in Toast, we can create a CD / DVD that will play in both PC and Mac, using a Mac), for PC users




Yes friend, totally agree. If autorun is disabled, that's a different story, and I will include a read me file for that. Question was if autorun is enabled.

So, if I create this using EMC9 and DVD discs, and the product will run in PC and Mac where autorun is enabled + in DVD players, right?



Hi, I didn't see this post earlier. Thanks for the reply. I have a mpeg movie file that I want it to play (automatically). It seems that I am getting answers to my question quite nicely till now, and pretty fast. I sincerely appreciate this.

BTW, is MyDVD a part of the EMC9 software or a different one ?

Edit OK, I got the reply to the last question here

Ok, so you're talking about video not audio. Basically, for a set top player it needs to be a standard Video DVD which EMC 9 can make using the MyDVD app. It makes the same kind of DVD disc that the Toast app makes, since they both make discs to the Video DVD standards. Whether they will "autoplay" on a computer is dependent on the factors I noted before. Most computers are set up to play them automatically.

If you're looking to author to a CD disc, then that would be a VCD or SVCD format. that would be less compatible, as many older set top players will not play them. Computers can if they have player software installed that can play them.

If you're just wanting to put raw video files on cd's or dvd's, those can be made compatible for other OS's by using the ISO9660 file system when burning them as a "data" disc. Not sure about cd's, but for DVD's you have to finalize the disc so it only has one session on it. MAC OS's as I understand it cannot deal with multi-session dvd's. Whether the computer will autoplay them is again up to what software is installed and the settings of the OS. Most discs of these type will not play in any set top dvd players.

Thanks Larry. May be one question more. I am having a desktop and a laptop. Do I need to buy seperate copies for these two, or I can buy a single EMC9 and install that to both machines without any issue ? Any idea here? I guess a lot of us are having atleast two computers.

Well, according to the EULA you are supposed to get a licensed copy for each computer, unless you are just installing it on a second one with the "intent" to uninstall it from the first one.

Thanks Larry

I understand the concept. I was playing around with the trial version, and found that VCD may be a better way to go than a DVD, as VCDs are more widely compatible than DVDs. Also, my video is really small, about 20 minutes and copying from a CD, so quality should be OK as well. However, I found that while I can make a DVD (without menu) with EMC, it is not possible to create a VCD without menu using EMC. I searched the forum and found that with Nero, I can achieve that. I found this strange, as competetive softwares generally give more or less same functionalities ... why EMC does not allow creating a VCD without menu !!!

I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion. A lot of newer DVD players don't support playing VCDs. My current DVD player, and the one I had before that do not support them.

Really? I found that in EMC's help section, Deciding which type of disc to use, and then I googled a bit. But then if what you are telling is true, I am lost here. What to do ... VCD or DVD. Also, if I go for DVDs, there's a compatibility issue of -R and +R, what you are using here !!!

I go along with Dave here on VCD's. Not only are they less compatible with set top players, they have the lowest quality. A DVD will give the most compatibility and best quality. There is also SVCD which is one step up from a VCD, but again, it'll probably have compatibility issues also.

I don't know how a VCD without a menu could work properly, as VCD's have a completely different file stucture and menu functionality than a DVD, unless they are simulating the structure of a menuless dvd somehow.

Which type of DVD is more compatible with players is a subject where you'll get different opinions from different people you ask. Many say DVD-R is more compatible, especially with older players. Others will say DVD+R is better. In either case, a good quality brand is important, like Verbatim. Cheap ones tend to be less reliable.

For myself, I've used some -R's in the past, but pretty much use +R for everything now. I've had no one reject one yet that I've given them, including the 40+ I did for a school graduation project about a year and a half ago. One other advantage a +R disc can have, is that if your burner supports it, it can set the BookType for the disc to be DVD-Rom instead of DVD+R, which then causes the player to recognize it as a DVD-Rom disc.

I haven't had an issue with either format. Granted I mostly use DVD+R, but have occassionally burned DVD-Rs. So far 100% have played back on all the DVD players that the discs were played on. That has been MY experience. As they say - your's may vary.

VCD's are a dying species. If you can create a DVD that is the only way to go! Most newer DVD players are able to play every type of DVD.

I agree with Gary. Most players now will accept most any disc. You'll always find someone with a player that is more particular, so there is no one answer/disc type that you can guarantee will play in every player.

Thanks guys ... while so many digital gurus are telling that DVDs are better than VCDs, that must be true

So, I recorded a DVD in a 1.4 GB small disk, with high quality as option. It was a small video of 12 minutes. The original mpeg file was stored in a CD, I saved that in my hard drive and used the file from there. I have also autocreated chapters, that's cool.

Result. it's playing directly in my DVD file. So, I am happy here. However, issues I faced were -

a. The video file was not good. There were vibrations in the movie and the video progession was not smooth. It was jumping sometimes.

b. It is not autostarting in my PC. I'm yet to check in a Mac. Instead, it is showing two folders, one called roxio something and the other was full of a bunch of video ts files.



Do you guys have any suggestion for me friends ?

Well well, I think there's a solution to what I am looking for. I got this page by googling. => http://www.nmav.com/products/Sonic/SoniceDVD4

It says =>Enjoy cross-platform playback - Create enhanced DVDs that are compatible with millions of DVD players, MAC and PC computers around the world.

This is what I need probably. An enhanced DVD, that will play (autoplay ?) equally in all medias, standalone DVDs, PCs and Macs. And it seems that Roxio is having the product.

I only need to find out how to get there. If anyone has ever used this, thanks for giving me any hint.
Thanks

LOL, good luck. You will probably find more cross-dressers than cross platform people, in these forums. j/k

Let's start this way, if you put a commercial DVD in the drive on your PC, does it start playing automatically? If not, then you need an application installed that will autoplay it. Or, you need to enable auto-insert detection/auto-play on that drive. Once you get a commercial DVD to autoplay on your PC, then the one you just created should do the same. It's not a function of the disc, it's a function of the operating system. You seem to think there's something magic about the disc, it's not the disc, it's the player, whether it be a PC or Mac or standalone player. Don't get so caught up in needing a fancy format for the disc for heaven's sake!

Actually I am one of the few cross platform people around here here that I know of. DVDs are by nature cross platform. There is one format of DVD. If you make a Video DVD, you can pay it in a Mac, a PC, and a Set Top DVD player. End of story.

Thanks again guys.

Well, when I make a CD with an autorun.inf file in it, it starts automatically in a PC.

I read that toast can make a program that will run automatically in a Mac.

A DVD runs automatically in a standalone player.

Now, if I make a DVD, with the autorun.inf file in it, it may autoplay in a PC as well, am I right? Standalone DVD players may simply ignore the autorun.inf file and will play the movie automatically while a PC will read the autorun.inf file and will autorun the same. A similar workaround can be found for mac as well. It can be a two sessioned DVD.

Theoritically, this is what I'm after. I know it's not very common, so may be it's appearing that I'm after something impossible. But is it really impossible?

No No No No No! What you want is very easy!

Read what John wrote, and stop skipping the words!



You don't need to do anything with an autorun.inf file! If the computer, whether a PC or Mac is set up properly it will automatically run a DVD Video disc! You don't need to do anything more than make the video DVD. As I wrote earlier, whether or not the disc plays automatically on the computer is a function of the computer being set up properly, it's not some special function of the DVD!

You can't do anything to the disc to make it automatically play in a computer if the computer isn't set to do it anyway.