DVD menu does not work in set top DVD player

[gentle breeze]

My first Toast project is a DVD I made with v 8.0.1.

Hooray!

 

The DVD is great except for one problem - which is that although it loads in my set top DVD player, and the menu shows fine on the TV, I can't operate/navigate the menu to make the DVD play in that DVD player.

 

The only semi-response I get is when I press the play button on the DVD control - upon which the outline around the first menu button disappears. After that, there's no positive response to any command I've tried. There's only an occasional palm of a raised hand (icon), or a text acknowledgement of the command I tried. From the remote control, I can't even get the disc to eject!

 

Only once before to date, in about five years with the set top DVD player, has any DVD I've had not played in the player. The player is Apex brand, AD-1100W model.

 

The menu of the DVD works fine in my Mac and PC - and the DVD plays fine in them.

 

In making the DVD, I first made an image file (in order to preview, before burning) and then I copied the image file to a DVD disc (twice, i.e. for two copies).

Both discs behave the same way.

[tsantee]

I suggest trying a different brand of blank media. Also, if you used DVD+R try DVD-R instead, or the other way around.

[gentle breeze]

I suggest trying a different brand of blank media. Also, if you used DVD+R try DVD-R instead, or the other way around.

 

Dear tsantee

 

It's a day later, and I've been working on your suggestions, plus more.

1.

I fared no differently with an HP DVD -R than I did originally with Sony DVD -Rs.

Likewise with an OfficeDepot DVD +R.

 

2.

Next, as another test I created two new DVD discs - using a different source of video (the same for each of the two new discs), but a different method of authoring each of the two new discs.

Whereas the source video for the problem DVD in my original post was QuickTime .mov files that I opened up in Toast8/Video/DVD-Video, this time I used a video_ts folder that I downloaded via the web.

 

For one of the new discs, I simply dragged the source video_ts folder onto the icon for the blank DVD and then burned it by clicking the yeloow-and-black Mac 'Burn' button (i.e. NOT using Toast).

For the other new disc, I loaded the source video_ts folder into Toast8/Video/VIDEO_TS Folder, and burned it from there using Toast.

 

Both new discs play fine in my Mac**.

I wonder whether you can guess correctly which disc plays in my set top DVD player, and which doesn't.

The Mac-burned disc does play, and the Toasted disc DOESN'T (It behaves just as the previous problem discs do)!

** Note: Using DVD Player in the Mac, you have to navigate via File/Open DVD Media/DVD disc/VIDEO_TS. In the set top DVD player, the Play button comes up straight away (and works fine)!

 

Does that information help us get any closer to being able to make Toasted DVDs work in my set top DVD player?

[tsantee]

That's an unexpected report. With the original Toast-burned DVD was there a check mark next to "Auto-play disc on insert"? That would start playback by skipping the menu thereby requiring you to press the menu button on the remote control for the menu to appear.

 

Your second test is topsy-turvy so I can't explain it. Video DVD discs must be in UDF format in order for standard DVD players to recognize them. When burning using the Finder the DVD is burned in HFS+ & ISO 9660 format so that disc should have been unplayable. In order to burn a video DVD from a VIDEO_TS folder using Apple's burn tools one needs to use the application DVDImager to first create a UDF-formatted disc image and then burn that using Disk Utility. It makes sense that DVD Player on your Mac didn't automatically launch and play the Finder-burned DVD because of this. But the Toast-burned one should have worked properly. Of course if DVD Player was already open when the Toast-burned DVD was inserted you still would need to select it from the DVD Player menu.

 

But that doesn't explain how come these work or don't work on your standalone player. Yours is the first time I've heard of a DVD player working with a video DVD that is not in UDF format. I don't know what to suggest. You might test those Toast- and Finder-burned DVDs on a friend's DVD player just to see if anything is different in the outcome.

[gentle breeze]

With the original Toast-burned DVD was there a check mark next to "Auto-play disc on insert"? That would start playback by skipping the menu thereby requiring you to press the menu button on the remote control for the menu to appear.

I had not been selecting "Auto-play disc on insert", when I burned any DVD disc.

However, after reading your response I burned a disc with that option selected. The disc plays fine in Mac/PC. However, when it's in the set top DVD player, the TV screen is plain dark (i.e. appears as if the TV's off).

Sending the Menu command from the remote control causes the root menu to show on the screen - but only eventually and after I've waited for some "sign of life" and after I've sent the Menu command for a second time.

Thereafter, sending the Play command produces the same (unsatisfactory) result as with previously burned discs, i.e. the highlighting around the first menu button disappears, and then the Menu screen stays fixed and the player is unresponsive**.

 

** I discovered today that after I've sent the Play command, if I send the Next command then the still scene from the start of Chapter 2 (which is a few minutes into the video) appears on screen. From there, all I can get the set top DVD player to do is go back to the Root Menu - and so on and so forth, around and around. It's the same still scene every time around.

 

Video DVD discs must be in UDF format in order for standard DVD players to recognize them. When burning using the Finder the DVD is burned in HFS+ & ISO 9660 format so that disc should have been unplayable.

I too was a bit surprised when burning using Finder succeeded, especially having read a little about authoring, beforehand. Nevertheless, it works as I have reported - and after reading your response I burned the downloaded video_ts folder to DVD -R disc using Finder for a second time, to verify what I wrote yesterday. The second Finder burned disc works just as the first - i.e. plays immediately in the set top DVD player; and the video_ts folder has to be selected via File/Open DVD Media in DVD Player.

 

In order to burn a video DVD from a VIDEO_TS folder using Apple's burn tools one needs to use the application DVDImager to first create a UDF-formatted disc image and then burn that using Disk Utility.

Could it be that the source video_ts folder, which I downloaded from the internet, came already prepared in some way by its author? I can't express the question much clearer than that, on account of my limited video knowledge.

 

It makes sense that DVD Player on your Mac didn't automatically launch and play the Finder-burned DVD because of this. But the Toast-burned one should have worked properly.

Yes, the Toasted ones do work properly in the Mac. I apologize in case that wasn't clear from what I wrote previously.

 

Of course if DVD Player was already open when the Toast-burned DVD was inserted you still would need to select it from the DVD Player menu.

Actually, with Toast open (and not minimized), when I insert the Toasted DVDs the DVD Player application is launched automatically and asks where I want to start playing the previously viewed disc.

 

You might test those Toast- and Finder-burned DVDs on a friend's DVD player just to see if anything is different in the outcome.

Yesterday, I tested a Toasted DVD in a friend's set top DVD player, and it works fine.

I'll have to wait for an opportunity to test a Finder burned DVD in his player.

[tsantee]

I had not been selecting "Auto-play disc on insert", when I burned any DVD disc.

However, after reading your response I burned a disc with that option selected. The disc plays fine in Mac/PC. However, when it's in the set top DVD player, the TV screen is plain dark (i.e. appears as if the TV's off).

Sending the Menu command from the remote control causes the root menu to show on the screen - but only eventually and after I've waited for some "sign of life" and after I've sent the Menu command for a second time.

Thereafter, sending the Play command produces the same (unsatisfactory) result as with previously burned discs, i.e. the highlighting around the first menu button disappears, and then the Menu screen stays fixed and the player is unresponsive**.

 

** I discovered today that after I've sent the Play command, if I send the Next command then the still scene from the start of Chapter 2 (which is a few minutes into the video) appears on screen. From there, all I can get the set top DVD player to do is go back to the Root Menu - and so on and so forth, around and around. It's the same still scene every time around.

This is ample proof that your DVD player is incompatible with Toast-burned video DVDs. I just don't know why. Everything else you've reported indicates to me that it just isn't going to work. Maybe you could choose Save as Disc Image with Toast so it creates a VIDEO_TS folder, mount the disc image, insert a blank DVD, drag the VIDEO_TS from the disc image to the DVD icon in the Finder and let the Finder burn the DVD. It might not work on any other DVD player, though.

Could it be that the source video_ts folder, which I downloaded from the internet, came already prepared in some way by its author? I can't express the question much clearer than that, on account of my limited video knowledge.

DVDImager creates a disc image so you'd get that instead of a VIDEO_TS folder. My guess is your DVD player also supports playing DivX discs which are ISO 9660. Maybe that's why the ISO 9660-formated DVD worked. Just guessing.

I tested a Toasted DVD in a friend's set top DVD player, and it works fine.

I'll have to wait for an opportunity to test a Finder burned DVD in his player.

What brand and model is that DVD player?

[gentle breeze]

Maybe you could choose Save as Disc Image with Toast so it creates a VIDEO_TS folder, mount the disc image, insert a blank DVD, drag the VIDEO_TS from the disc image to the DVD icon in the Finder and let the Finder burn the DVD. It might not work on any other DVD player, though.

I followed those instructions exactly; and the resulting Finder-burned DVD behaves exactly as do the problem Toasted DVDs!

What can be deduced from that?

What brand and model is that DVD player?

That set top player is a Liteon brand, LVW-5001 model.

Since then, I've found out that the problem Toasted DVDs also play fine in a Coby brand, DVD-224 model, set top DVD player.

 

Also, in case it makes any difference, since writing previously I have realized that the VIDEO_TS folder that I downloaded and then used for the second test (i.e. the test for which you said the result was topsy turvy) is all in PAL.

[tsantee]

I followed those instructions exactly; and the resulting Finder-burned DVD behaves exactly as do the problem Toasted DVDs!

What can be deduced from that?

Sorry, but I'm mystified.

 

That set top player is a Liteon brand, LVW-5001 model.

Since then, I've found out that the problem Toasted DVDs also play fine in a Coby brand, DVD-224 model, set top DVD player.

 

Also, in case it makes any difference, since writing previously I have realized that the VIDEO_TS folder that I downloaded and then used for the second test (i.e. the test for which you said the result was topsy turvy) is all in PAL.

NTSC DVD players are rarely designed to play PAL DVDs (although PAL DVD players usually can play NTSC discs). Computers don't care as long as there are no region code issues (which there are not on burned DVDs). Older players can have problems with newer media and with +R discs. You may want to test again using a Verbatim DVD-R disc as those have wide compatibility.

[gentle breeze]

Many thanks, tsantee.

I learned a lot from you.

I think this case can be considered closed.