How To Make Mydvd Automatically Refresh The Metadata For A Movie File (mpg,mov,etc) In The Dmsd ?

[nuspieds]

Hi,

 

I'm helping a friend create a DVD video of some of his family's videos. I've created the production in MyDVD with his video files (mpegs) and it works fine.

 

The thing is, sometimes he sends me newer versions of movies because he has either edited them or retook them with his camcorder or camera or whatever he fancies at the time! What I've been doing is taking the newer files he sends and copying them right over into my DVD production folder, overwriting any previous versions, if they exist.

 

Before sending me the files, he gives them meaningful names, so that I know what they are and where to put them in the production. So even if he makes a newer version of a movie or makes edits, etc., he'll send me a file with the same name (e.g., "Day At The Park.mpg").

 

What I've noticed, however, is that by me simply overwriting the file in my folder, the dmsd metadata for the file (length, file size, inpoint, outpoint, aspect ratio, etc.) does not get updated the next time MyDVD loads. That is, it has the metadata as of when I first added the movie and/or when I last made edits (for example, I often have to set the starting and ending points).

 

I only accidentally noticed this when I saw that one of the new versions he sent me didn't play right (starting and ending). I investigated and found the cause in the dmsd file.

 

I thought that was okay, at which point I figured that all I needed to do was force a "Cannot find file" error and then I'd just use the MyDVD functionality to browse for the file. Well, I did that, and that still didn't work. The dmsd still had the old metadata!

 

I don't want to delete and re-add the movie, as it will mess up my menus, so what I have found as a workaround is to edit the movie in the Production Editor, delete the panel and then re-add the movie into the panel. Deleting the movie from the panel definitely causes it's metadata to be removed from the dmsd and re-adding it causes the new version's info be be brought in.

 

Is there a better way to do this?

 

Thanks.

[bimicher]

Hi,

 

I'm helping a friend create a DVD video of some of his family's videos. I've created the production in MyDVD with his video files (mpegs) and it works fine.

 

The thing is, sometimes he sends me newer versions of movies because he has either edited them or retook them with his camcorder or camera or whatever he fancies at the time! What I've been doing is taking the newer files he sends and copying them right over into my DVD production folder, overwriting any previous versions, if they exist.

 

Before sending me the files, he gives them meaningful names, so that I know what they are and where to put them in the production. So even if he makes a newer version of a movie or makes edits, etc., he'll send me a file with the same name (e.g., "Day At The Park.mpg").

 

What I've noticed, however, is that by me simply overwriting the file in my folder, the dmsd metadata for the file (length, file size, inpoint, outpoint, aspect ratio, etc.) does not get updated the next time MyDVD loads. That is, it has the metadata as of when I first added the movie and/or when I last made edits (for example, I often have to set the starting and ending points).

 

I only accidentally noticed this when I saw that one of the new versions he sent me didn't play right (starting and ending). I investigated and found the cause in the dmsd file.

 

I thought that was okay, at which point I figured that all I needed to do was force a "Cannot find file" error and then I'd just use the MyDVD functionality to browse for the file. Well, I did that, and that still didn't work. The dmsd still had the old metadata!

 

I don't want to delete and re-add the movie, as it will mess up my menus, so what I have found as a workaround is to edit the movie in the Production Editor, delete the panel and then re-add the movie into the panel. Deleting the movie from the panel definitely causes it's metadata to be removed from the dmsd and re-adding it causes the new version's info be be brought in.

 

Is there a better way to do this?

 

Thanks.

 

First of all you should be doing all your video edting in Videowave not through myDVD.

Overwriting your original source video with a new file is a bad mistake. You can't really expect your editing instructions to have any relationship to the new video The dmsd project file applies only to the set of source file you originally used. Changing any source file makes the editing instructions, etc meaningless.

If you get a new video use a different name and start a new project only for that file. If you work from Videowave, you can save the projects and later decide which one you want to use in myDVD.

Menus should be created when everything else is completed.

[nuspieds]

First of all you should be doing all your video edting in Videowave not through myDVD.

Overwriting your original source video with a new file is a bad mistake. You can't really expect your editing instructions to have any relationship to the new video The dmsd project file applies only to the set of source file you originally used. Changing any source file makes the editing instructions, etc meaningless.

If you get a new video use a different name and start a new project only for that file. If you work from Videowave, you can save the projects and later decide which one you want to use in myDVD.

Menus should be created when everything else is completed.

 

MyDVD was meant for people like me. I'm really just a simple, novice user. I didn't even know what Videowave was until just a couple of weeks ago! Seriously, all I do is "Add Slideshow" and "Add Movie". That's all. As far as "editing," I don't mean heavy-duty editing, just the basic features that MyDVD permits (setting start and end points is as much as I do, really).

 

So, yes, Videowave and whatever else apps are more powerful/offer better features or whatever, but for the simple, non-professional user like me, the built-in features provided by MyDVD suit my needs.

 

I accept and understand that it would not update the metadata when I overwrite the file (obviously, I'm doing that externally), but I just figured (hoped?! ) that by forcing that "missing file" error and then having to do a browse/locate file when MyDVD started, that it would recognize it as a "new" file and replace the old metadata.

 

The thing is, though, I can still see value for this type of functionality. Only because I'm an exclusive user of MyDVD and, hey, after adding my video files to the menu, I don't want to have to delete and re-add menu buttons, just because I decided to use a longer/shorter version of a video, for example. One thing about adding a movie is that it adds it to the "end", which would affect the "Play All". If I've already gotten everything sequenced, I'm going to have to go back and move up the added file back into its spot. (I've done this; it's slow and a pain!)

 

But are you saying that if a VideoWave project was used instead of the actual mpeg file that I wouldn't have this problem? Meaning that the mpeg metadata would then be in the VideoWave project, and then I'd just be using the VideoWave project in the MyDVD production? If so, that's helpful. But, on another production where I have several hundreds of mpegs, I couldn't imagine creating a VideoWave for each one!

 

Thanks.

[Jim_Hardin]

In Video there are Editing software (VideoWave) and Authoring software. They are separate and distinctive…

 

Editing software can't burn.

 

Authoring software can't edit.

 

I don't know of software that will allow you to do what you want from the ones I have used.

 

One possibility that MyDVD may allow… Don't overwrite the existing video file.

 

Load the MyDVD Project and click on the clip you want to "replace".

 

Chose Edit Movie and it will take you into VideoWave.

 

In VW, delete the existing clip and use Add Photo/Video to put in the new one. Click on Back to Menu and you have a new clip in the old Menu button!

 

No guarantees, but give it a try and see what happens.

 

[bimicher]

MyDVD was meant for people like me. I'm really just a simple, novice user. I didn't even know what Videowave was until just a couple of weeks ago! Seriously, all I do is "Add Slideshow" and "Add Movie". That's all. As far as "editing," I don't mean heavy-duty editing, just the basic features that MyDVD permits (setting start and end points is as much as I do, really).

 

So, yes, Videowave and whatever else apps are more powerful/offer better features or whatever, but for the simple, non-professional user like me, the built-in features provided by MyDVD suit my needs.

 

I accept and understand that it would not update the metadata when I overwrite the file (obviously, I'm doing that externally), but I just figured (hoped?! ) that by forcing that "missing file" error and then having to do a browse/locate file when MyDVD started, that it would recognize it as a "new" file and replace the old metadata.

 

The thing is, though, I can still see value for this type of functionality. Only because I'm an exclusive user of MyDVD and, hey, after adding my video files to the menu, I don't want to have to delete and re-add menu buttons, just because I decided to use a longer/shorter version of a video, for example. One thing about adding a movie is that it adds it to the "end", which would affect the "Play All". If I've already gotten everything sequenced, I'm going to have to go back and move up the added file back into its spot. (I've done this; it's slow and a pain!)

 

But are you saying that if a VideoWave project was used instead of the actual mpeg file that I wouldn't have this problem? Meaning that the mpeg metadata would then be in the VideoWave project, and then I'd just be using the VideoWave project in the MyDVD production? If so, that's helpful. But, on another production where I have several hundreds of mpegs, I couldn't imagine creating a VideoWave for each one!

 

Thanks.

 

Most of the users, if not all, of EMC 10 are "simple, non-professional" users.

I don't know what you mean by "metadata". If you are referring to the editing instructions then what you want is simply not possible. Just because you want the software to behave in a certain way does not mean that its possible.

[nuspieds]

Most of the users, if not all, of EMC 10 are "simple, non-professional" users.

I don't know what you mean by "metadata". If you are referring to the editing instructions then what you want is simply not possible. Just because you want the software to behave in a certain way does not mean that its possible.

 

No, the editing instructions are not metadata. "Metadata" = "Data about the data." E.g., filesize, filename, type, etc. That's why I would have expected the metadata to be refreshed on a file change; but stuff like editing instructions, no, that wouldn't make sense to be refreshed.

 

Hey, if only everything we wanted software to do was possible! But then again, that's why invaluable forums like these exist.

 

Thanks again for your help...much appreciated!

 

In Video there are Editing software (VideoWave) and Authoring software. They are separate and distinctive…

 

Editing software can't burn.

 

Authoring software can't edit.

 

I don't know of software that will allow you to do what you want from the ones I have used.

 

One possibility that MyDVD may allow… Don't overwrite the existing video file.

 

Load the MyDVD Project and click on the clip you want to "replace".

 

Chose Edit Movie and it will take you into VideoWave.

 

In VW, delete the existing clip and use Add Photo/Video to put in the new one. Click on Back to Menu and you have a new clip in the old Menu button!

 

No guarantees, but give it a try and see what happens.

 

Hey, thanks for that tip! That is exactly what I had ended up doing as my workaround: I edit, delete the clip from the panel, then re-add it to the panel. It does work and I don't have to fiddle with the menu buttons!

 

Thanks for your help!

[grandpabruce]

No, the editing instructions are not metadata. "Metadata" = "Data about the data." E.g., filesize, filename, type, etc. That's why I would have expected the metadata to be refreshed on a file change; but stuff like editing instructions, no, that wouldn't make sense to be refreshed.

 

Hey, if only everything we wanted software to do was possible! But then again, that's why invaluable forums like these exist.

 

Thanks again for your help...much appreciated!

 

 

 

Hey, thanks for that tip! That is exactly what I had ended up doing as my workaround: I edit, delete the clip from the panel, then re-add it to the panel. It does work and I don't have to fiddle with the menu buttons!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

That isn't a workaround. That's the way it is done.

 

[nuspieds]

That isn't a workaround. That's the way it is done.

 

Cool...I certainly now feel that what I have been doing thus far has been validated. My original question was, "Is there a better way to do this?" and now I know the answer.

 

Thanks everyone.

[grandpabruce]

Cool...I certainly now feel that what I have been doing thus far has been validated. My original question was, "Is there a better way to do this?" and now I know the answer.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

You're welcome, and it is good to see that it works for you. The software can be a lot of fun.