Adding Data Files To A Dvd Movie Or A Music Dvd

[Jim_Hardin]

Edit (9/0912/09): This no longer works in Creator 2010 – SOL… Well it does by 1/2 Burn Data Disc will still do it but VCC Will Not!

 

A useful feature that is difficult to accomplish… I will describe 3 ways to do this with the Suite

 

The most common is to use MyDVD which will allow the addition of the Pictures that are used in a slideshow by clicking a checkbox for Archive photos under Project Settings

 

The limitation will be that only those photos actually used in the project will be ones included.

 

That may be OK for many but I often have only used 10 or so of my best photos in a slideshow but want to include the other 80 or so runner-ups on the disc.

 

Likewise I may have data files in other formats or documents that I wish to include in my DVD Movie.

 

There are 2 ways to do this and both require that you have the VIDEO_TS Folder and its' contents already created for this to work.

 

In MyDVD you simply choose Create folder set at the time of burning:

 

 

With the Music DVD Creator or DVD Music Assistant this option to create a Folder is not available. You either Burn the disc (RW is great for this) and copy the VIDEO_TS folder to your HD or Burn an ISO and use Video Copy and Convert to burn a File to your HD so it will create the needed VIDEO_TS folder.

 

Where to put this vital VIDEO_TS folder? I create a New Folder and give it the name of the Disc Label I want it to have. (don't get too cute, Disc Labels are limited to 16 characters!)

 

Into that Folder I place the VIDEO_TS folder and all data files/folders that I want to include. In this example I called it MDC Test and added a Data folder as well as some loose files.

 

 

Video Copy and Convert – DVD Video Copy:

For the Source, use the drop arrow to select Browse for Disc Image… and point it to the root directory, MDC Test in this example:

 

When you highlight the MDC Test you need only pick the Movie.

 

Make sure you also click the Options to Include Data (ROM) Content from Source!!!

 

Burn and there it is:

 

Note that it picked up the root folder name for the Disc Label and that everything in that folder found it's way to the disc.

 

This could present some unintended consequences… No matter what you call it, a 4.7 GB disc is only going to hold 4.7 GB of data. If the combination of Movie and Data exceed the disc size, VCC will re-render the Movie portion to make it fit! This will reduce quality. I always make a burn onto DVD RW media to test all features before blindly assuming that everything is OK.

 

There may be times when it just cannot be done even with a 8.5 GB Double Layer disc.

 

The other method is to use Burn Data Disc from the Home app, Data – Copy.

 

Burn Data Disc is less automated requires more attention on your part.

 

In this example you will have to add everything you want manually. (I prefer using Windows Explorer to Copy and Paste the Folders/Files into the BDD window)

 

You must also manually enter the Disc Label where I have entered Pick a Name.

 

And you must set the File System under Options: I recommend Disc at Once (DAO), Closed; ISO+Joliet+UDF (106 character file names); and I want to close the DVD.

 

The burned result:

 

Notice that the silly Disc Label I picked, " Pick a Name" was used and everything was burned.

Edited December 1, 2009 by Jim_Hardin