Too many files on DVD?

smokedeyelids wrote on 11/27/2012, 4:34 PM
I am authoring a DVD that is a kind of glossary. The end result will supply the user with several terms - 108 in total - each one with a short video attached. The DVD begins -- it autoplays an introduction video - then plays the first video/term. It then goes to the first menu screen where the user can choose to replay the first term, go to the next term ("term 2"), or go to another menu which will allow them to browse the terms (A-Z). If they choose to play the next term, that term will play through and go to Menu 2, at which time they can replay "term 2", go to the A-Z menu, or play "term 3". This is the same for every term - with each menu essentially the same, just linking to the next term.

To keep the total video files under 100, I combined several of the terms into one larger video file. The links to these terms are chapters of that one larger file. I do not have more than 99 videos.

I finish the project and burn to a DVD. The project says it has been completed correctly, though it does give me a warning that it may not work on all DVD players, as it included "too many titles".

When I go to play the DVD it works fine for the first 50 or so terms on my PC. After the first 50 terms or so, when I click on a new term or go try to go to it from the A-Z menu, it gives me a disc error and will not play. When I play this DVD in a DVD player it does the same thing, but plays many more than 50. The DVD stops shortly before the end of the 108 terms.

I am confused as to why this DVD would act differently in a computer versus a DVD player. I have tried it in multiple computers.

Do you think this has to do with the number to titles? I am confused. Any advice or help would be appreciated, even if it is just "your project is too big". Thank you.

Comments

videoITguy wrote on 11/27/2012, 5:27 PM
I truly do NOT comprehend how you managed to spread 99+ links to how many menu pages - BUT you have likely exceeded the DVD specifications.

Goto help file and review the question of how many menu pages can contain so many button elements as links to media assets.
DVD specification is rigorous in this regard and you will get erratic behavior from player to player and from play cycle to play cycle.

The solution - make fewer media assets, with chapter marks to 'leap' from chapter to chapter all the while keeping your menu count at a relatively low number.
Former user wrote on 11/27/2012, 5:34 PM
From Wikipedia

" DVD-Video can contain up to 99 (1–99) titles with max 10 (0–9) VOB files each. The last possible VOB file is VTS_99_9.VOB."

DVDA limits to one title set, so this could be a problem area and since it gave you a warning that it might not work, it sounds like you have reached one of the limits.

Dave T2
videoITguy wrote on 11/27/2012, 7:09 PM
You can author Blu-ray on Blu-ray media with DVDAPro 5.0b + and get around these silly limits of the DVD Spec.

A Blu-ray authored disc will serve you right.
Paul Masters wrote on 11/28/2012, 11:31 AM
Also I have seen a 99 chapter limit. I think that is per disc not per title.

While hardware and software manufactures must follow the specifications, they may implement then in different ways (with different code). Therefore, each device (hardware or software) may work differently for a given feature. The same applies even more so to BD.

Paul Masters
videoITguy wrote on 11/28/2012, 3:12 PM
The 99 seperate links may read as spec to one disc - but note that DVDAPro is an auto VTS (video title set) app meaning that it allows the creation of one and only one VTS - hence the 99 number (as spec'd in this SCS app help file) applies practically speaking to the entire VTS and therefore as created by DVDAPro on one single disc.