You could make menus that consists of nothing but the last frame from each chapter. Put a hidden button on each one that goes to the next chapter. Have the end action for each segment to point to one of these menus.

You can do this with either separate video for each chapter or you can do it with one big video file with chapters, and just re-use that video over and over with the end point set differently for each instance.

At a recent VASST seminar I asked Spot the question and he seemed to think it was possible with the use of Architect's new scripting features. Any ideas?

Scripts give you access to low level operations of the DVD, but do not allow you to modify the attributes of a chapter in this fashion. This type of feature would have to be something you can tell DVDA to set in the chapter as it's preparing the project. Scripts can get executed only when the DVD is played.

While the DVD specification does appear to allow this type of chapter pause (that is to say, I can do this in DLP - what's not clear is whether this is a feature in the spec or whether DLP is doing something for me behind the scenes), as far as I know, DVDA doesn't provide access to the feature in any fashion.

--Scott

I actually emailed the DVD Guru, and heard this from him:

"I do not know DVDA 4 much, but you can try to check it to see if there's a way to put a PAUSE attribute on a Chapter point - this function exists in many DVD programs*, as it is a function of the DVD spec, and pretty usual to use.

Hope this helps - Bruce"

*DVD Studio Pro, Scenarist, and Sonic DVD Creator/Fusion
but MOST authoring apps should be able to do this...

Any ideas if we could get this to happen. I would hate to have to move to another app.

As ScottW mentioned, DLP 2.x does allow for it (and does it within the DVD Specs). It can do it on a chapter and/or at the Title level.

I haven't found the option in DVDA4, but you can easily add the pause post-authoring (i.e. burn the DVD to folders on your hard drive, then use a free utility called PGCedit to modify the Chapter Still times).

Thanks George. I have done that and loaded it up into that app but when I am in the toolbox what do I set the CELL STILL TIME to, to hold the image until action is taken on the DVD? Must I change anything else?

Thanks again. You are a huge help!

0-254 seconds, or 255 for an infinite pause

Is there a way I can set it so that the play button will take it out of that infinite pause? I still want the user to have control over how long that pause remains for...

set it to 255 -- it should continue playback when they hit play. Although you might want to set it for 254-seconds in case the viewer never hits play (think "screen saver" for your computer monitor)

I would have thought so but when I did 255 and tested the files on my comp it would not move no matter what I did...

I use PowerDVD on the computer -- what software are you using?

Have you tried it in a set-top dvd player?

And did you make any other modifications within pgcedit (some changes might mess up playback)

btw, does your dvd have multi-angles?

I actually used Nero Showtime and I didn't burn. If it has worked for you I would say it was my software. I'll give it a go in another app or on my set top.

Thanks again!