I am able to create Simple Video Sequence VCDs using Adaptec Video CD Creator 4.03. But I have not found a way of creating One Level Menu Structure VCDs. There appears to be no way of connecting a play-sequence to a button number on the menu. Can anyone enlighten me on this problem? The Help Panel says the following:

5 Click the New Page button.

The Video CD Creator Wizard appears and guides you step-by-step through the creation of a menu page and completing the creation of the Video CD.

6 Follow the on-screen prompts of the Wizard.

But in reality, it does not guide you except gets you running around in circles. Maybe Version 5 of Easy CD Creator, now available, fixes this problem.

-- Peter Ho (vespho@jps.net), March 05, 2001

Answers

It doesn't work but my experience has been slightly different; the ultimate stumbling block here is when the wizard asks you to include a "menu page". By necessary conventions, this menu page can be one of the ff: a compliant MPEG clip, or an MPEG still with or without accompanying audio. If an MPEG clip is included, Easy CD rejects it outright, or choosing selections later when playing back the created VCD doesn't lead to the chosen play item, or for that matter, ANY play item. I never had a chance to try including an MPEG still because I've so far NEVER COME ACROSS A STAND-ALONE MPEG STILL ENCODER!! WinOnCD and VideoPack treat this area differently: you can include a *.bmp or *jpg file for the menu page, which BOTH CONVERT to the proper MPEG still format with their in-built MPEG still encoder. Needless to say it works very well. CeQuadrat, which makes both, is now owned by Adaptec, who have decided NOT to release WinOnCDPE3.8 in English in North America. Maybe indeed what 3.8 can do will be included in Easy CD 5. The frightening thing here is will Adaptec succeed in deconstructing the stability of WinOnCD into the type of messy, (as you found out) running-around-in-circles exercise that is Easy CD in all of its previous and recent incarnations?? The irony is Adaptec has succeeded in bulldozing CD-R/RW drive manufacturers into bundling Easy CD with their wares, which is why most DO NOT know that there are other better CD mastering apps out there. WinOnCD will eventually die out now; will this be a good thing??

-- Mehmet Tekdemir (turk690@yahoo.com), March 06, 2001.

http://www.members.home.net/richa/

-- me (snake_mountain@hotmail.com), March 08, 2001.

Adaptec's menu creation process is excellent and I have made some greta menu's using it. It is a little tricky at first. The first thing you need to do is create a start sequence. This is just a short clip that plays everytime the cd is initially started. (kind of like the first intro screen on a DVD) I actually filmed my wall and then went and added some text using third party software. The next thing you need to do is to create a menu screen using third party software. I forget the name of mine. These files as well as your movie files are all added to your play items. If you are using the wizard when it ask for start sequence you add only tour start sequence. When it ask for menu add only your menu file. When it ask for button one you add all the files that you want to play when button one is chosen. when it ask for button two you add all the files(in order) that you want to play when button 2 is selected. There will be duplicates from number one but don't worry the mpg files won't be copied more than once. Here is an example:

I will put three episodes of Seinfeld on one VCD so for button one I will add all three episodes. When button 1 is selected all 3 episodes will play. For button two I will add the second and third episode. Then when button 2 is selected only the second and third one play. Then for selection 3 I only add the third episode.

-- Al (amccraw@ix.netcom.com), March 08, 2001.

Thanks Mehmet and Al. I tried the procedure that you suggested and I got myself out of the loop. I am now able to produce One Level Menu Structure VCD. Unfortunately, the VCD can only be played on my PC and not on my Panasonic VCD Player. When I looked at the structure of the VCD, I found all the MPG files in the Segment directory instead of the Mpegav directory. I think that's the problem for the screw up.

-- Peter (vespho@jps.net), March 08, 2001.

If it plays on your PC but not your DVD player it sounds like the problem is the player. Try a CD-RW disk. Most Sony's will not play homemade Video CD's on a CD-R Disk. A lot of them will play a CD-RW.

-- Al (amccraw@yahoo.com), March 09, 2001.

Has anyone here ever tried using Easy CD to author a ver 2.0 VCD WITHOUT the start sequence??? Although on inserting a VCD a menu screen is immediately shown is perfectly within White Book specs, Easy CD always insists on having a start sequence and throws fits if not presented with one during authoring. Again WinOnCD and VideoPack do it either way very well, with and without a start sequence; straight to a menu page. Of course now you see that other horrible bug where Easy CD unpredictably hates the MPEGAV directory for this one authoring session and decides to place ALL playable items in the SEGMENT directory. Whether the resulting VCD will now play on a DVD set-top or not is another story.

-- Mehmet Tekdemir (turk690@yahoo.com), March 10, 2001.

Your *.dat files are in the segment area purely due to use the *.dat files without converting those to *.mpg files. First covert your *.dat files to *.mpg and create vcd layout using adaptec VCD creater. Then burn the layout. you get your vcd *.dat file in mpegav directory.

-- sam (samara@slpa.lk), March 16, 2001.

Hi,

I am having trouble producing a one level menu structure video CD. I follow the setup wizard and produce a video CD layout which performs correctly in the preview. However, when burning the CD, only the intro and menu sequences are burned. The play sequences are left out. Any help would be appreciate.

-- Melissa Jones (meliss4987@aol.com), April 27, 2001.