From UCLUG

I've been making DVDs for quite some time now. I started on the Windows side, where you are limited to the functionality provided by the package purchased. I progressed to the Linux side to get away from Windows for several reasons. One of the best turned out to be the flexibility in DVD creation.
I wanted to have extremely customized menus. I started with 'Q' DVD-Author in August 2007. It is a good package that offers a good amount of flexibility. However, it still wasn't enough. I wanted more flexibility for the cursor graphics. I scoured the internet and looked at Varol's method in QDVDAuthor and ended up with the process below.

The goal was to:
- Edit video source files, saving certain pieces and discarding other pieces
- Create a DVD from separate video source files
- Create a custom, multi-level navigation menu for the DVD

It seems like a lot of different software and steps, which it is. However, it is actually pretty easy.
I wrote a GTK+ graphical helper program to issue the commands for me at the click of a button. Shell scripting could probably work here as well.

The Open Office presentation slides are here.

Contents 1 Software Used & It's Purpose 1.1 MPlayer 1.2 MEncoder 1.3 Gimp 1.4 mjpegtools 1.5 spumux 1.6 DVDAuthor 1.7 Xine 1.8 growisofs 2 Process 2.1 MPlayer 2.2 MEncoder (copy) 2.3 MEncoder (transcode) 2.4 Gimp 2.5 mjpegtools 2.6 spumux 2.7 DVDAuthor 2.8 Xine 2.9 growisofs 3 My dvdauthor.xml control template 4 Software Versions Used 5 References

Software Used & It's Purpose

MPlayer

- Accepts various source video formats - Navigate source video quickly to find time boundaries for trimming - Take video screen shots for navigation menu creation

MEncoder

- Transcode input video from original format to DVD format

Gimp

- Create menu backgrounds from screenshots - Create menu highlight and select subpictures - Use layers to create all the above in one file - Export different layer combinations to various image formats

mjpegtools

- Create a video sequence from a still picture - Multiplex video track and sound track together

spumux

- Use xml config file to add the navigation options to the DVD menu

DVDAuthor

- Create chapter marks - Assemble the DVD file system from the multiple transcoded videos and the menu(s)===Xine===

Xine

- Check the DVD file system on the hard drive for errors before burning to disc

growisofs

- Burn the DVD file system to a disc - Accepts volume names - Auto-detects burn rate

Process

MPlayer

- Use the arrow keys to quickly navigate

• Left, Right = jump ~10 sec
• Up, Down = jump 1 minute
• PgUp, PgDn = jump 10 minutes

- Use the on-screen display to find the time boundaries (i.e. cutting out commercials)
- Pause playback (press .)
- Take screenshot for menu background (press s)

MEncoder (copy)

- Use start time and clip length to trim the video
- Output in the source format by copying (fast)

• Quick way to verify that the trim times are correct
• I haven't found the times to be infinitely adjustable. This probably has something to do with the number of frames per second and intervals occurring on frame boundaries.
• Certainly 0.5s intervals work; I've had varying success with 0.2, 0.35, 0.5, 0.65 and 0.8 intervals (i.e. start time = 4:35.2 and trim length = 5:14.8).
  

Command line:

mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy -of mpeg -ss start_time -endpos clip_length -o output_fn input_fn 

MEncoder (transcode)

- Transcode from source format to DVD format
- 4MB/s video bit rate produces good quality, however it can be increased or decreased as needed
- mp2 audio produces good output
- AC3 (Dolby Digital) is also available
Command line:

mencoder -oac lavc -ovc lavc -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd:tsaf -lavcopts 

vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_buf_size=1835:vrc_maxrate=9800:vbitrate=3999:keyint=18: 

vstrict=0:acodec=mp2:aspect=4/3 -ofps 30000/1001 -ss start_time -endpos clip_length 

-o output_fn input_fn

Note: If you don't want to deal with the command line for transcoding the source video, AVIDemuxlooks like a good editor. Check out the Wiki Docs for some good tutorials.

Gimp

- Create a 720x480 image (for NTSC Std Def)
- Import the screenshot as a layer for the menu background
- Create text items as layers for the menu options
- Create graphics items as different layers (and colors) for option select (if desired) and option highlight
- Create 3 separate output files:

• Background layer with menu option text layers
  • Options linked to a sub-menu or chapters in the DVDAuthor file
  • jpg format (i.e. menu.jpg)
• Highlight graphics object layers only
  • Required for menu navigation
  • options all in one color on a transparent background
  • png format (i.e. menu-hi.png)
• Select graphics object layers only, all in a different color
  • NOT Required for menu navigation
  • all in one color, but different from highlight color used above
  • Transparent background
  • png format (i.e. menu-sel.png)

mjpegtools

- DVD menus are actually video clips w/ subtitles
- jpeg2yuv:

• Create a yuv video stream from a jpg picture

- Pipe the above output to mpeg2enc

• Convert the yuv stream to mp2 video file

- Save the file for use in the next step
Command line:

jpeg2yuv -n 30 -I p -f 29.97 -j menu.jpg | mpeg2enc -n n -f 8 -a 2 -o menu.m2v 

- Multiplex the mpeg2 video with audio tracks of your choice (english, spanish, etc.) - I chose silent menus
Command line:

mplex -f 8 -S 0 -M -o menu.mpg menu.m2v silence.mp2

spumux

- Add the highlight and select subpictures to the movie clip created in previous step
- Uses a xml configuration file
- Will automatically detect the menu buttons based on a composite of the highlight and select subpicture files
- I use a shell script to accomplish the mjpegtools & spumux steps

• Easiest since it requires the least input
• Otherwise the top-left and bottom-right coordinates must be explicitly specified for each button
  

- spumux config file menu.xml

<subpictures>
  <stream>
     <spu start="00:00:00" highlight="menu-hi.png" select="menu-sel.png" force="yes" autooutline="infer" autoorder="rows" >
     </spu>
  </stream>
</subpictures>

Command line:

spumux -m dvd menu.xml < menu.mpg > menu-buttoned.mpg 

DVDAuthor

- Use a xml file to configure the DVD file system
- Assemble multiple video source files together to create a coherent stream (titleset), i.e. when a captured TV show is trimmed into several files to remove the commercials
- Create chapter marks in the video stream for points of interest or ease of navigation (i.e. every 6 min)
- The chapter marks can be linked to the custom menu buttons if desired
- Hard drive space requirement

• DVD file system output from DVDAuthor (up to 4.7GB for single-layer)
• DVD formatted source video from Mencoder Step 2 (same size as above)
• Actual source video (unknown size AVI, MPEG, MOV, other)

Command line:

dvdauthor -x path_to_dvdauthor_xml_file

Xine

- Another powerful video player
- Best part is it will play a DVD file system from a hard drive as if were already burned on a disc
- Use it to verify the quality of the DVDAuthor compilation before burning

• Menu buttons operate as designed
  
• Typos in menus
  
• Chapter marks at the correct location
  

Command line:

xine dvd://path_to_directory_containing_DVD_file_system

growisofs

- Burn the DVD file system to specified disc drive
- Will accept a volume label
- Substitute /dev/scd0 with your device location
Command line:

growisofs -Z /dev/scd0 -dvd-video -V 'label' path_to_directory_containing_DVD_file_system

My dvdauthor.xml control template

- This file creates a main menu that points to 5 submenus. Each of these submenus corresponds to chapter marks of a 30-minute TV episode.
- The submenu, the episode and the chapter marks are contained in the 5 <titleset> portions.
- Each episode consists of 4 video chunks due to the trimming out of the commercials. The video chunks are contained on the <vob> lines. Chapter marks are a comma-separated list of times with the format hh:mm:ss

<dvdauthor dest="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/disc">
<vmgm>      
<fpc> g0=1024;
      jump vmgm menu entry title;
</fpc>
<menus lang="en">
<video format="ntsc" aspect="4:3" resolution="720x480"/>
<pgc entry="title">
<pre> button=g0; g1=1024; </pre>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/main/menu-buttoned.mpg" pause="inf"></vob>
<button> g0=button; jump titleset 1 menu;</button>
<button> g0=button; jump titleset 2 menu;</button>
<button> g0=button; jump titleset 3 menu;</button>
<button> g0=button; jump titleset 4 menu;</button>
<button> g0=button; jump titleset 5 menu;</button>
</pgc>
</menus>
</vmgm>

<titleset>
<menus>
<pgc entry="root">
<pre> button=g1; </pre>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub1/menu-buttoned.mpg"></vob>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 1;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 2;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 3;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 4;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 5;</button>
<button> jump vmgm menu;</button>
</pgc>
</menus>
<titles>
<pgc>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub1/part01.mpeg" chapters="0,4:23"></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub1/part02.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub1/part03.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub1/part04.mpeg"></vob>
<post> call vmgm menu; </post>
</pgc>
</titles>
</titleset>

<titleset>
<menus>
<pgc entry="root">
<pre> button=g1; </pre>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub2/menu-buttoned.mpg"></vob>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 1;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 2;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 3;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 4;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 5;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 6;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 7;</button>
<button> jump vmgm menu;</button>
</pgc>
</menus>
<titles>
<pgc>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub2/part01.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub2/part02.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub2/part03.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub2/part04.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<post> call vmgm menu; </post>
</pgc>
</titles>
</titleset>


<titleset>
<menus>
<pgc entry="root">
<pre> button=g1; </pre>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub3/menu-buttoned.mpg"></vob>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 1;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 2;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 3;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 4;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 5;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 6;</button>
<button> jump vmgm menu;</button>
</pgc>
</menus>
<titles>
<pgc>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub3/part01.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub3/part02.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub3/part03.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub3/part04.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<post> call vmgm menu; </post>
</pgc>
</titles>
</titleset>

<titleset>
<menus>
<pgc entry="root">
<pre> button=g1; </pre>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub4/menu-buttoned.mpg"></vob>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 1;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 2;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 3;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 4;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 5;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 6;</button>
<button> jump vmgm menu;</button>
</pgc>
</menus>
<titles>
<pgc>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub4/part01.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub4/part02.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub4/part03.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub4/part04.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<post> call vmgm menu; </post>
</pgc>
</titles>
</titleset> 

<titleset>
<menus>
<pgc entry="root">
<pre> button=g1; </pre>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub5/menu-buttoned.mpg"></vob>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 1;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 2;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 3;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 4;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 5;</button>
<button> g1=button; jump title 1 chapter 6;</button>
<button> jump vmgm menu;</button>
</pgc>
</menus>
<titles>
<pgc>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub5/part01.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub5/part02.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub5/part03.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<vob file="/home/mike/DVD/ge01/sub5/part04.mpeg" chapters=","></vob>
<post> call vmgm menu; </post>
</pgc>
</titles>
</titleset>
</dvdauthor>
 

Software Versions Used

- Mplayer 1.0-rc2 (includes Mencoder)
- Gimp 2.4.6)
- Mjpegtools 1.8.0)
- DVDauthor 0.6.14 (includes spumux))
- Xine 0.99.6)
- dvd+rw-tools 7.0.1 (genisoimage 1.1.6))

References

- Some thoughts on DVD authoring
- More detailed presentation
- Spumux and menu color limitations
- DVDAuthor reference
- An excellent dvdauthor.xml example
- Ways to create a DVD file system (their server went down on 10/17/08; however, this is a good reference that wil hopefully be back on line soon)