@VHS_guy_2019 @johnebaker

Alternatively could the file be exported as an ISO file to play on a computer? Then a player like VLC Media player may be able to have access to chapters etc.

Hello to you both, and sorry for taking awhile to reply i been busy....both your replies are enlightening.. and a bit depressing too, lol..

I thought it was me who had missed something. like a simple setting, or button i should of clicked, was the reason why i couldn't get the movie i had put on a USB stick to function like DVD movies do in DVD players...

but after reading your above replies it seems there is a bit more involved here than i thought..and it may all be beyond my level of expertise with computers..

I dont think they want to watch the movie on a TV (but that would of been cool too), i believe they want to watch the movie on their laptop...

so what I'm thinking now, is that if i can simply break the chapters up into separate folders placed onto a usb stick,, that should be good enough. for them to be able to watch it..

So if i can get each individual chapter (with all its brightness/contrast, motion, and audio effects that have been applied to them) transferred from Magix software to separate individual folders on the usb stick then they can open and choose whichever of those folders(chapters) they want to watch,using VLC or windows media player etc,

BTW - the chapters order doesn't matter..., one chapter is family camping, the other is the dog, another chapter with cat videos, etc etc,,,each chapter is different family related topics...(its not a theatrical type movie so a coherent flow of chapters is not important,,chapters were just being used to group related stuff in this movie ) ..

,So New Question - can you give me simple tips or refer me to where in the user manual to look to if i want to take totally finished chapters (as a group or one at a time whichever is easiest) and move them to a folder(s) on a usb stick so they can plug the stick into their laptop , click on the folder and watch each folder as they choose... .... thank you in advance ... and thank you for you help so far too.

PS - LOL it took me a few years to get the hang of burning a DVD with a title page and chapters, Now that i finally kinda got the hang of it, DVD players are obsolete... yep im definitely a dinosaur LOL ...and worse thing is that i never even got half of my old VHS tapes transferred to DVD as of yet... lol.

cheers.

@VHS_guy_2019 @johnebaker

Alternatively could the file be exported as an ISO file to play on a computer? Then a player like VLC Media player may be able to have access to chapters etc.

after reading your reply CubeAce , i just looked up what an ISO file is. From what i read its simply a total copy chapters and all of DVD or CD disc ... i think your idea might be the way to do it.. so how do i do this ?

Can Magix take a finished project and turn it into an ISO, to be put on a USB stick ? ,,,,

or do i have to burn the movie to a DVD disc first , and then put the dvd back into the computer and make a ISO copy of the DVD , and then transfer the ISO copy to the USB stick ?

@VHS_guy_2019

I don't see why not.

As I said I used to do that a long time ago but with Nero not Magix but if you have no disc in your burner there should be an alternative method.

Just looking at the burn section of MMS I found these options which should allow you to make an ISO file to a folder. Then just copy that file to an SD card or similar. The people at the the other end though must download a suitable player such as VLC but there are others.

If I'm wrong someone will point you in the right direction.

Ray.

@VHS_guy_2019

Yes, the great DVD conundrum. It really is a pity that there is no practical way of replicating a DVD to be played from a USB stick on a TV.

However, you have deduced the various replacement options, and Magix will easily and quickly do what you want. The options are:

For a physical DVD Player

Create your project, with chapters/movies, then burn the project to a DVD.

For a software DVD player on a computer, such a VLC Player

Create your project, with chapters and movies, then in the Burn process, in the Burner droplist, instead of choosing your DVD drive, choose "Image Recorder". This will create the ISO (the disk image). To play and ISO on your computer, right-click on the ISO file and choose "play with VLC player". The DVD home screen will be displayed. complete with the movie and/or chapter menu buttons, for you to click-on and play. You can copy that ISO onto a USB stick and use/play it in other computers. In general, it will not play in a standalone DVD player or TV.

For individual files of each chapter or movie

When you have finalised your project, use the batch processing function to export, as a separate file, each chapter or movie. Closely read the options that appear when you click "File>Batch Processing" and choose the one that is appropriate. This is the method I am using for my home videos. I create a whole bunch of movies; each movie is a separate topic eg a birthday party or holiday. The advantage of using "movies" is that each is completely separate, whereas if you are using chapters, there is the possibility that you'll mess up others while editing one. Here's an example. I have 5 movies, each on it's own tab:

It is a simple procedure to convert each chapter into a movie: at exact point you want to create a new movie, hit ALT+Y (Spilt Movie) and all the material to the right of the play marker will be split into a new movie. Access each movie via it's tab, and you can rename each tab/movie using the droplist at the end of the tabs (select the movie first).

Come back if you need more help.

Edit: simultyping with Ray. 😉

@VHS_guy_2019

Hi.

I've just realised in my last image I highlighted the wrong button. It should have been the 'Encode in Directory' button above the one I highlighted.

Ray.

Yes, it is a pity that we can't edit our previous posts... 😎

@VHS_guy_2019

I forgot to add the end-game for my last option. After you have made up your movies (or chapters), the batch processing procedure will end up creating individual MP4s that can be viewed as necessary. In some ways, this method is better because you can see the file name and easily pick what you want to view without having to open the DVD, click on the chapters, and then choose.

I recently finished producing our year 2000 family videos: 11 hours/33GB in 38 MP4s. When I open the 2000 folder on my TV, I can instantly see all the video events of the whole year, with descriptive file names sorted by date, and I just play the one I want to watch.

@CubeAce

Ray, I'm unfamiliar with AVCHD DVDs. What's the advantage over a standard DVD?

@AAProds

Hi Al

. . . . AVCHD DVDs. What's the advantage over a standard DVD. . . .

AVCHD discs are FullHD 1920x1080 AVC (h.264) encoded , downside is max runtime is ~ 30 mins and older DVD players must support the format - not all did.

VLC and PowerDVD, possibly other software players as well, can play this format.

Blu-Ray ultimately 'killed' this format.

John EB

@johnebaker

Thanks John, I've since "burnt" an ISO of a AVCHD project and can see the quality should be better (although it sounds like VHSGuy is working VHS captures) at the expense of disk space.

@AAProds

Hi Al

. . . . I recently finished producing our year 2000 family videos: 11 hours/33GB in 38 MP4s. When I open the 2000 folder on my TV . . . .

Meant to ask - on USB stick or over your network via wifi or cable, streaming/casting direct from PC, I do the latter over wifi.

John EB

@johnebaker

John, onto the smart TV with Serviio (wired Ethernet) and onto the dumb TV using a Chromecast Ultra and the KODI app (wifi).