Authoring Blu-ray with menus on legacy DVD - Yes you can!
 

You're a mpeg2 HD creator, but your Blu-ray collaborations won't play with menus from regular dvds unless you convert to AVCHD, which uses lots of time and negatively impacts quality.

Now there is a way to burn those mpeg2 projects at native bit rates onto regular DVDs, and playback with full menu functionality on many Blu-ray players including the PS3.

1.) Author your project to an .iso image file with Sony DVD Architect 5.0 using the Blu-ray template, creating title and chapter menus, motion thumbnails and audio backgrounds as desired.

2.) Use any available compressor tool (like 7-Zip freeware) to unpack the .iso image into the native BDMV folders.

3.) Run the index.bdmv file through AVCHD-Patcher (another freeware untility).

4.) Use a hex editor to change change one bit inside the above file, and one other file in the same folder, MovieObject.bdmv. (Details below)

5.) Burn the project to a UDF 2.5 DVD disk using Nero or ImgBurn.

The disk will autoplay when inserted into the player, and play with full menu functionality.
I used DVDA to configure a disk that plays a short introduction, followed immediately by the main feature. At the end of the main feature, it returns to a title menu where you can play the movie, or link to a chapter menu.

As an added bonus, this is one of the very few ways available for authoring 24p to Blu-ray that will output as 24p without pulldown, just like the catalog BD-ROM titles.

HERE is a link to the full discussion, with further detail and links to all the free utilities you need. Have fun, and report your experience here!

Edits:

- The above guide is not limited to mpeg-2 source files.
- From step 1. (above) you should strive to render from DVDA in AVC 18 mbps. This bit rate optimizes quality, while not exceeding the read rate of Blu-ray player drives from red laser media, which is lower.
- 7-Zip may not unpack .iso images. I will post a link later to a utility that does. It's called "mounting" a drive. A virtual drive is created and assigned a letter. You mount the .iso file to the virtual drive, revealing the folders and files contained therein. Copy these to a physical folder, as you cannot edit files within the image.

Tom, first of all thanks for such a detailed response. I had read your other topic, but was under the impression that it was for MPEG2 and that AVC didn't require the same workflow.

You mention that the disk will autoplay, but suppose I want to start with a menu that allows Play All or Select Chapter?

My timeline consist mostly of uncompressed AVI files whcih render choice would you suggest for Vegas, before letting DVDA convert to AVC?

I did give that impression, but you can use any source.

No problem, complete control with DVDA as usual. What I meant by autoplay was that you don't have to manually navigate to the folder containing the video stream as with a data disk.

Won't Vegas render out AVI? If so just stick with that.

Here is a link to a free application for unpacking the folders from an .iso image.

Tom, this was bugging me too. I have not pulled myself into the HD world, but this was a part of the chain I needed to see a link being forged - thank you!!

Grazie

Tom...

I must be doing something incorrectly. After building the .iso image, I try to open it in Virtual CloneDrive and I get a message saying the drive is unreadable.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Bill, open Windows Explore, you'll see a new drive letter, on mine it says BD-ROM Drive (T:). Right click on it to bring up the menu, select Virtual CloneDrive, then "Mount". That brings up another menu where you Open the .iso image. Once you've done that, Windows Explore displays the BDMV folders, but it's just a virtual view inside the .iso, not editable. Copy the folders to a new location, and now they are editable.

Windows "Computer Management" will allow you to choose a different drive letter if you desire.

Yeah, that's what i did. When I ask it to mount the iso, I get an error message saying the file isn't something that the drive understands. I tried creating an iso several different ways, but, they all fail with the clone drive.

I get the iso mounted OK, but the current version of the patcher 1.06 says index.bdmv is not the correct format...
I've uploaded a copy of the index file to the Windows Live site, so hopefully he will be able to find out what's odd about it!

Mike, you used DVD Architect to produce the index.bdmv file? (I am assuming so.)

Did you copy the folders from the mounted drive? (Even though you can see the folders and files, you can't just drag index.bdmv into AVCHD-Patcher from the mounted .iso image, it's only virtual, has to be a replicated file copy.)

Try version 1.04. Scroll down the page on the Windows Live site. I use version 1.04, (because I wasn't aware it had been updated.)

No, I used the inbuilt Moviestudio burner which does produce the full BD structure in the ISO. Play back OK in PowerDVD. And I copied the index file on to a real folder but not the whole structure since it was just a test attempt. I'll see what the older one does and zap the whole folder onto real space.
Thanks for your comments.

EDIT: Yes, it needs the whole folder unzapping to reality, then the patcher works, I'll try the next bit now, thanks!

IT WORKS!! I can now generate AVCHD disks that play on my BD35, Great!!! And thanks to all involved.

That's great Mike, good going!

There's one more minor step I recommend. Delete the AUXDATA folder before burning a disk. It makes the disk playable in the Samsung players, which for some reason don't like an empty folder.

Now the disk should be playable in any Blu-ray player that supports AVCHD.

Hi. Newbie here. Longtime hobbyist. Been reading here for about 1 month and have found plenty of useful info. I have converted to AVCHD and burned to dv and it looks very nice on my BD-35. However, as stated, render times are long. I would like to try this. I'm using two HC9's, Vegas pro 8, DVDA 5 and Nero. My work flow: 2 separate mpeg files > Vegas > multi angle funtion > 1 mpeg file > sync soundboard and external microphone audio > render video as blu-ray video stream > render audio (originall 24/44) to 16/48. Import video and audio files to DVDA >author menu/chapters > select blu-ray template. Changed audio from AC3 to LPCM

How do I creat a .iso image?
Is my workflow correct? any help would be greatly appreciated


I've found the iso file and mounted it to the clone drive but I'm having the same problem as Bill Ravins--can't get it to open "windows can not read from this disc. disc may be corrupted, or using a format not compatible with windows"

any ideas?

Temporarily, until you get problem sorted out you can allow DVDA to burn to a rewritable disk, and copy the folders off of it.

Also, did you try copying the folders from the mounted drive before trying to open them?