Possible, alternative "container" for our releases

[Feallan]

Of course not

[spoRv]

Forgot to mention: at least a simple playlist, based on m3u, works with video files, too... so, for example, it's possible to make a BD folder to burn on a BD-R, and put an m3u file outsitde with the playlist.

I read that using the chapters, it's possible with mkv to make a sort of seamless branching - having two or more different editions, changing the chapters order or including/excluding some; I tried and retried, but without success... anyone has tried this?

[spoRv]

Even if I do love menus, and I have no problems to make menus also if many will never noted or appreciated them, the thing that makes me think is the fact both VLC and MPC simply skip the menu, or treat it wrongly, so, what's the point to spend such long time to make a nice menu, when the few people who could be interested can't see it, if not burned actually on a BD-R disc? Yes, collectors could be happy, because they (still) burn discs and print covers, but, for how long?

A container with an integrated menu would be beneficial: MP4 seems to have this feature, but haven't found an easy way to develop a menu, and also I don't know which software players/hardware devices would effectively "see" it; MKV support seems far from implementation.

That is not (only) to have fancy menus without reason - I mean, any software/hardware player let the user change audio and subs tracks - but also to include more than one program into a release - how can I properly know which clip is which? Yes, I can make a single long clip joining different ones and giving each a chapter number, but what for different formats/resolutions?

Sorry for the rant, I'm a bit dishearthed; now that I have the new PC almost ready, I'd like to restart to release projects, but still undecided the final format... maybe I shold abandon totally the multi clip ones (read: bonus discs) and concentrate just on feature films; drop the menus, and release just a simple BDMV folder - who wants to make an MKV from that would be welcome, I could supply also a chapter file for this purpose; or release just an MKV file...

Still, I'm sure that a printed cover, and a burned disc is a great "collector item" to have, instead of a mere file... it makes the project more important, you know what I mean...

[Evit]

Welcome to the jungle!

[spoRv]

Well, I was in the jungle long before you... but it's nice to be there with you and others in the same situation... hope that Predator will not grab us all!

[Evit]

In fact, I was hinting at the line from Predator 2 ahah!
I don't understand your trouble though, you can always release your projects as blu ray folders (or ISO) with all the menus and content you like, people will then extract the video stream on their own if they want to keep it as a digital file on hard disk and not burn it onto a disc

[spoRv]

The problem is that I'm sure there are people who still like the menu, but have not a BD burner, hence it is (nearly) impossible for them to watch the BD folder AND see the menu as well.

Yes, I'm aware there are free players that shows menu (like Leawo, but it's not working well with many proper, original BD discs, go figure with projects like mine), and I'm pretty sure most (if not all) paid ones would play menu, too... but I'd like to let my project accessible by the most part of the users.

Once upon a time, we had DVD; "perfect" format, possible to do menus also with free software (I think I used DVD Styler, but it was maybe ten years ago), and all software players will see them... now, technology improves, but we have not a "simple" container with menu capability, that will work with well with every software and hardware player...

There there is laserdisc: analog video, you put in in your player, no menus, press play, few second and it goes! Maybe it's the right choice, menu-less disc, play&watch... grrr, can't decide what to do!

[Evit]

Those who want a MKV don't care of having a menu, make a BR ISO and everyone's happy.
Menuless discs are also ok, if you don't have extras...

[spoRv]

Indeed, I'm almost ready to give up, talking about the menus... I like them very much, but it's true that it will take quite some time to make decent ones, to be seen and appreciated by few - because of lack of interest, or simply because they could not be seen using a software player... sure, they will give the project that "quid" not found in simple re-encodes or remuxes, and, once a proper menu is made, it could be used as template for future projects... on the other hand, menuless discs are straightforward to make, and recall me the good ol' times of laserdisc - put the disc inside the player, press "play" and that's all (if you had a two sided player and a movie in a single disc, of course)...

Still undecided, but leaning more or the menuless Blu-ray disc... would give MultiAVCHD a last chance, using this new PC maybe I could be able to do something I was able to do with the old one, when the software worked properly.

[althor1138]

Since I've switched to plex it's kind of like the best of both worlds, except no chapters. I just throw the mkv file into a directory that plex is monitoring and it auto searches imdb for information about the movie, provides a synopsis and automatically labels it and slaps a poster from the movie on it. I do still burn stuff to bd-r but it's more of an archiving thing instead of me actually popping the disc in and watching it.