Possible, alternative "container" for our releases

[spoRv]

Until now, I released my projects mainly on BD with menus. I like menus, and you? I bet so...

The only free software that allow authoring BDs with menus is MultiAVCHD. It works - I mean, it makes a BD structure, ready to burn on actual BD-R disc, but some users found the burned BD not compatible with their players. Moreso, the most known software media players (MPC and VLC) have often strange behaviour with BD menus (much worse than DVD). So, at the end, final users play directly the 00000.m2ts file, and all my work results useless... still, I love to have menus, and intro, and so no...

Lately I find that many, many users (me included) don't burn projects on discs anymore, but play the file directly on their PC; a plain single file is the best option - one could play it "as is", or remux it in a BD (or AVCHD) structure, and have a phisical media to play. Still, menus are lacking, and intro, if any, must be added at the beginning (and/or end) of the file, meaning much work, and "ethical" issues.

MKV "seems" ready to support menus, but when?

Then, I thought to a possible alternative. A simple HTML5 player!

Crazy idea? Maybe, that's why I'm posting it here, to have your opinions. HTML5 players are used by everyone, on YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion and so on. Yet, they are very limited in comparison to any software player. But this could work in our favour, somehow... frankly, when I want to watch a video clip on my PC, all I want to do (eventually) is to choose my language and/or subtitle tracks, and you?

We could release a project in a single folder, with one HTML file that will start the player, and one MVK (or other) video file containing the main feature. Well, almost useless, someone could point out, what is the difference instead of playing the file directly? Well, if there is more than one file - for example, bonus material, or an entire bonus project, having an HTML file with simple menu pointing to those files could be handy (and with a nice looking).

I've seen some free HTML5 video players that allow to add custom made buttons; why don't add one for the trailer? One for chapters, one for audio and subs selection? A bit like DVD/BD menus, but made in HTML/CSS; great appearance, and small footprint, can be read by any OS, also mobile - even if I don't think someone would normally watch an entire 1080p movies on a cellphone...

Another great option could be to add soft matte to an open matte release, avoiding two releases (and double work/time to upload/time to download/HDD space etc.)

Seamless branching "could" work, too... maybe it's possible to have HTML buttons in the menu for the theatrical and extended version, where for example TC calls file1+file2+file3, while EE calls file1+file4+file2+file5+file3... got the point? More investigation is needed, to understand if this is possible and the join are indeed seamless.

Now, codec support: video AVC for sure, also WebM and Theora; audio AAC, vorbis, opus, FLAC, mp3, WAV; containers WebM, Ogg, MP4; I'm pretty sure there is a way to support MKV container, and audio AC3 as well. What's about DTS? Of course, it's still possible to convert audio to a supported format.

What is the output quality of a video clip played in an HTML5 player (possibly without using Flash)? I mean, visually I have the same quality of a software player? And audio wise?

It will be great to have a standardized player, where each of us could put his logo, and other custom... "things", but still having a look'n'feel familiar with other releases...

Still another crazy, and useless, idea, or can have some potential?

[bendermac]

I remux any project to mkv regardless. If extras are included i look what i like and keep those. But everything else into the bin, including many audio tracks that i deem uninteresting/useless for me. I know a lot of work went into these projects, but that's how i prefer things: simple

[CSchmidlapp]

Ive gone MKV for the past 5 years.
I love the BD format but authoring them is a pain, mainly due to Sony owning the format and not wanting us to play with the big boys.
Ive given up to be fair. Media server all the way

Kodi is an interesting media front end with the ability to show covers and artwork (custom or standard).
With a bit more work, im sure something could be developed that gives you a menu structure of some kind where all one has to do is put the files in the correct folders structure.

I like your idea, it reminded me alittle of this http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tpxp.html

[Feallan]

What the hell Andrea

[spoRv]

What the hell Andrea

?!?

[Valeyard]

The only free software that allow authoring BDs with menus is MultiAVCHD.

There is cheap software for $100 or less that will let you author discs with menus if that's what you want to do.

?!?

Yeah, what he said. HTML5 video is for streaming, for anyone to see or use your menus they'd have to open it in Chrome/FF/whatever, and there's no guarantee of backwards compatibility in the future if Google, Apple, Mozilla, etc decide to change the standards. You could do what you want with Flash Video as well, and face exactly the same problem that .FLV is not a universal standard.

[spoRv]

The fact is that also many payware authoring tool has a not totally compliant output... maybe only the Sony extremely expensive one is perfectly compliant...

What I wanted to do is to use HTML to "contain" the player and the menu, while the file actually is a normal mkv (or mp4, or whatever) file... don't know if it's possible, though... make mkv, ac3 and dts work with a javascript or else.
Like using it to "mimic" somehow the DVD/BD menu.

Oh well, I think I'll give up, and use just a simple BD structure without menus... still thinking how to release a bonus disc, though... or I should wait for MKV menus?

[jerryshadoe]

Oh Andrea! You are always thinking of this crazy stuff... I love it

Although, in this case, I agree with others that HTML5 is NOT the way to go...

Menus are nice, but most people really don't care. I've gotten to the point where only some of my projects will have menus and a proper BD structure, but most will just be mkv's... With the amount of actual real work that projects need, I've come to the conclusion that menus and stuff are a waste of time...

[spoRv]

I agree that many don't care about menus, and so it could be a waste of time; but still, I love them, and having a sort of "standard" menu for all our projects, with just some settings to change, is a cool idea.

Maybe some used with advanced BD menu authoring experience could chime in, and propose himself as "BD guru"... make some sort of standard, simple menu, where we would send him just the background menu, and eventually static images, and he will do the rest... another utopia, I know, but dreaming is (still, for the moment) free!

[Evit]

Aaaaaaaaaand Andrea's crazy idea of the month is sorted for January! See you next month folks!

You're a restless nutcase, that's why we love you.