I had a client ask me if it is possible to to create a link on a DVD menu that a user viewing the DVD on a computer would be able to click and have it automatically print the PDF document. I told him the best option is to just put the file in the DVD-ROM section of the DVD.

I told the client that this was nearly impossible, unless you are an ultra geekoid DVD author who eats, sleeps, and dreams scripting language. I just see too many platform issues with this.

However, I thought I would throw this out there.

Bluray baby. Maybe?

We create DVD / DVD-ROM hybrid discs all the time. The process is simple, just treat the ROM side like you would any CD-ROM. Then on the DVD-Video side, just include a menu item that explains (either using video or text) that if you stick the DVD in your Mac or PC there is more content available. Don't bother with any of the DVD-ROM on the video side features as they are all incompatible with each other and only end up confusing the user.

We created the DVD-ROM features on about 30 New Line Cinema titles as well as several local films including our own title "Done The Impossible: The fans tale of Firefly and Serenity". This title had one of the most complex DVD-ROM features ever built with internet updated content, tight integration with the DVD video and over 8,000 events synchronized to the movie, including an additional 8 hours of supplementary video, viewable synced or separate from the DVD-Video.

Basically what I'm saying is that the sky is the limit when it comes to DVD-ROM, think of it as just a large CD-ROM. You can do something really simple, like just including the data files on the disc, or you can create a more complex "loader" that interrupts the autorun DVD playback with a menu that lets the user view the ROM content or launch the video. If you don't want to figure out how to do that, give us a ring, we have a simple template for doing just such a menu (compatible with both Mac and PCs).

Jeremy Neish
Rivetal, Inc.
801-818-2222

Thanks Jeremy!

I've never gotten THAT in depth on an authoring project but I'm glad to know those things are possible!

What about the DVD@ccess portion of DVD Studio Pro? I've never used it myself, but isn't that exactly what it does, lets you interact with the DVD on a computer?

Yes and no. DVD@ccess and it's competitor from Sonic (can't remember the name) are an "enhancement" to the DVD spec that allows you to have a DVD-ROM menu item on the DVD-Video part of the disc. I personally think this is a terrible idea, and here is why. First of all the two technologies are incompatible with each other, so no matter which you choose you'll only get half the market and the other half will just be confused. Also confused are people who aren't using a supported play back device, like EVERY SINGLE set top player in the world. They just see this menu that mentions DVD-ROM but when they select it it doesn't do anything. (Because they aren't on a computer.) Lastly it just confuses the line between DVD and DVD-ROM to the point where many folks are just confused all around and in the long run just diminishes the concept of DVD-ROM.

A much more straight forward option is to just have an "About DVD-ROM" info page on the DVD-Video side that explains (preferably with a video) that they will get more content if they insert the DVD in their DVD-ROM drive of their computer. Then show them how to do it. This is how we do it on all our titles including the New Line Cinema titles we worked on.

Here is the DVD-ROM tutorial video we used on our movie Done The Impossible:
www.redhelp.net/transfer/DTI_DVD-ROM_Mac.mp4