Convert DVD to a flash application (including menus)

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I was wondering if it is possible to convert a dvd to a flash application which I could then embed in a website. What I am looking for is not simply ripping the video, but something that encodes the menus and the navigation of the dvd, as well, and the result is an interactive flash application.

Thanks!

Edit: actually I have the original iDVD project, as well. I would like to turn it into a flash application...

balint

Posted 2009-09-16T14:27:16.247

Reputation: 2 783

Answers

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I don't believe that a software product exists that does it all automatically. However, you can break the operation into 2 steps:

  1. Convert the DVD into flash using commercial or free utilities (some of the more well-known companies here are Sothink, Wondershare , Moyea). You can even use video-editing functions found in these products to split the DVD into sub-sequences.
  2. Use another product in order to create the menu yourself. The menu can be either in flash, or in any other format (there are many products out there for building flash menus). If you have split the DVD into several flash files, the menu can even be just made of simple html links towards these files.

I suggest also that you read with attention this discussion titled "DVD to Flash conversion, including menu functionality?". This quote can be found towards the end :

DVD authoring is way less complex than Flash Programming. There's no converter. You need to convert the videos to FLV. Then you need to re-create the menu in Flash and call the FLV files. My only concern is that even if you reduce the DVD to FLV with half the resolution and maybe only 300kbps video and 32kbps audio most likely you'll still end up with huge files that you wouldn't want to stream over the internet.

harrymc

Posted 2009-09-16T14:27:16.247

Reputation: 306 093

Thanks for the answer. I see that DVD authoring is way less complex than flash programming. But especially this is the reason that gave me the hope that one could convert it into a flash application.... Do you have any references in what form is a dvd menu stored, including interaction controls? – balint – 2009-09-23T09:31:39.083

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If I were you I wouldn't go into such a level of detail. I would use some dvd menu editor to find out what is exactly that the menu does and replicate it in the web site (even onetime shareware). Here are two references to dvd editors that I found by googling "dvd menu editing". (1) using DvdReMake - http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/dvdremake_tutorial.cfm, (2) using PGCEdit - http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/edit_and_delete_dvd_menu_buttons_with_pgcedit.cfm. There are very many utilities you can use to create flashy flash menus for frontend to your site.

– harrymc – 2009-09-23T11:32:25.267

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This is a pretty cool idea, but I'm pretty sure you'd have to learn Flash programming and create the application yourself with the video files.

th3dude

Posted 2009-09-16T14:27:16.247

Reputation: 9 189

Asked: 2009-09-16T14:27:16.247

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Active: 2011-06-22T06:50:19.403