Is there a way to either passcode a DVD for entering a password, via a DVD remote keypad for access?
Or…
Is there some way to have a DVD play, but hide the play button in a certain way for someone not to see it, unless told about it?
Thank you so much for your thoughts and time!
~R
If you are talking about DVD-Video format, then the answer is no.
Useless anyway, since anyone with the slightest knowledge of dvd video could remove the audio and video streams and build a new dvd video from them.
Or capture the video as it plays.
Yeah, the DVD-Video Format. But there would be a way to hide the ‘play’ option? Maybe have a default button (that goes no where, first?) That would rule out people just hitting ‘play’ on your DVD player?
If you use a menu-building software package, maybe you can change the color of the PLAY button to be the same as the background - Yellow on Yellow, White on White, Black on Black - that becomes ‘invisible’ therefore.
While it is possible to put in a button on a menu that doesn’t work (not linked to anything), the dvd authoring program might balk at compiling the video with this broken link. Also, there is no way to activate the button later.
It is possible to put the entire video into a rar or 7zip file that is password protected. You wouldn’t be able to open the file without the password, but you would need to extract the video in order to play it.
Thanks ChristineBCW that is a idea about the invisible button that matches the background, yes, I am using a menu-building software, but will it be inactivated, so people can’t just hit the ‘play’ button on the player and it will play? You know, like when it comes to the default underlined option, or can you adjust what is what in a menu-building program?
Kerry - that’s a good idea, for a computer, but this disc will only be used in DVD players for end-users. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s going to become a retail 2nd disc, forcing people to watch the first one to find out how to unlock the second one.
Euph, why should I tell you all the sneaky secrets?!! My my… does your menu-ing program offer explicit NEXT and BACK buttons for, say, a screen full of chapter-marks? And the chapters have icons or snap-shots?
If someone left the Next and Back buttons highlighted - and obviously functional, but never once displayed the truly-functional Play button (ie, making it invisible), then a User might not know a Play button existed. “I see Next and Back, but nothing else…”
This would be most effective if I had, say, 4 screens’ worth of Chapter-Mark Icons, and the Play button might only be installed on Screen 4. Screens 1,2,3,4 would all have Next and Back functions displayed, but only Screen 3 would have Play invisibly colored.
The snapshots-chapter icons might also have single letters or numbers, and might give a clue to correct viewers.
Just imagine setting up a card-trick except using chapter-mark icons, or multiple screens and imagine how confusing Displayed Functions are compared to undisplayed possibilities.
It all depends on your menu-ing program, of course.
I want to know all your sneaky secrets Christine… because I’m a sneaky and secret guy. Actually, you don’t know how close to the truth you are about the sneaky and card trick references… (your getting hotter ;0 ) - Anycase, thanks for the ideas, I guess I will have to play with it some.
Another one for you guys:
Starting the DVD back up where you left off (But in a more sophisticated way)
making sure people can’t skip vital parts of the story while still allowing the viewer freedom to return to specific parts… this is standard for some DVDs and DVD players… but what we needto insure is slightly more complicated because of how sensitive the material is… We need to come up with a very clever way of controlling peoples progression through this experience while simultaneously
not making them feel controlled… point being the standard way this is done probably isn’t enough…
There is software that can change button function & create new buttons.
Why not change the Play buttons function ?
Say maybe it plays the last chapter . Some of those just have the credits.
Then create the invisible Play button for a play function.