Make ASL Talk Scripture DVD

Linux: Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex

If you're one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and you're in a sign language congregation, sooner or later you're going to have to give a talk. You need DVDs to display ASL Bible scripture citations, and the video technician has to juggle each one through his video equipment. If you're computerized (we're not) ASL Works is an option. Another is to make your own DVD with a menu pointing to the scriptures that you need. I'm using a free OS (Ubuntu Linux) and all free software as follows...

First you need a .vob, .avi or .mpeg (MPEG-4) formatted video file for each scripture

To "clip" a verse from a larger computer video file:
Avidemux 2.4.3 (http://www.avidemux.org)

1. Open the file (File | Open)
2. "This looks like MPEG, do you want to index it?" Yes
3. Use the slider to find the first frame of the desired clip; press "A" on the Controls (if you look at the upper-left-hand scripture reference, find the first frame displaying the verse number you're seeking)
   
4. Use the slider to find the last frame of the desired clip; press "B" on the Controls
5. Now you'll see brackets on the slider which are signifying the start and the end of the scripture you're clipping
6. Change Video menu to "MPEG-4 ASP (lavc)"
7. Keep Format menu on "AVI"
   
8. Press Save
9. Give the file a descriptive filename which obeys file naming rules (example: Ro2.14,15)
10. If it processes correctly, a "Encoding..." window will appear with a progress bar
    

To make the DVD .iso (master) file

DeVeDe 3.11 (http://www.rastersoft.com/programas/devede.html)

1. Select the kind of disc you want to create with DeVeDe: Video DVD
2. Change "Default Format" to NTSC (for North America) rather than PAL (which applies to Europe)
   
3. File | Save As filename
4. For each scripture/picture, create an entry under "Titles"
1. "Add"
2. select title and click "Properties"
3. enter a name which will appear on the menu (such as "John 3:16")
4. Choose "Action to Perform when this title ends": Play the next title
   
5. click "OK"
5. Now, for each title listed
1. Select the title
2. Click "Add" files
3. In the "File Properties" box that appears, click the top bar (File), a file selection dialog box will appear...
4. Select the .avi file which corresponds to this title
5. Make sure the video format is NTSC (for North America)
6. Click the "Menu Options" button
1. Type the talk title in "Text"; this will appear at the top of the menu
2. Preview the menu
3. Click OK (closes the Menu Options dialog)
4. Click "Adjust disc usage"; that increases the file size somewhat, which may improve the quality
7. Under "Advanced Options"
1. Select "Create an ISO or BIN/CUE image, ready to burn to a disc"
2. Check "Erase temporary files"
8. File | Save (again)
   
9. Click "Forward"
10. When asked to chose the folder and name the ISO, do so and click OK
11. A lengthy file creation process begins now, with a dialog box. Wait. Do not press cancel.
12. When DeVeDe says "Job Done!" quit the application

Burning the DVD

You now have an ISO file which can be used to burn the DVD. Insert a blank writeable DVD into the drive, wait for it to initialize, then double-click the ISO file. The "Write To Disc" window should pop up, give it the approval its waiting for, then wait. Don't disturb the process until it is completed.