Microsoft HD DVD Interactivity Jumpstart is available...

We are pleased to announce that we have posted an early Beta version of the Microsoft HD DVD Interactivity Jumpstart. You can download it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx FamilyID=994accae-1591-4cc0-9d5b-03b0494686a4&displaylang=en

This Beta software contains:

• iHDSim, a simulator that you can use to run iHD code samples
• HDDVDValidator, a command-line utility that can help find many common errors in iHD markup and script
• Some other small utilities
• Documentation

We hope this Jumpstart is helpful!

I must, of course, add a disclaimer: Please note that this software is an early Beta. As such, it does not contain all of the features of iHD and it has known bugs and issues. Microsoft makes no warranty, expressed or implied, that this software will create correct HD DVD titles. Please read the license agreement for additional terms and conditions.

Steve Geffner

Microsoft

What is CreateACA.exe used for and how do you create the .XPL file

Thanks,

Jeff

Peter,

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Just out of curiosity, what file extension would you use when using CreateACA to create the archive

Peter Torr - MSFT wrote:

CreateACA is used to create archive files -- you can think of it like a ZIP file, but without the compression. It lets you store all your iHD assets (script, XML, images, etc.) in a single file to facilitate easy reading off the disc. During development, you want to keep your files "loose" so that you can easily edit them and immediately see the results. You typically wouldn't worry about ACAs until you were getting ready to start final mastering for your titles on a real HD DVD disc.

After CreateACA is used to convert multiple files into a single aca file is there any way to convert it back after words

There just seems to always be that chance that something could be or become different between the aca file and the original files such as linked files between projects, storing and moving files, updating one but not the other etc...

If I wanted to debug, compare, view, edit and/or update my project files that have already been converted into an aca file is there any way of doing this or would I always have to point to seperate original files and re-create the aca file again

> If I wanted to debug, compare, view, edit and/or update

> my project files that have already been converted into

> an aca file is there any way of doing this or would I always

> have to point to seperate original files and re-create the

> aca file again

Hi Tom,

Rivergate Software, who make DVDAfterEdit, are developing a new application, HDAfterEdit, for exactly this purpose. I am an alpha-tester for the new program and the version I have is already able to open and browse ACA files. I expect a new version to test any day now, which will be capable of reading & writing HD DVD disc images ( Pre-mastering is an area DVDAfterEdit is already well-known for. ) Ultimately you will be able to drag-and-drop to replace images, create/edit playlists etc, and all filename references, timecodes etc. will automatically update. The program is due to enter beta-testing later this summer. More info on the DVDAfterEdit site here: http://www.dvdafteredit.com - there is a discount available which will qualify people who pre-order for the beta program.

Hope that's interesting, anyone interested in becoming an alpha-tester is welcome to contact me privately: ian(AT)dvdafteredit.com

Cheers,

Ian