# Easiest way to play a short movie clip on infinite loop in DVD player **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915 "2005-09-22T17:34:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/1 "2005-09-22T17:34:58Z")
My boss is going to be showing a short video clip at an exhibition soon, and wants to play that clip on infinite loop. What’s the easiest way to do this? I have no experience in this. Some ideas I have considered: - authoring a DVD to do it (never authored a DVD before though, not sure how easy this is) - putting the clip on a DVD 30-40 times and having him restart it whenever the DVD ends (does this even make sense?) - getting a DVD player that has a function where it automatically loops (does such a DVD player exist?) Maybe there’s something else I don’t know about? I just don’t know anything about any of these options, and want some advice from anyone who might be able to help. thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/2 "2005-09-22T17:43:40Z")
My old Apex 600A used to be able to do this. Simply press a button at point “A” then press another button when it comes to point “B”, then press one more button, and presto! It will repeat the sequence that played between the two button presses. However, my player is worn out, and I now watch TV and Dvds on my computer. No idea of how to do this for current models, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/3 "2005-09-22T18:53:33Z")
My DVD player has a “repeat track” function, just like a CD player. [In fact, it also plays CDs.] ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/4 "2005-09-22T20:00:53Z")
Some DVD players do have arbitrary A-B looping, and others have chapter or title looping. A-B looping would be the best for what you want I think. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/5 "2005-09-22T20:08:41Z")
It is definitely possible to author the DVD to do this automatically. This can be done with freeware, but would require a lot of work on your part to learn how. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/6 "2005-09-22T20:34:53Z")
Here’s an example of a DVD player (not mine) that can repeat play: [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000204SWE/ref=e\_de\_a\_smtpd/002-0071834-1516841?v=glance&s=electronics&n=720066&vi=tech-data](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000204SWE/ref=e_de_a_smtpd/002-0071834-1516841?v=glance&s=electronics&n=720066&vi=tech-data) > [@](#): > > Repeat play: Works with DVD/VCD/audio CD/MP3 CD: chapter/ title/ all, or track/all; DVD/VCD/ audio CD: A-B repeat) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/7 "2005-09-22T22:42:51Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > A-B looping would be the best for what you want I think. Mine does this. Look at your remote. If there’s a button that says “A\>B” or some variation of it, try it out. Press A at the beginning of what you want to loop and B at the end. My DVD player allows me to use pause and slo-mo to set the A and B fairly precisely. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/8 "2005-09-22T22:44:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Press A at the beginning of what you want to loop and B at the end. Of course, this makes no sense. I mean, press the button when you want to set the beginning (“A”), and press it again to set the end (“B”). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/9 "2005-09-22T23:23:44Z")
In what format is the movie clip right now? If you have the hardware to write the DVD, authoring one that does this is easy. It isn’t simple if you want to do it with freeware, but it’s still easy (easy, but not simple; that is, it involves a possibly quite extended series of simple steps). If you have the clip as some kind of video file on your hard drive, then you could probably just play it with Winamp, which automatically loops video tracks (I’m sure other plays do this also). ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-play-a-short-movie-clip-on-infinite-loop-in-dvd-player/322915/10 "2005-09-23T00:45:40Z")
If you’re going to author a DVD, look at [DVDlab](http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/). It’s easy to use but still gives you a lot of control, there’s a 30 day free trial with no limitations, and after that it’s still dirt cheap compared to similarly powerful authoring software. Making a clip that loops is as simple as drawing an arrow from the right side of its icon to the left side.