Making DVDs...

[Yammeryammeryammer]

I just (like a month ago), got a DVD writer, and iDVD. My question is does anyone know anything about, or has anyone used DVD Studio Pro, and what are some of its useful features above and beyond those of iDVD? More specifically does anyone know if it is possible to have multiple audio tracks in iDVD, or in DVD Studio Pro? Thanks.

[Eliud25]

How much was the dvd and the dvd writer? I want to buy a dvd writer? And if you make your films on dvd in what dvd players can you play them in? Just wondering. So please tell me. A while back I bought a cd writer and made a few films which I transfered to the cd. Some dvds could play them, but then I moved and have not sinced used it. [img]graemlins/film.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

[steven_craig]

here are a couple of nice n cheesey features to get you hungry...

(i) dvd studio pro can handle dolby 5.1

(ii) animate your menus in FCP, flash or after effects and bring 'em into dvd studio pro

(iii) similar to ii create transitions between menus in FCP, flash or after effects

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 29, 2002 07:18 PM: Message edited by: steven_craig ]</font>

[Yammeryammeryammer]

My DVD Writer 'Superdrive' came with my iMac, and the whole deal was about $3,000.00 Canadian. The DVDs are the weird part. If I buy them at an Apple Store they are about $5 or $6 each, but if you get them at like a Circuit City or something they are more like $15 or $20. Usually it is the reverse. The DVDs run just fine on my old JVC, but I haven't tried them on many other players so I couldn't tell ya.

[Gurdeep Samra]

I also have the iMac Superdrive. Is it possible to get more than 90 minutes on a damm disc????

[Yammeryammeryammer]

Sweet. And thanks Tim for answering my question on another thread.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 30, 2002 12:17 AM: Message edited by: Yammeryammeryammer ]</font>

[Yammeryammeryammer]

I am struggling to crack 60 at the moment...

[tim.callaghan]

The limit on iDVD2 is 90 minutes, and this is after lowering the bit rate of the mpeg2 stream ie your 90 minute dvd will be of less quality than your 60 minute.

iDVD2 uses fixed bit rate. The higher bit rate is applied to discs with less than 60mins of mpeg2 and the lower when over 60mins.

This is fixed, and as far as I'm aware cannot be changed (maybe hacks out there??)

Also remember we are using DVD-R discs (4.4/5Gb) that only have one layer, in comparison to the hollywood mastered ones which are usually authored on DV9s which are multilayered and hold 8.54Gb.

DVD Studio Pro offers extremely good quality mpeg2, but I find a lot of users use a fast PC with TMPEG (one of the best decoders) to generate the mpeg2 for DVD Studio Pro to then arrange the disc and the media.

Tim

[Yammeryammeryammer]

How much quality do you lose with your lower quality video file for a 90 minute disc, versus the quality you get with a 60 minute?

[Alex]

Just a sidebar note here. DVD IS NOT true archive mastering format. A true archive mastering format could be re-edited at a later date with ease. There is so much compression in DVD technology that you are asking for trouble if you need to re-edit at a later date and only have the DVD to work from.

Always keep a DVD data disc as a back-up.