The Source Tab

By default, the dialog box opens with the Source tab. Here you can select a preset for burning your DVD or you can create your own reference set. For more information see the "Reference Sets" sidebar, but if you think of a reference set as being a preset for various DVD qualities, you aren't too far off.

To select a preset reference set

• Click the downward-pointing arrow and select from the choices available (Figure 12.24).
  
  

  Figure 12.24. Accessing the bit rate reference sets.

  

  
  Once you make your choice, the IPB Settings box pops up to alert you to what that preset contains (Figure 12.25).
  
  

  Figure 12.25. The IPB settings associated with the reference set you have selected.

  

  
  

Tip

• Using any of the last four presets in the list that appears in Figure 12.24 (PROGRAM STREAM 2, PROGRAM STREAM 1, ELEMENTARY STREAM, or IMPRESSION DVD) will not burn a DVD but will create an MPEG file on your hard drive. See the "Alternatives to Creating DVDs…" section at the end of this chapter for more details.

To create your own reference set

1.	Click once on the Add new reference set button (Figure 12.26). Figure 12.26. Adding a new reference set. This copies the currently selected reference set but allows you to give it a new name.
2.	Enter the name of your reference set and click the check mark (Figure 12.27). Figure 12.27. Naming your new reference set.

Tip

• To delete a reference set, click the Trash can.

Reference Sets

Pinnacle provides reference sets so that you can burn DVDs at a variety of different data rates. But what does this mean in real terms?

Someone could write a book on DVD data rates; however, it would be a rather large book and one that wouldn't be terribly interesting. In a nutshell, DVD rates break down into two groups: variable bit rate (VBR) and constant bit rate (CBR). VBR is then subdivided into two further groups: Statistical VBR and Storage VBR. These attempt to use a lower data rate for static scenes and a higher data rate for scenes that contain rapid movement. Both of these settings save you some space on your DVD, but using them may be at the expense of image quality in some scenes.

It's worth noting that the capacity bar can't always measure VBR discs with any true accuracy. Thus, you should be cautious when using VBR with a long Timeline that could fill the DVD to the threshold of its capacity. Such a DVD is sometimes known as a coffee coaster. Therefore, I don't recommend that you use VBR settings if your DVD is nearly full. If you do, you could easily end up with another coffee coaster.

CBR does what it says; it keeps the bit rate set to a constant no matter what's going on in the scene. The default setting is 8.5 Mbits/s, but most users find that 6 Mbits/s produces a good quality DVD and doesn't eat up as much DVD space.

Experimentation is the key here. Try burning a selection of scenes to DVD+RW and then look at the results using your DVD player.