Output to DV Format

DV format is the highest-quality, most compatible format on both the Windows and Macintosh platforms. I produce DV files for a number of purposes, including the following:

• when rendering a video file to input into a separate DVD authoring program.

• when producing a video file to input into a separate encoding program.

• when producing a video file to input into another video editor for additional processing.

In most Windows programs, you produce a DV file by first selecting the AVI format and then choosing the DV encoder. DV files are very tightly controlled to maintain compatibility between computers and camcorders, and the only encoding option you typically can configure is the audio sample rate, which can be either 32kHz or 48kHz. I always set my camcorder to capture 48kHz audio and produce my DV files at that sampling rate.

On the Mac front, both iMovie and Final Cut (Pro and Express) have presets for outputting to DV format. These make it simple to produce DV files for any of the three purposes identified above.

In The Workbook

The workbook for this chapter includes a description of each program's encoding capabilities and screenshots and information detailing the most common compression tasks .

Go to www.doceo.com/dv101.html for a list of currently supported video editors.

Chapter 8. Producing DVDs

At a high level, DVDs have two components : content and menus . Content primarily takes the form of videos , slideshows, and audio files; while menus are the pages that allow the viewer to navigate to and play the content. From the same 50,000- foot view, DVD authoring comes down to two simple activities: creating the menus and linking the menus to the content so the desired video for example, plays when the viewer presses the button. Once you've linked your video content to a menu, the DVD authoring program does the rest—encoding the video into MPEG-2 format and recording menus and content to your DVD recorder.

Many consumer-oriented DVD authoring programs are just that simple—even a first-timer can create a DVD in about 10 minutes (this doesn't include the time it takes for rendering and burning, and treating the capture and editing as separate processes, even though some DVD authoring tools include those functions). As you add features to your menus, and start to customize the viewer's navigation through the disc, the creation and testing cycle gains complexity, and takes more time.

In this chapter, I discuss DVD basics like disc capacity and audio/video formats, and explore some of the advanced design and navigation options available in the more advanced authoring tools. I've structured the chapter as a large FAQ covering the most common questions I've been asked about DVD authoring and DVD-Recordable technology.

I've chosen screens from multiple programs. To best illustrate the concepts under discussion. While the concepts are consistent from program to program, the interfaces will certainly be different, and the terminology may vary slightly. My hope is that once you understand the concept, you'll know how to apply it within your authoring program of choice. For guidance specific to your authoring program, check the list of available workbooks at www.doceo.com/dv101.html .