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Continuing the Avid MC 5.5 update/installation process, I want to install the latest version of Avid DVD.

• In the auto-email following-up my purchase of Avid MC update 5.0 to 5.5, no link was provided for Avid DVD (or suite containing it).
• Therefore my initial point of reference is the Avid DVD install-disk supplied as part of the MC 5.0 disk-set.  The disk label states it is Avid DVD by Sonic, version 6.1.1.
• From my web searches (below, under “More…) it seems that:
  • Avid DVD is made by Sonic/Roxio (combined?), under the name DVDit.
  • Latest version (I saw mentioned) was 6.4
  • But do-not update to it!
    • Douglas (”Gaijin-Eyes”) of Kumamoto, Japan,  reported difficulties in using version 6.4 with his Avid workflow.  In particular, the later version of DVD(it) removed the ability to export .iso files.
  • • Furthermore, using a later version as compared to that officially supported by Avid risks incompatibility problems.  One forum post appeared to relate to an example of this, possibly involving associated dependency versions of QuickTime.  The post received no reply, suggesting that forum-based (e.g Avid-guru) advice would not be forthcoming on issues with software outside the Avid manifest.

(more…)

 http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1092244

• DON’T:
  • Don’t edit HD footage on a SD timeline.
    • Pasting into an SD timeline is the worst thing you can do. FCP is terrible at conversion of HD to SD. At the very least send your HD Quicktime movie of the timeline to Compressor and have Compressor make the conversion.
    • A much MUCH better way would be to invest in something like an AJA Kona board which does full broadcast conversions in realtime.
  • Don’t ever down-convert HD to SD before encoding to MPEG2. It’s not only completely unnecessary waste of your time, it’s an unnecessary re-compression step that will make your DVD hideous.
  • Don’t “Export using Compressor” directly from the timeline.
    • you can keep editing in FCP while Compressor encodes
    • Compressor is faster when working from a single file, because it avoids the look ahead clip by clip encoding features of VBR encoding that pretty much creates more problems than it solves.
• DO:
  • File > Export > Quicktime Movie.
    • Leave it set to “Current Settings”
    • You can export a Reference movie if you’d like, meaning leave “Make Self Contained Movie” UNchecked.
  • Take that Quicktime movie into Compressor.
    • Choose the DVD Compression of your choice, such as DVD 90 Minutes High Quality.
      • Compressor will create a Standard Definition 16:9 MPEG-2.
    • Also select the Dolby Digital Audio to create the AC-3 audio file.
  • Launch DVD Studio Pro and bring the MPEG-2 and AC-3 into your project.
    • Now create a DVD!
    • DVD Studio Pro will create a DVD in 16:9 widescreen format that will automatically play Letterboxed on a 4:3 TV and full screen on a 16:9 widescreen.

A physical DVD could be played but not copied, despite attempts on multiple computers (each with own drive).  The main VOB file was corrupted.  The disk appeared to the eye to be in good condition.  Wanted to copy a repaired version of that file, maybe with gaps or truncations, whatever could be salvaged.  Workaround was to do a ‘dd’.  That’s a unix command to “convert and copy a file”.  Mac OS X is based on a variant of unix, so chose to execute it from there.  The successful command was as follows:

• dd if=/Volumes/’DVD VR’/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB of=tmp/vts_01_1.vob conv=noerror

Prior to this, naively-and-unsuccessfully tried Windows 7 PowerShell (PS) ‘cp’ command with ‘-Force’ option, but that was “barking up the wrong tree”.  An alternative suggestion, not attempted, was to use a streaming video processor such as VirtualDub. (more…)

http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/318730-Finalizing-a-DVD

• <<Windows Vista and 7 use UDF 2.01 which isn’t compatible with DVD-Video which uses UDF 1.02.>>
• <<Use ImgBurn and your burning problems will go away, now if you have authoring problems that’s a different story.>>
  • Indeed I tried that and it worked!

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=741147&Replies=2

• Very simple estimation method is to divide the length in minutes into 600.
• Example: 5 hours is 300 minutes, so 600/300 = 2Mbps.
• Assuming you use 192Kbps for the AC3 audio, 2Mbps - 192Kbps = approximagely 1.8Mbps for the video

My proposed workflow for Sony Vegas / DVD Architect (DVDA):

1. In Sony Vegas:
   1. Render the audio on its own first, as AC3-Pro.
   2. Check the remaining space. Allow say 4% headroom (safety-margin). Maybe more, to create deliberate physical margin at edge of disk (where handling-marks are likely to occur). Adjust video rendering properties to achieve this.
   3. Render the video on its own. Check its size is as expected.
2. In DVD ARchitect:
   1. Add both audio & video to a DVDA Project.
   2. In DVDA, do a Prepare, skipping past any warnings about disk space.  Presumably if source files (audio and video) are in same format as target and no “Fit to Disk” is selected then it should only do Wrapping, not Compressing (?)

The DVD Spec defines a scripting capability, allowing such things as:

• Variable play order
  • Random - e.g. for public display - though”random” does not guarantee “different track each time”.
  • Inferred from user-input - e.g. questionnaire
• Simple quiz games.
• Passcode-protected content (not secure but at least some kind of disuasive barrier).

Some useful tutorials, doesn’t matter that they are for a specific DVD authoring product:

• Based on DVD Lab
  • http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/tutorial/quiz.html
  • http://library.creativecow.net/articles/alexzander_alex/code_lock.php
• Based on Apple DVD Studio Pro
  • http://www.geniusdv.com/news_and_tutorials/2008/08/scripting_in_dvd_studio_part_3_random_play.php
    • Has links to further articles on script fundamentals, parental controls,  etc.