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 The Desk Top Video Handbook On Line ver 15.0
DVD Cookbook On Line ver 3.0 - DVD Authoring
Making a DVD involves more than just capturing the video and burning it. To create a really cool interactive DVD requires you to use a special kind of software called "Authoring" software.
Authoring is the process by which you link all the clips, graphics and elements of your DVD together. This is the added interactivity that makes watching a DVD so much more interesting than a video tape.
There are several different levels of authoring software. Many DVD burners and low cost capture cards come with extremely basic authoring tools that let you create little more than a playlist for your DVD. While this may be OK for the beginning home user, serious digital videographers are going to want to take full advantage of all that DVD can offer.
Before we go into the different DVD authoring software, let's define the various elements you will be using:
- Media: This will consist of your video and audio clips.
- Menu: These are the screens that will allow your viewer to navigate the DVD and lauch a specific video clip, graphic or additional menu
- Buttons: These can be used over graphics or in your menus to make navigation easier
- Chapter Points: These are links to a specific frame within a video clip. You can use your menus to randomly access any chapter point. These are "in"points. When you play a video clip, the video will continue to play through the next chapter points until the clip is finished.
Thanks to intuitive programs like DVDit! and Impressions authoring your DVD is very easy. Here is a quick walk through the process.
- First you need to import the media you will be using into the project window
- Next you will want to set up your opening menu. The easist way to do this is to use one of included templates.
- Now that you have your menu, you will want to set up your navigation buttons. These can be dragged and dropped anywhere on your menu. (I like to use a thumbnail image from my video clip for my buttons).
- The next step is to link each button with its "target". The target can be a clip, a chapter point within a clip, a graphic or another menu. Simply drag the target to the menu and you now have your first level of interactivity. (I recommend sticking to just video clips for your first project, this will keep things very simple.)
- When the target is a video clip, you will want to add a link at the end of the clip. This can be back to the original menu, a new menu, a graphic or another clip. (For your first projects I suggest simply linking back to the original menu.)
- If you want your target to be a chapter point within the clip you will have to open up the clip and set the chapter point. (Chapter points are very cool, but you can get carried away. Use them sparingly at first)
- You simply keep repeating this simple process until you have added all the navigation and interactivity you want. (Once again, for that first project keep it simple. I suggest just a couple of menus that link to 3-6 different clips each.)
This of course was for setting up a very simple DVD. This is what we recommend you do for your first few projects. Once you start to get the hang of this, you can create a pretty complex project with muliple menus, custom graphics and buttons. Just remeber that while you can have a very complex DVD, the navigation needs to be simple and easy to follow. It is very easy to get carried away and end up with a DVD that leaves your viewer confused, and distracts from the content.
DVDit® Pro HD is a professional, studio-caliber DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring tool for videographers, independent filmakers, corporate users and video enthusiasts.
- Author once and output to Blu-ray and DVD
- Deliver 1080p. 1080i or 720p movies on Blu-ray Discs
- Design interactive menus at full HD resolution
- Drag and Drop HD Slideshows
- Up to 8 uncompressed audio & 32 subtitle tracks
- Professional mastering features for DVD and Blu-ray
Intro Special!
DVDit Pro HD $499.95
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Attention DVDit Owners:
Upgrade to DVDit Pro HD $199.95
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 HD Menu Creation
Create HD menus in Photoshop, build your menus from scratch with the built in HD Menu Compositor or modify pre-built, professionally designed HD Menu Templates
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 Flexible Hybrid User Interface
Professional, intuitive authoring interface lets you easily create a project with multiple audio and subtitle tracks and output both DVD and Blu-ray discs.
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 Unparalleled HDTV Support
Create 1080p, 1080i or 720p Blu-ray Discs for playback on today's HDTVs
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 Professional Mastering
Write your project to DLT or CMF and add CSS and AACS content protection for replication.
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Roxio DVDit Pro HD & Pioneer BDR-101 Blu-Ray Burner Bundles
Videoguys Exclusive bundle gives you everything you need to start creating your own Hi Definition Productions!
Bundle Includes:
• The Pioneer BDR-101 ($995 value) allows professional users to test & author high-definition Blu-ray Disc content while also delivering the ability for high-capacity data storage. Read/write up to 25GB on a single layer BD-R & BD-RE disc.
• Roxio DVDit® Pro HD ($499 value) is a professional, studio-caliber DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring tool for videographers, independent filmakers, corporate users and video enthusiasts.
• 5 Pack of TDK BDR25A ($50 value) 25GB Single Layer Recordable Blu-Ray Discs.
DVDit Pro HD
Blu-Ray Bundle $1249
DVDit Pro HD Upgrade
Blu-Ray Bundle $999.95
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NEW! Adobe Encore DVD 2.0
The essential tool for DVD authoring
Create DVDs that reflect your best work. Packed with a rich set of creative tools, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 software helps you create striking DVD titles for film, business, training, events, and more. With unmatched Adobe Photoshop® software integration and a flexible and intelligent workflow, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is the right choice for easy production of full-featured, menu-driven DVDs..
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DVDit 6 is powerful software for creating professional-quality DVDs on your desktop. Its flexible and intuitive user interface and powerful toolset enable complete customization of the authoring environment and produces a finished project that meets Hollywood authoring standards
DVDit 6 $229.95
 Sonic DVDit Pro
DVDit Pro 6 is professional DVD authoring software from Sonic Solutions – the world’s leading provider of DVD creation tools. Its powerful new multi-window user interface supports dual-monitor configurations and allows you to customize the authoring environment to your exact needs
DVDit 6 Pro $299.95
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 Sonic ReelDVD delivers the perfect balance between simple, easy-to-use workflow, and the comprehensive set of features needed to author professional titles.
If you are an indie filmmaker, corporate video producer or multimedia developer, ReelDVD will enable you to distribute your video content on DVDs with ultimate compatibility.
Motion menus with button links on top of video
Create menus directly from your video stream
Integrate slide shows.
Eight Audio Streams and 32 Subtitle Streams
Dolby AC3 Digital audio
ReelDVD $199.95
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Sonic eDVD 4
 eDVD 4 is the "add-anything" to your DVDs tool that makes it easy to include essential enhancements on every DVD you author.
With eDVD you can create direct links from your DVD menus to web sites, Hi-Definition Video, High Resolution Stills, MP3s, Flash, Documents, Presentations, Spreadsheets, Executables or virtually any other type of file.
Based on industry-standard InterActual Player technology that has shipped on millions of Hollywood DVDs, eDVD is reliable, robust, and compatible with any DVD authoring program.
.Sonic eDVD 4 $129.95
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 PopDrops Professional DVD Menu Templates and Packaging Designs
Create professional DVD menus and covers in minutes! PopDrops is a collection of customizable DVD menu templates and packaging designs. Each volume includes 30 DVD Menu Themes with 120 Templates and 60 DVD Disc Insert and Disc Label Themes with 120 Templates. Tweak the templates to quickly and easily create new looks and styles. You may move layers, change text, and alter the designs however you like. PopDrops are perfect for use with any DVD authoring software package that imports Adobe Photoshop (.PSD) files.
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The DVD Cookbook On Line
- DVD Q&A The first place to start. Here we will outline the basics of the technology and answer most of your questions.
- DVD Formats You thought Beta vs VHS was a war, this one is going to make it seem like capture the flag. In this section we help you understand what all the alphabet soup means to you.
- MPEG2 Editing Before you can put the video on a DVD, you've got to get it into your computer and edit it. This page lists all the latest and greatest hardware and software for getting the job started.
- DVD Authoring Sure you can just put your video on a DVD and hit play, but what a waste of the technology. What makes DVDs so cool is the ability to add interactive menus and instantly jump to any portion of the video. Authoring software is the tool you use to make your DVDs special.
- DVD Burning You've captured and edited the video. You've authored your menus. Only one step left, to burn it onto a disk. We go over the available burners as well as give you some important tips to make sure you spend your time burning DVDs, not coasters ;-)
- DVD FORUM This technology is so new that we can't possibly have all the answers, but that doesn't mean someone else won't have the solution to your problem. Our DVD Forum is the place where you can share your secrets and help other digital videograpjhers from all over the world!!
- DVD Resources here is a list of our favorite places to go on line to learn more about DVD creation.
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