Frequently Asked Questions

DVD Authoring

DVD Authoring

The picture quality of DVD is superior compared to all the available consumer formats today, but it can only be as good as the source tape. It may be necessary to have a video post production facility correct any problems prior to MPEG-2 encoding.


What are the features of a DVD?
*Over 2 hours of high-quality digital video (a double-sided, dual-layer disc can hold about 8 hours of high-quality video, or 30 hours of VHS quality video)
*Support for widescreen movies on standard or widescreen TVs (4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios)
*Up to 8 tracks of digital audio (for multiple languages, commentaries, etc.), each with as many as 8 channels
*Up to 32 subtitle/karaoke tracks
*Automatic seamless branching of video (for multiple story lines or ratings on one disc)
*Up to 9 camera angles (different viewpoints can be selected during playback)
*On-screen menus and simple interactive features (for games, quizzes, etc.)
*Multilingual identifying text for title name, album name, song name, cast, crew, etc
*Instant rewind and fast forward (no "be kind, rewind" stickers and threats on rental discs)
*Instant search to title, chapter, music track, and timecode
*Durable (no wear from playing, only from physical damage)
*Not susceptible to magnetic fields. Resistant to heat
*Compact size (easy to handle, store, and ship; players can be portable; replication is cheaper than tapes or laserdiscs)


What are Regional Codes, Zone Locks and Courtry Codes?
Motion picture studios want to control the home release of movies in different countries because theater releases aren't simultaneous . Also, studios sell distribution rights to different foreign distributors and would like to guarantee an exclusive market. Therefore they required that the DVD standard includes codes to prevent playback of certain discs in certain geographical regions. Each player is given a code for the region in which it's sold. The player will refuse to play discs that are not coded for its region. At Hellman Production we leave the option of whether to apply these codes to our clients. More>>


What are the current Regional Codes?
Region (1) North America, (2) Japan, Western Europe, South Africa, Turkey and the Middle East, (3) Southeast Asia, (4) Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America and the South Pacific, (5) Northwest Asia, Russia, Indian Subcontinent and most of Asia, (6) China and Tibet, (7)Reserved, (8) Special nontheatrical venues (airplanes, cruise ships).


Is there a NTSC or PAL DVD?
The MPEG video on a DVD is stored in digital format, but it's formatted for one of two mutually incompatible television systems: 525/60 (NTSC) or 625/50 (PAL/SECAM). Therefore, there are two kinds of DVDs: "NTSC DVDs" and "PAL DVDs." Some players only play NTSC discs, others play PAL and NTSC discs.


How long does a DVD last?
A pressed discs (replication) should last longer than you will, anywhere from 50 to 300 years. Expected longevity of dye-based DVD-R and DVD+R discs is anywhere from 20 to 250 years, about as long as CD-R discs. Some dye formulations (such as phthalocyanine and azo) are more stable and last longer, 100 years or more compared to 20 or 30 years for less stable dye. In all cases, longevity can be reduced by poor quality. Poor quality pressed DVDs may deteriorate within a few years, and cheap recordable DVDs may cause errors when recording or may become unreadable after a while. Hellman Production provides the best DVD replication/duplication service to ensure your finished product will last for a lifetime. More>>


What is CBR video encoding?
CBR (constant bit rate) video encoding would apply to a DVD title which contains shorter length of video content. For example, if your project only involves a short video clip, a bit rate is preselected and the video assets are encoded at that constant bit rate. If the total size of your project is 60 minutes or less, CBR will work for you.


What is VBR video encoding?
VBR(variable bit rate) video encoding would apply for example, if the title involved a 2 hour movie with subtitles, multiple language audio tracks, and a directors commentary. To make all of this content fit onto a DVD, you would need to use VBR encoding. VBR encoding varies the bit rate giving more information to complex images and less to simple less active scenes.


What is Dolby Digital audio?
Dolby Digital audio is the standard in DVD audio, and it has a head start as far as consumer gear is concerned in today's market. Dolby Digital has many configurations ranging from mono to stereo to 5.1 full surround sound.


What is PCM audio?
PCM audio is an uncompressed format and it would most likely be used for projects like short films that don't require compressing the audio assets. PCM audio offers a higher audio quality than CD at a 48.8khz sample rate as opposed to 44.1khz for CD.


What is DTS audio?
DTS audio is a new growing format and is becoming more popular with high end feature films. In theory, since DTS uses a higher bit rate it contains more audio information. However, Dolby has been the initial standard and therefore has a strong hold in the DVD market.


What are my options on DVD menus?
Still (Static) Menus consist of background graphics or pictures and selectable text and or icons which make up the interactive selection portion of the menu. It may also contain looping audio.
Motion Menus are 30 second looping video segments with the same navigational properties of still menus. They commonly have audio as well.
Menu Transitions are a two second video clip with audio that plays from the result of the user making a navigation selection. Basically they give some interactive motion between menus or video segments.


What are some general DVD menu specs?
* Final image size is 720 x 480 pixels
* Overlay (subpicture) layer must be black, white, red and blue ONLY
* Create images using NTSC-safe RGB colors (use Photoshop's NTSC Colors filter)
* Keep RGB values below 230
* Text should be 14-point minimum
* Keep all text and buttons within the safe area (Use our template)
* Avoid thin lines less than 1px * Keep all important text and images within safe areas (use our templates