DVD Studio Pro User’s Manual Includes instructions for installing and using your software
K Apple Computer, Inc © 2001 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Apple. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Contents Preface Getting Started With DVD Studio Pro 9 What Is DVD Studio Pro? 9 System Requirements 10 Hardware Requirements 10 Software Requirements 10 Software Installation and Registration 11 Installing and Registering DVD Studio Pro 11 Installing and Registering QuickTime Pro 11 Overview of the DVD Creation Process 12 Creating Source Material 12 Encoding Video and Audio 12 Authoring With DVD Studio Pro 13 Creating a Disc 13 Resources for Learning About DVD Studio Pro 14 1 DVD Studio Pro Tutorial 15
Adding a Track 22 Previewing Audio Streams 24 Creating a Multi-Angle Track 24 Adding Angles 25 Previewing Angles 25 Creating a Still Menu 26 Adding Buttons to a Still Menu 29 Naming the Buttons 30 Specifying Button States 30 Previewing Buttons 31 Creating a Motion Menu 32 Previewing a Motion Menu 34 Specifying Button States in Motion Menus 34 Adding Markers 35 Previewing Markers 37 Creating a Slideshow 37 Previewing Slideshows 39 Linking Things Together Using the Action Menus 39 Linking a Button to a Track
What’s Next? 55 2 Preparing Source Material 57 Capturing Video and Audio 58 Capturing Video for 16:9 Aspect Ratio 58 Segmenting Your Material 59 Preparing Video Content 59 Encoding Video to MPEG Format 59 The QuickTime MPEG Encoder 59 Encoding Video for Multi-Angle Tracks 62 Preparing Audio Content 62 Encoding Audio 62 The A.
4 Working With Languages and Subtitles 87 Working With Languages 87 Setting Up Multiple Language Audio in Slideshows 89 The Subtitle Editor 89 Preparing Source Material for Subtitles 89 Setting Preferences for the Subtitle Editor 90 Starting a New Subtitle Project 91 Changing the Location and Duration of Subtitles 94 Locking and Unlocking Subtitle Positions 94 Linking Subtitles 94 Selecting Multiple Subtitles 94 Importing Subtitles 95 Compiling a Subtitle Stream 95 Working With Subtitle Streams in DVD St
Previewing on an External Video Monitor 115 Debugging 116 Debugging in Preview Mode 116 Using Built-in Error Checking 118 Finding Missing Asset Files 118 Finding Unassigned Asset Files 119 Getting Information About Your Project 119 Using Project Description Files 119 Using the Log Window 120 Building Your Project 121 Tracking the Multiplexing Process 122 Solving Multiplexing Problems 122 Creating Your Disc 123 Appendix A Using A.Pack to Encode AC-3 Sound 125 What Is A.
Appendix B More About DVD 141 DVD in Detail 141 Comparison of DVD and CD 141 Disc Types and Capacities 142 Physical Formats 143 Logical Formats 143 Video in DVD-Video 144 Audio in DVD Video 145 DVD-Audio Compatibility 148 Subtitles in DVD-Video 148 Text in DVD-Video 148 Navigation on a DVD-Video 149 File Structure of a DVD-Video 150 Copy-Protection and Region Coding 150 Specifications for DVD Compliance 152 Video 152 Audio 153 How the Technology Works 154 About Macrovision Copy-Protection 155 Index 8 Co
P R E F A C E Getting Started With DVD Studio Pro What Is DVD Studio Pro? DVD Studio Pro is software for authoring DVD-Video discs. It works with audio, video, graphics, and text materials that you have already created and edited and orchestrates them into a DVD that can be played on a DVD player or a suitably equipped computer. DVD Studio Pro is both powerful and easy to use.
System Requirements You need the following hardware and software to use DVD Studio Pro: Hardware Requirements m m m m Computer with a G4 processor and an Apple-supplied AGP graphics card 128 megabytes (MB) of random-access memory (RAM) DVD drive Display software and hardware capable of 1024 x 768 pixels at thousands or millions of colors m For writing to disc: DVD-R recorder, DVD-RAM drive, or DLT tape drive You should have at least twice as much hard disk storage space as the size of your project.
Software Installation and Registration When you install DVD Studio Pro, the following items are placed on your hard disk in the DVD Studio Pro folder: m DVD Studio Pro application m Subtitle Editor application m A.Pack application m DVD Studio Pro manual in PDF format m Read Me file for DVD Studio Pro If necessary, Apple DVD Player version 2.3 is also installed. The DVD Studio Pro CD also comes with the latest version of QuickTime Pro, which must be installed separately.
Overview of the DVD Creation Process There are four steps to creating a DVD: m Creating your source material m Encoding video and audio in DVD-compatible formats m Authoring (creating the disc’s menus and link structure and verifying navigation) m Multiplexing (creating the final files for the disc) and creating the disc DVD Studio Pro helps you with the last three parts of this process. Creating Source Material Before you use DVD Studio Pro you need to create, edit, and assemble your source material.
Authoring With DVD Studio Pro The role of DVD Studio Pro is to orchestrate your linear video and audio material and graphics into interactive DVD-Video, complete with menus, buttons, subtitles, and alternate languages or sound tracks. You can script buttons to perform actions, define links between parts of your material, and see a real-time preview of your DVD as you create it.
Resources for Learning About DVD Studio Pro The most effective way to learn about DVD Studio Pro is to work through the tutorial in Chapter 1 of this manual. The tutorial will teach you the basic tasks you need to know to work successfully with this program. In addition to this manual, DVD Studio Pro provides other sources of support.
C H A P T E R 1 1 DVD Studio Pro Tutorial This tutorial gives you a hands-on introduction to DVD Studio Pro. In the two parts of this step-by-step tutorial, you will create a basic DVD-Video project using many of the key features of DVD Studio Pro, and then you will enhance it using some of the more advanced tools.
Getting the Tutorial Files and Starting the Program If you haven’t installed DVD Studio Pro yet, follow the instructions in the Preface, “Getting Started With DVD Studio Pro,” on page 9. Be sure to look at the Read Me file for any new information about DVD Studio Pro. You need at least 500 megabytes (MB) of free space on your hard disk to complete the tutorial. The tutorial files require about 300 MB of free space. You need an additional 200 MB to write the finished project.
DVD Studio Pro Building Blocks In DVD Studio Pro, every project is constructed from these basic components: m Assets: Video, audio, graphics, and subtitle files. m Tracks, markers, and stories: Each track has up to 9 video streams, 8 audio streams, and 32 subtitle streams, linked together in a single structure (the DVD specification calls these video title sets). Each track can have up to 99 markers (spots within the track where you can start play).
The DVD Studio Pro Workspace In DVD Studio Pro, you work in four main windows: the Graphical View, the Project View, the Property Inspector, and the Preview window (which you see when you preview an item in your project). When you begin a new project, these windows are empty. Before you can begin creating a project, you need to import the files you want to work with into the Assets container in the Project View.
Importing Assets The various files in your project—video, audio, and graphics files—are collectively called assets. You can import assets individually or in groups, either by using the Import command or by dragging files from the Finder. Adding Assets With the Import Command 1 Choose Import from the File menu. 2 Navigate to the Tutorial folder using the controls in the upper half of the dialog box.
Adding Assets by Dragging It’s often faster and easier to add assets by dragging them to a project. 20 Chapter 1 1 In the Finder, select the remaining files (shown below). 2 Drag the selected items to the Assets container.
Viewing the Properties of an Item Every item in a DVD project has properties and settings that affect its behavior within the project. You can view and change most properties using the Property Inspector. The Property Inspector always shows the properties of the currently selected item. To see the properties of an item: m Click the item in any of the DVD Studio Pro windows. Note: If you don’t see the Property Inspector, choose it from the Windows menu.
Creating a Basic DVD In this part of the tutorial you will create a simple DVD that you can interact with using the Preview Mode of DVD Studio Pro. In the second part of the tutorial, you will learn how to enhance parts of your project and add additional interactivity to it. Setting Disc Properties After importing the assets for your project, you need to make some basic settings before you begin adding and creating the different disc elements.
4 Click the audio icon on the track tile. The track’s Audio Streams container opens. 5 Choose New Audio Stream from the Item menu. 6 Select the Untitled Audio item in the container. Then locate the Asset pop-up menu in the General area of the Property Inspector and choose OffBeat Scenes - AIFF. 7 Type the name Example 1 in the Name text box in the Audio Stream area of the Property Inspector. 8 In the Language pop-up menu in the General area, choose English.
Previewing Audio Streams You can preview nearly every aspect of a project at any time. In this section you will preview the audio streams you just added to the OffBeat Scenes track. 1 Select the track. 2 Choose Preview Menu from the Item menu, or click the Preview button in the lower-right corner of the Graphical View. Preview Mode starts. 3 To switch between the two audio streams, click the Audio key at the bottom of the Preview window.
Adding Angles 1 Click the track’s angle icon. Angle icon The track’s Angles container opens. 2 Choose New Angle from the Item menu. 3 Select the angle in the Angles container and use the Property Inspector to change its name to Angle 2. 4 In the Property Inspector, set this angle’s General Asset to Angle 2.m2v. 5 Add a third angle named Angle 3 and assign it the Angle 3.m2v asset. Previewing Angles You can preview your multi-angle track. 1 Select the track, then click the Preview button.
The angle indicator at the top of the Preview window shows the current selection. Note: There may be a short delay before the new angle appears. This is normal. If previewing angles does not work, make sure Show All Angles is selected in the Preview area of the Preferences window. Creating a Still Menu Menus are graphic or video backdrops for buttons. There are two types of menus: still and motion. Still menus use a Photoshop or PICT file for the background.
When you use a Photoshop file, you can specify that different layers of the file be used for the background of the menu, as well as for the different states of the buttons that appear on the menu. The layers of the Photoshop file are available in different areas of the Property Inspector. 5 In the Main Menu tile, double-click the rectangle (also called the thumbnail area). A window called the menu editor opens, with one button automatically created.
Chapter 1 7 Drag to select the layers shown here. Bullets indicate the selected items. 8 Click OK. 9 The selected layers now appear in the menu editor. (The untitled button is still present.
Adding Buttons to a Still Menu Buttons allow the user to interact with the DVD. When you create a new menu, one button appears automatically. You can work with this button and add more as needed. All menus must have at least one button, and can have as many as 36. 1 Position the pointer inside the button rectangle and drag it to the graphic labeled OffBeat Action. The button’s rectangle represents its “hot,” or active, area.
Naming the Buttons Every item in a DVD project has a default name. If you like, you can edit the name in the Property Inspector. m Select each button in turn and give it a new name. (Name the buttons Action, Crew, Views, and Online.) When you’re finished, the names of the buttons appear in the menu editor. Specifying Button States Each button on a menu has three possible states: normal, selected, and activated.
For a still menu, such as the one you’re creating now, you can use the three State pop-up menus in the Display area of the Property Inspector to specify additional layers of the Photoshop file that will appear whenever a button is in a particular state. 1 In the menu editor, click the Action button to select it. 2 In the Display area of the Property Inspector, choose “Action button - selected” from the Selected State pop-up menu. To see the layer, choose Show Selected State from the Buttons menu.
3 Use the arrow keys to select the other menu buttons. By default, DVD Studio Pro automatically links buttons according to their order in the menu editor (each button is linked to the next, and the last is linked back to the first). Angle keys 4 Stop key To see how a button will look when it’s activated, select it and then click OK on the remote control. Because these buttons are not yet linked to any actions, nothing happens when you activate them, but you can see how they change color.
3 Choose “OffBeat menu - AIFF” from the Audio pop-up menu to add an audio stream to the menu. 4 Choose Edit from the Item menu to open the menu editor (or double-click the thumbnail area). The first frame of the selected video stream and one untitled button are visible. 5 Drag the button into position over the small “video window” in the lower-left corner, and resize it to enclose the entire underwater image.
Looping the Video in a Motion Menu The video for a motion menu can be set to repeat (loop) indefinitely. For this project you will set the menu to loop. 1 Set the Loop property to On in the Timeout area of the Property Inspector. 2 Close the menu editor. Previewing a Motion Menu To see how the motion menu looks so far: 1 Select the Scene menu tile and click Preview. 2 Click the Stop key to return to the DVD Studio Pro workspace.
When you’re finished, the Property Inspector should look something like this: Adding Markers When you play a track within a DVD project, it starts from the beginning. If you want to be able to start playback at, or jump to, specific spots within a track, you insert chapter markers. Every track has a “Start of track” marker, so the marker you add will be the second marker on the track. 1 Click the marker icon on the OffBeat Scenes track to open the Markers container.
6 Add two more markers. ( You can follow the steps above, or click the New Marker button at the bottom of the marker editor.) Make sure you set the marker’s location before you name the marker. m Add a marker named Air at 1:00:00. m Add a marker named Chill at 1:31:00. 7 To jump to other markers while in the marker editor, choose them from the marker pop-up menu. 8 When you’re finished, close the marker editor. Your list of markers should look something like this.
Previewing Markers You can see how markers work by previewing the OffBeat Scenes track. 1 Select the OffBeat Scenes track and click Preview. 2 Click the Next Track key (also called the Skip key) on the remote control to jump to the next marker. Next Track key Stop key After you reach the last marker, the video track plays until the end. The Next Track key will not take you from the last marker back to the “Start of track” marker. 3 Click the Stop key to return to the DVD Studio Pro workspace.
3 Double-click the tile’s thumbnail area to open the slideshow editor. The list on the right shows all the assets in your project that are suitable for use in a slideshow. To assemble the slideshow, you drag items from the Assets list on the right to the Slide list on the left. 38 Chapter 1 4 Drag the Slide 1 PICT file into the Slide list. 5 Add audio to the slide by dragging the audio stream Slide 1 - AIFF from the Assets list onto the slide file.
6 Add the remaining three slides (Slide 2, Slide 3, Slide 4) and their matching audio files. 7 Click OK to close the slideshow editor. Previewing Slideshows 1 Select the slideshow tile and click Preview. 2 You can use the Next Track and Previous Track keys on the remote control to jump to different slides. 3 Click the Stop key to return to the DVD Studio Pro workspace. Linking Things Together Using the Action Menus Virtually any item in a DVD project can be connected to any other.
Linking a Button to a Track 40 Chapter 1 1 Open the Main Menu in the menu editor by double-clicking its thumbnail area. 2 Select each button and set its “Jump when activated” property (in the Action area of the Property Inspector): m Action: Scene menu m Crew: Crew m Views: Views m Online: Leave this as “not set.” 3 Close the menu editor.
Jumping Somewhere When a Track Is Finished A DVD often displays a menu after a video has finished playing. In your project you’ll set the three main items to jump back to the main menu when they are finished. 1 Select the OffBeat Scenes track. 2 Using the General area of the Property Inspector, set the “Jump when finished” property to Main Menu. 3 For the Views track and the Crew slideshow, also set the “Jump when finished” property to Main Menu.
Setting the Actions of Standard Remote Control Keys All DVD players are required to have certain keys on their remote controls. Besides the arrow and OK keys, the required controls include Menu, Title (or Disc), Audio, Subtitles, and Return. DVD Studio Pro gives you complete flexibility to determine what these keys do within your project. For this tutorial, you’ll program the Title and Menu keys to display the main menu. 1 Select the disc by clicking an empty area of the Graphical View.
3 Click the Stop key when you want to exit Preview Mode. Arrow keys Stop key You have now completed the first part of this tutorial. To learn more about the features of DVD Studio Pro, continue with “Expanding Your DVD,” next. Expanding Your DVD In this section of the tutorial you will continue working on the basic DVD project you created in the first part of this chapter. If you prefer to start a new project, close the project you currently have open, then choose New from the File menu.
Moving Markers to the Stories Folder 1 Click the story icon on the OffBeat Scenes track to open the Stories Folder. 2 Choose New Story from the Item menu and name the story Highlights. 3 It is easiest to work with multiple containers within one track using the Tracks container in the Project View. In the Project View, click the Tracks tab to access the Tracks container, and click the triangle next to OffBeat Scenes to see the contents of the track.
Creating Interactive Markers You can place buttons on top of tracks (or parts of tracks) that are assigned a video stream. Buttons on tracks are called interactive markers. Like the buttons on menus, they allow the viewer to choose various actions. Because the video stream won’t usually include button graphics, you need to apply an overlay image to define the shape and position of the buttons and their highlights.
4 For Selected Set 1, choose light brown at 66 percent. For the Activated Set 1, choose yellow at 100 percent. 5 Draw buttons enclosing the two button images and their text. Because you are using an overlay image that contains button graphics, the shape of the buttons will reflect the overlay image, instead of being a solid rectangle. You should now see the highlights outlining the button images in the video.
8 Jump to the next marker that you want to create buttons for, Air. 9 In the Property Inspector, set the Use Buttons Of property to Heat. You do not need to re-create the buttons on the Air marker if you set the Use Buttons Of property. Specifying the Shape of the Button Area That Changes Color As you saw in the last section, you can use an overlay image to specify the button shapes in interactive markers.
Adding Subtitles You can create subtitle streams for your video streams and position them at precise points using the Subtitle Editor. For this project you will use two streams that are already prepared. For more information on creating subtitles, see Chapter 4, “Working With Languages and Subtitles,” on page 87. Interactive markers are created using the subtitle feature of DVD players, so you cannot combine subtitles and interactive markers within one track.
For this project, you’ll create a menu that lets the viewer know that the Web browser is opening and loading the specified URL. You’ll link this menu to a button on the main menu. 1 Add a new menu to your project by dragging the asset “Still menus.psd” from the Assets container to the Graphical View. 2 Name the menu Online. 3 Double-click the thumbnail area to open the menu editor. 4 In the Picture area, click “Layers (always visible)” and select the layers shown below.
7 In the Action area of the Property Inspector, choose Main Menu from the “Jump when activated” pop-up menu. The menu and button should like this: 8 Select the background image of the menu to access the menu’s properties. In the @ccess area of the Property Inspector, set the @ccess Type to URL. 9 Type Web Site as the @ccess name and http://www.apple.com/dvd/offbeat as the @ccess URL. 10 Close the menu editor.
Writing a Simple Script DVD Studio Pro supports the DVD-Video scripting language, which allows you to construct sophisticated interactivity that works on all DVD players. In this section you’ll add a short script to your project that randomly plays one of four tracks or slideshows. This script has two parts. The first part generates a random number between 1 and 4. The second part plays a particular item in your project depending on which number is generated.
Setting a Timeout Action Any menu can have a timeout action assigned to it, something that happens if the viewer doesn’t make a choice on the remote control for a specified period of time. This feature allows you to automate a DVD title, create self-running demos, sales presentations, and so on. 1 Select the Main Menu. 2 In the Timeout area of the Property Inspector, set the Action property to the script you just created, RandomPlay. 3 In the Timeout area, enter 30 for the Duration property.
Building the Finished Project You have now completed both sections of the tutorial project. All that remains is to get it onto the desired output media. DVD Studio Pro can write directly to DVD-R, DVD-RAM, or DLT. It can also save completed projects to your hard disk. The process of formatting the project data so that it’s ready for a DVD is called building the disc or multiplexing (muxing for short). Follow these steps to build the tutorial project: 1 Choose Build Disc from the File menu.
Using the Apple DVD Player Once the project is built you can play it from your hard disk using the Apple DVD Player, exactly as if it were a physical DVD. By playing the completed project from your hard disk, you can verify that everything works the way you intended before investing the time and money to make copies. 54 Chapter 1 1 Open the Apple DVD Player (available in the Apple menu). 2 Open the player’s Preferences window.
4 Choose Open VIDEO_TS from the File menu. 5 Navigate to the VIDEO_TS folder and click Choose. 6 Click the Play button to start playback. The project should play as if it were on a DVD disc. What’s Next? Congratulations! You’ve successfully made your first DVD project. Read the rest of this manual to learn about preparing source material; using the QuickTime MPEG Encoder and A.
C H A P T E R 2 2 Preparing Source Material Before you can begin building a DVD project, you must have correctly prepared source material: edited video and audio, subtitles, and graphics or video for menus. After you have captured and edited your source material, you need to encode it to make it DVD-compliant.
Capturing Video and Audio For best results, you should create and capture your video and audio using the settings required for DVD: m Frame size: 720 x 480 pixels (NTSC); 720 x 576 pixels (PAL) m Frame rate: 29.97 frames per second (NTSC); 25 frames per second (PAL) m Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9 m Audio resolution: 16 or 24 bits m Audio sample rate: 48 kHz or 96 kHz If you are unable to capture and edit using these settings, most MPEG encoders can convert from other resolutions and sizes.
Segmenting Your Material If you plan to divide your project into multiple tracks, your source material must be divided in the same way. It’s easiest to segment the material when preparing it for encoding. If your encoder works with QuickTime movies, you can segment your tracks once they are digitized into the computer. Usually you work with your primary video and audio tracks together as a single file until they are encoded. At that point they need to be separated into audio and video “elementary” streams.
To export files prepared in Final Cut Pro or the QuickTime Player to MPEG-2: 1 Choose Export from the File menu and QuickTime from the submenu. 2 In the dialog box that appears, choose “Movie to MPEG 2” from the Export pop-up menu, then choose a location and name for the file. 3 In the settings dialog box, set options appropriate for your material. m Select Save Audio if you want to encode both audio and video. (The QuickTime MPEG Encoder outputs PCM audio only.
A progress window shows you information during the MPEG-2 export. Click the expansion triangle to see the currently encoding frame. Note: Previewing during encoding reduces performance by approximately 20 percent. For faster encoding, click the triangle to hide the preview image.
Encoding Video for Multi-Angle Tracks DVD Studio Pro supports multi-angle video, a track with up to eight alternate video streams (for a total of nine video streams per track). The viewer can switch among angles using the Angle key on the remote control. Requirements for MPEG Streams for Multi-Angle Video The QuickTime MPEG Encoder produces streams that meet the criteria for multi-angle use: m All streams must be the same length. m All streams must have the same resolution and frame rate.
The A.Pack Application The preferred audio format for DVD-Video discs is Dolby Digital (also known as AC-3). To encode AC-3 audio, you can use the A.Pack application supplied with DVD Studio Pro. For more information, see Appendix A, “Using A.Pack to Encode AC-3 Sound,” on page 125. Creating Material for Menus Creating Graphics for Still Menus DVD Studio Pro uses the Photoshop (psd) format for still menu graphics.
m Use empty layers named with a hyphen (“-”) as dividers to organize the Layers palette. They appear as menu dividers in the DVD Studio Pro Layer menu. Empty layers named with a hyphen in the Photoshop file appear as dividers in the Layer menu. m Make horizontal lines taller than 1 pixel so they won’t flicker on TV screens. m Consider various shapes for your highlighted buttons—they don’t have to be rectangles.
Creating Video for Interactive Markers Interactive markers are buttons that appear “on top of ” tracks, using the subtitle feature. If you want buttons in a track, you need to create video that includes button images and an overlay graphic (PICT or Photoshop) for defining the button highlights. You can create composites using a standard video editing tool like Final Cut Pro.
Preparing Subtitles Each track on a DVD-Video disc can contain up to 32 subtitle streams, each of which can be associated with a language or used to present supplemental material. With the DVD Studio Pro Subtitle Editor application, you can enter, format, and synchronize your subtitles with the video material, then save them as subtitle streams. The Subtitle Editor uses QuickTime video or audio streams as source material.
C H A P T E R 3 3 Using DVD Studio Pro When you start a new DVD project, you need to set certain preferences and disc properties before you begin working with your assets. After you have set those preferences and imported your assets, you are ready to build your project. DVD Studio Pro includes a number of views and windows that you use while building your DVD. This chapter explains the initial settings you need to make and then describes the specific features of the different views that you work in.
Setting Preferences for a New Project You use the Preferences window to configure certain settings for new projects. To set preferences: 1 Choose Preferences from the File menu. 2 Specify the default TV system (NTSC or PAL). This setting affects the size of menus. It applies to new projects only. You can change the format for a current project in the disc properties in the Property Inspector. 3 Specify how you will preview projects.
Setting Disc Properties for a New Project Creating your project proceeds more smoothly if you set certain properties for the disc at the outset. To set disc properties: 1 Select the disc by clicking an empty area of the DVD Studio Pro workspace. 2 If it’s not already open, choose Property Inspector from the Windows menu. Click the triangles to expand and collapse the various areas. 3 Choose specific properties from the pop-up menus. Some property names, such as Region Code, are underlined.
Setting Remote Control Properties for a New Project A DVD player has six standard remote control keys that are programmed to act in default ways. However, you can set up your DVD so that these keys perform different functions. To do so, you assign actions to the keys using the Remote-Control area of the Property Inspector. An action can be any item on a disc: track, marker, story, menu, script, slideshow, or single slide.
Views Available in DVD Studio Pro The DVD Studio Pro workspace has several views and windows to represent the facets of your project. The workspace is flexible: you can open as many or as few windows as you like, and move the windows anywhere on your screen. Items in the DVD Studio Pro workspace are color-coded: menus and their assets are blue, tracks are green, slideshows are gray, and scripts are orange. m The Graphical View: Represents your project as tiles and shows the links among items.
The Graphical View The Graphical View provides a direct visual representation of the way components of your project are linked together. You can specify whether these links are visible in the Lines pop-up menu. Choose Configure to show or hide specific kinds of links. In the Graphical View: m Menu, slideshow, and track tiles have thumbnail images indicating their contents. m Types of assets you can assign to an item (for example, buttons, video, and audio streams) appear as icons inside the item tiles.
If you specified a disc medium in the Property Inspector for the disc, the bar next to the disc icon estimates the size of the finished project. If the size is larger than the selected medium for the disc, the bar appears red. Customizing the Appearance of the Graphical View To switch between a large and small view of item tiles: m Choose a size from the View Size pop-up menu. Smaller tiles do not have buttons or thumbnails but they allow you to see more in the window.
The Project View The Project View represents your DVD project as icons inside containers accessible by tabs. Items in tabs are not actual files, but links to files (like Finder aliases). There are six tabs: Assets, Menus, Tracks, Slideshows, Scripts, and Languages. Some item types (for example, tracks) have subcontainers. m A number in parentheses after an item name indicates how many items are assigned to that item. m An arrow (“->”) followed by a name represents something an item is linked to.
To open a container in a separate window: m Drag the container’s tab. Note: If you close a container that is in a separate window, that container does not reappear in the Project View window. To make the container and its tab reappear, close the Project View window and then re-open it by choosing Project View from the Windows menu. To see labels and comments in the Project View: m Drag the size box to expand the window horizontally. You can set labels and comments in the Property Inspector.
The Property Inspector The Property Inspector displays the settings and properties of a selected item. m Properties are organized into areas that can be expanded or collapsed. m Different items have different sets of properties. m Only valid items appear in pop-up menus. For example, if you’re working with an item that requires an asset in a particular format, only assets in that format appear in the menu. m Underlined properties and those with pop-up menus or text boxes can be assigned or edited.
There are three ways to edit or assign a property, depending on the kind of property it is. m Text properties: The property itself (for example, the item’s name) is in a text box to indicate it can be changed. To change it, select it and type in the text box. Click a property in a text box to edit it. m Properties with menus: Choose an item from the pop-up menu.
m Properties that allow multiple assignments: These properties are underlined and also have a pop-up menu. You can assign these properties by making multiple choices from the pop-up menu, or by clicking the name and choosing properties in the list that appears. Drag or Shift-click to select contiguous items. Command-click to select separate items. To see an item’s properties: m Select the item. (If necessary, choose Property Inspector from the Windows menu to see the Property Inspector.
The individual sections of the Property Inspector in which you specify item settings are known as areas. The following sections describe some of these in detail. Disc area m Name: This name is for your use. It does not have to match the filename of the project on your hard disk, and it is not included on the final DVD. m Label: You can assign a Finder label to the disc. m Comment: You can enter information or reminders here.
m CSS: Specifies whether to copy-protect the disc using the industry-standard Content Scramble System. (For more information, see “Copy-Protection and Region Coding” on page 150.) m Startup Action: Determines what happens when your disc is inserted in a DVD player. You can choose any track, marker, story, menu, script, slideshow, or single slide. Note: If you do not choose a startup action, nothing happens when the disc is inserted, and the Preview Mode of DVD Studio Pro does not work.
Important Properties You can assign any property using the Property Inspector, but the Property Inspector is especially useful for assigning particular types of properties. Some of these are described in the following sections. Action / Jump Action Action menus list all menus, tracks, markers, scripts, slideshows, slides, and stories in your project. Depending on the item selected, the menu may include other predefined actions.
Remote-Control Specifies the actions of remote control keys when the item is playing. Actions you choose for markers override actions you choose for tracks, which in turn override actions you choose for the disc as a whole. Selection Condition Highlights the selected button (instead of the default one) if a chosen track, audio stream, or subtitle stream was playing just before this button’s menu appeared.
Troubleshooting Windows DVD Studio Pro includes several features that check your material, making sure that all links are valid and all necessary settings have been made. m The Asset Files window shows the name and location of every asset file used in your project. You can use it to locate missing files or to change the source files assigned to particular assets.
To expand or collapse a container: m Click the arrow to the left of the container. To assign an asset to a menu or track: 1 Make sure the container is expanded (the arrow to the left points down). 2 Click to place a dot at the intersection of the asset column and the container row. To uncouple an asset from a menu or track: 1 Make sure the container is expanded (the arrow to the left points down). 2 Click to remove the dot at the intersection of the asset column and the container row.
Jump Matrix The Jump Matrix shows possible jump actions along the top and containers (disc, menus, buttons, tracks and so on) along the side.
Layer Matrix The Layer Matrix shows the layers of a Photoshop file along the top and the button states (normal, selected, and activated) along the side. Note: If you arrange the layers in your Photoshop files in a logical order, you will see patterns in the Layer Matrix that can help you spot mistakes.
C H A P T E R 4 4 Working With Languages and Subtitles Working With Languages DVD Studio Pro automatically creates one untitled language in a new project. The Languages container includes a container for this language and for each additional language you define in your project. You can assign up to 16 languages. Languages can be added at any point in the creation of a project, but it’s most convenient to assign them at the beginning. To assign a new language: 1 Click the Languages tab.
Each language on a disc must have its own menu assets. DVD Studio Pro automatically adds a container for the new language to each menu item and adds a property for the language to the Pictures and Audio areas of the menu properties. Language choices are available only if you have added additional languages to your project. The assets used for alternate-language versions of a menu must have the same format and structure (in the case of Photoshop files).
Setting Up Multiple Language Audio in Slideshows If you assign multiple language audio streams to each slide, make sure that they are always in the same order. For example, add English first, then German, and then French. Then in the Property Inspector for the slideshow, set Audio Language 1 to English, Audio Language 2 to German, and Audio Language 3 to French. The Subtitle Editor The Subtitle Editor (STE for short) is an easy way to create subtitle streams for your video streams.
Setting Preferences for the Subtitle Editor You can specify the default actions of the Subtitle Editor by choosing Preferences from the File menu. To edit the names and colors that appear in the color menu of the subtitle editor: 1 Click Color Menu Settings. 2 In the Color Menu Settings dialog box, select and change the names of any colors. 3 Click a color, then use the color picker to choose a new color. The color picker is described in the onscreen help for your operating system.
Starting a New Subtitle Project 1 Open the STE. Several windows appear. You can show or hide any window using the Windows menu. 2 In the Project Settings dialog box, click Select Project Movie and choose a source movie.
3 Choose NTSC or PAL from the DVD-Videosize pop-up menu. 4 Set margins in the Subtitle Settings area. Margins restrict subtitles to a defined area. If you set the margins to zero, subtitles can be positioned anywhere in the movie frame.
7 Navigate to the spot in the movie where you want to begin your subtitle by doing one of the following: m Use the controls in the QuickTime Preview window. m Enter a new time code in the time code box in the upper-left corner of the Preview window. m Select a marker’s name in the Marker window or the Markers menu. m Choose the Find command from the Markers menu to search for a marker by name. m Choose “GoTo in Movie” from the Edit menu and enter a time code. 8 In the Subtitles window, click New.
Changing the Location and Duration of Subtitles To change the In point, Out point, or duration of the current subtitle, do one of the following: m In the Subtitles window, type a new time code in the In or Out box. m Choose Set In Point or Set Out Point from the Subtitle menu. Locking and Unlocking Subtitle Positions You can lock the In point or Out point of a subtitle (the point in the track where it appears or disappears).
Importing Subtitles You can import subtitles from a plain text file, such as a script or EDL. The text file must contain three fields for each entry: m start time code for the subtitle m end time code for the subtitle m subtitle text ( You can specify line breaks within a single screen of subtitles by inserting the HTML paragraph tag
into the text to be imported.) To import subtitles: 1 Choose Import from the File menu, then choose Subtitles from the submenu. 2 Select the file you want to open.
Keyboard Shortcuts Many of the STE commands can be accessed using the keyboard. In addition to the standard commands visible in the menus, the STE has these keyboard shortcuts: Key command Function Keys on the numeric keypad 0 Rewind movie to start , or .
C H A P T E R 5 5 Using Scripts The DVD-Video specification includes a simple yet powerful scripting language. DVD Studio Pro gives you full access to this capability. You can add sophisticated interactivity and control to a project with only a few simple scripts. Scripts in DVD Studio Pro are created as separate items within a project, so they can be assigned easily to any item that supports a script. Scripts can be assigned to buttons or attached to the start or end of any track, story, menu, or marker.
Creating a Script You use the script editor to enter the text of your scripts. To open the script editor: 1 Double-click a script tile. The script editor appears. 98 Chapter 5 2 To enter a script, do one of the following: m Type in the editor window. m Choose from menus to automatically enter commands and names of items in your project. 3 Click OK or close the script editor to format the script.
Assigning Scripts Once you create a script, you can assign it as the action for a button, track, menu, marker, story, slideshow, or remote control key. To assign a script: 1 Create the script. 2 Select the item to which you want to assign the script. 3 In the Property Inspector, choose the script from the appropriate pop-up menu. You can assign scripts to control the following types of actions: m A pre-script runs before its assigned item is displayed.
Assigning Global Variables for Scripts You can create and name up to eight global variables (also called GPRMs) for scripts. The variables store data used by scripts. To create a variable, you use it in a script or name it in the Property Inspector. The variables are stored as properties of the disc. DVD players reset the content of all variables whenever the viewer uses the Time Search or Time Play functions of the remote control.
Viewing Script Properties To view or change information about a script: 1 Select a script. 2 In the Property Inspector, make the changes you want. The DVD-Video standard limits the number of commands in a script to 128. One line of a script is roughly equivalent to one command. The Commands Used and Commands Free values give an indication of the size of the script.
Limitations of Variables and Registers m DVD-Video players don’t support recursion or local variables. m Registers have no overflow or underflow flags. m If the script tries to store a value smaller than 0 or larger than 65535, no error message is given; instead, the value “wraps around.” For example, if you subtract 7 from 3, you would normally get –4. But if you do this in a script, 65532 will be stored. If you add 6 to 65534 in a script, 4 is stored instead of 65540.
Labels Any line in a script can have a label associated with it. You can jump to a label with the gotoLabel command. A label must begin with a letter. Example label: A= 5 Comments A line with a # sign at the beginning is not executed. You can use these lines to write notes about the script or to disable certain lines of the script. Example # This is a comment. Functions and Commands Operators Assignment Assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left.
Subtraction Subtracts the value on the right from the variable on the left. Syntax variable -= [variable|constant] Examples A -= B A -= 3 Multiplication Multiplies the variable on the left by the value on the right; stores the result in the variable on the left. Syntax variable *= [variable|constant] Examples A *= B A *= 8 Division Divides the variable on the left by the value on the right; stores the result in the variable on the left. The result is truncated to an integer.
Bit-wise And Does a “bit-wise and” operation with the two operands. Syntax variable &= [variable|constant] Examples A &= B A &= 6532 Bit-wise Or Does a “bit-wise or” operation with the two operands. Syntax variable |= [variable|constant] Examples A |= B A |= 456 Bit-wise Exclusive Or Does a “bit-wise exclusive or” operation with the two operands. Syntax variable ^= [variable|constant] Examples A ^= B A ^= 21 Random Number Generates a random number between 1 and the value on the right.
getSubtitleStream() Yields the current subtitle stream number (between 1 and 32). Syntax variable = getSubtitleStream() Example A = getSubtitleStream() getRegionCode() Yields the region code of the player. This is a binary value. Bit 0 means region 1, bit 1 means region 2, and so on.
Procedures setAudioStream Sets the number of the audio stream to be played. Syntax setAudioStream [constant] Example setAudioStream 5 setSubtitleStream Sets the number of the subtitle stream to be displayed. Syntax setSubtitleStream [constant] Example setSubtitleStream 19 Commands nop This command does nothing. It serves as a placeholder. Syntax nop Example if A == 5 then nop stop This command is equivalent to clicking the Stop key on the remote control.
gotoLabel This command jumps to another position in the script. Syntax gotoLabel [label] Example gotoLabel here_next return This command returns from a menu to the player’s position before the jump to the menu. (The player continues playing the track as if nothing happened.) Syntax return Example return play This command plays an object. Objects are tracks, markers, menus, buttons, and scripts. 108 Chapter 5 play Track Plays the track from the start.
Control Structures if then Syntax if variable [operator] [variable|constant] then [assignment|procedure|command] The “if ” clause enables comparisons and the execution of commands based on the result of comparisons. Several operators are available for the if clause: Equal This operator compares the values on both sides of the operator and executes the “then” condition if they are equal.
Using NVRAM in DVD Studio Pro DVD Studio Pro supports the Philips Professional DVD Player 170. This player has NVRAM, or non-volatile memory, which means variables remain stored when the player is turned off. To use the NVRAM feature with DVD Studio Pro, the player must have firmware version 9.25 or later installed. Upgrade information is available from Philips. The NVRAM has 256 addresses from 0 to 255. Every address has a size of 16 bits.
pokeAll This command stores the values of all global variables (by default, these variables are named A through H; you can change the name in the disc properties) in the NVRAM. A is stored in the address specified, B is stored in the next address, and so on. Syntax pokeAll [address] Example pokeAll 33 peek This command retrieves the value from the NVRAM address specified and writes it to the corresponding global variable.
Determining Whether NVRAM Is Available You can use this simple test procedure to find out whether NVRAM is active. Script 1 writes the value 5 into the NVRAM at address 33. Script 2 sets variable A to 0 and then reads the value in address 33 and stores it in variable A. If the value remains at 0, then NVRAM is not available. 1 Create two simple menu graphics and name them NVRAM installed and NVRAM not installed.
C H A P T E R 6 6 Previewing, Testing, and Building Your DVD As you create your DVD you may find it useful to check your work. DVD Studio Pro includes technology that lets you see, hear, and interact with your DVD project before you spend time building it. A debugging feature helps you locate any linking mistakes. DVD Studio Pro uses a special real-time multiplexing technique that makes it possible to preview without waiting for the project to be multiplexed.
Using Preview Mode 1 Select an item. You can select the disc, a track, angle, marker, story, menu, audio stream, video stream, or slideshow. Selecting the disc previews its startup behavior. 2 Choose Preview from the Item menu, or click the Preview button in the Graphical View. Other windows close, the Preview window opens, and you see or hear the selected item.
4 To rotate through alternate audio streams, subtitle streams, or angle streams, click the Audio, Subtitle, or Angle key in the lower-right portion of the remote control. 5 When you’re finished, click the Stop key on the remote control or press the Esc key on the keyboard. Limitations of Preview Mode m Depending on the speed of your processor, you may be able to preview only a limited number of angles in Preview Mode. To see all angles, you may need to build the disc.
Debugging You can use the DVD Studio Pro debugging feature to locate linking mistakes. Debugging in Preview Mode To view debugging information while you are previewing: m Click the button shown below (in the upper-right corner of the Preview window).
If you are authoring a disc for use on a Philips Professional DVD Player and you turn on Use NVRAM in the Preferences dialog box, the debugging window also shows the values assigned to its registers and buttons that allow you to clear, load, and save the contents of the registers. By paying attention to this information while stepping through your project with the remote control, you can find errors in your action assignments, button links, and scripts.
Using Built-in Error Checking Error-Checking When Adding Assets When you import or add assets to a project, DVD Studio Pro checks whether they are valid. If you try to import a video stream with an inappropriate frame rate or an audio stream with an incorrect frequency, the Log window displays an error message. DVD Studio Pro keeps track of which items on your DVD are not complete. Incomplete items appear in italics. To see what’s missing, select the item and view it in the Property Inspector.
To open the Asset Files window: m Choose Asset Files from the Item menu. To locate a file assigned to an asset: m Select an asset and click the Locate button. Locate and select the file in the dialog box that appears. If you select a file in a folder that contains other missing asset files, you can reassign the other assets in that folder as well. To assign a new file to an asset: m Select an asset and click Assign, then assign a new file in the dialog box that appears.
Using the Log Window The Log window displays useful information about the workings of DVD Studio Pro, including m status messages m copy-protection details m disc build errors: If an error occurs while you’re building your disc, the Log window opens. For more information about error messages, see “Solving Multiplexing Problems” on page 122. m asset import errors: If you try to import assets with invalid formats, the Log window explains the error.
Building Your Project When you’re finished putting together and testing your project, it’s time to build it. Building combines the files in a process called multiplexing. The finished product is a folder called VIDEO_TS containing all the information needed to write a DVD. To build your project: 1 Choose Build Disc from the File menu. If the command is not available, there are missing or incorrect settings in your project. Items with incomplete settings appear in italics in the Project View.
Tracking the Multiplexing Process As the disc is built, the Progress window displays the name and bit rate of the track being processed and the current multiplexing speed. To display the memory available to DVD Studio Pro and the memory currently being used: m Press the Caps Lock key on the keyboard. The Log window also displays a status message when the disc has been successfully built, such as “Disc complies to DVD Video standard 1.0 or 1.1.” This final confirmation depends on the audio formats used.
Bad encoded video Multiplexing stops. This message means the encoding did not work properly—frames inside a GOP may be missing, too long, or too short; the temporal reference that defines the order of the I, P, and B frames in a GOP may be incorrect. To solve this problem, re-encode the MPEG stream. Creating Your Disc After multiplexing is finished, you can create an image file or copy your project onto a disc or DLT tape.
5 If you choose Record To Device, select the device from the list and make settings for the device. If a device appears not to be ready, check that it’s connected properly and has power. m DVD recorder: Select a DVD recorder from the list and insert a recordable DVD-R. m DLT tape drive: Select a DLT device from the list. Choose the format that works with your replicator. (DDP 2.0 is an old mastering format. CMF is the new standard as of April 1999.) Insert a tape.
A P P E N D I X A A Using A.Pack to Encode AC-3 Sound What Is A.Pack? Apple A.Pack is software for encoding audio in the Dolby Digital format (also known as AC-3). Dolby Digital is the preferred audio format for DVD-Video discs. A.Pack accepts your multi-channel sound files in a variety of formats and gives you complete control over the encoding process. Using A.Pack you can monitor your AC-3 files as a stereo downmix using your computer’s sound system. A.
Step 1: Recording Sound As with any audio track, the first step is finding and recording the sound that you want. Keep your end result in mind. If you want to position particular sounds in the surround sound environment, you should record them separately. Step 2: Mixing Sound The second step is mixing the audio. You need a separate audio file for each channel. If you want to create Dolby Digital 5.
Your sound files must also conform to the following rules: m All source files should be the same length (if not, A.Pack sets the length of the AC-3 stream to match the length of the longest file). m All files must have the same sample rate—for DVD, 48 kHz (although A.Pack also supports 32 and 44.1 kHz). m AC-3 streams must have a multiple of 1536 samples. If the selected input files do not, A.Pack adds digital silence to the end of the files. If you label your files with the suffixes listed below, A.
Opening A.Pack Before you can use A.Pack you need to install, register, and supply the serial number for DVD Studio Pro. Converting to AC-3 Format Using the Instant Encoder When you first open A.Pack, the Instant Encoder appears. ( You can specify what happens when you open A.Pack using the Preferences command in the Edit menu.) You use the Instant Encoder to encode one AC-3 stream at a time. To encode multiple streams, see “Converting to AC-3 Format in Batches” beginning on page 129.
The name of the file appears on the input channel button. 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all input channels are assigned. 4 If you want to specify encoding settings, click the expansion triangle in the upper-right corner of the Instant Encoder. For information about settings, see “Specifying Encoding Settings” beginning on page 131. 5 Click Encode. 6 Specify a name and location for the file.
If you label your files with the suffixes listed here, A.Pack automatically assigns each file to the correct surround position when you drag multiple files to the Instant Encoder: m .L (left front) m .R (right front) m .C (center front) m .Ls (left rear) m .Rs (right rear) m .LFE or .SUB (subwoofer) 3 If you assign any source files with multiple channels, use the pop-up menu to select the channels you want. 4 Click Set Output and specify a name for the AC-3 stream (for this job only).
To export settings of a job in a batch: m Select a job and choose Export Settings from the File menu. When you create a new job for encoding or change the settings for a job, a red checkmark appears to the right of the Set Output button. When encoding is finished, the checkmark disappears. To manually flag or unflag a job, do one of the following: m Click the flag column. (To change all jobs in the list, hold down the Option key and click.) Click the flag column to flag or unflag a job.
Audio Settings m Target System: A.Pack limits available settings to those appropriate for the target system. If you’re encoding for use with DVD Studio Pro, choose DVD-Video. m Audio Coding Mode: Specifies audio channels of the encoded stream. For example, “3/1 (L, C, R, S)” means three front channels (left, center, right), and one rear channel (surround). Affects settings such as the available bandwidth and surround channel preprocessing.
m Peak Mixing Level: Specifies peak sound pressure level (SPL) (between 80 dB and 111 dB) in the production environment when this mix was mastered. m Room Type: Specifies information about the mixing studio. Preprocessing Settings Preprocessing options are applied to the audio data before encoding. Leave them at their default values unless you have a specific technical reason for changing them. m Compression Preset: Specifies one of the dynamic range processing modes built into AC-3.
Using A.Pack for Playback and Decoding Once your job has been encoded, you can use the AC-3 Monitor to listen to the completed AC-3 stream. Setting Up Stereo Playback You can use the Mac OS Sound Manager to listen to an AC-3 stream in stereo. A.Pack automatically downmixes the file to stereo. To set up stereo playback: 1 Choose Preferences from the Edit menu. 2 Choose Sound Manager in the Output System pop-up menu.
6 Click Options to open the ASIO Setup window. 7 Choose the settings for your ASIO system. The settings vary depending on the system you have installed. See the documentation that came with your sound system for further details. ASIO Compatibility Notes m A.Pack allocates surround sound channels to a driver’s output channels in the following order: Left, Right, Center, LFE (subwoofer), Left Surround, Right Surround.
Playing an AC-3 Stream To play an AC-3 stream within A.Pack through your currently selected output system: 1 Select a file to play by doing one of the following: m Click the Select button and choose a file from the dialog box that appears. m Double-click an AC-3 stream. m Drag an AC-3 stream to the AC-3 Monitor. The AC-3 Monitor opens. Hold down the Option key and click the Play/Stop button to rewind the track to the beginning. 2 Click the Play button in the Player area.
Getting Information To get information about a stream: 1 Open the stream in the AC-3 Monitor. 2 Click the Get Info button. To get information about operations, results, and errors: You use the Log window to see information about operations, results, and errors that occur while using A.Pack. To open the Log window: m Choose Log Window from the Window menu. Using A.
Options for Spatial Mixing This section offers some additional insights and suggestions for using the channels in a Dolby Digital program. Using the Center Channel In a multi-channel system, there are three ways to achieve a centrally placed sound image. Each approach offers advantages and drawbacks. m Create a phantom center (mix sound to the left and right equally, as with stereo).
Because LFE is separate from other channels, its ability to blend with higher frequencies can be affected by filters used to generate the LFE signal. To ensure a cohesive audio signal, keep the entire signal together in the main channel or channels. Avoid creating an LFE channel for material originally produced without one. Dolby Digital’s five main channels are all full-range, and the LFE channel does not extend frequency response.
A P P E N D I X B B More About DVD Philips and Sony defined the first CD format with the Red Book in 1980. Sixteen years later, a new standard was launched, which promises to have an even more significant impact—DVD. DVD’s popularity is based primarily on its superior sound and picture quality, but also on its ability to deliver a richer entertainment experience. New DVD-based technologies promise to deliver previously unheard-of performance and value in areas such as interactivity, storage, and more.
The basic bit rate of a DVD is 1200 kilobits per second (Kbps), 8 times that of a 1x CD-ROM at 150 Kbps. A single-sided, single-layered DVD has a maximum storage capacity of 66.8 minutes. A typical 2x DVD-ROM drive performs at levels comparable to the fastest standard CD drives. DVD speed Bit rate (Kbps) CD speed 1x 1200 8x 2x 2450 16x A DVD has the same physical dimensions as a CD, but unlike a CD it has two sides—two 0.6 mm thick discs glued together back-to-back.
Physical Formats There are four physical DVD formats: Physical format ss/sl ss/dl ds/sl ds/dl Conceptually similar to DVD-ROM x x x x CD-ROM DVD-R x – – – CD-R DVD-RW x – – – CD-RW Can be rewritten a number of times DVD-RAM – – x – PD Caddy; 2 sides at 2.6 GB and 4.7 GB Comment Logical Formats DVD-ROM Contains a UDF file system with any type of data. No multi-session ability intended.
Video in DVD-Video The DVD standard supports video material encoded in either MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format. MPEG-2 video can be displayed on a full, wide, or 16:9 screen. MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) is a group that came together in 1980 under the auspices of the International Standards Organization (ISO) to define a standard for the compression of digital video and audio data. The format it developed is based on the H.
The MPEG standard for video defines three frame types: I-, P- and B-Frames. Each is compressed in a different way. Specific sequences of these frame types make up a Group of Pictures (GOP). The result of stringing together GOPs is an MPEG video stream. Playback of an MPEG video stream can only start from the beginning of a GOP. I-Frames (Intra Frames) I-Frames are encoded independently of other frames. They are equivalent to key frames in other video compression processes.
Thus a DVD must use PCM or AC-3 audio to be playable worldwide. Linear PCM Dolby AC-3 MPEG-1 audio MPEG-2 audio DTS SDDS Sample frequency (kHz) 48/96 32/44.1/48 48 48 48 48 Resolution (bits) 16/20/24 compr. compr. compr. compr. compr. Maximum bit rate (bps) 6144 448 384 912 1536 1280 Maximum number of channels 8 5.11 2 7.11 5.11 7.11 1 “.1” describes the additional subwoofer channel, which usually has a smaller bandwidth than the other channels.
MPEG Audio MPEG audio is a compression scheme providing up to 8 channels of sound. The two additional channels are called Left-Center and Right-Center and are used in the 7.1 channel configuration. Possible channel combinations are 1/0, 2/0, 2/1, 2/2, 3/0, 3/1, 3/2, and 5/2. The subwoofer is optional in each case. The difference between MPEG audio and AC-3 lies in the encoding algorithm; the sound quality results are similar.
DVD-Audio Compatibility DVD-Audio players can access the audio data of a DVD-Video. You can create a DVD-Video that is also compatible with DVD-Audio players. Subtitles in DVD-Video DVD-Video supports up to 32 subtitle streams per video track. This feature is used primarily for displaying the text of the movie in alternate languages, or for closed captioning for the hearing impaired. Subtitles can be created in any color or font.
Navigation on a DVD-Video The viewer navigates through a DVD-Video with a remote control. According to the standard, the remote control must provide certain basic functions: Basic functions of a DVD remote control The user can stop (pause) the video at any time and call up menus to change the current selection. Menus can also lead directly to specific chapters, to an index, and so on. There are two distinct types of menus on a DVD-Video: system menus and in-title menus.
In-Title Menus These are “soft” menus that the content creator can define within the DVD-Video. Since there are no dedicated keys on the remote to access these menus, the author must provide links or other ways to display them. Buttons Menus consist of a still frame or a video that contains buttons (using subtitle graphics). Every menu button has three states: normal, selected, and activated. There is always one button selected on a menu. The viewer uses the arrow keys to select a different button.
The DVD copyright protection technology has three parts: Region Code: The world is divided into eight regions. The producers of a DVD determine which parts of their DVD can be played in which parts of the world. Each disc or portion thereof is marked to indicate where it should be playable. Each DVD player also has a region code. If a disc’s region code doesn’t match that of the player, the disc won’t play.
Specifications for DVD Compliance This section gives the detailed specifications that each type of source file must meet to be DVD-compliant and usable in DVD Studio Pro. All MPEG streams must be elementary. No transport, program, or system streams are accepted. Video MPEG-1 The MPEG-1 encoding has to be ISO 11172-2 compliant. The maximum bit rate of the MPEG-1 video is 1856000 bps.
Audio PCM The audio data has to be stored in one of the following file formats: AIFF, WAVE, or SoundDesigner II.
Setting Value Dematrix procedure Always 3 Number of multi-lingual channels Always 0 mc_prediction_on Always 0 Number of bits reserved for Always 16 dynamic_range_control In ancillary data m MPEG-1 Mono: 64–192 Kbps, CBR or VBR (bit_rate_index always ≠ 0) m MPEG-1 Stereo: 64–384 Kbps, CBR or VBR (bit_rate_index always ≠ 0) m MPEG-2: For the main stream, apply the same restrictions as for MPEG-1. The extension stream may have a bit rate of up to 528 Kbps.
About Macrovision Copy-Protection Macrovision DVD copy-protection, also known as the Analog Protection System (APS), thwarts attempts to copy DVD programming onto videotape. Used on the majority of DVD-Video discs currently being produced, the technology degrades unauthorized copies made on consumer VCRs. Almost all Hollywood studios, as well as many special interest and corporate rights owners, are using the technology to protect their content from unauthorized copying.
Index # (number sign) 103 $ (dollar sign) 102 % (percent sign) 102 = (equal sign) 102 [] (square brackets) 102 4:3 aspect ratio 58 16:9 aspect ratio 58, 65 A A.
ASIO drivers 134, 135 ASIO playback hardware 134–135 ASIO Setup window 135 aspect ratio 4:3 aspect ratio 58 16:9 aspect ratio 58, 65 audio/video capture 58 constraints and 152 settings for 80 asset files 118–119 Asset Files window 83118–119 Asset Matrix 83, 84 assets adding by dragging 20 adding with Import command 19 assigning to menus 84 assigning to tracks 84 described 17 displaying in Asset Matrix 84 error-checking 118 files assigned to 119 import errors 120 importing 19–20 jumping to asset containers 7
described 17 highlight colors 34–35 highlight shapes 47, 64 interactive markers 65 linking to tracks 40 links to 81 on menus 64, 150 naming 30 previewing 31 states 30–31, 64 tips for 64 on tracks 45 C capturing audio 58 capturing video 58 CD technology 141–142 center channel 138 channels AC-3 streams and 128–129 audio settings 132 center channel 138 creating files for 126 Dolby Digital programs 138–139 driver output channels 135 full bandwidth channels 133 LFE channel 138–139 subwoofer signal and 138–139 s
Contents Scrambling System (CSS) 80, 151 control structures 109 Copy Generation Management System.
configurations for 142 creation process 12–13 formats for 143 hybrid DVDs 143, 150 incomplete items on 118 types of 142 DVD Studio Pro authoring with 13 described 9 getting started with 9–13 information on 14 installing 11 preferences for 68 starting program 16 system requirements 10 tutorial 15–55 workspace 18 DVD Studio Pro Help 14 DVD technology 141–154 benefits of 141 copy-protection 150–151 history of 141 region coding 150–151 specifications 141152–154 vs.
Format Disc window 123 formats AC-3 62125–131 audio 153–154 audio streams 62 DVD 143 DVD audio 143145–148 MPEG 59–62 PCM 62 PICT 65 psd 63 TV 63 video 58 “Found VOBU” error 122 4:3 aspect ratio 58 frame rate 58 frames 58, 145 functions 102103–111 slideshows 65 still menus 63 subtitles 148 tips for menus 63–64 Group of Pictures (GOP) 59, 62, 145 G “if ” clause 109 IFO files 150 I-Frames (intra frames) 145 images See also graphics anamorphic transfer 58 overlay images 47 thumbnail images 72, 73 Import comm
ISO (International Standards Organization) 144 items adding to containers 74 assigning 75 assigning scripts to 99 copying properties to 78 deleting 118 descriptions 120 displaying properties 74 importing 95 incomplete items 118, 121 linking 39–40, 72, 75 opening editor for 82 pasting properties to 78 previewing 114–115 reordering 74 viewing properties 21, 78 working with 74 item tiles 73 J Joint Photographic Experts Group ( JPEG) 144 JPEG ( Joint Photographic Experts Group) 144 Jump Action property 81 jump
M Macrovision copy-protection 151, ??–154155 manual, contents of 14 margins, subtitles 92 marker editor 36 markers actions for 82 adding 35–36 adding buttons to 45–46 described 17 interactive markers 65 jumping to 36 navigating through movies with 93 playing tracks from 108 previewing 37 Markers menu 93 Marker window 93 Matrix Views 7183–86 memory displaying 122 NVRAM 17110–112 system requirements for 10 menu 82 menu editor adding Web links 49 creating still menus 27 Menu key 70 menus action 39 action menu
MPEG-2 video format 144 MPEG audio format 62, 145, 147 MPEG encoders 10, 12, 59 MPEG Export feature 59–61 MPEG format 59–62 multi-angle tracks 24–26, 62, 68 multi-angle video 62 multiplexed files 13 multiplexed MPEG streams 59 multiplexing described 113, 121 increasing speed of 68 options for 68 performance 10 real-time multiplexing 113 solving problems 122–123 tracking process 122–123 multiplication operator 104 numbers, entering in scripts 102 number sign (#) 103 NVRAM 110–112 debugging and 117 retrievin
size of 63 slides and 65 still menus and 63–64 Photoshop Layer method 30 Photoshop program 10 physical DVD formats 143 PICT format 65 Picture property 81 Pictures area, Property Inspector 88 pixels 115 playback A.
scripts 101 text 77 viewing 21, 22, 78 Property Inspector assigning properties 81–82 button appearance 30–31 button highlighting colors 34 changing properties 21 choosing scripts 99 described 71 displaying item properties 74 illustrated 18 overlays 47 setting disc properties 69–80 using 76–82 viewing global script variables 100 viewing incomplete items 118, 121 viewing properties 21, 22 viewing scripts 101 psd (Photoshop) format 63 pulse code modulation.
described 17 disabling lines of 103 entering 98 exiting 107 finding errors in 117 global variables for 100 jumping to another position in 108 labels in 103 maximum number of commands in 101 numbers in 102 properties 101 size of 101 specifying 81 uses for 97 viewing 101 writing 51–52 Script window 98 SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) 147 segments 59 Selection Condition property 82 serial number DVD Studio Pro software 11 QuickTime Pro software 11 Set In Point command 94 Set Out Point command 94 setSubtitleSt
multiplexed MPEG streams 59 subtitle streams 95 video “elementary” streams 59 sub-pictures 148 Subtitle Editor (STE) 989–96 Subtitle key 70 subtitle menus 149 subtitles 89–96 adding 48 allowing viewers to choose 70 appearance of 92 changing duration 94 changing location 94 color in 93 compiling streams 95 creating 93, 95 DVD-Video 148 importing 95 interactive markers and 45, 48, 65 linking 94 locking position 94 margins for 92 preferences 90 preparing 66, 89 previewing 25 rendering options 92 selecting mult
U W, X, Y, Z UDF (Universal Disk Format) 142 UDF file system 143 Universal Disk Format (UDF) 142 unlocking subtitles 94 Use @ccess option 68 Use Buttons Of property 47 WAVE format 62, 126, 153 Web browsers 68 Web links adding to projects 48–50 opening with Web browser 68 Web sites Apple DVD Studio Pro 14 Digital Theatre System 147 Dolby Digital 139 Windows menu 91 workspace 18 V variable bit rate ( VBR) 59, 144 Variable Names area, Property Inspector 80 variables conventions 102 creating 100 global var