Apple DVD Studio Pro 4 User manual

DVD Studio Pro 4

User Manual

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Apple

1 Infinite Loop

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Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Cinema Display,

DVD Studio Pro, Exposé, Final Cut, Final Cut Pro,

Final Cut Studio, FireWire, GarageBand, iDVD, iMovie,

iPhoto, iTunes, Keynote, LiveType, Logic, Mac, Macintosh,

Mac OS, Panther, PowerBook, QuickTime, Soundtrack,

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trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the U.S.

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regard to the performance or use of these products.

Welcome to DVD Studio Pro11Preface

About DVD Studio Pro11

About DVD Studio Pro Documentation11

Additional Resources11

Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro13Chapter 1

Moving from iDVD to DVD Studio Pro13

About Standard and High Definition DVDs14

About DVD Studio Pro and HD Resolution DVDs15

HD Video Assets17

Brief Overview of the DVD Creation Process19

What Makes a DVD Authoring System?25

Hard Disk Storage25

SCSI Devices25

DVD Burners26

DLT Drives29

External Video and Audio Monitoring29

Audio and Video Assets31

Planning Your Project33Chapter 2

Investigating Existing DVDs33

Determining Your Target Audience and Playback Device34

Deciding Which DVD Standard to Use34

Deciding Which Video Standard to Use35

Deciding What Content to Include35

Creating a Storyboard35

Designing the Menus and Buttons37

Making Sure Your Content Will Fit37

General DVD Limitations42

How Do You Do That?45Chapter 3

Creating a Simple DVD45

Creating a Play One or Play All Project47

Grabbing a Still Image from Your Movie50

3

Contents

Adding Easter Eggs to Your Menus51

Preparing Video Assets53Chapter 4

Introduction to Preparing Video Sources53

NTSC or PAL?54

Using 24 fps Video55

Choosing an Aspect Ratio56

About MPEG Video60

Encoding Video Materials for DVD61

Using the Integrated MPEG Encoder68

Encoding Video for Multi-Angle Tracks74

Adding Markers to Your Video76

About H.264 Video80

About HDV Video81

DVD Video Source Settings Summary82

Preparing Audio Assets87Chapter 5

Introduction to Preparing Audio Sources87

Audio Formats Not Supported by the DVD Specification88

Audio Formats Supported by the DVD Specification and DVD Studio Pro88

Using Multiple Audio Formats in Your Project91

Required Audio Formats for SD Projects91

DVD Audio Source Settings Summary92

Preparing Menu Assets95Chapter 6

Introduction to Preparing Menu Sources95

What Is a Menu?96

Creating a Menu96

Creating Graphics to Use in Menus97

Creating Overlays101

Creating a Layered Menu106

Creating Video for Motion Menus106

Defining the Menu Loop Point107

Creating Shapes108

Creating Graphics for Drop Zones and Buttons112

Preparing Slideshow Assets113Chapter 7

Slideshow File Formats113

Aspect Ratio and Resolution114

Colors114

Audio114

Preparing Alpha Transitions115Chapter 8

Introduction to Preparing Alpha Transitions115

4 Contents

Transition Asset Folder116

Asset Movie117

Asset Matte Movie118

Background Matte Movie119

About Alpha Transition Durations119

About NTSC and PAL Alpha Transitions120

Starting a Project121Chapter 9

Opening DVD Studio Pro121

Setting DVD Studio Pro Preferences124

Creating a New Project138

Opening an Existing Project143

Video Standards of the World145

Changing a Project’s Video Standard145

Changing a Project’s DVD Standard146

The DVD Studio Pro Interface149Chapter 10

Introduction to the DVD Studio Pro Interface150

Configuring the Interface152

Working with the Quadrants154

Working with the Tabs157

Overview of the Quadrant Tabs161

Inspector167

Palette168

Toolbar174

Drop Palette177

Comparing the Outline and Graphical Project Views177

Using the Outline Tab178

Using the Graphical Tab180

Managing Elements Using the Outline and Graphical Tabs190

Importing and Managing Assets195Chapter 11

How DVD Studio Pro Manages Assets195

About the Assets Tab201

Importing Assets207

Removing Selected Assets213

Renaming Assets213

Refreshing Still and QuickTime Assets214

Opening Assets in Their Editor216

Identifying an Asset216

Previewing Assets216

Asset Inspector218

5Contents

Introduction to Creating Menus219Chapter 12

About Menus219

About the Menu Editor224

Starting and Working with a Menu231

Creating Menus Using the Standard Method241Chapter 13

About Standard Menus242

Choosing the Menu’s Background243

Choosing the Menu’s Overlay246

Understanding Color Mapping248

Configuring the Menu Inspector for Standard Menus256

Adding Buttons to Your Menu265

Configuring Button Navigation281

Adding Drop Zones to Your Menu285

Working with Assets in Buttons and Drop Zones288

Adding Text Objects to a Menu288

Adding Audio to a Menu291

Configuring the Menu’s Drop Shadow Settings292

Configuring Motion Menu Settings293

Options in the Drop Palette for Standard Menus296

Drop Palette for Standard Menus—Dragging Assets296

Drop Palette for Standard Menus—Dragging Project Elements304

Drop Palette for Standard Menus—Dragging Templates and Styles309

Using Templates, Styles, and Shapes to Create Your Menus313Chapter 14

Introduction to Templates, Styles, and Shapes313

What Are Templates and Styles?314

Templates and Styles in the Palette316

Applying a Template or Style321

Setting Default Styles323

Creating a Template or Style324

Importing Templates and Styles326

Deleting Templates and Styles327

Managing Shapes329

Creating Menus Using the Layered Method335Chapter 15

About Layered Menus335

Choosing the Menu’s Background336

Choosing the Menu’s Overlay338

About the Menu Inspector for Layered Menus338

Adding Buttons to Your Layered Menu343

About Layered Menu Button Properties344

6 Contents

Options in the Drop Palette for Layered Menus348

Drop Palette for Layered Menus—Dragging Assets349

Drop Palette for Layered Menus—Dragging Project Elements353

Using Advanced Menu Features357Chapter 16

Adding Intro and Transition Clips to Menus357

Using Languages with Menus364

Creating and Editing Tracks369Chapter 17

About Track Limits in a DVD370

Working with a Track’s Assets370

How Many Tracks Should You Have?371

About Subtitle Streams371

DVD Studio Pro Tools for Working with Tracks371

Creating Tracks372

Opening Tracks373

Setting Track Properties373

About the Track Editor377

Configuring the Track Editor377

Understanding Time Information in the Track Editor380

Supported Asset Types384

Adding Video and Audio Assets386

Editing Video and Audio Clips390

Setting Stream Properties392

Exporting an MPEG Clip393

Working with Markers393

About Marker Placement394

Creating and Editing Markers395

Adding Markers to a Track Without a Video Clip Assigned397

Importing Markers from an Editor397

Importing Markers from a Text List399

About the Marker Types399

Setting Marker Properties401

Introduction to Stories403

Creating a Story for a Track404

Using the Story Editor404

Setting Story Properties405

Setting Story Entry Properties407

Simulating a Story407

Adding Alternate Video Streams408

Using Still Clip Transitions410

Viewing a Track413

7Contents

Creating Slideshows417Chapter 18

Introduction to Slideshows417

Want Your Slideshows to Do More?418

File Formats for Slideshows418

Adding a Slideshow to Your Project419

Creating a Slideshow Using the Menu Editor420

Working with Slides in a Slideshow421

Adding Audio to Your Slideshow424

Working with Slideshows427

Setting Slideshow Properties437

Setting Slide Properties440

Previewing a Slideshow441

Simulating a Slideshow442

Creating Subtitles443Chapter 19

Introduction to Subtitles443

Importing Older DVD Studio Pro Subtitles445

Subtitles and Overlays445

About Subtitles and Closed Captions445

Subtitle Stream Basics446

Subtitle Inspector448

What Happens with Different Aspect Ratios?454

Viewing Subtitles455

Creating Subtitles with DVD Studio Pro457

Importing Graphics Files for Subtitles463

Creating and Importing Subtitle Files464

Importing a Subtitle File465

Creating an STL Format Subtitle File467

Creating Buttons over Video471

Configuring a Button over Video Subtitle Clip473

Creating Scripts477Chapter 20

Introduction to Scripts477

Pre-Scripts478

Scripting Overview479

The Scripting User Interface480

About the Script Tab481

About the Script Inspector484

About the Script Command Inspector485

Creating and Testing Scripts486

Script Command Details489

System Parameter Register Memories List499

8 Contents

System Parameter Register Memories Details500

Using Bit-Wise Operations511

General Purpose Register Memories512

Scripting Examples517

Language Code Table525

Establishing Connections531Chapter 21

About Connections531

Connections Tab532

Connection Items533

Making Connections537

Connection Details540

Source Details540

Target Details547

Finishing a Project549Chapter 22

About the Final Steps of DVD Creation549

Should You Burn, Build, Format, or Build and Format?550

Options for Testing Your Project552

Simulating Your Project552

Setting Disc Properties559

Building Your Project566

Emulating Your Project Using DVD Player575

Setting Disc Format Properties577

About DVD-ROM Discs577

About Dual-Layer Discs580

About Two-Sided Discs584

Formatting Your Project584

Reading a DLT Drive590

Using Advanced Features591Chapter 23

VTS Editor591

DVD@CCESS598

User Operations602

Display Condition607

Remote Control Settings612

Line 21 Settings for Closed Captions614

Keyboard Shortcuts617Appendix A

General Interface and Application Controls618

General Project Controls619

Adding Project Elements620

Scrolling Through Lists621

9Contents

Assets Tab622

Connections Tab622

Graphical Tab623

Log Tab624

Menu Tab (Menu Editor)624

Outline Tab626

Palette627

Script Tab (Script Editor)627

Simulator627

Slideshow Tab (Slideshow Editor)628

Story Tab (Story Editor)628

Subtitle Editor628

Track Tab (Track Editor)629

Viewer Tab631

Importing Other Projects633Appendix B

Importing DVD Studio Pro 2 and DVD Studio Pro 3 Projects into DVD Studio Pro 4633

Calculating Disc Space Requirements635Appendix C

Calculating a Project’s Disc Space Requirements635

Using the Calculated Bit Rate640

Transition Parameters641Appendix D

Transition Duration641

Video Transition641

Alpha Transitions642

Standard Transitions642

647Glossary

10 Contents

DVD Studio Pro is software for authoring DVD-Video titles. It is both powerful and easy

to use.

This preface covers the following:

• About DVD Studio Pro (p. 11)

• About DVD Studio Pro Documentation (p. 11)

• Additional Resources (p. 11)

About DVD Studio Pro

DVD Studio Pro lets you work with audio, video, graphics, and text materials that you

have already created and edited and orchestrate them into a DVD that can be played on

a DVD player or a suitably equipped computer.

If you have used such production tools as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Media 100,

or Discreet cleaner, DVD Studio Pro will be easy for you to learn. You can use

DVD Studio Pro for everything from constructing sophisticated training materials, corporate

presentations, sales tools with web links, or high-quality event videos, to preparing a

motion picture for release on DVD.

About DVD Studio Pro Documentation

DVD Studio Pro comes with documentation that will help you get started as well as

provide detailed information about the application.

• DVD Studio Pro User Manual: This is a comprehensive document that describes the

DVD Studio Pro interface, commands, and menus, and gives step-by-step instructions

for creating DVD Studio Pro projects and for accomplishing specific tasks. It is written

for users of all levels of experience.

Additional Resources

Along with the documentation that comes with DVD Studio Pro, there are a variety of

other resources you can use to find out more about the application.

11

Welcome to DVD Studio Pro

Preface

DVD Studio Pro Website

For general information and updates, as well as the latest news on DVD Studio Pro, go

to:

• http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/dvdstudiopro

Apple Service and Support Websites

For software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions for all Apple

products, go to the general Apple Support web page. You’ll also have access to product

specifications, reference documentation, and Apple and third-party product technical

articles.

• http://www.apple.com/support

For software updates, documentation, discussion forums, and answers to the most

frequently asked questions for DVD Studio Pro, go to:

• http://www.apple.com/support/dvdstudiopro

For discussions forums for all Apple products from around the world, where you can

search for an answer, post your question, or answer other users’ questions, go to:

• http://discussions.apple.com

12 Preface Welcome to DVD Studio Pro

DVD Studio Pro plays a key part in delivering your video projects to your viewers. This

chapter covers many of the basics you need to know about to author and burn successful

DVDs.

This chapter covers the following:

• Moving from iDVD to DVD Studio Pro (p. 13)

• About Standard and High Definition DVDs (p. 14)

• About DVD Studio Pro and HD Resolution DVDs (p. 15)

• HD Video Assets (p. 17)

• Brief Overview of the DVD Creation Process (p. 19)

• What Makes a DVD Authoring System? (p. 25)

• Hard Disk Storage (p. 25)

• SCSI Devices (p. 25)

• DVD Burners (p. 26)

• DLT Drives (p. 29)

• External Video and Audio Monitoring (p. 29)

• Audio and Video Assets (p. 31)

Moving from iDVD to DVD Studio Pro

The Apple entry-level DVD authoring application is iDVD. It allows you to create simple

DVD-Video titles with some of the most popular features found in Hollywood-style releases,

without having to know any technical details about the process. The interface and feature

set are configured to make the process nearly foolproof.

Eventually, however, you will find yourself requiring features beyond those that iDVD

offers. DVD Studio Pro gives you access to a wide range of professional features outlined

in the DVD specification:

• Support for multiple video, audio, and subtitle streams, making it easy to create discs

that support multiple languages or add features such as a director’s commentary

13

Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

1

• Additional menu functionality. For example, you can create and add up to 36 buttons,

control the navigation between them, and have more flexibility when assigning their

functions.

• Alternate ways to play back movies. You can use the DVD Studio Pro story feature to

control how a movie plays.

• Support for web interactivity. You can embed links to websites or other documents

into your DVD title.

• Many advanced features supported by the DVD specification, such as dual-layer discs

and copy protection

DVD Studio Pro offers several workflows and work styles for creating DVD projects,

including templates and the drag-and-drop method used within iDVD. This makes

DVD Studio Pro easy to learn while still providing the advanced features you need.

About Standard and High Definition DVDs

Standard definition (SD) DVDs provided most viewers with their first digital video

experience. The great video quality, interactive menus, and surround sound audio found

on current DVDs set a high standard for viewer expectations. Meanwhile, the establishment

of high definition (HD) video format standards and the increasing availability of HD

broadcasts have led to more and more viewers having HD video monitors, and even

higher expectations for DVDs.

These expectations, along with the development of improved compression technologies

and a blue laser technology that greatly increases a disc’s storage capacity, have led to

the ability of recording HD video onto a DVD.

14 Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

But Aren’t DVDs Already High Definition?

In addition to traditional 4:3 aspect ratio video, traditional DVDs support widescreen

16:9 video, which is often mistaken for being high definition. The 16:9 video used on

current DVDs, however, is the same resolution as the 4:3 video, which is the same as

the standard NTSC and PAL broadcast resolutions. The 16:9 video must be anamorphic,

which makes it appear horizontally squashed when viewed on a 4:3 monitor.

This leads to a logical next question—what constitutes high definition video? While

most HD video formats use a 16:9 aspect ratio, what generally defines whether or not

they are HD is the resolution.

Video resolutions that result in more pixels per frame than are used in SD-based DVDs

are considered high definition. There are two common HD vertical resolutions: 720 lines

and 1080 lines (used for both NTSC and PAL). These compare to NTSC’s 480 lines and

PAL’s 576 lines for SD video.

As with SD-based DVDs, the scanning method used on HD-based DVDs can be interlaced,

with a video frame containing one field with the odd lines and another field with the

even lines, or progressive, where each frame is complete. Not all HD formats support

progressive scanning, however. See Supported Video Resolutions for details on supported

SD and HD video formats, including frame rates and scanning methods.

See About DVD Studio Pro and HD Resolution DVDs and HD Video Assets for more

information about creating HD projects in DVD Studio Pro.

About DVD Studio Pro and HD Resolution DVDs

In addition to supporting standard definition (SD) format video DVDs, DVD Studio Pro

supports creating high definition (HD) format video DVDs.

With the exception of support for HD video resolutions and the number of buttons on

menus and button over video subtitles, HD projects in DVD Studio Pro have the same

limits as SD projects.

There are two aspects to creating DVDs with HD content: what you can put into the DVD

video zone and the DVD disc media.

DVD Video Zone with HD Content

While the contents of the DVD video zone for an HD-based DVD (HVDVD_TS) are similar

to those of an SD-based DVD video zone (VIDEO_TS), there are some important differences:

• HD-based DVDs support a broad range of video resolutions, including most of those

used in SD-based DVDs. See Supported Video Resolutions for a complete list of

supported resolutions.

15Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

• In addition to supporting SD MPEG-2 video encodes, HD-based DVDs support HD

MPEG-2 and H.264 video encodes. These are discussed in HD Video Assets.

Blue Laser Disc Media

Due to the improved video resolution possible with HD video, the encoded video files

for HD resolution DVDs can be larger than those used with SD resolution DVDs. For that

reason, a media format based on a blue laser was designed specifically for DVD projects

containing HD video. See the following table for a comparison of SD and HD disc sizes.

Blue laser capacityRed laser capacityDisc

15 GB4.7 GBSingle-sided, single-layer

30 GB8.54 GBSingle-sided, dual-layer

In addition to blue laser based DVD media, an HD project’s DVD video zone can be written

to DVD media based on the red lasers used by traditional DVDs. (The obvious limitation

is that you will not be able to fit as much video data on the disc.)

Important: SD-based DVD players are not able to play DVD projects containing HD content,

whether they are on red or blue laser media. Additionally, only HD projects on special 3x

DVD-ROM red laser media are officially supported in the HD DVD specification. You can

burn HD projects to traditional red laser media on your system; however, the discs might

not play in all HD DVD players.

Supported Video Resolutions

All video resolutions supported by SD-based DVDs are also supported by HD-based DVDs.

This means that an HD-based DVD can use an HD video resolution for the main feature,

then use an SD video resolution for extras. The following list includes the SD and HD

video resolutions supported by DVD Studio Pro.

Note: MPEG-1 encoded video files are not supported in HD projects.

NTSC

Frame rates with an “i” indicate the interlaced scanning method; those with a “p” indicate

the progressive scanning method.

NotesAspect ratioFrame rateResolution

Also known as SIF format4:329.97i352 x 240

Also known as 1/2 D14:329.97i352 x 480

Also known as Cropped D1; 16:9 is anamorphic4:3, 16:929.97i704 x 480

Also known as Full D1; 16:9 is anamorphic4:3, 16:929.97i720 x 480

HD only, also known as 480p; is anamorphic16:959.94p720 x 480

HD only, also known as 720p16:959.94p1280 x 720

HD only; 16:9 is anamorphic16:929.97i1440 x 1080

16 Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

NotesAspect ratioFrame rateResolution

HD only, also known as 1080i16:929.97i1920 x 1080

PAL

Frame rates with an “i” indicate the interlaced scanning method; those with a “p” indicate

the progressive scanning method.

NotesAspect ratioFrame rateResolution

Also known as SIF format4:325i352 x 288

Also known as 1/2 D14:325i352 x 576

Also known as Cropped D1; 16:9 is anamorphic4:3, 16:925i704 x 576

Also known as Full D1; 16:9 is anamorphic4:3, 16:925i720 x 576

HD only, also known as 576p; is anamorphic16:950p720 x 576

HD only, also known as 720p16:950p1280 x 720

HD only; 16:9 is anamorphic16:925i1440 x 1080

HD only, also known as 1080i16:925i1920 x 1080

Using 24P Video Formats

Both SD and HD projects can use assets encoded at 24 fps, as long as they are encoded

specifically with NTSC or PAL flags set.

Note: For NTSC, 24 fps is actually 23.976 fps, although it is most often referred to as

23.98 fps

Video at 24 fps has two main advantages: it matches the film frame rate, and, in the case

of NTSC, provides much smaller files due to having six fewer frames per second.

See Importing 24 fps Assets for more information.

HD Video Assets

There are a variety of sources for HD video assets to use in your HD projects, with the

most common being DVCPRO HD and HDV camcorders.

• With DVCPRO HD, once you have finished editing the video, the result will need to be

encoded to the HD MPEG-2 or H.264 video format.

• With HDV, which is already compliant MPEG-2 HD video, you can edit the video in

Final Cut Pro and import the result directly in your HD projects.

17Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

DVD Studio Pro supports HD video encoded using the HD MPEG-2 codec and the H.264

codec. Both of these formats are playable with the Apple DVD Player. You can use

Compressor to encode video to either of these formats. When you import HD resolution

QuickTime video, such as DVCPRO HD video, into DVD Studio Pro, it is HD MPEG-2 encoded

using the integrated MPEG encoder.

Using HDV Assets

The HDV format uses MPEG-2 encoding to store HD video on a standard DV or Mini DV

tape. Two video resolutions supported by the HDV format:

• 1280 x 720 (720p) at 19 Mbps

• 1440 x 1080 (1080i or 1080p) at 25 Mbps (which is anamorphic 16:9)

Imported HDV assets have the video and audio separated into elementary streams (the

HDV format combines the video and audio into a single file), but are not otherwise

processed or converted.

Important: The HD DVD specification does not support all HDV frame rates. See About

HDV Video for more information.

Using H.264 Assets

You can use the H.264 for HD DVD presets included with Compressor to encode several

supported HD and SD video resolutions for use in your HD projects.

The H.264 encoder is twice as efficient as the standard MPEG-2 encoder. When compared

to encoding with MPEG-2, this means that with the H.264 encoder:

• You can use a lower bit rate to get the same quality, resulting in smaller files.

• You can use the same bit rate and get better quality with the same file size.

See About H.264 Video for more information.

Using DVCPRO HD and Uncompressed HD Assets

Another source of HD assets for your HD projects is video encoded with the DVCPRO HD

compression types or uncompressed video. DVCPRO HD video, like DVCPRO SD video,

and uncompressed video cannot be used directly in your DVD Studio Pro projects. You

can import them, however, and DVD Studio Pro will automatically encode them to

compatible HD MPEG-2 assets using the integrated MPEG encoder. You can also encode

them to HD MPEG-2 or H.264 using Compressor or QuickTime.

Note: Using the Animation codec with HD resolution video can significantly reduce your

computer’s performance and should be avoided if possible. An alternative is to use the

Apple Intermediate Codec.

18 Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

Brief Overview of the DVD Creation Process

You can create many different styles of DVDs with DVD Studio Pro, from corporate

presentations to training materials to event videos to feature films. While the content

and structure of each style may vary considerably, they all use the same basic DVD creation

process.

Edit raw sources

• iMovie

• Final Cut Pro

• Final Cut Express

Author the DVD with

DVD Studio Pro

DVD burner

(SuperDrive)

DLT

drive

Replication

facility

Encode

assets.

Create

menus,

tracks,

slideshows.

Build and

format

the

project.

Duplication

facility

Other sources

• Compressor

• Motion

• Soundtrack Pro

• Color

• LiveType

• Logic Pro

• GarageBand

• iTunes

• iPhoto

• Keynote

There are four stages to the DVD creation process:

Stage 1: Creating Your Source Material

The first part of the DVD creation process is to create or assemble your source material.

See Creating Source Material for more information.

Stage 2: Encoding Audio and Video to Compatible Formats

Once you have created your source materials, they must be encoded to comply with the

DVD specification. See Encoding Video and Audio for more information.

Stage 3: Authoring Your DVD Title

You use DVD Studio Pro to orchestrate your video, audio, and graphics material into an

interactive DVD-Video title, complete with menus, buttons, subtitles, and alternate

languages or soundtracks. See Authoring with DVD Studio Pro for more information.

Stage 4: Building the Project and Creating Your Disc

Creating a disc involves two steps: building the DVD-formatted video zone and formatting

it for how you intend to deliver it. See Creating a Disc for more information.

It’s important to understand the entire process, and how DVD Studio Pro is used in the

process, before you begin your DVD projects.

19Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

Creating Source Material

The first part of the DVD creation process is to create or assemble your source material.

This might mean shooting video, recording voice or music tracks, designing graphics to

be included, and planning the general functionality of your project. If you are converting

an existing video program into a DVD, you may only need to gather your original video

and audio material and design graphics for the menus that will weave them together.

You can use whatever tools you prefer for creating your video and audio material, as long

as the resulting files are compatible with the MPEG or H.264 encoder that you plan to

use. In most cases, your video and audio assets will be created and saved as QuickTime

movie files or in standard sound file formats like AIFF, WAVE, or SoundDesigner II.

Your program material should be completely edited, including any special effects, audio

fades, and scene transitions, before you encode it.

Menu graphics can be still image files, multilayer Photoshop files, or full-motion video.

To create the menu graphics, you can use virtually any graphics program. DVD Studio Pro

includes extra support for Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files, taking advantage of Photoshop’s

“layers” feature to simplify the creation of backgrounds and overlays. Also included is

support for the menu loop point you can set in Motion.

If you plan to include alternate-language subtitles in your DVD project, you will want to

have your soundtrack transcribed and translated.

The most important thing you can do when preparing your assets is to use the

highest-quality settings available. Any flaws in your material will be revealed on DVD

much more quickly than in any other medium.

Once they are encoded into a DVD-compliant format, DVD Studio Pro does not improve

or degrade the quality of your source material in any way; if you use high-quality source

materials, you’ll get high-quality results.

Here are some guidelines to help you maintain high quality.

• Capture and edit your video material at the same resolution that you will use on the

DVD (typically 720 x 480 at 29.97 frames per second [fps] for NTSC or 720 x 576 at 25 fps

for PAL for SD-based DVDs).

• When recording and editing audio, use a 48 kilohertz (kHz) sample rate and no

compression. This assures the best quality whether you use the uncompressed audio

on the DVD or decide to use the Compressor AC-3 encoder to compress it.

Important: When creating DVDs, your audio must have either a 48 kHz or 96 kHz sample

rate. You cannot use the 44.1 kHz sample rate found on standard audio CDs. In most

cases, the DVD Studio Pro embedded AIFF encoder will convert your audio to the correct

sample rate if necessary.

20 Chapter 1 Overview of Using DVD Studio Pro

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Apple DVD Studio Pro 4 User manual

Apple DVD Studio Pro 4 User manual

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