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Cram a single layer or go dual?
I’m authoring a show that is giong to be on the edge between filling up a single, or going to a dual. I’ve never ventured into dual layer authoring before and am trying to balance the playability issues of a filled-up DVD-5, vs. a dual layer DVD (which also will cost extra for replication).
I believe I read somewhere that you shouldn’t fill up a DVD-5 single layer DVD, as that affects playability.
Does anyone know the logic and the full story behind that? Is it true of mastering from only DVD-R? Would mastering from a DLT allow me to put more material on a DVD-5 safely?
Is there any exact guidance as to exactly how many GB you can/should put onto a DVD-5 to give a safety margin?
— Bob C
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4 Replies
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Bob,
Since you began asking questions about this project I’ve been wondering why it is that you are pressing the limits of the envelope? Have you evaluated the project at a slightly lower bitrate that comfortably fits on a single DVD-5???
DRW
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Short answer: No. It took a lot of experimenting to get it to fit barely on a DVD-5. I don’t want to proceed until I know what the true target size is.
“fit comfortably” — that’s the point. What is “comfortable” anyway? And is it really true that it is better to fit comfortably?
What is more widely playable:
(1) single-layer DVD-5 crammed up with 15mb free.
(2) DVD-5 with less than 4 GB
(3) dual-layer at a higher data rate (but less than7000kbps) -
[Bob Cole] “Short answer: No. It took a lot of experimenting to get it to fit barely on a DVD-5.”
Bob, Bob, Bob,
This is like saying you’re packing up your car for a trip based upon one thing and one thing only, how much you can fit in your trunk. Exactly why are you so concerned with trying to pack your media onto a disc into the tightest possible space? I can’t remember exactly what the so called sweet spot is for a disc going to the replicators, but I can tell you that there is a very fair amount of latitude, and it is not the most important factor to consider by a long shot. If you simply lower your bitrate by 5% and the quality is acceptable, you’re good to go. I am fairly certain you would be hard pressed to notice a qualitative difference in your video quality with just a 5% drop in bitrate.
DRW
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Thanks. Numbers are good. I can deal with 5% — it’s advice like “leave a comfortable margin of error” that leaves me wondering what to do. I’m not even sure where I heard this in the first place.
— Bob C
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