Double Density Disks?

[Dave Friend]

[topher944] “how many end user players have the ability to read dual layer?”
All DVD players will be able to use a DVD-9 replicated disc. Note the word replicated. That implies (as does the term glass master) that the disc are created by a “stamper” as opposed to a burned (a.k.a. recorded, a.k.a. duplicated) disc. Replicated discs will be fine in almost all players – both set-tops and computers. (I say almost all because you never know what kind of crap the end-user has.) Dual-Layer recorded (burned) disc are much less reliable and should be avoided.

[topher944] “13 hour program on digi beta and put it on four glass masters”
That means they will be putting about 3:15:00 on each disc. If these are DVD-9 discs then the average bitrate would have to be about 5.3Mbit/s which produces a fair to good image. (The video bitrate of 5.3Mbits/s assumes audio is encoded to dolby 2/0 @ 192kbit/s – which is typical and recommened – and that there is only one audio stream.

Spreading the 13 hours over 5 DVD-9 discs would mean an average bitrate of 6.7Mb/s which is very good to excellent quality. Manufacturing costs are, naturally, higher making 5 disc instead of four.

Have them encode a few minutes of your show at the 5.3Mb/s rate and give it to you on a disc. You can then evalutate the quality yourself. If they want your business they should be willing to do this demo for you.

Hope this is helpful.

Dave

[Christopher Kinsman]

Thanks