[Dylan Tucker]

thanks joe, thought I’d check I wasn’t overlooking something.

[Dylan Tucker]

Thanks George and Luke, I will try and reply to what you are both saying here.

Luke, I have already purchased DVD-R DL (Verbatim). I heard that minus was more compatible. Is this not true. Either way, is there much difference, would this still be fine? I think I have only one plus disc floating around. I have not heard of booktyping I’m sorry, the drive I am using is a LG ‘super multi’ drive of some sort. The DVD is not a long running film, but instead has lots of different short clips, with a total footage time of around (very rough) 140 mins. Only one story uses two angles, the rest is only one. I have also another story separate to this that uses four audio streams, but the rest only has one. Audio format is AC3 192mbps. I am playing it safe with a combined total of 6, (so around 5.8mbps for the video) and using cbr for half the footage as it is animated, and I find VBR either looks worse or does no justice to animated footage. I’m a little uncertan though, If I am restricting my video footage to 5.8, where I should have my average and maximum bitrates for VBR encoding. Should the max be at 6 or the average? I am aware that 6 gives me a bit of headroom. And yes, as DL is still growing, perhaps we can all help from this.

George, thanks for your professional advice. I currently do not own a DLT drive, do you many errors occur from submissions via the two disc method with DDP? The thing is, I can understand why DVD’s might freeze or glitch etc if players are not compatible, but clients are reporting that different buttons are going to different places, default buttons are changing etc. Have you heard of this before? I thought I must have made a mistake, but went back to the project and my disc, and everything was fine! The check disc does sound a good idea, but I am not sure if the producer will be willing.

I am almost overwhelmed with the help, many thanks.

[Dylan Tucker]

Thanks George. I have also been advised to keep bitrate overall on the dvd from exceeding 6mbps. Especially if I’m having compatibility issues I thought I might do this?

My main query at the moment is this: If I am creating a dual layer dvd and am getting it replicated at a dvd plant, what is best to give to the client as a version for viewing? I understand that DVD-R DL’s don’t work in all DVD players and that I will always face issues until I get it replicated, but what do other people do?

Also, is it really true that I should supply the plant with the project on DLT? I was going to supply it on two blank discs, but then there is the issue of a break point, and will it really be risky in terms of errors?

At the moment, clients players are doing strange things, like not only players freezing up, but default buttons being different etc. Why is this?

Thanks a lot for the help, your or anyone else’s reply would be greatly appreciated.

[Dylan Tucker]

Thankyou for your reply, Lucas. In regards to the issue with Nero etc, I am creating the project on my powerbook in DVDSP, with only a single layer burner, so what do you suggest for burning? I will probably go with DDP on two DVD-R’s for the replication facility, but what about for supplying proof copies to clients?

Also, with the multiple angles you mentioned, does this 5/6mbps guideline include the audio? If I was to use VBR, what average and maximum would you suggest? (With AC3 audio of course.)

Thanks a bunch.

[Dylan Tucker]

Dan and Simon win the prize! Thanks a lot all of you. I think the rendering was the issue, but what Simon said might have done something too! Aren’t little niggles like that annoying?! Cheers!

[Dylan Tucker]

yes, but as soon as i press play, it turns to full screen mode on the active angle. It is only showing 4 up when the playhead is still.

[Dylan Tucker]

Oh ok. Well still no luck. It was working before. I double click the timeline, the viewer displays accordingly, but never splits. It just switches to the active cut in the timeline and its in and out points change accordingly live. No idea. Thanks for the hand anyway.

[Dylan Tucker]

hmm sorry, i must be thick! Do you mean the canvas ‘open’ and the viewer ‘sync off’? I’ve tried all sorts of variations.

Thanks a lot for your help!