[Eric Pautsch]

Something like this is pretty simple once you know how DVD works and its limitation. The main issue is the time and planning involved. There are several DVD authoring tools allow this kind of functionality. DVD Lab, DVD Studio Pro and Scenarist are 3 that come to mind. One thing needs to be mentioned – menu design needs to be done outside the authoring app in tools like Photoshop, After Effects, ect.

You can literally have close to 10,000 menus on a disc. The menu domains can hold 1 gig each.

Personally, Flash is a better platform for these kind of educational titles. The only reason you would want to go to DVD is if the end user absolutely needs to watch it on a TV. Since most have computers that’s really not necessary. Remember, DVD is 20 yr old technology…way before Flash was around.

[Eric Pautsch]

Excellent Jeff!

One of the scripts in the zip files allows you to downsize it to SD 16×9 – this is 720×480 Anamorphic.

[Eric Pautsch]

Nothing you can do. Tell him to get a new set top if it doesn’t support DVD-/+ R

[Eric Pautsch]

I can’t say what the problem might be since you don’t indicate your workflows – bitrates, length of program, ect. Did you just drop a 1920×1080 QT into Encore?

I think John has a very good article on HD to SD conversions you should read:

https://www.precomposed.com/blog/2009/07/hd-to-sd-dvd-best-methods/

Another thing to remember is that dropping a QT into Encore and expecting a professional quality picture just insn’t going to happen. Encoding is much more than setting bitrates. Encoders vary in quality as well. Personally I would get someone with a quality encoder with experience to do this work. You shot RED footage with a professional (yourself?) who knows the camera so why would you not do the same for the end product people will see?

[Eric Pautsch]

I guess the obvious question would be: Whats the resolution of the footage your feeding it? Here are the DVD specs:

NTSC (NTSC Film)

Video:
Up to 9.8 Mbps* (9800 kbps*) MPEG2 video
Up to 1.856 Mbps (1856 kbps) MPEG1 video
720 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1)
704 x 480 pixels MPEG2
352 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard)
352 x 240 pixels MPEG2
352 x 240 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard)
29,97 fps*
23,976 fps with 3:2 pulldown = 29,97 playback fps (NTSC Film, this is only supported by MPEG2 video)
16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720×480)

PAL

Video:
Up to 9.8 Mbps* (9800 kbps*) MPEG2 video
Up to 1.856 Mbps (1856 kbps) MPEG1 video
720 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1)
704 x 576 pixels MPEG2
352 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard)
352 x 288 pixels MPEG2
352 x 288 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard)
25 fps*
16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720×576)

[Eric Pautsch]

“UP” is a BD-J title so its probably the icon used when it loads the appropriate JAR files into the set top. Encore is not able to do this.

[Eric Pautsch]

I can criticize any filmmaker I pay to see. If anyone wants to criticized my work, they are free to do so. I call 3D a gimmick since it, in no way, promotes the story itself. If Avatar wasn’t a 3D film, where would the hype come from? I think its hard to argue that its the only reason it got me, and many others, into the theater. His 3D work was amazing! My brain actually thought I was floating above the trees at points, bringing a sense of vertigo. I thought that was incredible. But, in the end, it was just Fern Gully meets Dances With Wolves. C’mon! This man made great films like The Abyss, Terminator and Aliens- great original screenplays! You bet I’m going to judge his work on the past.

Let pretend the 3D thing never happened…was Avatar a great film? An original story? Should we judge a film these days on how good the SFX are?

I’ll eat my words if Avatar joins Hamlet as one of the great classic stories in human history. 🙂

[Eric Pautsch]

I think Hollywood needs to work on character development and a decent script before it moves ons. Avatar was the same story told countless times before. I think its sad that such a great film maker is now putting his efforts into a gimmick like 3D. The technical aspects are amazing but thats not why I go see a film.

Ground breaking?! For reals?! District 9…now that was a compelling story…effects and gimmicks should be secondary.

https://www.avatarsucks.com/

[Eric Pautsch]

You’ll get better answers over at videohelp.com

https://www.videohelp.com/

[Eric Pautsch]

Could be a bad disc. I’ve always been happy with Verbatim