DVD Authoring with Adobe Encore DVD

A Professional Guide to Creative DVD Production and Adobe Integration

Wes Howell

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781138426085
• eBook ISBN: 9781136069574
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film & Video

Expand your creative ability by mastering the software tools. "DVD Authoring with Adobe Encore DVD" covers the toolset in a manner that demonstrates real-world application. The downloadable resources with source material walks you through the process. You will learn how to avoid common pitfalls and learn about the entire DVD authoring workflow.

Chapter 1

DVD Basics

In this chapter, we are going to go over the elementary considerations of a DVD author. If you are new to DVD authoring, then this is a great starter. If you are a seasoned pro, we are optimistic that there are a few new tricks you can pick up along the way. We’ll talk about the different types of DVD media, DVD formats, and what to think about while you are planning your project.

Many books go into extreme detail, covering the most technical and complicated aspects of DVD. There’s even a big, thick book that costs $5,000.00 and is guaranteed to suck at least a good year from your life. (This is the DVD specification, or DVD spec.) This rigid standard is what keeps everyone on the same page. It also covers every technical detail you could imagine.

Encore is about making DVD authoring simple, incorporating many of the most complicated aspects of authoring “under the hood.” Encore doesn’t require you to be a programmer or a full time author; instead it sticks with a graphical concept that makes advanced functions simple and accessible. Likewise, the goal of this book is to present some of this information, helping you become productive without bogging you down with too many details. We’ll refer to the DVD spec from time to time, but our goal is to offer the most clear, concise, and pertinent information that will help you become proficient and productive with Encore.

If you are truly interested in the most technical aspects of DVD production, or if you want to expand your knowledge of the DVD standard, there are several good books on the market. We’ll include these and some other good resources in Appendix B.

Now let’s get down to business.

•	Encore overview
•	Disc capacity and data rate
•	DVD formats
•	Compatibility considerations
•	Organizing and planning your project

Encore Overview

With the introduction of Encore, Adobe finally brings affordable and professional DVD authoring to the PC. Many of Encore’s features are offered at a small fraction of what they would have cost a few years ago. DLT support, copy protection, and “under the hood” scripting capabilities establish Encore as a serious player in the world of DVD software.

Encore is an even better value for those of you who already use Adobe applications. Taking advantage of the natural synergy between applications, Encore bridges the gap between Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere, opening up new creative opportunities and workflows not available on any other platform.

It’s an exciting time to be a DVD author. Modern tools, such as Encore, have brought the power of desktop DVD authoring to anyone with a PC and a desire to master the technology. It’s getting cheaper, faster, and easier too! Can’t complain about that.

TIP: Scripting is the process of using a basic assembly type of computer language to enhance navigation, web access, and other more advanced functions of the DVD spec. Encore does not fully support scripting at this time. However, some scripting functions are accommodated within the application itself.

Disc Capacity and Data Rate

Capacity and data rate are two of the most important concepts in DVD authoring. It’s only fitting that we cut right to the chase and address these right from the start.

By default, Encore automatically sets compression parameters according to the size and quantity of assets used in the project. These automatic transcoding features will automatically compress non-DVD compliant content, preparing them for use on the finished disc. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of producing a DVD and is a good starting point for beginning authors.

Encore also provides access to all compression settings, allowing authors direct control over bitrate and other important details.

There are many advantages to specifying your own settings. Taking control over the encoding process can aid project management, provide more control over bit allocation, and improve the quality of video content. Although Encore is a very intuitive program, it cannot read minds to determine which assets require more attention than others.

Capacity

The capacity is the maximum amount of data that can be stored on the DVD. Total available capacity will vary by project and is also dependent on the delivery medium. Encore provides several templates including options for Single-Layer or Dual-Layer DVDs as well as options for general and authoring media.

When importing pre-encoded assets, the Disc Properties palette provides a graphical view of remaining disc capacity.

TIP: Encore also provides presets for burning small DVD projects directly to CD, 650 MB and 700 MB. This is a great option for those times when you may want to burn a smaller project to a CD while avoiding the expense of a DVD-R/+R. In this case, the DVD would be burned to a CD; however, do not mistake these for video CDs. Video CD is not a format supported by Encore. Also, remember that these CD-DVDs do not play in set top players. They will only play in computers with a software DVD player.

Most readers will be using general purpose DVD-R / DVD+R media, which have a capacity of 4.7 GB. This is the most popular consumer format. Another popular format offering increased capacity, DVD-9, is available from professional replication houses and is typically used for most commercial movies. DVD-9 can store up to 8.54 billion bytes or 7.95 (computer) gigabytes. There are many other formats that offer multiple layers (on one side of the disc) as well as dual layer, dual sided discs with a maximum capacity of 15.9 gigabytes. These capacities will only continue to increase as new technologies are introduced.

Figure 1.1 The maximum capacity of popular DVD formats.

If you analyze the capacity of a DVD-5 disc on a computer, you’ll find that a standard DVD-R/+R capacity is listed as 4.37 gigabytes. However, the label on the disc clearly advertises 4.7 GB, right? So what gives?

The real issue here is the way the math is done, and more specifically, who is doing the math. Using powers of 10 (think of this as regular, simple math), 4.7 GB is used to describe 4.7 billion bytes. This powers of 10 standard is typically used in the communications industry. This is not the same as 4.7 (computer) gigabytes. Computers think in binary terms, or in powers of 2. In this case, a gigabyte is actually 1024 megabytes. Each megabyte is 1024 kilobytes and so on. To a computer, 4.7 billion bytes equates to 4.37 gigabytes.

For the purposes of this book, we will use the powers of 10 technique (as does the Disc Properties palette in Encore).

TIP: When working with DVD-R/+R media, many authors have found that bitrates in excess of 7 Mbps can actually hinder compatibility. Certain set top players can struggle with these high bitrates. Older, slower computers may also experience difficulty playing extremely high bitrates. In general, I would recommend staying below 7.5 Mbps whenever possible.

Data Rate

The data rate, or bitrate, refers to how many bits are utilized, measured in bits per second, to playback or encode streams for the DVD. This figure can represent individual streams, such as audio or video, or the final multiplexed DVD-video stream that includes all audio, video, and subpicture content.

According to the DVD specifications, the maximum combined bitrate for DVD is 10.08 Mbps. This includes all video, audio, subtitles, subpictures, etc. The maximum bitrate for video alone is 9.8 Mbps. Most authors will find themselves working with average combined bitrates between 5 and 7 Mbps.

Bitrate is specified by the author when encoding assets. Higher bitrates produce higher quality content, so most authors strive to set the bitrate as high as they can. Unfortunately, higher bitrates take up more disc space. The goal is to find the perfect balance between quality and file size. To find the target bitrate when encoding video streams, we simply take the available capacity and divide by time. (See section on non-video assets.)

In order to determine data rate, first we need to know the maximum capacity of the disc. For example, is the project destined for a single or dual layer, single- or dual-sided disc? DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-18?

Once disc capacity is established, we need to determine how many bits all the different assets in the project will require. The amount of space that non-video assets require also needs to be taken into consideration before the video encoding rate (bitrate) can be determined.

TIP: Make sure to experiment with your own compression settings. Start by compressing small sample lips to determine which settings provide the perfect balance of quality and compression.

Non-Video Assets

Here are a few questions to help insure that non-video assets are accounted for:

•	How much space will is needed for DVD-ROM content (i.e., screensavers, PC files)?
•	How much space is required for menus? Will there be motion menus?
•	How many audio tracks will be used? How many languages will be used on the disc?
•	Will the disc require subtitles? If so, How many?

After these factors are taken into account an additional reserve of 5% to 7% should be deducted to compensate for overflow and disc file structure.

Finally, the remaining bits can be used to encode the main video streams for the project.

If all of this seems a bit overwhelming at this point, don’t worry. We’ll cover these topics in greater detail in Chapter 3.

Determining the perfect bitrate is somewhat of a balancing act. A small project that doesn’t utilize all of the available space on a disc might not be living up to its potential in terms of picture quality. In many cases, a higher bitrate could increase video quality substantially. On the flip side, a project that is too big won’t fit on the disc and could require re-encoding and re-authoring. Not only can a few minutes of planning improve the quality and flow of your production, it can also eliminate hours of wasted time, money, and frustration. To learn more about calculating the perfect bitrate, see Determining Bitrates in Chapter 3.

DVD Formats

DVD formats can be divided into two separate categories: physical and logical formats.

Physical Formats

The physical format refers mainly to how the disc is physically configured. Every DVD will have a specific format. Some of the most common physical formats are: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD-RAM.

The physical format also refers to how the disc is constructed. The main consideration for most authors will be what type of discs are supported by their DVD burner. Some burners were designed to burn DVD-R media, while others support a rival format, DVD+R. This is becoming less of an issue as modern burners begin to support multiple formats. Below, several common physical formats are listed.

DVD-ROM

DVD-ROM refers to both the physical structure as well as the file system used on the disc. In other words, DVD-ROM can be considered both a physical and logical format. DVD-ROM is the foundation of DVD and includes several variants listed in this section. Al...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: DVD Basics
• Chapter 2: Inside Encore
• Chapter 3: Preparing Assets/Encoding
• Chapter 4: Building the Project
• Chapter 5: Photoshop Integration
• Chapter 6: Working with After Effects and Premiere Pro
• Chapter 7: Finishing Touches
• Chapter 8: Final Output and Delivery
• Appendices
• Index