Apple DVD STUDIO PRO 4.1 User Manual
DVD Studio Pro 4
User Manual
K
Apple Computer, Inc.
© 2006 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be
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of Apple. Your rights to the software are governed by
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Apple Computer, Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014-2084
408-996-1010
www.apple.com
Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Cinema Display,
DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut, Final Cut Pro, FireWire, iDVD,
iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS, Panther,
PowerBook, Power Mac, QuickTime, and Soundtrack are
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of third-party products is for informational purposes
only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a
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regard to the performance or use of these products.
1
Contents
Preface 15 An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
15
What’s New With DVD Studio Pro 4
18
Moving From iDVD to DVD Studio Pro
19
About Standard and High Definition DVDs
19
But I Thought DVDs Were Already High Definition?
20
About DVD Studio Pro 4 and HD Resolution DVDs
22
HD Video Assets
23
Brief Overview of the DVD Creation Process
24
Creating Source Material
25
Encoding Video and Audio
26
Authoring With DVD Studio Pro
28
Creating a Disc
29
What Makes a DVD Authoring System?
29
Hard Disk Storage
29
SCSI Devices
30
DVD Burners
31
DLT Drives
31
External Video and Audio Monitoring
33
Audio and Video Assets
34
Resources for Learning About DVD Studio Pro
34
DVD Studio Pro Onscreen User Manual
34
Apple Websites
Chapter 1 37 Planning Your Project
37
Investigating Existing DVDs
38
Determining Your Target Audience and Playback Device
Deciding Which DVD Standard to Use
38
39
Deciding Which Video Standard to Use
39
Deciding What Content to Include
40
Creating a Storyboard
40
Designing the Menus and Buttons
40
Making Sure Your Content Will Fit
45
General DVD Limitations
3
Chapter 2 47 Preparing Assets
48
Preparing Video Sources
48
NTSC or PAL?
49
Using 24 fps Video
50
Choosing an Aspect Ratio
54
About MPEG Video
54
Encoding Video Materials for DVD
62
Using the Embedded MPEG Encoder
68
Encoding Video for Multi-Angle Tracks
70
Adding Markers to Your Video
76
About H.264 Video
76
H.264 Bit Rates
76
H.264 Frame Sync Setting
77
Preparing Audio Sources
77
Audio Formats Not Supported by the DVD Specification
77
Audio Formats Supported by the DVD Specification and DVD Studio Pro
80
Using Multiple Audio Formats in Your Project
81
Required Audio Formats for SD Projects
81
Preparing Menu Sources
81
What Is a Menu?
82
Creating a Menu
82
Creating Graphics to Use in Menus
86
Creating Overlays
91
Creating a Layered Menu
91
Creating Video for Motion Menus
93
Creating Shapes
96
Creating Graphics for Drop Zones and Buttons
97
Preparing Stills for Slideshows
97
File Formats
97
Aspect Ratio and Resolution
98
Colors
98
Audio
98
Preparing Alpha Transitions
10 0
Transition Asset Folder
10 0
Asset Movie
10 2
Asset Matte Movie
10 2
Background Matte Movie
10 3
About Alpha Transition Durations
10 3
About NTSC and PAL Alpha Transitions
10 4
DVD Source Settings Summary
10 4
DVD Video and Audio Settings for SD Projects
10 6
DVD Video and Audio Settings for HD Projects
4
Contents
Chapter 3 109 Starting a Project
10 9
Opening DVD Studio Pro
112
Setting DVD Studio Pro Preferences
12 5
Creating a New Project
131
Opening an Existing Project
13 3
Video Standards of the World
13 4
Changing a Project’s Video Standard
13 5
Changing a Project’s DVD Standard
Chapter 4 137 The DVD Studio Pro Interface
13 9
Configuring the Interface
141
DVD Studio Pro Quadrants and Tabs
14 2
Working With the Quadrants
14 4
Working With the Tabs
14 7
Overview of the Quadrant Tabs
15 4
Inspector
15 4
Hiding and Showing the Inspector
15 5
Palette
15 5
Hiding and Showing the Palette
15 6
Templates and Styles Tabs
15 6
Shapes Tab
157
Media Tabs
160
Toolbar
160
Customizing the Toolbar
162
Toolbar Items
164
Drop Palette
164
Using the Outline and Graphical Project Views
164
Comparing the Outline and Graphical Tabs
165
Using the Outline Tab
167
Using the Graphical Tab
17 7
Managing Elements Using the Outline and Graphical Tabs
Chapter 5 181 Importing and Managing Assets
181
How DVD Studio Pro Manages Assets
187
Assets Tab
19 2
Importing Assets
19 9
Removing Selected Assets
19 9
Renaming Assets
200
Refreshing Still and QuickTime Assets
202
Opening Assets in Their Editor
202
Identifying an Asset
203
Previewing Assets
204
Asset Inspector
Contents
5
Chapter 6 205 Introduction to Creating Menus
205
About Menus
206
DVD Studio Pro Menu Creation Methods
208
Working With 16:9 Menus
208
Creating Menus for HD Projects
209
Adding Intro and Transition Clips to Menus
209
Adding “Easter Eggs” to Your Menus
211
About the Menu Editor
212
Using the Menu Rulers
212
Menu Object Alignment Features
215
Using the Menu Editor Pop-Up Menus and Tools
218
Starting and Working With a Menu
218
Creating a New Menu
219 Opening a Menu
219 Naming Menus
220 Adding Assets to a Menu
222 Selecting Multiple Menu Items
223 Copying Menu Items
224 Moving and Resizing Menu Items
225 Verifying Your Menus
226 About Chapter Index Menus
Chapter 7 229 Creating Menus Using the Standard Method
231 Setting a Menu’s Background and Overlay
231 Choosing the Background
233 Choosing the Overlay
236 Understanding Color Mapping
236 Differences Between Simple and Advanced Overlays
237 Color Mapping Palette
238 Color Mapping Sets
239 Using Simple Overlay Color Mapping
240 Using Advanced Overlay Color Mapping
244 Configuring the Menu Inspector for Standard Menus
244 Setting Menu Properties
253 Adding Buttons to Your Menu
253 Adding Overlay-Based Buttons
256 Adding Shapes to a Menu
Setting a Button’s Connection
258
259 Setting Button Properties
264 About Button Numbers
266 Adding Text to a Button
268 Configuring Button Navigation
272 About Overlapping Buttons
6
Contents
272 Adding Drop Zones, Text Objects, and Audio to a Menu
273 Adding Drop Zones to Your Menu
276 Working With Assets in Buttons and Drop Zones
276 Adding Text Objects to a Menu
279 Adding Audio to a Menu
280 Configuring Drop Shadow and Motion Settings
280 Configuring the Menu’s Drop Shadow
282 Configuring Motion Menu Settings
285 Options in the Drop Palette for Standard Menus
285 Drop Palette for Standard Menus—Dragging Assets
294 Drop Palette for Standard Menus—Dragging Project Elements
299 Drop Palette for Standard Menus—Dragging Templates and Styles
Chapter 8 303 Using Templates, Styles, and Shapes to Create Your Menus
303 What Are Templates and Styles?
304 Templates and Styles in the Palette
309 Applying a Template or Style
312 Setting Default Styles
313 Creating a Template or Style
315 Importing Templates and Styles
316 Deleting Templates and Styles
317 Managing Shapes
Chapter 9 323 Creating Menus Using the Layered Method
323 Setting a Menu’s Background and Overlay
323 Choosing the Background
326 Choosing the Overlay
326 Configuring the Menu Inspector for Layered Menus
326 Setting Layered Menu Properties
331 Adding Buttons to Your Layered Menu
331 Mixing Overlay Buttons With Layered Buttons
332 Configuring a Layered Button
333 Setting Layered Menu Button Properties
337 Options in the Drop Palette for Layered Menus
337 Drop Palette for Layered Menus—Dragging Assets
342 Drop Palette for Layered Menus—Dragging Project Elements
Chapter 10 345 Using Advanced Menu Features
345 Adding Intro and Transition Clips to Menus
345 Using Menu Intro Clips
347 Button Transition Clips
347 Using the Menu Transition Feature
352 Manually Creating Button Transition Clips
Contents 7
352 Using Languages With Menus
353 Creating and Configuring Menu Languages
355 Setting Up Menus for the Languages
Chapter 11 357 Creating and Editing Tracks
357 Working With a Track’s Assets
358 How Many Tracks Should You Have?
358 About Subtitle Streams
358 DVD Studio Pro Tools for Working With Tracks
359 Getting Started With Tracks
359 Creating Tracks
359 Opening Tracks
360 Setting Track Properties
364 About the Track Editor
364 Configuring the Track Editor
366 Understanding Time Information in the Track Editor
370 Working With the Track Editor’s Streams
370 Supported Asset Types
372 Adding Video and Audio Assets
376 Editing Video and Audio Clips
378 Setting Stream Properties
379 Exporting an MPEG Clip
380 Working With Markers
380 About Marker Placement
381 Creating and Editing Markers
384 Importing Markers From an Editor
385 Importing Markers From a Text List
386 About the Marker Types
387 Setting Marker Properties
390 Working With Stories
390 Creating a Story for a Track
391 Using the Story Editor
392 Setting Story Properties
393 Setting Story Entry Properties
394 Simulating a Story
395 Adding Alternate Video Streams
395 Multi-Angle and Mixed-Angle Tracks
396 About Alternate Stream Video Assets
396 Creating a Multi-Angle Track
397 Creating a Mixed-Angle Track
398 Using Still Clip Transitions
398 Adding Transitions to Still Clips
399 Transition Tab in the Track and Clip Inspectors
8 Contents
400 Transition Parameters
400 Viewing a Track
401 About the Viewer Tab
402 Previewing Angles
403 Simulating a Track
Chapter 12 405 Creating Slideshows
405 But I Want My Slideshow To Do More
406 File Formats for Slideshows
407 Creating Slideshows
407 Adding a Slideshow to Your Project
408 Creating a Slideshow Using the Menu Editor
409 Working With Slides in a Slideshow
411 Adding Audio to Your Slideshow
415 Working With Slideshows
415 Setting the Slideshow Editor’s Thumbnail Size
415 Slideshow Editor Settings
416 Slideshow Editor Controls
417 Slide List
418 Manually Changing a Slide’s Duration
419 Setting Up a Slideshow to Let the Viewer Advance the Slides
420 Setting a Pause on the Last Slide
421 Using Slideshow Transitions
424 Converting a Slideshow to a Track
425 Setting Slideshow Properties
428 Setting Slide Properties
429 Previewing a Slideshow
430 Simulating a Slideshow
Chapter 13 431 Creating Subtitles
432 Importing Older DVD Studio Pro Subtitles
432 Subtitles and Overlays
433 About Subtitles and Closed Captions
434 Subtitle Stream Basics
434 Working With Subtitles in DVD Studio Pro
434 How Subtitles Switch Streams
435 Subtitle Preferences
436 Applying Subtitle Settings to the Stream
436 Subtitle Inspector
442 What Happens With Different Aspect Ratios?
443 Viewing Subtitles
445 Creating Subtitles With DVD Studio Pro
445 Creating and Positioning a New Subtitle in a Stream
Contents 9
447 Entering, Formatting, and Positioning Text
452 Importing Graphics Files for Subtitles
452 Importing a Graphics File
453 Using Graphics Files to Create an Animation
453 Creating and Importing Subtitle Files
454 Using a Single Subtitle File
454 Using a Group of Graphics Files
454 Importing a Subtitle File
456 Creating an STL Format Subtitle File
460 Creating Buttons Over Video
460 How Do Buttons Over Video Work?
461 Adding Button Highlight Markers
461 How a Button Highlight Marker Affects the Subtitle Stream
462 Adding a Button Over Video Subtitle Clip
462 Configuring a Button Over Video Subtitle Clip
Chapter 14 467 Creating Scripts
467 Pre-Scripts
469 Scripting Overview
469 About DVD Player Registers
470 About Scripting Commands
470 The Scripting User Interface
471 Script Tab
474 Script Inspectors
476 Creating Scripts
476 Creating a Script
477 Duplicating and Saving Scripts
477 Loading Scripts
478 Testing Scripts
479 General Scripting Information
480 Script Command Details
481 Compare Function
483 Nop Command
484 Jump Command
485 Set GPRM Command
488 Goto Command
488 Set System Stream Command
489 Resume Command
489 GPRM Mode Command
490 Exit Command
490 Exit Pre-Script Command
490 Jump Indirect Command
491 System Parameter Register Memories
10 Contents
491 SPRMs’ Values and Their Meaning
503 Using Bit-Wise Operations
504 General Purpose Register Memories
504 GPRM Specifics
509 Scripting Examples
509 Jumping to a Menu’s Loop Point
510 Randomly Playing Tracks
512 Playing All Tracks
517 Checking a DVD Player’s Parental Management Setting
519 Language Code Table
Chapter 15 525 Establishing Connections
525 About Connections
526 Connections Tab
527 Connection Items
531 Making Connections
531 Changing the Displayed Sources
532 Establishing Connections in the Connections Tab
534 Connection Details
534 Source Details
541 Target Details
Chapter 16 543 Finishing a Project
544 Should You Burn, Build, Format, or Build and Format?
545 Testing Your Project With the Simulator
546 Simulating Your Project
552 Setting Disc Properties
552 Settings at the Top of the Disc Inspector
553 General Tab in the Disc Inspector
555 Disc/Volume Tab in the Disc Inspector
557 Region/Copyright Tab in the Disc Inspector
558 Advanced Tab in the Disc Inspector
560 Building Your Project
560 Prebuild Disc Properties
560 About the Macrovision Settings
562 About Jacket Pictures
562 Building the Project
563 Incremental Builds
564 General Build Information
565 The Build Files for SD Projects
568 The Build Files for HD Projects
570 Emulating Your Project
570 Emulating Using DVD Player
Contents 11
572 Setting Disc Format Properties
572 Preformat Disc Properties
572 About DVD-ROM Discs
576 About Dual-Layer Discs
580 About Two-Sided Discs
581 Formatting Your Project
581 Starting a Format Process
583 Configuring the Output Type
585 The Cutting Master Format
585 Reading a DLT Drive
Chapter 17 587 Using Advanced Features
588 VTS Editor
588 About VTS Blocks
589 Using the VTS Editor
593 VTS Inspector
594 DVD@CCESS
594 Creating DVD@CCESS Links in Your Project
596 Testing DVD@CCESS Links
597 Configuring Computers for DVD@CCESS Playback
598 User Operations
598 Setting User Operations
599 User Operations Properties
602 Getting Consistent Previous and Next Button Behavior
603 Display Condition
603 Comparing Display Conditions and Pre-Scripts
604 Display Condition Parameters
604 Setting Up a Display Condition
605 Example: Setting a Parental Management Display Condition
606 Conditional Elements and States
607 Conditional Relationships
608 Issues With Display Conditions
608 Remote Control Settings
609 Remote Control Buttons
610 Configuring the Remote Control Buttons
611 Line 21 Settings for Closed Captions
611 About Subtitles and Closed Captions
611 Adding Closed Captions to a DVD
12 Contents
Appendix A 613 Keyboard Shortcuts
613 General Interface and Application Controls
615 General Project Controls
616 Adding Project Elements
616 Scrolling Through Lists
617 Assets Tab
618 Connections Tab
618 Graphical Tab
619 Log Tab
620 Menu Tab (Menu Editor)
622 Outline Tab
623 Palette
623 Script Tab (Script Editor)
623 Simulator
624 Slideshow Tab (Slideshow Editor)
624 Story Tab (Story Editor)
625 Subtitle Editor
626 Track Tab (Track Editor)
628 Viewer Tab
Appendix B 629 Importing Other Projects
629 Importing iDVD Projects and Themes
631 Importing DVD Studio Pro 1 Projects Into DVD Studio Pro 4
632 Importing DVD Studio Pro 2 and DVD Studio Pro 3 Projects Into DVD Studio Pro 4
Appendix C 633 Calculating Disc Space Requirements
633 Calculating a Project’s Disc Space Requirements
638 Using the Calculated Bit Rate
Appendix D 639 Transition Parameters
639 Transition Duration
639 Video Transition
639 Alpha Transitions
640 Standard Transitions
Glossary 645
Index 655
Contents 13
An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
DVD Studio Pro is software for authoring DVD-Video
titles. It is both powerful and easy to use.
DVD Studio Pro lets you work with audio, video, graphics, and text materials that you
have already created and edited and orchestrate them into a DVD that can be played
on a DVD player or a suitably equipped computer.
If you have used such production tools as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Media 100,
or Discreet cleaner, DVD Studio Pro will be easy for you to learn. You can use
DVD Studio Pro for everything from constructing sophisticated training materials,
corporate presentations, sales tools with web links, or high-quality event videos, to
preparing a motion picture for release on DVD.
When you install DVD Studio Pro, you have access to the following tools (in addition to
the DVD authoring software) to help you prepare your material, learn the program, and
view your DVD:
• QuickTime MPEG Decoder, for viewing MPEG-2 streams with QuickTime
• The Apple Compressor application, for encoding QuickTime video to MPEG-2 streams
and uncompressed audio to Dolby Digital AC-3
Preface
What’s New With DVD Studio Pro 4
There are a number of new features, enhancements, and changes in this version of
DVD Studio Pro, the most significant of which are introduced below.
Support for Authoring DVDs With HD Video
In addition to authoring standard definition (SD) DVDs, DVD Studio Pro 4 adds support
for authoring DVDs containing high definition (HD) video that conform to the new HD
DVD standard. This makes it possible for you to author DVDs using a variety of HD
video sources that can be burned to either red laser or blue laser drives and played by
the latest Apple DVD Player.
15
See “About Standard and High Definition DVDs” on page 19 for additional information.
See “Emulating Your Project” on page 570 for more information on DVD Player
requirements.
Support for External Video and Audio Monitors
You can now connect external video and audio monitors that can be used when
simulating your project. When you author a DVD, it can be important to see the video
and hear the audio with devices that closely match those that the viewer is expected to
use. Being able to do this while simulating your project allows you to verify the video
and audio prior to building your project and burning a test DVD. In particular:
• You see the true color based on YUV values instead of a computer monitor’s RGB values.
• You see the actual pixel aspect ratios. To display SD resolution 4:3 or 16:9 video on a
computer monitor requires the pixels to be scaled, which can create or hide issues in
the video.
• By connecting a suitable AC-3 or DTS decoder, you can hear surround sound audio.
The video monitor uses your system’s second monitor connection (if available). For
example, you could connect an NTSC or PAL monitor to the S-Video output of a
PowerBook G4 computer.
The audio monitor, which can include a suitable AC-3 or DTS decoder, can be
connected to the computer’s optical digital audio output (also known as an S/PDIF
output) or to the computer’s FireWire or USB port.
See “External Video and Audio Monitoring” on page 31 for details on the equipment
and “Simulating With an External Video and Audio Monitor” on page 547 for
information on using the Simulator.
Video Title Set (VTS) Editor Added
DVD Studio Pro 4 now includes a VTS Editor that allows you to view and control the
VTS structure of your project. Using the VTS Editor, you are now able to manually assign
elements to VTS blocks. This makes it possible for you to optimize the final DVD’s layout
so that when it’s played there are minimal pauses due to the player having to move
between elements in different parts of the disc.
Important: The order of elements in the Outline tab no longer affects the file structure
when building your project.
Additionally, DVD Studio Pro 4 will now automatically create additional VTS blocks as
needed to support menus with a variety of video and audio assets. For example, if you
have a main menu that uses an AC-3 audio asset and a second menu that uses an AIFF
audio asset, each menu is automatically placed in its own VTS.
See “VTS Editor” on page 588 for more information.
16 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
Improved General Purpose Register Memory (GPRM) Usage
When creating scripts, you may find that you could use an additional GPRM or two.
DVD Studio Pro provides access to eight 16-bit GPRM registers, but you don’t always
need the full 16-bits of a register.
DVD Studio Pro 4 allows you to increase the number of GPRM registers by partitioning
one or more of them into smaller sizes. For example, you could choose to partition
GPRM 1 into four 4-bit registers. This makes it possible to greatly increase the usable
number of GRPMs available when creating your scripts.
See “Configuring GPRM Partitions” on page 505 for more information.
Improved Motion Integration
DVD Studio Pro 4 can now support specialized markers added to your Motion projects.
These markers can define the loop point when creating a motion menu and the
transition switch point when creating Alpha Transitions. See the Motion User Manual, in
the Motion Help menu, for more information.
AC-3 Encoding Added to Compressor
Compressor now includes the ability to encode Dolby Digital AC-3 audio files. You can
encode uncompressed audio assets containing from 1 to 5.1 channels using the
Compressor batch and preset capabilities. See the Compressor User Manual, in the
Compressor Help menu, for more information.
Compressor Includes Distributed Encoding
DVD Studio Pro 4 includes an enhanced version of Compressor that supports
distributed encoding. Distributed encoding allows you to spread the encoding
workload among several computers, which can greatly speed up the process. See the
Compressor User Manual, in the Compressor Help menu, for more information.
Support for Additional Digital Theatre Systems (DTS) Audio Formats
You can now use DTS ES audio that has up to 6.1 channels, as well as audio that uses a
96 kHz sample rate and a 24-bit sample size.
Important: All DTS audio imported into DVD Studio Pro must use the compacted file
format, with a “.cpt” file extension.
See “DTS Audio” on page 79 for more information.
Dual-Layer Break Points Can Be Set in DVD-ROM Area
In those dual-layer projects that have more DVD-ROM content than DVD-Video
content, you can now set the break point within the ROM content.
See “Setting the Break Point With Large DVD-ROM Contents” on page 578 for
more information.
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 17
Menu Loop Point Feature Improved
You are now able to use the menu loop point feature with any motion menu, even
those with drop zones, text items, and buttons with video assets. Additionally, you can
now use a script to jump to a menu’s loop point. When configuring the Jump
command, an option has been added to the Script Inspector that allows you to jump
directly to a menu’s loop point rather than the start point.
See “Jumping to a Menu’s Loop Point” on page 509 for an example and “Configuring
Motion Menu Settings” on page 282 for information on setting the loop point.
Moving From iDVD to DVD Studio Pro
The Apple entry-level DVD authoring application is iDVD. It allows you to create simple
DVD-Video titles with some of the most popular features found in Hollywood-style
releases, without having to know any technical details about the process. The interface
and feature set are configured to make the process nearly foolproof.
Eventually, however, you will find yourself requiring features beyond those that iDVD
offers. DVD Studio Pro gives you access to a wide range of professional features
outlined in the DVD specification:
• Support for multiple video, audio, and subtitle streams, making it easy to create discs
that support multiple languages or add features such as a director’s commentary
• Additional menu functionality. For example, you can create and add up to 36
buttons, control the navigation between them, and have more flexibility when
assigning their functions.
• Alternate ways to play back movies. You can use the DVD Studio Pro story feature to
control how a movie plays.
• Support for web interactivity. You can embed links to websites or other documents
into your DVD title.
• Many advanced features supported by the DVD specification, such as dual-layer discs
and copy protection
DVD Studio Pro offers several workflows and work styles for creating DVD projects,
including templates and the drag-and-drop method used within iDVD. This makes
DVD Studio Pro easy to learn while still providing the advanced features you need.
Important: See “Importing iDVD Projects and Themes” on page 629 for information on
importing iDVD projects.
18 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
About Standard and High Definition DVDs
Standard definition (SD) DVDs provided most viewers with their first digital video
experience. The great video quality, interactive menus, and surround sound audio
found on current DVDs set a high standard for viewer expectations. Meanwhile, the
establishment of high definition (HD) video format standards and the increasing
availability of HD broadcasts have led to more and more viewers having HD video
monitors, and even higher expectations for DVDs.
These expectations, along with the development of improved compression
technologies and a blue laser technology that greatly increases a disc’s storage
capacity, have led to the ability of recording HD video onto a DVD.
But I Thought DVDs Were Already High Definition?
In addition to traditional 4:3 aspect ratio video, traditional DVDs support widescreen
16:9 video, which is often mistaken for being high definition. The 16:9 video used on
current DVDs, however, is the same resolution as the 4:3 video, which is the same as
the standard NTSC and PAL broadcast resolutions. The 16:9 video must be anamorphic,
which makes it appear horizontally squashed when viewed on a 4:3 monitor.
This leads to a logical next question—what constitutes high definition video? While
most HD video formats use a 16:9 aspect ratio, what generally defines whether they are
HD or not is the resolution.
Video resolutions that result in more pixels per frame than are used in SD-based DVDs
are considered high definition. There are two common HD vertical resolutions: 720 lines
and 1080 lines (used for both NTSC and PAL). These compare to NTSC’s 480 lines and
PAL’s 576 lines for SD video.
As with SD-based DVDs, the scanning method used on HD-based DVDs can be
interlaced, with a video frame containing one field with the odd lines and another field
with the even lines, or progressive, where each frame is complete. Not all HD formats
support progressive scanning, however. See “Supported Video Resolutions” on page 21
for details on supported SD and HD video formats, including frame rates and
scanning methods.
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 19
About DVD Studio Pro 4 and HD Resolution DVDs
In addition to supporting standard definition (SD) format video DVDs, DVD Studio Pro 4
now supports creating high definition (HD) format video DVDs.
With the exception of support for HD video resolutions and the number of buttons on
menus and button over video subtitles, HD projects in DVD Studio Pro 4 have the same
limits as SD projects.
There are two aspects to creating DVDs with HD content: what you can put into the
DVD video zone and the DVD disc media.
DVD Video Zone With HD Content
While the contents of the DVD video zone for an HD-based DVD (HVDVD_TS) are
similar to those of an SD-based DVD video zone (VIDEO_TS), there are some important
differences:
• HD-based DVDs support a broad range of video resolutions, including most of those
used in SD-based DVDs. See “Supported Video Resolutions” on page 21 for a
complete list of supported resolutions.
• In addition to supporting SD MPEG-2 video encodes, HD-based DVDs support HD
MPEG-2 and H.264 video encodes. These are discussed in “HD Video Assets” on
page 22.
Blue Laser Disc Media
Due to the improved video resolution possible with HD video, the encoded video files
for HD resolution DVDs can be larger than those used with SD resolution DVDs. For that
reason, a media format based on a blue laser was designed specifically for DVD projects
containing HD video. See the following table for a comparison of SD and HD disc sizes.
Disc Red laser capacity Blue laser capacity
Single-sided, single-layer 4.7 GB 15 GB
Single-sided, dual-layer 8.54 GB 30 GB
In addition to blue laser based DVD media, an HD project’s DVD video zone can be
written to DVD media based on the red lasers used by traditional DVDs. (The obvious
limitation is that you will not be able to fit as much video data on the disc.)
Important: SD-based DVD players are not able to play DVD projects containing HD
content, whether they are on red or blue laser media. Additionally, only HD projects on
special 3x DVD-ROM red laser media are officially supported in the HD DVD
specification. You can burn HD projects to traditional red laser media on your system;
however, the discs might not play in all HD DVD players.
20 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
Supported Video Resolutions
All video resolutions supported by SD-based DVDs are also supported by HD-based
DVDs. This means that an HD-based DVD can use an HD video resolution for the main
feature, then use an SD video resolution for extras. The following list includes the SD
and HD video resolutions supported by DVD Studio Pro 4.
Note: MPEG-1 encoded video files are not supported in HD projects.
NTSC
Frame rates with an “i” indicate the interlaced scanning method; those with a “p”
indicate the progressive scanning method.
Resolution Frame rate Aspect ratio Notes
352 x 240 29.97i 4:3 Also known as SIF format
352 x 480 29.97i 4:3 Also known as 1/2 D1
704 x 480 29.97i 4:3, 16:9 Also known as Cropped D1; 16:9 is anamorphic
720 x 480 29.97i 4:3, 16:9 Also known as Full D1; 16:9 is anamorphic
720 x 480 59.94p 16:9 HD only, also known as 480p; is anamorphic
1280 x 720 59.94p 16:9 HD only, also known as 720p
1440 x 1080 29.97i 16:9 HD only; 16:9 is anamorphic
1920 x 1080 29.97i 16:9 HD only, also known as 1080i
PAL
Frame rates with an “i” indicate the interlaced scanning method; those with a “p”
indicate the progressive scanning method.
Resolution Frame rate Aspect ratio Notes
352 x 288 25i 4:3 Also known as SIF format
352 x 576 25i 4:3 Also known as 1/2 D1
704 x 576 25i 4:3, 16:9 Also known as Cropped D1; 16:9 is anamorphic
720 x 576 25i 4:3, 16:9 Also known as Full D1; 16:9 is anamorphic
720 x 576 50p 16:9 HD only, also known as 576p; is anamorphic
1280 x 720 50p 16:9 HD only, also known as 720p
1440 x 1080 25i 16:9 HD only; 16:9 is anamorphic
1920 x 1080 25i 16:9 HD only, also known as 1080i
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 21
Using 24P Video Formats
Both SD and HD projects can use assets encoded at 24 fps (actually 23.98 fps), as long
as they are encoded specifically with NTSC or PAL flags set.
Video at 24 fps has two main advantages: It matches the film frame rate, and, in the
case of NTSC, provides much smaller files due to having six fewer frames per second.
See “Importing 24 fps Assets” on page 49 for more information.
HD Video Assets
There are a variety of sources for HD video assets to use in your HD projects, with the
most common being DVCPRO HD and HDV camcorders.
• With DVCPRO HD, once you have finished editing the video, the result will need to
be encoded to the HD MPEG-2 or H.264 video format.
• With HDV, which is already compliant MPEG-2 HD video, you can edit the video in
Final Cut Pro 5 and import the result directly in your HD projects.
DVD Studio Pro 4 supports HD video encoded using the HD MPEG-2 codec and the
H.264 codec. Both of these formats are playable with the Apple DVD Player. You can
use Compressor to encode video to either of these formats. When you import HD
resolution QuickTime video, such as DVCPRO HD video, into DVD Studio Pro, it is HD
MPEG-2 encoded using the embedded MPEG encoder.
Using HDV Assets
The HDV format uses MPEG-2 encoding to store HD video on a standard DV or Mini DV
tape. There are two video resolutions supported by the HDV format:
• 1280 x 720 (720p) at 19 Mbps
• 1440 x 1080 (1080i) at 25 Mbps (which is anamorphic 16:9)
Imported HDV assets have the video and audio separated into elementary streams (the
HDV format combines the video and audio into a single file), but are not otherwise
processed or converted.
Using H.264 Assets
You can use the H.264 for HD DVD presets included with Compressor to encode several
supported HD and SD video resolutions for use in your HD projects.
The H.264 encoder is twice as efficient as the standard MPEG-2 encoder. When
compared to encoding with MPEG-2, this means that with the H.264 encoder:
• You can use a lower bit rate to get the same quality, resulting in smaller files.
• You can use the same bit rate and get better quality with the same file size.
22 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
Using DVCPRO HD and Uncompressed HD Assets
Another source of HD assets for your HD projects is video encoded with the DVCPRO
HD compression types or uncompressed video. DVCPRO HD video, like DVCPRO SD
video, and uncompressed video cannot be used directly in your DVD Studio Pro
projects. You can import them, however, and DVD Studio Pro will automatically encode
them to compatible HD MPEG-2 assets using the embedded MPEG encoder. You can
also encode them to HD MPEG-2 or H.264 using Compressor or QuickTime.
Brief Overview of the DVD Creation Process
You can create many different styles of DVDs with DVD Studio Pro, from corporate
presentations to training materials to event videos to feature films. While the content
and structure of each style may vary considerably, they all use the same basic DVD
creation process.
Edit raw sources
• iMovie
• Final Cut Pro
• Final Cut Express
Other sources
• Motion
• Keynote
• LiveType
• Soundtrack
• Compressor
• iTunes
• iPhoto
Author the DVD with
DVD Studio Pro
Encode
assets.
Create
menus,
tracks,
slideshows.
Build and
format
the
project.
DLT
drive
DVD burner
(SuperDrive)
Duplication
facility
Replication
facility
There are four phases to the DVD creation process:
• Creating your source material
• Encoding audio and video to compatible formats
• Authoring your DVD title
• Building the project and creating your disc
It’s important to understand the entire process, and how DVD Studio Pro is used in the
process, before you begin your DVD projects.
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 23
Creating Source Material
The first part of the DVD creation process is to create or assemble your source material.
This might mean shooting video, recording voice or music tracks, designing graphics to
be included, and planning the general functionality of your project. If you are
converting an existing video program into a DVD, you may only need to gather your
original video and audio material and design graphics for the menus that will weave
them together.
You can use whatever tools you prefer for creating your video and audio material, as
long as the resulting files are compatible with the MPEG or H.264 encoder that you
plan to use. In most cases, your video and audio assets will be created and saved as
QuickTime movie files or in standard sound file formats like AIFF, WAVE, or
SoundDesigner II.
Your program material should be completely edited, including any special effects,
audio fades, and scene transitions, before you encode it.
Menu graphics can be still image files, multilayer Photoshop files, or full-motion video.
To create the menu graphics, you can use virtually any graphics program.
DVD Studio Pro includes extra support for Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files, taking
advantage of Photoshop’s “layers” feature to simplify the creation of backgrounds and
overlays. Also included is support for the menu loop point you can set in Motion.
If you plan to include alternate-language subtitles in your DVD project, you will want to
have your soundtrack transcribed and translated.
Quality In = Quality Out
The most important thing you can do when preparing your assets is to use the highestquality settings available. Any flaws in your material will be revealed on DVD much
more quickly than in any other medium.
Once they are encoded into a DVD-compliant format, DVD Studio Pro does not
improve or degrade the quality of your source material in any way; if you use highquality source materials, you’ll get high-quality results.
24 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
Here are some guidelines to help you maintain high quality.
• Capture and edit your video material at the same resolution that you will use on the
DVD (typically 720 x 480 at 29.97 frames per second [fps] for NTSC or 720 x 576 at
25 fps for PAL for SD-based DVDs).
• When recording and editing audio, use a 48 kilohertz (kHz) sample rate and no
compression. This assures the best quality whether you use the uncompressed audio
on the DVD or decide to use the Compressor AC-3 encoder to compress it.
Important: When creating DVDs, your audio must have either a 48 kHz or 96 kHz
sample rate. You cannot use the 44.1 kHz sample rate found on standard audio CDs.
In most cases, the DVD Studio Pro embedded AIFF encoder will convert your audio
to the correct sample rate if necessary.
• When saving video material to the QuickTime format, either specify no compression
(which requires a lot of disk space) or use a high-quality compression codec like DV
or Motion JPEG.
Encoding Video and Audio
Once you have created your source materials, they must be encoded to comply with
the DVD specification. DVD Studio Pro can use materials encoded using its embedded
MPEG and AIFF encoders, as well as materials encoded using the Apple Compressor
application and other methods.
What Is Needed for DVD?
Before video or audio material can be used on a DVD, it must be prepared in one of the
formats defined in the DVD specification. This usually means MPEG-2 format for video
and Dolby AC-3 format for audio files (although you can also use standard PCM audio
formats, such as AIFF files, DTS format files, and MPEG-1 Layer 2 formatted files).
SD projects also accept the older MPEG-1 video format, most commonly seen in webbased applications. Because MPEG-1 is about one quarter the resolution of MPEG-2
(352 x 240 as opposed to 720 x 480 for NTSC or 352 x 288 versus 720 x 576 for PAL) and
utilizes much lower data rates, the quality is significantly lower. However, MPEG-1 is
useful for very long programs if the picture quality is not of primary importance. Using
MPEG-1 encoding, you can fit many hours of material on a single DVD.
Important: You cannot use MPEG-1 formatted video assets in HD projects.
MPEG encoding performs extremely complex calculations on your source material to
determine what can be safely “thrown away” with minimal impact on the visual quality.
As a result, MPEG encoding can produce files that are less than ten percent the size of
the source files, while still looking great.
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 25
Using the DVD Studio Pro Tools
DVD Studio Pro includes embedded MPEG-2 and AIFF encoders. When you add a
QuickTime asset directly to your DVD Studio Pro project, it is automatically encoded to
be DVD-compliant. You can choose whether the asset is encoded in the background
while you continue authoring or whether the encode waits until you build your project.
Also included with DVD Studio Pro is Compressor, an encoding tool that provides
additional MPEG encoding configurations and can process batches of video and audio
clips in one step.
For many projects you will probably want to use a Dolby-certified AC-3 encoder (such
as the AC-3 encoder included with Compressor). An AC-3 encoder can be used to
encode multichannel surround soundtracks for inclusion on a DVD, as well as for stereo
or mono soundtracks. Using AC-3 encoded audio results in smaller files and a lower
playback bit rate. Uncompressed audio formats (PCM or AIFF) have significantly larger
file sizes and generally do not support specialized soundtrack formats, such as
surround channels.
Using Pre-Encoded Sources
There are many other available tools that produce MPEG and H.264 streams, including
software and hardware encoders. You can use any MPEG encoder you prefer, as long as
it creates DVD-compliant elementary streams. This means that the audio and video
information is contained in separate files (the streams).
Important: DVD Studio Pro cannot use MPEG multiplexed System, Program, or
Transport streams for DVD projects.
See “About MPEG Video” on page 54 for more information on DVD-compliant
requirements.
Authoring With DVD Studio Pro
You use DVD Studio Pro to orchestrate your video, audio, and graphics material into an
interactive DVD-Video title, complete with menus, buttons, subtitles, and alternate
languages or soundtracks.
DVD Studio Pro gives you complete control over every aspect of your DVD, and lets you
view its elements and simulate your DVD in real time as you create it.
You can easily create menus, add buttons, and specify the actions that occur when the
buttons are activated. You can define powerful linking and scripting functionality with
just a few clicks. And the Inspector gives you a complete picture of all the
characteristics of any item in your project.
26 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
Authoring in DVD Studio Pro consists of these basic steps:
Step 1: Set the DVD and video standard
You can use DVD Studio Pro to author traditional SD-based DVDs or HD-based DVDs
using either NTSC or PAL frame rates. It is important to set this before importing your
assets since these settings control what happens when QuickTime assets are imported.
Step 2: Import assets
Import your video, audio, graphics, and subtitle assets into DVD Studio Pro. If they are
not already DVD-compliant, the embedded MPEG encoder automatically encodes them.
Step 3: Create menus
Create one or more menus to define the structure and navigation of your DVD. The
menus can rely completely on the supplied templates and styles or can use your
own graphics.
Step 4: Add buttons to the menus
Add one or more buttons to your menus. The display mode (4:3, 16:9 Letterbox, and so
on) and DVD standard (SD DVD or HD DVD) determine the maximum number of
buttons each menu can have. Each button can initiate a wide variety of actions, the
most common being to open a different menu, play a track, or run a script. This
hierarchy of menus and buttons gives you tremendous flexibility in constructing an
“interactive” program in which the viewer has numerous options to choose from.
Step 5: Create tracks and slideshows
Create one or more tracks, each consisting of one or more video streams, audio streams,
subtitle streams, chapter markers, and stories. Create one or more slideshows, each
consisting of still images and, optionally, audio. Tracks and slideshows can also be created
by dragging assets to the Menu Editor and choosing options from the Drop Palette.
Step 6: Link the project elements
Set up the various actions and links that will make your project work as it should when
viewed. For example, you can set what happens when a DVD player first starts playing
the disc, what happens when a track finishes playing, and what happens if the player
sits idle at a menu for a specific amount of time.
Step 7: Simulate your project
View your elements and test your project as you go using the real-time DVD Simulator
built in to DVD Studio Pro. This process allows you to verify the links between the
project elements.
Step 8: Build and burn your project
Build the completed project and either send it to a replication facility or burn a DVD on
your own system.
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 27
Creating a Disc
Creating a disc involves two steps: building the DVD-formatted video zone (VIDEO_TS
for SD-based DVDs and HVDVD_TS for HD-based DVDs) and formatting it for how you
intend to deliver it.
Building the Video Zone
When you build your SD-based DVD project, a set of files is created and stored on your
hard disk in a folder named “VIDEO_TS” (video title set). The contents and structure of
this folder is strictly defined by the DVD specification. HD projects store their files in a
folder named “HVDVD_TS.”
When you build your project within DVD Studio Pro, it combines all the material you’ve
included (video, audio, and subtitles for the menus and tracks) into a single stream and
writes it to this special folder. Using DVD Player, which is included with your operating
system, you can open and play the contents of this folder, just as if it were on a DVD disc.
Formatting and Burning
Depending on the quantity of DVD discs you need, you can:
• Burn one or more DVDs on your system (if properly equipped). This is a quick way to
create a test disc.
Note: You cannot add high-end features such as copy protection.
• Send a burned disc to a duplicator who can burn additional copies for you. This allows
you to create more discs than you would want to burn on your own system at a
lower cost than using a replicator. Since the copies are based on a disc you burn on
your system, the duplicated discs have the same restrictions as when you burn on
your system.
• Prepare suitable files to send to a DVD replication facility. Use a replicator to make
copies that are compatible with all DVD players, to create larger quantities of discs,
and to include specialized features not supported by your system’s DVD burner.
If you are using a DVD replication facility, you can deliver your project to the facility in
several ways:
• DLT: Digital Linear Tape (DLT) is the preferred method for sending a DVD project to a
DVD replication facility. DVD Studio Pro supports writing directly to a DLT drive. DLT
is well suited to transporting DVD projects because of its reliability and very
high capacity.
• DVD-R: Many DVD replicators accept DVD-R discs for replication. There are special
requirements if you want to include high-end features such as dual-layer and copy
protection. See “DVD Burners” on page 30 for more information on using DVD-R
discs for replication, including information about the Cutting Master Format (CMF).
28 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
What Makes a DVD Authoring System?
The DVD Studio Pro installation booklet lists the minimum hardware and software
requirements necessary for using DVD Studio Pro to build DVD titles. However, you may
find you need additional items beyond the minimum requirements to make up your
DVD authoring system. Depending on the types of DVD titles you intend to create, your
DVD authoring system can be an off-the-shelf Power Mac G4 with a SuperDrive, or a
specialized system with additional drives and hardware.
Hard Disk Storage
No matter what sort of titles you intend to create, you will be working with very large files.
You should have at least twice as much hard disk storage space as the size of your
project. (For DVD-5, for example, which can hold about 4.4 GB, you need 4.4 GB for the
MPEG-2 encoded asset files and another 4.4 GB to hold the built, or compiled, project.
An HD project can require about 60 GB to hold the asset and built project. Original
asset files, such as DV format video, require much more space than the MPEG-2
encoded versions used in your DVD project.) For best build performance, dedicate two
or three Ultra Wide A/V or FireWire hard disks to your project. (Make sure they contain
only your media and no other programs that might fragment the disk and decrease
performance.) If you have three disks, use one for video assets, one for audio assets,
and the third for the finished files. If you have two disks, use one for source assets and
one for final files.
SCSI Devices
Depending on your needs, you may need to add external devices—such as hard disks
and DLT drives—that require SCSI support.
To use SCSI devices, you must either have your Mac properly equipped when ordering
it, or add a third-party SCSI PCI card to your existing desktop computer. Contact your
Apple Authorized Reseller or see the Support area of the Apple website for a list of
suggested SCSI cards and devices.
Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4 29
DVD Burners
Being able to burn a DVD is useful for both proofing your titles on set-top DVD players
and burning the finished project (when only a small number of discs are required). You
can also burn a disc for a duplication or replication facility to use as a master when
larger quantities are needed.
You cannot burn discs that support Macrovision copy-protection or Content
Scrambling System (CSS) encryption. These must be created at a replication facility.
Note: For best results, it is recommended that you supply the replication facility a DLT
tape instead of a DVD-R. Be sure to confirm with the facility what formats it supports.
When choosing a DVD burner for your system, you have the option of using an Apple
SuperDrive or other drives. Your choice depends in part on which media you want to
use: whether you intend to burn on red laser or blue laser media and, in the case of
red laser burners, whether to use general or authoring media.
Note: You cannot burn SD projects to blue laser media.
General Versus Authoring Media
The first drives created to write DVD-R discs used a special red laser and expensive
media, now known as authoring media drives. The most common DVD-R drives,
however, use a less expensive red laser and media. Such drives are known as general
media drives.
Red laser DVD-R drives can write to either general or authoring media—not both. The
SuperDrive supplied with many Apple systems supports only general media. To use
authoring media, you need to connect a special DVD-R drive.
Important: Be sure you write only to media supported by your drive. If the media is not
labeled either general or authoring, it was likely manufactured before the existence of
general drives, and can be assumed to be authoring-compatible.
The type of media you use only affects the writing of the disc. Both types of DVD-R
drives and most DVD-ROM drives and set-top DVD players can read and play both
general and authoring media.
For most projects, there is no significant difference between a DVD created using general
or authoring drives and discs. However, if you intend to use a replicator and require highend features such as dual-layer discs, Macrovision copy-protection, region support, and
CSS data encryption, you must use authoring media with an authoring drive.
30 Preface An Introduction to DVD Studio Pro 4
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