• "iMovie 3 Solutions: Tips, Tricks and Special Effects" Sybex Books, June 2003.
  "Digital Video Essentials" Sybex Books, January 2003
  
• "Digital Photography Essentials" Sybex Books, September 2002
  

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Recordable DVD FAQ

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Recordable DVD FAQ

Updated 10 March 2002

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
  1. MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECORDABLE DVDS
  2. RESOURCES
  3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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1. MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECORDABLE DVD
   
   There are always a few questions that arise again and again, 
   and to save you some time, we've included them here in
   this mini-FAQ.
   
     1. How do I get started?
     
        To begin recording your own DVDs you'll need a recordable
        drive, some recordable DVD blanks, source video and an authoring
        program. 
        
        Drive: Expect to pay $250-$450 for an internal drive, although
        prices are dropping rapidly.
        
        Recordable Blanks: Expect to pay between $0.70 and $8.00 per
        blank, depending on the vendor, the speed (1x, 2x, etc) and
        the type (-RW, +RW, -R)        
        
        Creating a DVD involves the following step:
        
        * Compressing your video to MPEG-2 format
        * Authoring menus and interactive elements
        * Burning the DVD
        
     2. What's the difference between DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW?

        DVD-R and DVD-RW were developed by the DVD Forum 
        (www.dvdforum.com), formed in August 1997 and including
        companies such as Aiwa, DaeWoo, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Hyundai, 
        Nikon, Sampo, Sony and Pioneer. DVD+RW was developed by
        the DVD+RW Alliance (http://www.dvdrw.com/) as a competing
        standard.  Members include Dell, Hewlett-Packard Company, 
        MCC/Verbatim, Philips Electronics, Ricoh Company Ltd. and
        Sony Corporation. DVD+RW offers some nice features that
        techies prefer, but may turn out to be the "betamax" of
        DVD recordable technology.
     
     3. What software or hardware should I use to compress, author and 
        burn DVDs
     
        DVD-Studio Pro and Reel DVD offer a couple of the highest-end 
        authoring packages. Consumers will generally turn to Ulead Movie 
        Factory and Apple iDVD (and iDVD 2) instead. Nero now does 
        offers some DVD support and Ulead just introduced the new $300 
        DVD Workshop that falls strongly into the prosumer market. DVD
        Workshop still has some kinks and bugs, but shows promise for
        the under-$1000 crowd. I've had little success with DVDit and
        MyDVD.
        
     4. Will my recordable DVD play back in my DVD player?
     
        Check out the DVD player compatibility list at VCDHelp
        http://www.vcdhelp.com/dvdplayers.php

     5. Can I burn data files onto a recordable DVD blank?
     
        Sure. I do it all the time. Just don't burn more than 4G
        per disc.
     
     6. What standalone recordable DVD units are available? 
     
        A recent check for units available in the US shows:
     
        * Pioneer PRV-9000, DVR-7000, DVR-2000 (DVD-R/W)
        * Phillips DVDR-1000, DVDR-1500. (DVD+RW)
        * Panasonic DMR-E20, DMR-E30, DMR-HSW (with hard drive) (DVD-R/W)
        
        Note: These things are *expensive*!! However, some of the
        features are great. For example, on the $1800 DVDR-1000, 
        you can hook up a digital camera via a built-in 1394 
        (Firewire/iLink) port directly on the recorder. Also,
        more and cooler units are available in Japan where early 
        adopters are more common. I just sprang for a $500-ish E20
        and have been very pleased. Terapin should be introducing
        a similarly priced DVD recorder sometime soon.
        
     7. Can I mass duplicate my recorded DVDs? 
     
        Probably. Don't confuse recordable DVD with DVD Glass Masters.
        (The latter generally costs about $500-$1000 to make). Some 
        duplication services are starting to appear. Wait and see...
     
     8. How else can I transfer my home movies to DVD?
     
        For $30-$40, several service bureaus now offer to transfer 2 hours
        of home video to recordable DVD. Check google to find specific 
        vendors.
     
     9. Is DVD an archival format for video? (yet?)
     
        No.  When you archive, you want to store your material to retain 
        the highest quality for possible future technologies. The high 
        MPEG-2 compression makes recordable DVD unsuitable for archiving. 
        However, if all you want to do is make a DVD that will sit around
        and be enjoyed, go ahead and do so. But keep copies on DV tape as
        well. You never know when a format will die.
        
    10. Can I burn VCD/SVCD to a recordable DVD?
    
        Apparently so. See http://www.vcdhelp.com/vcddvdr.htm


2. RESOURCES

      1. VCDhelp.com
         If you want to know everything about VCD and DVD-R, stop by 
         http://www.vcdhelp.com. It offers all the info you need
         to know, including DVD compatibility, how-to, tips and
         so forth. 
         
      2. Jim Taylor's DVD Demystified DVD FAQ
         Promoting the DVD Demystified Book, this site, found at
         http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html offers a wide
         range of DVD and VCD help topics.

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

   This FAQ owes much to John Novak of rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan.
   Parts of this FAQ have been extracted and osterized from the 
   rec.photo.digital and rec.video.desktop welcome FAQs. 
   
   Please send any updates, corrections and suggestions for this 
   FAQ to Erica Sadun, erica@mindspring.com