Re: DVD chapters

I am producing a 130 minute DVD. The client wants chapters and I'm familiar with how to do all of that work in FCP7 before bringing it in to compression and then DVD Studio Pro. My question is: do people usually create menus to go along with chapters?

Trying to keep down the amount of GB that will be used in the final production. I've heard that producing a 2-sided DVD has many issues connected with it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Margo

Margo,

You probably don't need to make a 2-sided DVD if it's only a 130 minute movie. Menus are not needed (templates) but they do add more professionalism to your finished product. Not sure what you consider a menu. I've always been under the impression that each "page" of a DVD was a menu. Of course you could have many chapters in your movie and they don't have to be seen in order to go to them once the movie starts playing. The client would have to know that they are there but will not be able to tell what part of the movie any of them will lead to. Compressor will easily put your 130 minute movie on a one-sided DVD and the quality should be good. Hope this helps.

Tom

Margo - if you're doing this for a client I would advise to check with them to see if they even need or want a menu. If you're pressed for space, you can always use a lower bit rate for the compression and make sure you use AC3 audio for the disc.

-DH

Thank you all for your input. This is really helpful for me. I appreciate it!

Margo

David Harbsmeier Wrote:
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> Margo - if you're doing this for a client I would
> advise to check with them to see if they even need
> or want a menu. If you're pressed for space, you
> can always use a lower bit rate for the
> compression and make sure you use AC3 audio for
> the disc.
>
> -DH

Problem is the end user of these files will not be able to up-res the media. IMHO it's always best to go with the highest quality,
looks more professional too.

Cheers
Alexander

Alexander - who said anything about the client wanting to up-res the media? It's a DVD: standard definition. The resolution will be the same no matter what the compression rate. The OP's question was about chapter markers.

-DH

David Harbsmeier Wrote:
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……. It's a DVD: standard
> definition. The resolution will be the same no
> matter what the compression rate……..
> -DH

Simply untrue. As a test, try different settings to create the m2v file and you will see a difference.
Yes DVD is SD but in there are many outcomes, depending on the encoder and it's settings.

Cheers
Alexander

Alexander - I think you may be confusing resolution with quality. If the video contains a lot of motion (e.g.: sports, action, etc.) then a higher bit rate will yield better quality but the resolution will still be SD. If the video is a talking head type shoot, then you can use a lower bit rate and still not suffer noticeable quality loss. Of course, the best way would be to create compression markers in the appropriate places of the video while still in FCP ... but the resolution will remain the same.

-DH

OK, for me, quality rules.

Cheers
Alexander