We accept Type III and Type IV tapes written on DLT 4000, DLT 7000, or DLT 8000 drives. Tapes written on DLT-1 drives can also be accepted if clearly labeled "DLT-1". We cannot accept tapes written on VS-80 or SDLT drives.

All DLT masters must be written without data compression, DDP 2.0 format, and must be written directly from your DVD authoring application.

We will accept a DVD as a master for VHS duplication if the DVD does not use a menu to initiate or navigate the content of the disc. Additionally, all content must be contained within a single VTS or track within the DVD.

For the best quality VHS duplication we advise you to supply your master in a quality professional format such as Digital Betacam, BetaSP, DVCAM, or mini-DV. Please consult your Product Specialist for details.

Yes. We accept 16x9 (anamorphic) video from any of the professional master formats we accept. Please indicate on the master that the program is 16x9 anamorphic.

Anamorphic refers to widescreen (16:9) video that has been horizontally squeezed to fit the NTSC standard 4:3 ratio. The video stream can be flagged during the MPEG encoding process to trigger the correct playback ratio from your DVD.

Video – Tape Formats:
Betacam (Beta) / Betacam SP (BetaSP) / Digital Betacam (DigiBeta) / Betacam SX (BetaSX) / MiniDV ( SP mode only ) / HDV / DV / DVCAM, SVHS and VHS – Masters must be submitted Non Drop-frame only

Supported Videotape formats at additional cost. Call for pricing:
3/4" / 1" / DVCPRO/D2, D3, D5/16mm, 35mm Film, Sony HDCAM/SR

Acceptable Digital formats:
Uncompressed digital video files HD and SD (AVI (Windows Media Codec), Quicktime) on CDR, DVD-R, or Firewire Hard Drive. DVD Video can be used but may not yield acceptable results.
PAL to NTSC conversion at additional cost
*All sources must be edited to the following specifications to ensure proper encoding and avoid additional charges.

Specifications:
Program start should be set to 01:00:00:00
:30 seconds black
1:00 SMPTE Bars (full field)/ and 1k Tone at –12db or –18db (please note on paperwork)
:30 seconds of black before the start of your program.
Program Material
1:00 of black (at the tail of the program).

*All tapes are encoded as is with no additional color correction or audio enhancement. Masters not set up using the above specifications may result in additional charges.

Down conversion from HD to SD (Standard Definition) means that you will be reducing the resolution of your video or film from 720/1080 to a 480 SD DVD. This does not mean it will reduce the quality. Your video will still be high quality SD, but you shouldn't expect it to be the resolution of your HD master. When viewing your SD DVD on an HD set, you will likely notice a reduction in resolution, but no more than any other SD DVD.

Strictly speaking, no. Copy protection (CSS and/or Macrovision) for a DVD requires a master supplied on DLT, which has been flagged for copy protection by the author. DVD+/-R media does not support the required flags. If your project will require copy protection we advise you to address the issue with your DVD authoring facility at the outset of your project. Disc Makers' authoring services include full support for both CSS and Macrovision copy protection.

However, we have been successful in re-authoring some customer's DVD projects to include copy protection. We do charge for this service, and in most cases there are no cost savings over our normal DVD authoring rates. While the image quality of the supplied video is retained, we must recreate all the programming functions and recreate menu highlights, and as a result we cannot guarantee your new master will be identical to your source DVD. This service should be considered a last resort.

Yes, we can author a new DVD master with menus, in the context of our Deluxe DVD authoring package. We would simply use the video from your DVD in lieu of any video that we would otherwise encode from tape. The downside to this approach is that we are unable to make any changes to video supplied in this manner. If you are satisfied with the quality of the video on your DVD, then this approach is generally successful. In this same manner we can create a new DVD from multiple DVD sources when needed.

Region codes are very simple in concept. A DVD can be set to be playable in single and/or multiple regions during the authoring stage. DVD players sold in a particular region will only accept DVDs authorized for that region. Below is a chart outlining the 8 region codes defined in the DVD specification.

Region #	Countries included in region
1	U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
2	Japan, Europe, South Africa and Middle East (including Egypt)
3	Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
4	Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
5	Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
6	China
7	Reserved
8	Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)

Region codes exist for the benefit of the owner or distributor of a DVD title, and they protect the rights of a distributor in one region from encroachment by a distributor from another region. The region code is an entirely separate issue from the underlying video standard of a DVD. As a final note on the subject, it is important to remember that region codes can only be set during the authoring process, not during manufacturing. Be sure to consult your author prior to completion of your master.

Video that is intended for viewing on a television, whether on a tape, a DVD, or delivered via satellite or cable, needs to meet the standards of the country in which it will be viewed. In North America, that is NTSC, ( National Television System Committee ). NTSC video is 29.97 frames per second or fps, at a size of 720x486. The NTSC standard is also used in other countries including Japan, South Korea, and most of Central and South America. You will notice that does not include Europe, China, Australia, and most other Asian countries. These areas use another standard known as PAL ( Phase Alternation Line ). PAL video is 25 fps, at a size of 768x576. Based on the NTSC system, it was modified to avoid color distortion. Broadcast started in 1967. There is a third standard called SECAM, ( Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire ). There is no SECAM DVD. Countries using the SECAM standard use PAL for DVDs.

In short, no. But we have prepared the following information to help you judge the best format or formats for your project. Computer playback – Fortunately, any computer that can playback a DVD- video will be able to use both NTSC and PAL. Most PAL DVD players will read NTSC discs – there are two parts to this equation: the DVD player and the TV. Nearly all PAL DVD players will read NTSC DVDs, and output some interpretation of the signal to the TV. Most, but not all modern PAL televisions can display this signal, but you will not achieve 100% perfect playback for all your viewers. A common complaint is the loss of color information resulting in black and white playback. PAL and SECAM are nearly identical – in areas concerning DVD we will treat SECAM as PAL.

NTSC DVD players will not read PAL discs – with the exception of a few specialty players, North American NTSC DVD players do not play PAL discs, period. If you are planning on importing a European video program to the US, plan on a complete rebuild of the project, staring with the video source.

A PAL DVD cannot be directly converted to NTSC – It is important to understand that it is not the physical DVD that is in one format or another, it is the underlying video content. As described above, the differences between NTSC and PAL video are in the image size and the frame rate. To create the NTSC, one has to start with an NTSC video source and the menu assets for the DVD, and then re-author the project from the ground up. This often means taking the original PAL video (tape) master and having a professional standards conversion done. Disc Makers offers this service at an additional cost.

Yes. We can add web links, email links and links to files that are included on your DVD when we are authoring a Deluxe DVD package (these links will only be active when the DVD is viewed on a computer). The user may need to install a small software program prior to the first use of these links, which we include on any web-enabled DVD master that we author. We cannot add web links to projects that we have not authored at Disc Makers.

In answer to both these questions we have prepared this table for your reference.

Disc	Capacity (GB)	Capacity (video minutes)	Sides	Layers
DVD-5	4.7	133	1	1
DVD-9	8.5	240	1	2
DVD-10	9.4	266	2	2

Please note that the two-sided DVD-10 is somewhat rare, and there is no interactivity between one side and the other.

Yes, we are accepting Dual Layer (DL) DVD+R masters for projects that do not require copy protection. Please note that this recordable format is relatively new, and we have experienced a slightly higher rejection rate at our plant for DL masters. We advise you to use great care in preparing your DL master and be sure your DVD authoring software fully supports burning to Dual Layer recordable media.

DVDs support several configurations of audio, including mono, stereo and "surround". Mono or stereo audio may be uncompressed PCM (equivalent to CD audio) or Dolby Digital format for audio data compression also known as AC-3. Multi-channel or surround audio is supported via Dolby Digital in several configurations, most commonly 5.1. The 5.1 configuration consists of Left, Center, and Right speakers in front, and Left Surround and Right Surround speakers placed on the sides of the listener.

Disc Makers can accept discrete WAV or AIFF files for authoring DVDs with surround audio. Please have your audio technician contact our authoring department for details. Contact your Product Specialist for a custom quote if your authoring project will include surround audio.

MPEG-2 is an alternative compression format for audio, which may include multiple channels like Dolby Digital. However, MPEG-2 is not included in the specifications for NTSC DVD players, though some players in fact do support the format. But the format is considered "out-of-spec" for North America, so we have to reject any DVD master which uses this as the primary audio format.

Tech Tip: Prior to authoring your DVD project, check the default parameters for your encoding or authoring software to disable MPEG-2 audio, which seems to be the default for a small handful of software packages on the market today.

While a good rule of thumb is that it takes about two gigabytes to store one hour of average video, the amount of video a DVD can hold depends on the amount of audio and the type of audio/video compression, as well as the associated audio tracks, menu complexity, and additional material. This means that a DVD-5, DVD-R, or DVD+R can hold up to about 130 minutes of high-quality digital video with standard bit-rate and a 48kHz audio stream. However, if the DVD has only one audio track, it can hold over 160 minutes at excellent quality. DVD-9 will hold about 4 hours of video, whereas a DVD-18 can hold about 8 hours of high-quality video. A single DVD-18 can hold a whole library of VHS-quality material – about 30 hours' worth!

We can accept your master on one of the following formats: VHS, SVHS, DVCAM, MiniDV, DVCPro, Beta SP, digital Beta, 1 inch (type C), D2, D3, DVD-R, DVD+R, HDV and Beta SX. For DVD-9 with copy protection, you must supply two DLT masters (layer 0 and layer 1) or for DVD-9 without copy protection a DVD-DL can be supplied. DLT is also acceptable for DVD-5 and DVD-10. Any project requiring CSS or Macrovision copy protection must be authored as such and must be submitted on DLT. All DLT masters must include DDP files. Projects with copy protection authored with DVD Studio Pro can be supplied on a DVD-R provided it’s formatted as a DDP. Call for details. DVD-ReWritable (DVD-RW) discs should not be used for making DVD masters.

Authoring and encoding are the most important factors impacting on compatibility (see below). Besides this, there are three other important things to keep in mind to maximize your disc's compatibility:

1. Media. Not all DVD players can play duplicated (write-once) DVD-Rs and DVD+Rs. For maximum compatibility, consider having the discs replicated instead (see below).

2. Regional encoding. Motion picture studios often want to control the home release of movies in different countries to guarantee the exclusivity of local distribution rights, and because of release timing: a movie may come out on DVD in one country when it's just hitting screens in another. Region locks generally only apply to replicated DVDs, and they are entirely optional for the maker of a disc.

3. Video format standards. Different countries have different formats for their television systems. The United States and Latin American countries use the 525/60 NTSC standard, whereas most other nations use the 625/50 PAL format. Although the MPEG video on DVD is stored in digital format, it is formatted for one of the two mutually incompatible television systems; therefore, there are two kinds of DVDs: "NTSC DVDs" and "PAL DVDs." (Some countries use the SECAM format, which shares the same scanning format with PAL, so discs are the same for both systems.) The differences between NTSC and PAL DVDs lie in their picture dimensions and pixel aspect ratio (720x480 NTSC vs. 720x576 PAL), display frame rate (29.97 frames per second NTSC vs. 25 fps PAL), and surround audio options (Dolby Digital NTSC vs. MPEG audio for PAL). Over 95% of DVD players worldwide can play NTSC discs (with Dolby Digital audio), although the quality of video conversion varies. However, PAL discs will not work on most NTSC players. Some PCs can output converted video as a video signal for a TV, but other PCs can only display converted video on the computer monitor.

Try to test your title on a range of equipment, including earlier generation devices that may not be as broadly compatible as current generation equipment. Filmmakers wishing maximum compatibility may want to opt for DVD replication rather than duplication, to avoid using regional encoding, and to create MPEG video with the NTSC standard. Due to the multiple formats involved with compression, test as many playback platforms as possible. Once you determine your media, regional encoding, and video format, it is important to state these specifications on your package labeling.

There are many products that enable the producer to author his or her own DVD, including Apple's DVD Studio Pro for Mac and ULead's DVD Movie Factory for PC; there are other fine ones from Apple (including iDVD), (Pinnacle Impression DVD-Pro), Sonic (DVDit!) and Avid (XPress DV). Even entry level digital video editing tools often include sophisticated video transitions, audio effects, titling capabilities, and a variety of video output formats. Higher-end tools for broadcast production or professional DVD creation cost thousands rather than hundreds of dollars. Since competition is fierce in this segment of the software industry, it is important to keep up to date on new products and developments and to read software reviews such as those at sites such as Digital Producer (www.digitalproducer.com) and Digital Video magazine (www.dv.com).

Considering the time it takes to shoot and edit a film, it may not be worth your while to spend several additional weeks on the encoding, authoring, and formatting. The premastering, creation of a suitable interface, testing and review can take hundreds of hours of preparation time, not including self-education and trial-and-error. If your project includes complex elements, it may be worthwhile to consult with someone more experienced, particularly if you are producing your first DVD. Multimedia specialists such as those at Disc Makers can turn your video presentations into an interactive DVD with customized menu options and user-friendly navigation, and they can help you add the following elements to your DVD:

• Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio encoding
• Widescreen video encoding
• Engaging Interfaces (such as full-motion, interactive menus; direct-access navigation to chapters and tracks;
  hidden "Easter Egg" features; and links to your website and online sales tools)
• Copyright protection systems
• Regional encoding
• Multiple audio tracks
• Commentary tracks

If you have any questions about the authoring process, or for pricing, call Disc Makers’ help line at 1-800-237-6666.

Replicated discs such as DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, and DVD-18, which are sometimes called "pressed" discs, begin with a process called glass mastering. During glass mastering, a stamper containing the data is created, which is then used to injection-mold the discs. These "pressed" discs have their data encoded as a series of microscopic indentations molded directly into the disc surface. The resulting disc is only half of a finished DVD and is half as thick as a normal disc. The process is then repeated to make the other half of the disc. The two disc halves are then metallized, usually with aluminum, which gives the discs their silver color. The process is completed when the two halves are bonded together to create one complete DVD. Artwork is silk-screened onto the disc after manufacturing. The replication process takes place in a manufacturing facility and is how all retail-ready products are produced. Replicated discs have virtually 100% compatibility with DVD playback devices. Recordable DVDs (DVD-R and DVD+R) differ from replicated DVDs in that their data is not stored as actual indentations, but as laser marks made by burning tiny holes in the dye layer of the DVD-R media. DVDs created this way are called “duplicated” as opposed to "replicated" discs.

In general, it is more cost-effective to duplicate DVDs onto recordable media for runs under 300 units, and to replicate them onto DVD-5's or DVD-9's (like most commercial DVD releases) if printing more than 300. However, there are other advantages and disadvantages of each method of production:

Advantages and drawbacks of DVD Replication:
• Greatest consistency of production; the manufacturer goes from the glass master, replicated from your supplied master.
  Also offers most consistency of playability from player to player.
• Most cost-effective over a few hundred units
• More packaging options become cost-effective, such as DVDigipaks and Amaray-style cases with shrinkwrap and barcoding, which widens possibilities
  of retail distribution for your product.
• More options for larger capacity; a DVD-9 can hold as much data as two DVD-Rs.
• Small runs (under around 500 units) are less cost-effective due to set-up costs.
• Replication runs under 1000 take slightly longer to produce than duplication, although some manufacturers such as Disc Makers have the capability of
  providing fast service.

Advantages and drawbacks of DVD-R Duplication:
• Professional-looking graphic design and printing are available even in short runs.
• More cost-effective below 300 pieces, all the way down to 10 pieces.
• Extremely fast turnaround times for short runs, which can be done in-house with affordable DVD±R duplication systems like the Disc Makers Elite.
• Depending on the quality of the blank media, this process results in slightly less consistency of playability from player to player.
• Compatibility: Currently about 90% of standalone players can handle DVD-Rs or DVD+Rs, and this number is increasing.
• Not as robust as a pressed and screen-printed DVD and is more susceptible to damage from handling and environmental contaminants.
• Becomes less cost-effective at runs over 300 units.

One compromise might be to do some of each – duplicate a small quantity for quick-turn needs such as promotion or testing, and replicate the rest as a commercial run. Disc Makers offers both replicated and duplicated DVDs, and your product specialist will be happy to advise you on the proper format for your needs. Another option is to purchase a DVD±R duplicator to handle your short-run duplication needs in-house quickly, and then send your large runs out to a replicator. Call us at 1-800-237-6666.

This decision depends on the intended end-use of the disc. CPSA (content protection system architecture) is the name given to the overall framework for security and access control across the entire DVD family. These include analog systems such as Macrovision, "serial" copy protection (CGMS), and Content Scrambling System (CSS). None of these copy-protection schemes will stop well-equipped pirates, and including them will add to the cost of replication. In addition, many DVD manufacturing plants require you to supply a DLT master in order to provide you with CSS or region coding.

We accept subtitle files that conform to either of these formats:
• STL: The Spruce Technologies subtitle format
• SON: The Sonic Solutions bitmap-based format
NOTE: we cannot add subtitles to 24P video.

Submission requirements:
Source tapes must be non-drop frame (29.97) and the program timecode must match the timecode in the subtitle file(s). Source timecode must begin at 00:00:00:00. This is different from our normal tape setup requirements, but to ensure proper subtitle importing, source video submitted for projects with subtitles must start at 00:00:00:00. Files submitted incorrectly may result in additional charges.

Click here to download a pdf that explains the process.

Click Here for our Blu-ray FAQ.

Blu-ray Replication: Masters for Blu-ray replication must be submitted in Cutting Master Format (BDCMF or Sony CMF) on removable USB 2.0 hard drives formatted for Windows OR files should be submitted in Cutting Master Format (BDCMF or Sony CMF) image on BD-R: Playable BD-Rs are not acceptable for Blu-ray replication.

NOTE: AACS (Advanced Access Content System) copy protection is a mandatory requirement for Blu-ray replicated discs. Additional fees apply. Check with your Product Specialist for a schedule of fees.

Blu-ray Duplication: Blu-ray masters submitted for duplication must be submitted on BD-R (non CMF).

This works with DVD Studio Pro Only

Use this method when submitting a DVD master utilizing copy protection or when submitting a DVD-9 and you wish to control the layer break or region codes.

Make sure CSS (no copy permitted –format for CSS) and/or Macrovision (type 2) is enabled if desired. Make sure a layer break (break point – DVD-9s only) is selected in the inspector or choose automatic and DVDSP will select the layer break. The layer break will always be at a marker position whether it’s a Dual-Layer Break Point marker or a chapter marker.

Build your DVD as usual. Test in the Apple DVD Player to make sure it is working properly. We also recommend you build a DVD and test it in a DVD player.

Once you are happy with the functionality of the DVD, go back into DVDSP. At the top of DVDSP select Format. Under the Disc/Volume tab, confirm the Dual-Layer Break Point. In the Region/Copyright tab, confirm your copy protection settings. Select the General tab ( make sure you do this last). Under Destination – Output Device select Hard Drive. Under Output Format choose DDP 2.0.

Click Format

If you are building a DVD-5 you will have a Layer 0 folder. If you are building a 9 you will also have a Layer 1 folder. Each folder should go on it’s own DVD-R and should be burned to disc as Data (DVD-ROM UDF). Make sure the 3 files are at the root level of the disc and not in a folder. Mark the disc Layer 1 or Layer 0 and put DDP 2.0 in big RED letters. Fill out DDP enclosure form and submit with master(s).

Click here to download a pdf that indicates your DVD is formatted as a DDP Master.