Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format meant for storage of high-definition video and high-density data. The Blu-ray standard as jointly developed by a group of consumer electronics and PC companies called the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). As compared to the HD DVD format, its main competitor, Blu-ray has more information capacity per layer, 25 instead of 15 gigabytes, but may initially be more expensive to produce. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media HD DVD (High Density Digital Versatile Disc or High Definition Digital Video Disc) is a digital optical media format which is being developed as one standard for high-definition DVD. HD DVD is similar to the competing Blu-ray Disc, which also uses the same CD-size (120 mm diameter) optical data storage media and 405 nm wavelength blue laser. HD DVD is promoted by Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, and most recently, Microsoft, HP [1], and Intel DVD stands for Digital Versatile/Video Disc, DVDR stands for DVD Recordable and DVDRW for DVD ReWriteable. If you're familiar with regular audio/music CDs or regular DVD-Video discs, then you will know what a recordable DVD looks like. A recordable DVD stores up to 2 hours of very good quality DVD-Video, including several audio tracks in formats like stereo, Dolby Digital or DTS and also advanced menu systems, subtitles and still pictures that can be played by many standalone DVD Players and most computer DVD-ROMs. If you choose to lower the video quality it is possible to store several hours video on a recordable DVD using low bitrates and low resolution with video quality more like VHS, SVHS, SVCD, CVD or VCD. It is also possible to have up to 4.37 GB ordinary data or mix DVD-Video and data on a recordable DVD that can be played by most computer DVD-ROMs. There are three competing DVD Recording standards, DVD-R/DVD-RW and DVD+R/DVD+RW have pretty similiar features and are compatible with many standalone DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs while DVD-RAM has less DVD Player and DVD-ROM compatibility but better recording features. DVD-R and DVD-RW DVD-R was the first DVD recording format released that was compatible with standalone DVD Players. DVD-R is a non-rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 93% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. DVD-RW is a rewriteable format and it is compatible with about 80% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD-R and DVD-RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-5) and double sided 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10). These formats are supported by DVDForum. DVD+R and DVD+RW DVD+R is a non-rewritable format and it is compatible with about 89% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD+RW is a rewritable format and is compatible with about 79% of all DVD Players and most DVD-ROMs. DVD+R and DVD+RW supports single side 4.37 computer GB* DVDs (called DVD-5) and double side 8.75 computer GB* DVDs(called DVD-10). These formats are supported by the DVD+RW Alliance. DVD+R DL DVD+R DL or called DVD+R9 is a Dual Layer writable DVD+R. The dual layered discs can hold 7.95 computer GB* (called DVD-9) and dual layered double sides 15.9* computer GB (called dvd-18). DVD-R DL DVD-R DL or called DVD-R9 is a Dual Layer writeable DVD-R. The dual layered discs can hold 7.95 computer GB* (called DVD-9) and dual layered double sides 15.9* computer GB (called dvd-18). DVD-RAM has the best recording features but it is not compatible with most DVD-ROM drives and DVD-Video players. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Think more of it as a removable hard disk. DVD-RAM is usually used in some DVD Recorders. This format is supported by DVDForum More cameras, more features, more choices–here’s a recap of how we got from a one-camera HDV market to a wealth of choices, and a breakdown of how the models differ from one another and the features of each that serve the event videographer best. The days of HDV being a one-horse race are long behind us. It’s been less than two years since Sony launched the HDR-FX1 and made HDV viable for videographers, but the days when JVC’s GR-HD1 was the only game in town—and a single-CCD, losing game at that—seem like eons ago. The hot handheld market just received a new batch of HD camcorders with the slew of IBC announcements, and, with one more on the way from Panasonic, the selection of prosumer HD camcorders has become quite beautiful. Try to think all the way back to the summer of 2006, when we had only about five different models of HDV and prosumer HD camcorders. We had the venerable Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U; the flexible Panasonic AG-HVX200; the diminutive and consumerish Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1U; and two much bigger models, the Canon XL H1 and JVC’s GY-HD100U The HDV (high definition video)format is certainly a new technology, only 3 years old and already in the second generation of cameras (the Sony HVR-V1U and HDR-FX7, and the JVC GY-HD100 come to mind), but it was widely adopted much faster than even the perennial mini-dv format, which is still actively used. As such, accessories, non-linear support and more came fairly quickly. But there are still many who haven’t decided to test the waters, or take the plunge into the new world of high definition. We hope to help you understand HDV before diving in. This article’s goal is to help with your decision of what camera is right for you. We’ll be taking a look at the many models offered by JVC, Sony and Canon (the fourth company that supports HDV, Sharp, has yet to release a unit, over three years after joining high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media the others), and giving you enough information to help you make a solid decision. Digital Over the past few years a new format has emerged as the best choice for videographers – Digital Video (DV). This new format is dramatically better then the older analog standards. When you combine the quality of DV with the special FireWire (or IEEE1394 or iLink) and one of our DV/FireWire capture cards, you get a digital video editing system that is simply incredible. All our DV video capture cards deliver video that is identical to the original footage. DV in The video quality is the same regardless of what card you buy. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. There are now two consumer digital formats. MiniDV and Digital8. Our DV capture cards work great with both and even better prices have come way down while the performance and video quality remains spectacular!! DVD - Over the past year or two a new format has come on the scene – DVD camcorders. These hot selling camcorders allow you to record directly onto a DVD disk that you can then play on your home DVD player. These are excellent choices for the casual point and shooter, but they do have a draw back for more serious videographers. These cams record to the DVD in MPEG2 format. MPEG2 is great for storing and playing back, but it is difficult for editing. Or should I say it WAS difficult to edit. Sony has now added the ability to rip the video straight from the DVD to your computers hard drive and edit the MPEG2 files using their Vegas software – both the consumer and professional versions. Analog - If you have an older camcorder that is not DV, or you want to capture old footage from VHS/ S-VHS than you will need a video capture card/device along with NLE software. VHS & 8mm cams use composite video jacks (they look just like the RCA jacks used to connect a stereo). S-VHS & Hi8 cams use a special connector called an S-Video (or YC or SVHS) jack. This special high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media connection breaks the video signal into chrominance (color) & luminance (brightness). If your camcorder or VCR has these jacks, you definitely want to use them when you edit. We call the composite & S-Video jacks analog video. All our analog capture devices have both composite and S-Video jacks. Analog Output Not only do these capture devices allow you to capture analog footage into your computer, they also allow you to use a standard television to monitor/ preview your video while you are editing. This is a very important feature. Many times the video you see on the preview screen inside the video editing software GUI is not going to be quite the same when you output to video. BY being able to monitor/preview your work on a television while you are editing, you’ll be able to see exactly what the final video will look like. We’ve just updated the “Getting Started” page of our website and I think you’ll find it a great place to go for information. You’ll find an overview of camcorder formats, basic computer recommendations for video editing plus a quick review of the hardware & software products available today. We’ve also picked our Top 3 products for folks who want to give video editing a try, without having to invest a whole bunch of money or time. All three products include easy to use video editing software plus hardware that will allow them to import their footage from DV or older analog sources. While inexpensive and easy to use, all three video editing software titles allow them to edit their video, add soundtracks, titles, transitions and effects, then send it back to tape, burn it onto a DVD or export it as a file for sharing on the internet. This year’s NAB show was very different from the last couple of years. Unlike the previous 2 shows, this year we saw a bunch of exciting new products that will be shipping within the next few months! That’s right folks, we’ve finally turned a big corner. We didn’t spend time looking at products we may sell in the future, we spent our time seeing products that our customers will be able to buy and use almost immediately. Before we go into the products we saw on the NAB floor, I’d like to talk about the product we delivered to the NAB show floor. We had Pioneer fly in five sample BDR-101A Blu-ray disc burners to our hotel in Vegas. We had received several frantic calls from some of our vendors the week prior to NAB asking if we could supply them units in time for the show. I was very happy when Pioneer was able to make it happen (as were our vendors). We are still waiting for our first production units to arrive for us ship to customers. We hope to have them here in the middle of May. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. We've seen a bunch of new HD camcorders finally start shipping, and the NLE software guys are right on target with support for all of the new formats. In 2006 we anticipate Sony, Canon, Panasonic & JVC will be shipping several different HD camcorders each. Perhaps we wil also see a couple of new vendors roll out HD cams as well. 2006 was also a year that saw tremendous consolidation in the industry. Avid purchased Pinnacle. Adobe bought Macromedia. MUXMEDIA bought Divas Media. Thomson buys a controlling interest in Canopus. We feel that this will result in better products, with more features than ever for our customers.On the technical side we've seen the adoption of PCIe, a much faster bus architecture that our vendors are just starting to tap into. Dual-core processors began shipping this year, and while we're still ahead of the curve, we have no doubt that by this time next year they will be our top recommendation. Hopefully by then we'll have a new 64 bit operating system from Microsoft and more importantly, 64bit drivers and optimization from our vendors. Then we'll be able to unleash video editing workflows and features that will truly revolutionize video production. Photo montages, title screens, logos and graphics and even DVD menu screens may all be created and improved with Photoshop CS. Whether you are an experienced video editor, an experienced graphic designer, or a complete novice in both fields, learning Photoshop is well worth the time and effort.

Developed to provide high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media advanced-level instruction in the practical, technical and creative disciplines of the film and television industry, students use the most sophisticated film and video technologies including HD, 35 mm, 16 mm, AVID Adrenaline systems, work in production and post-production facilities, and studios second to none and are mentored and instructed by renowned industry professionals. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Our members are recognized award winners and our program is a member of the CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), an international consortium of the world's major film and television schools. The first two sets of projects in the program are very structured, allowing students to hone existing skills and to develop new techniques within focussed parameters. The final Major projects are either student-developed or faculty tendered productions with key roles designated by student producers as per the individual student's demonstrated competence. The projects are complemented by individual class assignments, a comprehensive curriculum, guest lectures and open forums with acknowledged industry experts. Upon graduation, motivated students will have several demo reels or projects for their portfolios. The Career Design course will facilitate internships and placements for the student. In today’s rapidly changing market, you need a video partner you can trust to deliver what you need, when you need it. We do more than create compelling video, we help you reach your target audience efficiently and effectively. Our award-winning production team produces high-quality, cost-effective videos with guaranteed results. Divas Media is a different kind of video production company. We are changing the face of communications by converging creativity and technology to deliver the most compelling and affordable video found anywhere. No matter what type of video you need or how you plan to use it, the Divas Media team will work closely with you to ensure you get exactly what you want and more!

high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Our team of production experts from Divas Media can produce your video from script to screen including complete concept and script development as well as field production, motion graphics/animation design, professional narration and post-production. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. If you have your own creative team or are simply on a very limited budget, you can develop your own script and visual elements using our video creations tools, guides and examples and then let our creative team do the rest! We pride ourselves in developing solutions to meet any budget. Once your video is produced, PixelFish will help you deliver your video with the most effective and efficient technologies using our innovative video delivery solutions. For a free video consultation, please contact one of our video consultants. Divas Media delivers the highest quality video at the most affordable prices. The cost of a video can vary significantly, depending on a number of factors. However, we have attempted to provide a basic guideline for determining how much you should budget. Rule of Thumb There are many types of videos, each requiring a different set of assumptions regarding the costs involved in producing them. As a general rule, marketing videos (product demos, company overviews) cost $2,500 to $4,500 per finished minute. Finally, video produced for broadcast commercials usually cost $7,000 - $9,000 per finished minute. Below is an overview of the main cost drivers for video production. Having answers regarding your needs in each of these areas will allow for a more accurate quote. If you aren’t sure what you require, feel free to contact one of our video consultants to help you determine the best solution for your video needs. Audience Is your video aimed at customers or is it for internal use? Generally, sales/marketing videos require higher production values than internal communications and training videos.

Length Obviously, the longer the video, the more it costs. Most companies overestimate the amount of time needed to communicate their message. Even the most complex business can be summarized in two to three minutes. Any longer and you will likely lose your audience. Script Development The script includes the words you will hear and the images you will see in your video. You can often save money by writing your own script, although not all production companies allow you to do so. PixelFish does! However, it is important to understand that writing a quality script requires a significant amount of time, along with strong marketing and creative skills. We provide script writing tools, guides and examples to help you with this critical video production step. Voiceover A professional narrator can enhance the quality of your video significantly by conveying your message in the style you require. On-Camera Talent Your video may call for an on-camera host or professional actors in dramatizations. However, to save costs, many non-speaking, on-camera roles can be filled by employees or others. Field Production As a general rule, each three to five minutes of video requires a full day of field production, depending on the type of video. Professional production companies assume at least two-person crews and may require additional staff and equipment based on the requirements of the shoot. Some shoots require a second or third camera, especially ones capturing a live event. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Videos requiring more than one location will require additional days of field production While our clients' video needs vary, the videos below are most frequently requested. Please contact one of our video consultants for a free evaluation of your video needs. Full-Service Marketing Video (up to 3 minutes)The majority of our clients choose this solution to meet their video needs. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media It delivers high production values at extremely affordable rates and includes script development by our award-winning creative team, professional voiceover and a full day of on-location field production.

Video content usually includes corporate overviews and product advertisements/promotions. Cost Estimate: $2,000 - $6,000 Self-Managed Product Video (up to 2 minutes) Ideal for companies with basic video needs or for those budget-constrained, but still want a high-quality, professionally produced video. You write your own script using our script tools, guides and examples, and our creative team provides reviews to ensure it meets our high standards. Professional voiceover and a half day of on-location field production are also included. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Typical video content includes product demonstrations and corporate communications. Cost Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000 Customer Training Video (up to 5 minutes) Many of our clients are significantly reducing costs by providing a product training video to their customers. This style of training video includes higher production values than a typical internal training video. You write your own script using our script tools, guides and examples, and our creative team provides reviews to ensure it meets our high standards. Professional voiceover and a day of on-location field production are also included. Cost Estimate: $900 - $5,000 Broadcast Commercial (1 minute)A solution designed to meet the demanding requirements of broadcast television, but at a fraction of the cost of a typical commercial. Also ideal for clients with a significant investment in tradeshows, wanting to display their video on state-of-the-art monitors. Typical content includes product advertisement/promotions and corporate overviews. Cost Estimate: $4,000 - $7,000 For a free video consultation, please contact one of our video consultants. Nowadays, you get a lot more for your dollar than just editing software. Some come integrated or bundled with DVD authoring, encoder, effects and titling applications. Deciding which one to buy depends on your skill level, how much you want to spend, and what you are planning to edit. If you are clear on these issues, choosing the right editing software should be a breeze We will be condensing up-to-the-minute industry news into one-minute bites to upload daily via YouTube and on our blog.

MUXMEDIA You've asked for more intensive tips and techniques, and we'll be shooting, editing and presenting more inclusive packages that explain the tricks even better. So check out our new look by going to our new site Divas Media A-B Roll - Two video sources played simultaneously, to be mixed or cut between. A/B Roll Editing - Editing from two source VCRs to a third recording VCR. A switcher or mixer is used to provide effects such as dissolves. Action Axis - Imaginary line drawn between two subjects or along a line of motion as an aid in maintaining continuity of screen direction. Ad-Lib - Unrehearsed, spontaneous act of speaking, performing, or otherwise improvising on-camera activity without preparation. Administration metadata - This includes digital rights, encryption, user access, air date scheduling, and other business administration. ADO (Ampex Digital Optics) - Trade name for digital effects system manufactured by Ampex. ADPCM - Adaptive Pulse Code Modulation is a compression scheme used by CD-I and CD-ROM XA formats. Used to interleave audio with data. AFM - See audio frequency modulation. AGC (Automatic Gain Control)- Circuitry used to ensure that output signals are maintained at constant levels in the face of widely varying input signal levels. AGC is typically used to maintain a constant video luminance level by boosting weak (low light) picture signals electronically. Some equipment include gain controls which are switchable between automatic and manual control.

high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Aliasing - Undesirable video display effects caused by excessive high frequency video information. Three examples are: Jaggies or Stair-stepping - Stepped or jagged edges of angled lines, especially at the slanted edges of letters. Raster scan aliasing - e.g., twinkling or strobing effects on sharp horizontal lines Temporal aliasing - e.g., rotating wagon wheel spokes apparently reversing direction. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media AM (Amplitude Modulation)- Amplitude modulation is a process used for some radio (AM broadcast) and television video transmission. A low frequency (program) signal modulates (changes) the amplitude of a high frequency RF carrier signal causing it to deviate from its nominal base amplitude). The original program signal is recovered (demodulated) at the receiver. This system is extensively used in broadcast radio transmission because it is less prone to signal interference and retains most of the original signal quality. See Frequency Modulation. Ambient Sound - (ambience) Natural background audio representative of a given recording environment. On-camera dialog might be primary sound; traffic noise and refrigerator hum would be ambient. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Analog - An electrical signal using continuously varying electrical voltages. Analog video that is copied or edited several generations suffers from generation loss and is subject to degradation due to noise and distortion. The term analogue simply means like or similar. Traditional recording media have been analogue (magnetic recording tape and vinyl records). In analogue, the positive and negative aspects of a soundwave are converted via a transducer (microphone), to an A.C voltage. Animatic - Simple animation consisting of art work designed to be used as a video tape storyboard. Most commonly used for test commercials. Animation - Visual special effect whereby still progressive images displayed in rapid succession creates the illusion of movement. ANSI - American National Standards Institute. Aperture - See iris. MUXMEDIA picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Anti-Aliasing - The process of electronically reducing aliasing, especially letters and genlocked graphic elements. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Aperture - An adjustable opening in a lens which, like the iris in the human eye, controls the amount of light entering a camera. The size of the aperture is controlled by the iris adjustment and is measured in f-stops. A smaller f-stop number corresponds to a larger opening which passes more light. Each stop admits 100% more light than the previous one.

MUXMEDIA Artificial Light - Man-made illumination not limited to indoor variety: fluorescent bulbs, jack-o'-lanterns, a car's headlights. Has lower color temperature than natural light, and thus more reddish qualities. Aspect Ratio - Proportional height and width of picture on screen. Current standard for conventional receiver or monitor is three by four (3:4); 3:5 for HDTV. Asymmetry - Th relationship and position of I3 and I11 can be expressed in terms of asymmetry. This represents the ratio of pit to land length and can indicate the size of the pits on a Compact Disc. Positive asymmetry indicates the pits are longer than the lands. Red Book specifies and asymmetry of negative 20% to positive 20%. See also Red Book Assembly Edit - An edit wherein all existing signals on a tape, if any, are replaced with new signals. Assembly edits cannot be used for editing because since they erase the control track portion of the video tape. (See also Insert Edit) ATV - (amateur television) Specialized domain of ham radio, transmits standard TV signals on UHF radio bands. Auto Assembly - Process of assembling an edited video tape on a computerized editing system using an edit decision list. Audio Bandwidth - The range of audio* frequencies which directly influence the fidelity of a sound. The higher the audio bandwidth, the better the sound fidelity. The highest practical frequency which the human ear can normally hear is 20 kHz. An audio amplifier which processes all frequencies Audio Dub - Result of recording over prerecorded videotape soundtrack, or a portion, without affecting prerecorded images. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Audio Frequency Modulation - (AFM) Method of recording hi-fi audio on videotape along with video signals. Audio-Follow-Video - During video recording, the video signal is usually accompanied by an audio signal. Sometimes, during video editing*, it is often necessary to separate the audio from the video signal. Audio-follow-video mixers allow accompanying audio to follow the video when switching video sources or not. The Digital Video Mixer provides either function.

Audio Mixer - Device with user-adjustable controls to blend multiple sound inputs into desired composite output. [See mix.] Automatic Exposure - Circuitry that monitors light levels and adjusts camcorder iris accordingly, compensating for changing light conditions. Automatic Gain Control - (AGC) Camcorder circuitry that adjusts incoming signal levels automatically, alleviating excessive image brightness and distortion of loud sound. AVAILABLE LIGHT - Amount of illumination normally present in a particular environment: natural light, artificial, or a combination. Compact Disc Standards - Green Book : Philip's introduced the Green Book in 1987 to describe the CD-I standard. It goes a little further than Red and Yellow Book in that it also describes the Real Time Operating System (RTOS) that controls the CD-I system. Orange Book : First defined in 1990, the Orange Book describes the standard for recording CD-M.O (Compact Disc Magneto Optical) discs and CD-WO (Compact Disc Write Once), or CD recordable discs. These are known as Part I and Part II respectively. Red Book : Started in 1990 by Philip's and Sony, Red Book is the CD Audio standard describing audio compact discs. All subsequent books are based on Red Book. White Book : Written by Philip's in conjunction with JVC, it describes the Video Compact Disc Format. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Yellow Book : Released in 1984 by Philip's and Sony, Yellow Book is the standard which describes CD-ROM. MUXMEDIA Component Video - Video signal in which luminance and synch information are recorded separately from the color information. Formats such as Betacam, SVHS and Hi-8 use component signals to achieve maximum quality. Component video comes in several flavors: RGB (red, green, blue), YUV (luminance, sync, and red/blue) and Y/C (luminance and chrominance). Y/C is also called S-Video used in the S-VHS and Hi-8 formats.

A dictionary for the video professional. Receive the latest video tips for free in your email box every 2 weeks. Send a blank email to: service@divasmedia.com How To REALLY Make A Living in Television, Video and Film Production Coaxial Cable - A standard cable consisting of a central inner conductor and a cylindrical outer conductor. Used for many video connections, especially the cable TV wire that comes into your home. Color Bars A standard video test pattern which includes samples of primary and secondary colors. Used to conform the colors in video monitors and other equipment. Color Burst the portion of a color video signal which contains a short sample of the color subcarrier used to add color to a signal. It is used as a color synchronization signal to establish a reference for the color information following it and is used by a color monitor to decode the color portion of a video signal. The color burst acts as both amplitude and phase reference for color hue and intensity. The color oscillator of a color television receiver is phase locked to the color burst. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Color Correction a process in which the coloring in a television image is altered or corrected by electronic means. (See CHROMA CORRECTOR) Color Decoder a device which divides a video signal into its basic color components. In TV and video, color decoding is used to derive signals required by a video monitor from the composite or Y/C signals. Color Phase the phase of the chroma signal as compared to the color burst, is one of the factors that determines a video signal's color balance. Color Temperature a method for measuring the overall color of a light source, measured in degrees Kelvin (deg.K). Higher numbers indicate bluer light, lower numbers indicate a warmer light. The color temperature of the lighting must match the color temperature of the camera. In video this is accomplished by setting the white balance of the camera. Sunny Daylight is approximately 5500 deg.K. Overcast daylight is higher. Fluorescent Lights are approx.

4100 deg.K. Indoor incandescent lights are 2800 deg.K and professional Movie Lights are 3200 Deg. K Color Subcarrier the carrier frequency (3.58 MHz in NTSC and 4.43 MHz in PAL) on which the color information is impressed. Color TV sets use special circuits which decode the color component for accurate display. Color Bars atandard test signal containing samples of primary and secondary colors, used as reference in aligning color video equipment. Generated electronically by a color bar generator, often viewed on broadcast television in off-air hours. [See test pattern.] Color Corrector - Electronic device that dissects the colors of a video signal, allowing them to be adjusted individually. Color Temperature - Relative amount of white light's reddish or bluish qualities, measured in degrees Kelvin. Desirable readings for quality videomaking are 3200 -- K indoors, 5600 -- K outdoors. [See artificial, natural light.] Comet Tailing smear of light resulting from inability of camera's pickup to process bright objects -- especially in darker settings. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Object or camera in motion creates appearance of flying fireball. [See lag.] Communication Protocol - A software language for linking computers, VCRs or edit controllers to allow bi-directional conversation between the units. Compact Disc Standards - Green Book : Philip's introduced the Green Book in 1987 to describe the CD-I standard. It goes a little further than Red and Yellow Book in that it also describes the Real Time Operating System Contrast - The degree to which luminance values contain very dark and very light values. A high-contrast picture has more black and white values with fewer values in between. A low contrast picture has more middle tones without very dark or very light areas. Control-L - Sony's editing control protocol, also called LANC (Local Application Control), which allows two-way communication between a camcorder or VCR and an edit controller. Control-M - Panasonic 5-pin edit control protocol. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Similar to Control-L, but not compatible. Control-S - Sony transport control protocol which duplicates a consumer VCR's infra-red remote transport control. Unlike Control-L, Control-S does not allow the controller to read tape counter information. Control Track - Type of video editing that controls the in and out points of edits by counting pulses on a control track portion of the videotape. The pulses are counted by the edit controller to perform fairly accurate editing. Edit controllers which read time code make more accurate edits. Crossfade - The audio equivalent of the video picture dissolve. The first sound track gradually fades out while the second sound track simultaneously replaces it. high definition, video recording, video editing,digital media Crosstalk - The interference between two audio or two video signals. In audio crosstalk this signal leakage may occur between the left and right channels. It can be caused by poor grounding connections or improperly shielded cables. In video, crosstalk between channels can be luminance/sync crosstalk or chroma crosstalk. Video crosstalk can cause ghost images from one source appear over the other. digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition C.U. - Close-up shot. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Cucalorus - (cookie) Lighting accessory consisting of random pattern of cutouts that forms shadows when light passes through it. Used to imitate shadows of natural lighting.

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Cue - Signal to begin, end, or otherwise influence on-camera activity while recording. [2] Presetting specific starting points of audio or video material so it's available for immediate and precise playback when required. Editing limited to immediate shifts from one scene to another, without smoother image transition capabilities such as dissolving or wiping. [See cut, edit.] Cyclorama - A background where all corners and intersections are rounded. Professional digital video formats. The D1 system uses component video. The D2 and D3 systems use composite video. There is no D4 format. Digital formats do not suffer from the generation loss inherent in analog formats. Send an email to: service@divasmedia.com DAT (Digital Audio Tape) An audio recording and playback format developed by Sony, with a signal quality capability surpassing that of the CD. dB (Decibel) - A logarithmic unit which expresses the ratio between two amounts of electric or acoustic signal power. Used for measuring the strength of audio and video signals. DDP - Used mostly by CD-ROM application developers and CD mastering facilities Disc Description Protocol is a standard way of specifying what data is supplied, what processing is required, and exactly where the data is to be placed on the CD. Digital Data Storage - A tape format for recording digital data on 3.81mm wide magnetic tape. Decibel - Measure of audio signal strength based on a logarithmic scale. Also the unit of measure for sound pressure level (loudness). Decode - To separate a composite video signal into its component elements. Delay Correction - When an electronic signal travels through electronic circuitry or long cable runs, delay problems may occur. This causes a displaced image. Special circuits are used to correct the delay. Depth of Field - Area in which all objects, located at different distances from the camera, appear in focus. Varies with subject-to-camera distance, focal length of camera lens, and camera's aperture setting. MUXMEDIA video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Desktop Video - (DTV) Fusion of personal computers and home video components for elaborate videomaking capabilities rivaling those of well-financed broadcast facilities. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Demodulator - An electronic circuit which separates the audio and video signals from the RF carrier frequency.

Depth of Field - The range of objects in front of a camera lens which are in focus. Smaller f-stops provide greater depth of field, i.e., more of the scene, near to far, will be in focus. Diffused light - Illuminates relatively large area indistinctly; often created with floodlights, produces soft shadows. [See directional light.] Diffuser - Gauzy or translucent material that alters the quality of light passing through it to produce less intense, flatter lighting with weaker, less noticeable shadows. Diffusion filter - Mounted at front of camcorder lens, gives videotaped images a foggy, fuzzy, dreamy look. [See filter.] Digital - A system whereby a variable analog signal is broken down and encoded into discrete binary bits of ones and zeros. These numbers represent a mathematical model of the original signal. When copied, they do not degrade as an analog signal does. An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter chip takes samples of the signal at a fixed time interval known as sampling frequency. This digital stream is can be recorded onto magnetic media. Upon playback, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter chip reads the binary data and reconstructs the original analog signal. Theoretically, this process should eliminate generation loss since every copy is an exact duplicate of the original. In reality, digital systems are not perfect and can introduce their own problems in maintaining the original signal. Digital signals are virtually immune to noise, distortion, crosstalk, and other quality problems. MUXMEDIA video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition For a free estimate send an email to: service@divasmedia.com Digital audio - Sounds that have been converted to digital information. Digital video effects - (DVE) Electronic analog-to-digital picture modification yielding specialty image patterns and maneuvers: tumbling, strobing, page turning, mosaic, posterization, solarization, etc. Digitization - The process of converting a continuous analog video or audio signal to digital data (ones and zeros) for computer storage. Digitizer - Device that captures and imports video image into a computer by converting it into digital information.

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Directional Light - Illuminates relatively small area with distinct light beam; usually created with spotlight, yields harsh, defined shadows. [See diffused light.] Dissolve - Image transition effect of one picture gradually disappearing as another appears. Analogous to audio and lighting cross-fade. [See cross-fade.] Distribution Amplifier - A device which splits and amplifies an audio and/or video source tape or signal to several audio/video outputs. Used to duplicate one videotape to any number of VCRs with minimal loss of signal strength. Dolby (tm)- A compression/expansion (companding) noise reduction system developed by Ray Dolby, widely used in consumer, professional and broadcast audio applications. Signal-to-noise ratio improvement is accomplished by processing a signal before recording and reverse-processing the signal upon playback. Dolly - Camera support mounted on wheels enabling smooth movement in any direction. Dollying - Camera movement toward or away from a subject. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Effect may appear same as zooming, which reduces and magnifies the image, but dollying in or out maintains perspective while changing picture size. Downstream Keying - Electronically superimposing text or graphics over a scene (luminance key) or of placing one video image into another (chroma key). The Downstream Key signal must be genlocked to the other signals. D.P. - Director of Photography MUXMEDIA Dropout - A defect on the videotape which causes a brief flash of a horizontal black line on the screen. Commonly found at the beginning and end of tapes. The quality of videotape is graded by the number of dropouts and priced accordingly. Videotape signal voids, viewed as fleeting white specks or streaks. Usually result of minute bare spots on a tape's magnetic particle coating, or tape debris covering particles and blocking signals. MUXMEDIA Drop Frame - A type of SMPTE time code designed to exactly match the real time of common clocks. To accomplish this, two frames of time code are dropped every minute, on the minute, except every tenth minute. This corrects for the fact that video frames occur at a rate of 29.97 per second, rather than an exact 30 frames per second (see Non-Drop Frame). video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition This time code system is used in television to insure that broadcast times coincide with real time. Send email to: service@MUXMEDIA.com Dub - Process or result of duplicating a videotape in its entirety. Editing technique whereby new audio or video replaces portion(s) of existing recording. Also called a dupe. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. D.V.E. - Digital Video Effects. A shot can bend, twist and fold into various shapes. Before the advent of the VIDEO TOASTER, this was an expensive post-production special effect. Also, the trade name for a video system manufactured by NEC. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. D.V.I. (Digital Video Interface) - Multimedia standard for computer generated text and graphics which cab be transferred to video.

Shoot your video and use the best camera you can use adequate lighting, and keep the camera stable. Any noise in the video image will become more visible in the encoding process. Shaky video does not compress well.Better cameras have an adjustable control and it is important to set this appropriately in particular, don't set it too high. Optimal recording sharpness intended for VHS playback to an old TV is different from what you want for DVD playback on a good modern set. Transfer video on MiniDV tape from camera to computer over Firewire. If your computer doesn't have a built-in firewire port, you can get an IEEE1394 firewire adaptor card for under 100 dollars. Look for OHCI on the card, which is the card PC driver interface that most PC software expects. Video from your MiniDV camera runs about 13 GB per hour, so large hard drives are useful. If you are doing editing, expect to use 3x the disk space occupied by just the raw input files.

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition If you're transferring from an old VHS tape, you need either a video capture card or a MiniDV or Digital8 camera with A/V inputs. Many camcorders have a pass-through mode that takes audio and video in from the VCR and puts the video out through firewire to the PC Windows ME and XP come with Windows Movie Maker which can record from firewire, or you can use other NLE software, or programs like Scenalyzer or DV Rack to capture video via firewire. Edit the video with your NLE, non-linear editor software. Good editing is the difference between boring home movies that no one wants, and exciting video that captures your attention. Good editing takes a significant amount of time, one reason that good videographers charge what they do for production. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. EditStudio from Puremotion seems to be a good value in the lower price range. I previously used Adobe Premiere and Ulead Media Studio Pro, but now I prefer Sony Vegas for power and ease of use. Windows Movie Maker is a free download if you use Windows XP. Encode Most of the new NLEs permit you to export your video as a MPEG2 directly using a built-in encoder; this is fast but not necessarily the best. I prefer the flexibility and control of saving the file as an AVI in DV or Sony YUV format, and encoding separately. I use Canopus ProCoder Express. It is possible to use external encoders as if they were built-in to your NLE using the Debugmode PluginPac Frameserver for Vegas, Premiere, and MediaStudio Pro.Be careful about levels: you may find your final MPEG2 is darker, or brighter, or shows more or less contrast than your original file when played on the same screen. MUXMEDIA The problem usually has to do with the difference between DV video where black is 16 and white is 235, and computer standards where black is 0 and white is 255. You may not have a problem but be aware of this possibility, check your output to be sure, and adjust if needed. For more technical detail see the pages at divasmedia.com on Black Levels and White Clip.

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Filtering video before encoding can give you better encodes if the signal is noisy (eg. dark room, or copy of old VHS) or you are trying to compress 2 hours or more onto one DVD. You can use an external pre-filtering program if your encoder doesn't offer it, for example Virtualdub is quite useful. Avisynth is even more powerful, but takes some time to learn. Here is an example scriptfor Avisynth 2.56 that I used for filtering a down-converted HDV clip which had slightly noisy dark pixels, but clean lighter pixels. Vegas 6d or Vegas 7 does not seem to do conversion of HDV 1080i material to SD 480i, because the result looks progressive rather than interlaced regardless of the settings of the project or the output file. So, I export 1080i using the DebugMode frameserver and use this script for Avisynth to convert 1080i to 480i. Bitrate of the encoded video is the most important factor for video quality. Too small a bitrate will give bad quality, but too high may give you a file too large for the DVD. Here is a bitrate calculator from dvd-hq.info to help (that page has quite a bit of useful information. I have had good luck with maximum video bitrates of 9300 kbps or lower. Audio. DVD audio is sampled at 48 kHz, in any of several formats: linear PCM, MPEG1 layer 2, AC3, or DTS. Although 20 and 24 bit 96 kHz L-PCM is valid, it normally takes up too much space and bitrate to be practical. A valid NTSC DVD title should have at least one PCM or AC-3 soundtrack. I prefer AC3 (aka Dolby Digital) for best quality vs. bitrate. Vegas6+DVD offers AC3, as do other mid-level authoring applications. There is a freeware program called BeSweet that claims to generate AC3, but I found its output had playback errors. If you want to try it anyway, there is a guide at videohelp.com.

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Author the disc. Implementing menus, chapters and other features, and converting the input MPEG-2 files into the DVD standard file structure is called authoring the DVD. I have used ten different authoring programs over the years, most of them now obsolete. For most users I would probably recommend software from Ulead or Sonic that has a friendly user interface and hides much of the underlying complexity. I currently use DVD-Lab Pro which has excellent features and low price, but you really want to have or acquire some knowledge of DVD authoring before using it. The most complete, full-featured DVD authoring tool is Sonic Scenarist (the professional standard stunningly expensive, not a consumer item). Sonic also sells some intermediate tools (below full Scenarist but above consumer-grade): ReelDVD and Scenarist Studio. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Having finished authoring your title by inserting chapter points, creating and linking menus and buttons with chapters, you export your finished video program from the authoring software. This creates a DVD file set on one of your hard drives in a folder called VIDEO_TS. The authoring software converts your MPEG2 files (either elementary audio and video streams, or a pre-multiplexed system stream) to a program stream type with the VOB extension (video object), plus some other indexing files (IFO, BUP), all of which go in the VIDEO_TS folder. Many authoring programs are now offering the capability to burn a DVD directly but I wouldn't recommend that. I'd rather test-play my title from the hard drive first before taking the time to make an actual DVD. MUXMEDIA Note about copy protection and region codes: Hollywood studios created region codes so DVD titles could be released in stages in different parts of the world. Consumer-level DVD authoring applications can only generate region-free or uncoded DVDs that (should) play anywhere, except for the NTSC vs PAL format difference. CSS and Macrovision copy protection is also not available for consumer authoring, but it seems of little interest anyway. video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Software that will rip protected DVDs is very widespread.

Test the DVD project. Using a software DVD player like WinDVD I play the DVD production from disk, testing each menu, title and chapter to ensure the disc will work according to plan. When considering design issues, remember TV screens are more fuzzy and reproduce color differently than computer screens. Burn or record the DVD. I have used several DVD burners starting with the Pioneer DVR-A03 in 2001. Currently (Sept. 2005) I am using a Plextor PX-712A and a BenQ DW1640 in my PC to burn DVDs. Plextor has had a reputation for high quality (and price). BenQ is not necessarily any worse, and costs less. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. These units have EIDE connectors like hard drives, and mount inside the computer. You can also get external burners using USB2 or firewire connections. New DVD burners are released all the time, so these models may not be available now. You can find reviews of the latest models at the cdfreaks website. I alway burn at 8x as that gives better quality when testing the readback error rate. The difference is not visible during normal playback since the errors are corrected in the drive. However, most people agree the best possible initial recording is key to media compatability and longevity, and it may also improve fast-forward or reverse playback. I like to use a DVD-RW disc for initial player tests, before committing to read-only DVD-R media. Dust causes errors so make sure the disc is clean before putting it in the DVD burner. I use DVD Architect for burning DVDs. It can write to multiple burners at once for better efficiency. MUXMEDIA If you get into huge volumes, you can get automated DVD duplicators, eg. from Primera that take a stack of 50 or more DVDs and run continuously. Test Again Insert finished disc in your DVD player and see what happens. Check that menu navigation and chapters are working. Can you read the text on the TV screen?

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Was your menu font and background color well chosen? So far I have burned over 500 DVD-R discs; most being projects of 50 pieces or less. Compatability with user's player has been generally good with isolated exceptions; see this for details. I recommend sticking to trusted brands and trusted vendors of same. In the July 2002 issue of DV Magazine, Ralph LaBarge notes that brand-name discs are more widely compatible than the cheaper no-name type, and DVD-R is more widely readable than DVD-RW or DVD+RW. Labels DVD media manufacturers recommend against adhesive labels. For cleanly printed labelling, you can use thermal-transfer printers like the Casio (see these notes) or inkjet-printable DVDs with Epson Photo 900, Photo 960, R200, R300 etc. or the HP lightscribe discs and burners. I have found the Epson inkjet printer approach to work well, since I get full disc coverage and full color. The color is not as vivid as it is on photo paper, due to the dull disc surface. TDK has announced PrintOn glossy white photo-quality printable DVD-R media but I haven't tried it yet. Cases Most of the DVD boxes sold look similar, but have slight variations in the design of the hub capture system and some work better than others. I like the black case sold by Rima, except for the weak one-catch hub. For a better looking, upscale case alternative, check out JewelBoxing. They have some great design examples, demonstrating DVD packaging can go farther than you may have realized. MUXMEDIA Logos on commercial DVDs usually include trademarks such as the widely recognized DVD-Video logo and the Dolby Digital logo. To use these trademark logos on products offered for sale, they must be licensed. Dolby Digital requires preapproval of your soundtrack and packaging materials. The DVD logos including DVD-R and DVD-Video requires first article testing at a Class A Verification Lab as well as a licensing fee that puts it into the realm of studios and disc replication companies, not individuals.

video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Stand-alone recorders: Why bother with all these steps when you could just press record? There are a number of stand-alone DVD recorders that record input video direct to a disc (often DVD+RW), either live or from an internal hard-drive recorder. Some have firewire inputs. They give you immediate results but have very limited and cumbersome editing, and fixed menu structure (or none at all). I tried a Philips HDRW720-17 DVD recorder but returned it when I found the video quality at any bitrate to be noticibly worse than my computer DVD productions. Not everyone is as picky as me, and some people find these recorders invaluable. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Copying: DVDs produced by consumer authoring programs are not protected, so that anyone with a DVD burner can simply copy the entire thing onto another disc. Pressed DVDs from Hollywood studios use CSS and Macrovision protection methods, but there are many programs available that will copy even these protected DVDs with one click. If you want the copyright on your work to be observed, practically speaking my best advice is to maintain a good relationship with your customers. Also use well-designed packaging, disc surface printing, cover art and inserts to support the idea that your original DVD is something of value to be respected. DVD Playback: Does it work today? Will it work tomorrow? video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition Compatability: In 2002 Ralph LaBarge's report in DV Magazine (also available here) found DVD-R blanks from Maxell and TDK had the best compatibility with players. In general the cheapest brands (or no-name discs) were the worst. In 2005, these NIST talk slides on DVD+/-R/RW report the best media tested was 100% compatible with players. No significant difference was found in compatibility between +R and -R, and R vs RW. Across the market, DVD compatibility in playback is 91%, and 98% if you don't use the last 10% of disc space at the outer edge. It is advisable to use the latest burner firmware, and only use media recommended by the burner manufacturer for your specific model. This test report from CDRInfo.com (April 2006) shows error rates with the Prodisc R05 DVD+R was acceptable with all five burners tested, while the MCC 03RG20 DVD-R was acceptable on only two out of five burners. This site has additional brand quality rankings. Here are my measured error rates for the DVD-R media I have used. I found that Taiyo Yuden 8x media gives better results than 16x media on my particular BENQ drive. Before recording, make sure that dust is not an issue. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Longevity: DVD is still new and no one really knows how long they will last. In 2002, Rohan Byrnes carefully documented pinholes forming in the reflective Al layer of commercial, pressed DVDs. This is apparently a very rare fault related to manufacturing issues at specific pressing plant(s) which has since been addressed. I has seen some incidents of DVD-R media becoming unreadable over time, mostly on cheap no-name media, or counterfeit media. Unfortunately I found one Maxell DVD-R went bad after just 3 years of normal shelf storage. For best lifetime, use good quality DVDs stored vertically in hard cases (not envelopes or wallets that can bend or scratch) in a cool dry place, away from sunlight and noxious fumes. Here are some disc handling guidelines and more detailed info. video editing,digital media, video edit, HDTV, high definition A Gold Standard? Recordable DVD media typically uses silver or silver alloys as the reflective layer, but MAM-A and Delkin are currently offering so-called archival gold DVD-R with a reflecting layer of 24 karat gold. This media costs up to 10x more than regular DVDs. It is not yet clear what archival means in this context, but the US standards lab NIST and the industry group OSTA are currently working on a set of qualification tests that would give a defined meaning to archival quality grade media.

MUXMEDIA See also NIST report and OSTA presentation. Fixing DVDs If you keep your DVDs in paper sleeves or worse, mail them in paper sleeves they will get scratched. Eventually, they may get scratched enough not to play reliably. Since the data layer is in the center of the media (0.6mm below the surface) it is not affected by surface scratches. You can restore the disc so it plays again by smoothing or polishing out the scratch. One method uses non-wax furniture polish (eg. Pledge), see this guide. You can also buy expensive special products like Proline DiscGuard 2(tm). I bought a bottle; I'm not an expert but to me it looks, smells, and works like furniture polish.

Broadly speaking the DVD format offers the best audio and video quality generally available to the consumer, and also provides menu features not possible with tape-based media. There are two books often recommended for detailed DVD information: DVD Demystified by Jim Taylor and DVD Authoring and Production by Ralph Labarge. Jim also maintains the extensive DVD FAQ. There is some information about HD-DVD from the DVD Forum and from Microsoft, and there is some discussion about Blu-Ray from this Blu-Ray forum site. PgcEdit is a comprehensive freeware tool for studying, debugging, and modifying a compiled DVD project (may be difficult for a beginner to use). The help file for Mark's DVD Tray Player contains an excellent reference for DVD structure and navigation commands, aimed at the DVD author, and Mark's Player itself is useful for testing and analysing your DVD. You can read about this software here. The dvd-replica.com site has a detailed view of DVD internal structures useful if you are doing complex authoring tasks. The DVD FAQ has a section on recordable DVDs and writers. In April 1996, Chad Fogg posted some technical notes to several newsgroups on the DVD specification and file formats, which are still the most detailed I've seen. You can find mostly the same information here at www.mpeg.org. dvdpro.com describes the packet structure of the DVD VOB files. This Pioneer website has a high-level overview of the DVD format. Here are the physical specs of DVD-R from MAM-A. Get answers to your DVD authoring questions at the Creative COW forum. You can find DVD authoring guides at dvdrhelp.com. The mpucoder site has some detailed information on DVD stream coding and also the freeware programs IfoEdit and VobEdit, which can display and even alter finished DVD project files at a very low level (the interface is similar to the Windows Registry Editor, and about as opaque if you aren't well versed in DVD file structures). At the lowest level, the flow of a DVD presentation is controlled by a command set which tells the player what video segment to present next. This site has a handy table of the DVD command set. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. The Blu-ray Disc system uses a blue-violet laser operating at a wavelength of 405 nm, similar to the one used for HD DVD, to read and write data. Conventional DVDs and CDs use red and infrared lasers at 650 nm and 780 nm respectively. The BD-ROM specification defines four profiles of Blu-ray players. All video-based profiles are required to have a full implementation of BD-J. Because the Blu-ray Disc standard places the data recording layer close to the surface of the disc, early discs were susceptible to contamination and scratches and had to be enclosed in plastic caddies for protection. The consortium worried that such an inconvenience would hurt Blu-ray Disc's market adoption. [2] Blu-ray Discs now use a layer of protective material on the surface through which the data is read. MUXMEDIA Both Sony and Panasonic replication methods include proprietary hard-coat technologies. Sony's rewritable media are sprayed with a scratch-resistant and antistatic coating.

MUXMEDIA [3] TDK also announced a way to remedy the problem in January 2004 with the introduction of a clear polymer coating that gives Blu-ray Discs substantial scratch resistance. The coating was developed by TDK and is called Durabis. It allows BDs to be cleaned safely with only a tissue. The coating is said to successfully resist wire wool scrubbing according to Samsung Optical technical manager Chas Kalsi. It is not clear, however, whether discs will use the Durabis coating or if the use of the coating will prove too expensive. picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. Since the claims of Chas Kalsi, several videos have appeared on YouTube of people testing these claims, usually on copies of alladega Nights included as freebies with some PS3 units. The results seem to support Kalsi entirely with the disc undergoing extensive steel wool scrubbing and vicious attacks with pens and pizza cutters and still achieving normal playback on the PS3 console. Verbatim announced in July 2006 that their Blu-ray Disc recordable and rewritable discs would incorporate their hard-coat ScratchGuard technology which protects against scratches, abrasion, fingerprints, and traces of grease Codecs are compression schemes that can be used to store audio and video information on a disc. The BD-ROM specification places requirements on both hardware decoders (players) and the movie-software (content). For video, ISO MPEG-2, H.264/AVC, and SMPTE VC-1 are player-mandatory. (This means all BD-ROM players must be capable of decoding all three video codecs.) MPEG-2 video allows decoder backward compatibility for DVDs. H.264, sometimes called MPEG-4 part 10, is a more recent video codec. VC-1 is a competing MPEG-4 derivative codec proposed by Microsoft (based on Microsoft's previous work in Windows Media 9). BD-ROM titles with video must store video using one of the three mandatory codecs (multiple codecs on a single title are allowed).

Initial versions of Sony's Blu-ray Disc-authoring software only included support for MPEG-2 video, so the initial Blu-ray Discs were forced to use MPEG-2 rather than the newer codecs, VC-1 and H.264. MUXMEDIA An upgrade was subsequently released supporting the newer compression methods so the second wave of Blu-ray Disc titles were able to make use of this. The choice of codecs affects disc cost (due to related licensing/royalty payments) as well as program capacity. The two more advanced video codecs can typically achieve twice the video runtime of MPEG-2. When using MPEG-2, quality considerations would limit the publisher to around two hours of high-definition content on a single-layer (25 GB) BD-ROM. MUXMEDIA picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. For audio, BD-ROM players are required to support Dolby Digital AC-3, DTS, and linear PCM (up to 7.1 channels). Dolby Digital Plus, and lossless formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD are player optional. BD-ROM titles must use one of mandatory audiotracks for the primary soundtrack (linear PCM 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1.). MUXMEDIA A secondary audiotrack, if present, may use any of the mandatory or optional codecs. For uncompressed PCM and lossless audio in Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio formats, Blu-ray Discs support encoding in up to 24-bit/192 kHz for up to six channels, or up to eight channels of up to 24-bit/96 kHz encoding. MUXMEDIA picture movie,video advertising solutions,video corporate event, DVD wedding,DVD vacation,DVD authoring,home video. [9] For users recording digital television broadcasts, the Blu-ray Disc's baseline datarate of 54 Mbit/s is more than adequate to record high-definition broadcasts. Support for new codecs will evolve as they are encapsulated by broadcasters into their MPEG-2 transport streams, and consumer set-top boxes capable of decoding them are rolled out. For Blu-ray Disc movies the maximum transfer rate is 48 Mbit/s (1.5x) for the combined audio and video payload, of which a maximum of 40 Mbit/s can be dedicated to video data. This compares favorably to the maximum of 36.55 Mbit/s in HD DVD movies for audio and video data. Blu-ray Disc has an experimental digital rights management (DRM) feature called BD+ which allows for dynamically changing keys for the cryptographic protections involved.">