Product Description

Save time and money with the latest tools and techniques for publishing content in DVD formats. This comprehensive guide reveals everything you need to publish content in DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, and WebDVD formats - from project conception to replication and distribution. Organize your projects, execute them, and sell them efficiently with a complete understanding of the theory and the practice. Each step of the authoring and production process is thoroughly explained and illustrated by reference to the author's own StarGaze DVD. Other features include:

A product guide to production and authoring tools: storyboard & design tools, MPEG-2 video encoders, Dolby AC-3 audio encoders, DTS audio encoders, DVD authoring tools, emulation & QA tools, DVD service bureaus, DVD replication facilities, and DVD test & analysis facilities.

Advanced authoring concepts: such as video and VTS manager areas, one sequential PGC titles, GPRM & SPRM register usage, multi-angle content, multi-audio track content, multi-subpicture stream content, NTSC, PAL, and widescreen issues.

Sage business advice: a review of three popular DVD production business models and tried-and-true marketing and distribution methods.

A comprehensive glossary of acronyms and DVD terms Special Feature:
A copy of the author's own DVD title, StarGaze, is included to provide real-world examples of each DVD authoring and production process.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #719076 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Review
'Authoring' will happily companion DVD Demystified on any DVD author's bookshelf. -- Tim Frost, editor, One to One Magazine

... far more than a simple "how-to" book, it conveys the subtleties and nuances that can only come from hands-on experience. -- E.J. (Jerry) McFaul, computer scientist, US federal government

DVD Authoring & Production has already become the second essential book of any DVD library. -- eMedia Professional, November, 2001

No one knows the ins and outs, quirks and details, tricks and work-arounds of DVD authoring better than Ralph LaBarge. -- Dana J. Parker, DVD Diva, cdpage.com

This book takes up where DVD Demystified leaves off, explaining the vital details of designing, producing, and selling a DVD. -- Jim Taylor, Chief of DVD Technology, Sonic Solutions; author of DVD Demystified and the DVD FAQ

Whether you're a DVD novice or a professional, you'll certainly want to add this fine title to your library. -- Rodney Stevens, Charleston Daily News, Charleston, S.C.

[LaBarge] writes about the arcane art of DVD production in a clear, concrete, fair, experience-based language. -- Jean-Luc Renaud, editor and publisher, DVD Intelligence/DVD Primer

From the Back Cover
SPECIAL FEATURE: A copy of the author's own DVD title, StarGaze, is included to provide real-world examples of each DVD authoring and production process. This book takes up where DVD Demystified leaves off, explaining the vital details of designing, producing, and selling a DVD. Don't make a disc without it. - Jim Taylor, Chief of DVD Technology, Sonic Solutions; author of DVD Demystified and the DVD FAQ No one knows the ins and outs, quirks and details, tricks and work-arounds of DVD authoring better than Ralph LaBarge. - Dana J. ... far more than a simple "How To" book, it is a work that conveys the subtleties and nuances that can only come from hands-on experience. - E.J. (Jerry) McFaul, Computer Scientist, US Federal Government

Ralph LaBarge is an independent DVD title developer with more than 200 DVD projects to his credit. He is a member of the DVD Association (DVDA) Board of Directors, a former chairman of the IMA/SPA DVD-ROM Technical Working Group, and a columnist for DV magazine. With masters degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, and over 12 years of practical experience in the fields of digital video compression and DVD, Ralph is widely recognized as a DVD expert. He specializes in the development of cutting-edge consumer DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, and WebDVD titles including AVIA Guide to Home Theatre, Mars: The Red Planet, the Naxos Musical Journey series, The Planet Earth series, StarGaze, and USA on DVD.

About the Author
Ralph LaBarge is an independent DVD title developer with more than 200 DVD projects to his credit. He is a member of the DVD Association (DVDA) Board of Directors, a former chairman of the IMA/SPA DVD-ROM Technical Working Group, and a columnist for DV magazine. With master's degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and over 12 years of practical experience in the fields of digital video compression and DVD, Ralph is widely recognized as a DVD expert. He specializes in the development of cutting-edge consumer DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, and WebDVD titles, including AVIA Guide to Home Theatre, Mars: The Red Planet, the Naxos Musical Journey series, The Planet Earth series, StarGaze and USA on DVD.

Customer Reviews

Creatively limited. More catalogue than text
I bought this book in the expectation that I would learn about theories of DVD authoring focusing on techniques and user interface design. DVD authoring is of interest to groups as diverse as wedding videographers and instructional designers. There is a lot of technical detail in the book of the type found in product catalogues. The description of DVD layers, and so forth, is very informative. There is also a chapter listing available DVD software vendors. In fact, the book has a lot to say about DVD as a format and a technology, but rather less to say about DVD authoring. The chapter on navigation is barely above interesting. One section discusses 'advanced' navigation and introduces program control constructs (IF-THEN, FOR, etc.). Potentially very interesting but the examples of the uses of the constructs are limited to one or two lines of code; and one never gets to understand the 'features in action' in a project.

The title of the book is misleading. Production issues are addressed but very little of interest is available on authoring. If you need to learn about authoring in depth, look elsewhere.

A book for the local DVD authorer - NOT movie studio
I think both negative reviews are off base. One of them obviously sounds like they are from the direct competitor of this book - DVD Demystified.

This book to me touches on the aspects of producing a DVD as a independent producer, not a Movie Studio. The reviewer that said that it doesnt delve into the items a major studio does in DVD, needs to realize the person buying this book isnt a movie studio, but most likely a new business or producer delving into DVD for the first time. DVD Demystified is too heavy on content vs how-to in this book. The accompanying disc is nice because it is along the lines of a title someone would produce. Not a major motion picture.

The book DVD Authoring & Production" is much more of a how-to guide for developing DVD titles and touches on a lot of technical aspects that DVD Demystified does not touch on.

Also, Mr.LaBarge is a well known and wanted speaker around the globe on DVD. That merit alone makes the book a must read.

very good if you are going to setup your own authoring house
this book has a lot of information on dvd production process. it is targeted to people who want to get into dvd production so the details on process (story board) and software application are very helpful. a good companion if you already own dvd demystified