Professional DVD production with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

Transcription

1 primer Professional DVD production with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 What is DVD-Video? 2 The evolution of graphical DVD authoring 2 DVD creation workflow at a glance 3 Planning and starting a project 3 Acquiring and managing project assets 6 Arranging content on a timeline 8 Creating static or motion menus 11 Creating navigation 12 Transcoding assets 12 Previewing a project 13 Producing a DVD 15 Adobe Encore DVD 2.0: Next steps This primer describes the basic workflow for DVD production using Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. This workflow overview shows how video producers can produce DVDs in a streamlined way using the templates and guidance that Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 provides. The primer also shows how post-production professionals maintain complete control over all aspects of a production through extensive customization, by integrating familiar tools such as Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0, and Adobe After Effects 7.0. What is DVD-Video? DVD-Video is a multimedia publishing format that people use for interactive playback of high-quality video, audio, and graphics content. The DVD-Video format allows consumers to play back long-form content such as motion pictures and interactive content such as games, all with higher video and audio quality than can be had from VHS, SVHS, CD-I, or Laserdisc playback systems. DVD-Video delivers full-screen, fullmotion video at a resolution of 720 x 480 pixels per frame and a frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps) for NTSC video, or 720 x 576 pixels per frame and a frame rate of 25 fps for PAL video. The DVD-Video format also supports high-quality audio using Dolby Digital audio, DTS audio, linear PCM audio, or MPEG-1 Layer II audio. Both Dolby Digital and DTS support surround sound. Up to eight different audio tracks, all synchronized to the digital video stream, can be included on a DVD-Video disc. The DVD-Video format also supports up to 32 subpicture streams, which can be used for subtitles, closed captioning, graphical overlays, and even simple animations. Each subpicture stream is synchronized to the video and audio streams so that a combination of multimedia elements (video, audio, graphics, text, and animation) can be delivered to the user in a coherent fashion. Finally, DVD-Video supports a range of functions that enable the viewer to control and interact with the DVD. Simple functions such as start, stop, pause, fast-forward, and reverse allow the viewer to control the playback of a DVD in a manner similar to a VHS, SVHS, or Laserdisc system. DVD-Video also provides random access to the content on the disc, allowing the viewer to jump to any portion of a video, typically in less than a second with most DVD players. The DVD-Video format also provides high-level interactive functions that allow the development of DVDs that ask the viewer to respond to questions, or that use interactive menus to determine how the content is viewed. DVD specifications are documented in books published by the DVD Forum, which is a consortium of over 230 members representing companies that offer DVD-related products and services. For more information on DVD specifications, see the DVD Forum website,

2 The evolution of graphical DVD authoring Early DVD authoring tools were designed to allow a technician to create a DVD disc image following the guidelines of the DVD-Video specifications. First-generation authoring tools such as Daikin s Scenarist SGI worked on high-end UNIX workstations and required detailed knowledge of DVD specifications. Second-generation authoring tools, such as Sonic Scenarist NT and Sonic Creator, moved the authoring process to lower-cost personal computers running Microsoft Windows or Mac OS, but the author still needed to have a detailed understanding of the specifications in order to use the tools. This is why second generation tools are often referred to as specification-compliant tools. Third-generation DVD authoring tools, such as Spruce Maestro and Apple DVD Studio Pro, are often referred to as abstraction-layer tools because they do not require in-depth knowledge of the DVD specifications. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is a fourth-generation graphical DVD-authoring tool. It extends the concept of an abstraction-layer authoring tool by providing a high degree of integration between the DVD authoring process and the DVD menu- and content-creation processes. A primary advantage of Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is the combination of powerful internal tools for creating menus and organizing content. These internal tools are integrated with tools for creating and editing DVD menus available in Photoshop CS2 and After Effects 7.0 Professional, as well as tools for creating and editing audio-video content available in Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and Adobe Audition 2.0. Graphical DVD authoring using a well-integrated suite of video applications helps authors create and produce DVDs more efficiently. Authors no longer have to switch between a multitude of unrelated (and often not directly compatible) stand-alone programs to create, edit, and author DVD productions, nor do they have to spend time learning the details of the DVD-Video specification. Instead, with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, authors move easily among a suite of wellintegrated applications that offer everything they need for professional DVD production. DVD creation workflow at a glance Although you can produce a wide variety of DVDs, most require similar production stages: Plan and start a project Acquire and manage project assets by capturing and editing video, audio, and slides, and then importing them into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 Arrange content on a timeline Create static or motion menus Create project navigation Transcode assets Preview the project Produce the DVD Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is organized around this production workflow, but provides both guidance and flexibility at every stage. The sections below describe each workflow stage in more detail.

3 Planning and starting a project A little planning can help you organize your project efficiently. A project plan can be as simple as a sketched flowchart showing the main components and assets of your project; for complex projects, a detailed spreadsheet of all project assets can supplement the flowchart. The new Flowchart feature in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 can assist in project planning by letting you quickly sketch the overall structure of a project in a graphical way, either before or after you import assets into a project. You can create all major elements of a production, including timelines, menus, playlists, and slide shows and quickly establish basic navigation for the project, and then link the elements to assets as you import them. Flowcharts not only represent the plan for a project, they actually create the project elements as you outline them in the flowchart, so you can immediately move on to importing and creating assets and setting their behaviors. (If you ve already imported or created project assets such as timelines and menus, you can drag them into the flowchart and arrange them to create navigation.) You can return to the flowchart at any point during a project to review the project structure and make adjustments. You can quickly create the elements and navigation flow of a project using the new Flowchart panel. You start a project by creating a project file based on the video standard for your region (generally, NTSC for North America and Japan, and PAL for Europe). Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 uses standard, familiar Adobe user interface elements such as timelines, panels, and bins. You can use preset workspaces, or create and save custom workspaces for different types of projects and tasks. When you have completed a plan, you ll have a good idea of what you need for the next stage, in which you acquire the assets for your project. Acquiring and managing project assets In the integrated Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 workflow, assets can include: Video and audio captured from a DV camera or deck using a FireWire connection and Adobe Premiere Pro. Video that you edit in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, and then import into an Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 project. Audio that you record, capture, or edit using Adobe Audition. Images that you import to create a slide show.

4 When you import assets into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, they appear in the Project panel, which is similar to bins used in other Adobe products. The Project panel lets you manage all of the project assets. Use it to compile and organize your project s video segments, audio segments, menu elements, timelines, slideshows, and subtitle tracks. You can create folders to make managing large numbers of assets easier (such as numerous images in a slide show). Use the Project panel to organize your assets, including video, audio, images, timelines, playlists, menus, and menu-creation assets. You can preview a selected asset in the preview area near the top of the panel. If you want your DVD project to include one or more slide shows, you can import images (such as photos and artwork) as a slide show and then edit the slide show using the Slideshow Viewer. (You can also first create a slide show and then add graphics you ve already imported to it.) The slides you import as a slide show appear in the Project panel associated with a slide show timeline. The Slideshow Viewer includes features for quickly setting up a slide show, setting slide timings, and adding a music and audio narration tracks. Slides you import appear in the Slideshow Viewer, where you can quickly organize a slide show.

5 You can use the Properties panel to examine and edit attributes and options for many elements in your project, including audio and video assets, menus, buttons, timelines, slides hows, playlists, and chapters, as well as general settings for the disc you are defining. The options available on the panel depend on what is selected in your workspace. Select multiple elements to quickly apply the same attribute to them simultaneously. You can use almost any type of video or audio file in your projects, including DVD-compliant assets such as MPEG-2 video streams (.mpg,.mpv, and.m2v) and Linear PCM (.wav or.aiff), Dolby Digital audio streams (.ac3), or Digital Theater Sound (.dts) audio. Assets that are already in a DVD-compliant format do not require transcoding by Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. You can also use files in formats that are not compliant with the DVD-Video format specification, including video or audio assets that are in either a Microsoft DirectShowcompliant format such as Windows Media (video or audio), or in the Apple QuickTime format. Video for NTSC output must have a resolution of 720 x 480, 720 x 486, or 704 x 480 with a frame rate of either 24 or fps. Video for PAL output must have a resolution of 720 x 576 or 704 x 576 with a frame rate of 25 fps. Audio files can be either mono, stereo, DTS or Dolby Digital, and if the audio is encoded in the MPEG format it must use constant bit rate (CBR) encoding. You can incorporate still images in a wide variety of formats, including BMP, TGA, PICT, MPEG, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, EXIF, and PSD (version 7 or later). When you build the final DVD production, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 automatically converts or transcodes any media assets that are not in a DVD-compliant format into the format required to create a valid DVD disc image. You can work with your untranscoded content throughout the design process and let Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 transcode when you build your DVD, automatically optimizing encoding based on the number, length, and size of the assets and the available space on the DVD. You can manage all aspects of a selected asset in the Properties panel. The options available depend on the type of asset selected, and may appear on one or more tabs. Or, if you prefer to exert more control over transcoding settings for specific content, you can transcode individual assets at any time using either DVD-compliant transcode presets customized for several different quality and storage requirements, or custom transcode presets that you create. Whether automatic or manual, all transcoding occurs in the background so workflow is never delayed by content conversion. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 includes a built-in, high-quality MPEG-2 encoder, a Dolby Digital stereo audio encoder, and an MPEG-1 Layer II audio encoder. In addition to the Project panel, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 helps you manage assets by integrating closely with other products in the Adobe Production Suite. Which programs you use in your workflow depends on the features and content you include in your DVD project. For example: You can add chapter markers to a movie in Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects, and automatically import and convert the markers to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 chapter points. You can use Adobe Audition to further edit or enhance a video s soundtrack or create background audio for DVD menus, updating your Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 project immediately. You can create menus as layered Photoshop CS2 files and import them directly into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 or edit your existing Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 menus seamlessly using Photoshop CS2. Using the new Adobe Dynamic Link feature, you can create motion menus in After Effects 7.0 and incorporate them into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 without rendering them. Changes you make to a linked composition in After Effects are immediately updated in your Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 project without rendering.

6 It is not uncommon for DVD projects to involve hundreds, if not thousands, of individual media assets, some of which you reuse in more than one project. When your projects include many assets or assets that you reuse across projects, you can manage them using the Adobe Bridge asset management tool. With Bridge, you can create a common asset library that you share with other Adobe production tools. You can browse, search for, organize, and preview content files, and then drag what you need into your Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 project. You can manage assets that you share across projects and across production tools using Adobe Bridge. Arranging content on a timeline Much of the work you do in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 centers around timelines. A timeline is an arrangement of clips that will be grouped on the final DVD so that they play back together. Generally, a timeline includes a video stream, up to eight audio streams, and up to 32 subtitle streams. Each project can include up to 99 timelines, each with up to 99 unique chapter points that provide access to specific frames in the timeline. Arrange the assets of each feature for your DVD a video clip or still images, audio clips, and subtitles in timelines. The Timeline panel shows the duration of each asset and its placement in time relative to other assets. An Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 timeline is familiar to anyone who has worked with Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects. You arrange assets including video, audio, titles, and images using standard editing techniques. New to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, you can assemble multiple video and audio clips on a single timeline, creating a seamless playback of multiple clips without using separate video or audio editing applications to create them.

7 Viewing and moving the timeline: You work in the Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 timeline much as you would in other Adobe programs. You can assign poster frames (the thumbnail frames used for menu buttons that access chapters), or use basic trimming controls to make last-minute changes to your content without going back to the original editing application that created it. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 can automatically create chapter points from markers added to your video in Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects, but you can also modify or add chapter points in the Timeline panel. New to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, you can automatically create chapter points at fixed intervals in a production, allowing viewers to conveniently skip forward and backward through a production. Moving around a timeline is as simple as clicking on the current time indicator and moving it left or right. Clicking on any clip within a track selects that clip, and the Properties panel displays information pertinent to it. The panel also includes a zoom control for changing the scale of display within the timeline. Adding assets to the timeline: The video track on a timeline can include one or more video assets or a series of still image assets. You add assets by dragging them from the Project panel and dropping them on the timeline. If you add more than one video asset to a timeline, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 merges these assets seamlessly. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 supports up to eight audio tracks per timeline. Each audio track contains a fully mixed soundtrack, containing up to six audio channels of content. The language for each track can be designated by choosing from a pop-up menu at the left of each track. Like video tracks, each audio track can include one or more audio assets. Previewing the timeline and adding subtitles: You can preview timelines using the Monitor panel, and adjust the size of the preview within the monitor by using the Zoom control. Controls at the left of each track in the Timeline panel control which audio or subtitle tracks are played. The Monitor panel s playback controls include Play and Pause, as well as controls for skipping to the previous or next I-frame in your video; to the previous or next chapter; or to the next subtitle. In addition to previewing assets in a project, the Monitor panel also provides a convenient way to add subtitles or chapter points. You can add a new subtitle by typing it directly in the Monitor panel, and then indicate the precise frames at which it will begin and end. You can add a new chapter point at the specific frame being viewed. The current playback time and chapter number are always displayed for reference. To aid subtitle creation, the action- and title-safe areas can be displayed for precise text positioning. Preview your timelines using the Monitor panel. You can type subtitles directly in the Monitor panel, where the optional display of safe-area guides can help you properly position them.

8 In addition to typing titles in the Monitor panel, you can import them. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 supports import of full subtitle scripts in the standard Text Script and Image Script formats used by professional subtitling services (or you can create your own subtitling scripts using these formats). You can add as many as 32 subtitle tracks to each timeline (or 16 to widescreen productions). New to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, you can also import closed captions from a video captioning program and add them to a clip using the Properties panel. Timelines created in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 are linked through the use of the end actions and overrides associated with each timeline. You use end actions to specify what happens when a timeline finishes playing such as a link to any chapter in any timeline, or to any menu (and, optionally, which button on the menu to highlight). Overrides allow you to determine the next piece of media that a viewer will see depending on what they have just seen, overriding end actions that may be set for the next media. For example, you can set a series of end actions to play a series of videos one after another, and let users start the series by clicking a play all button that starts the first video in the series. But you may also want to create a set of individual buttons for each video, and then set an override for each button so that a user can play just a single video and then return to the menu. Playlists are a powerful and more efficient way to specify overrides for a number of timelines simultaneously. You can create and edit playlists that play any of the timelines in the production in a sequence you specify. (You can also order chapters within a single timeline by creating a chapter playlist.) Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 automatically optimizes assets in playlists so that you can use content multiple times within a project without duplicating it on disc, enabling you to maximize encoding quality by minimizing the amount of content that goes on the disc. You can modify the attributes for a selected playlist in the Properties panel. Creating static or motion menus DVD menus created in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 can include static or dynamic backgrounds, as well as a companion audio track. Static menus are simply pictures; dynamic menus include video as background elements, which you can use to preview the DVD contents, set the mood, and provide a level of professional polish. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is fully integrated with Photoshop CS2, meaning that you can create menus in Photoshop and import them directly into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0; or open Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 menus in Photoshop for editing, and then automatically update the Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 menus. Adobe Encore DVD supports Photoshop nested layer sets and nonsquare pixels. (Even Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 users who do not own Photoshop CS2 can create and edit menu graphics in the Photoshop file format.) You can also create dynamic menu graphics such as transitions and other animations in After Effects. New to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, you can automatically create multipage submenus from chapters or slideshows in a project.

9 Creating a menu from a template A quick way to create a static or interactive menu is to start with one of the menu templates that come with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. Located in the Library panel, you can choose a menu template and then customize its text for your specific DVD project in the Menu Editor. You can also edit menu templates in Photoshop to add your own images and effects. The Library panel in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 also offers a collection of professional background and button graphics that you can use in menus. For quick creation of menus for your DVD project, use menu templates such as these included with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. Or create your own and store them in the Library panel for reuse in future projects. Creating a custom menu If you want complete control over creating menus, you can create static menus (or menu templates) from scratch in Photoshop CS2. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 menus use the Photoshop file format, so you can move menus freely back and forth between Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 and Photoshop as you work. Working in the native Photoshop format, whether in Photoshop CS2 or Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, means you can take full advantage of layers (including nested layers and layer effects such as shadows, glows, and bevels) in the creation of your menu and button designs. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 also supports Photoshop CS2 features such as layout guides and true nonsquare pixel display. Creating menus in Photoshop CS2 requires that all graphic elements for a single button be in the same layer set, and that layer sets are named using a simple syntax so that the menus will be interpreted by Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 correctly. (Menus created in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 use this syntax automatically.) The layer set name must be preceded by (+), which indicates that the layer set is a button. The highlight elements of a button can use up to three colors. (This color limitation is determined by the standard hardware chip in DVD players that controls display of menu button highlights.) For example, you might use yellow to highlight the text of a button, red for a bullet next to the text, and blue to underline. Each of these colors must reside on a separate layer in the button layer set, and be labeled (=1), (=2), and (=3). A button can contain a thumbnail of the timeline to which it is linked. An image layer for a video thumbnail must have name preceded with (%). Additionally, you can designate specialized buttons by preceding the layer set name with the following syntax: (!) for a replacement layer, (+#) for a chapter button, (+<) and (+>) for previous and next buttons, and (+^) for a main menu button. A menu can include sound and motion. You can replace the entire background of a menu with a video file, as well as link it to an audio file. A video can serve as a moving backdrop to a menu or provide all the visual elements of the menu except for button highlighting including, for example, a moving background, scrolling credits, and even button images. (The menu itself needs only to include a placeholder background and the button subpictures in button layer sets that align with the button images in the video.) You can edit your menus using Photoshop or create them in Photoshop and import them into your project.

10 You can use a menu that you create in Photoshop as the starting point for creating full-motion backgrounds in After Effects for your DVD menus. From Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, you can send a menu in the Photoshop file format directly to After Effects 6.5 or later for animation. After adding animation in After Effects, you can create a dynamic link to the After Effects composition (if you are using the Adobe Production Suite); alternatively, you can render a movie, import it back into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, and add it to your menu background. Additionally, like Photoshop, After Effects can convert layers to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 buttons. After Effects automatically names layers with the proper syntax and creates nested compositions for individual buttons. You can output a Photoshop.psd file from After Effects that includes correctly named layers and layer sets, for import into Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. Using the new Adobe Dynamic Link feature (available in Adobe Production Studio only), you can dynamically link to new or existing After Effects compositions from Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 productions without the need to render movies. Changes you make to a dynamically linked composition in After Effects appear immediately in the linked files in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0; you don t have to render the composition or even save changes first. Defining menu behaviors You use the Menu Viewer to edit menus and define their behavior. You can create and arrange new buttons, define button navigation commands, and link buttons to timelines in a project. An optional Safe Area display helps you ensure that all critical buttons and text graphics are within the action and title-safe areas of a television monitor. Additionally, guides (the same as those used in Photoshop CS2) can be displayed to make it easier to align objects in your layout. As described in the previous section, you can define subpictures in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 or Photoshop CS2 for your DVD menu buttons to indicate different states: normal, selected, and activated. You can also designate the menu button to be selected by default whenever the menu is displayed. For video thumbnail buttons (most often used to navigate to specific chapters in your DVD), you can specify either a still button using a single frame from your video, or an animated button that plays a series of frames. For still buttons, you can specify the poster frame for the movie to which the button is linked in the Timeline. Use the Menu Editor to create and edit menus. In this panel, you can place, move, resize, or delete buttons, as well as add text and background images. 10

11 For most menus that are vertical, horizontal, or both, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 automatically determines button routing for remote control arrow-key operations. You can modify routing order for individual buttons in the Properties panel, or display routing icons for all buttons simultaneously and drag from those icons to any of the other buttons in the menu to define the new routing. You can also link buttons to their destinations in the new Flowchart panel, which provides a graphical representation of the entire project, including all assets and routing. Working with panels If you customize menu templates, or create your own menus, much of your work will involve four panels that give you complete creative control and streamline your workflow efficiently: the Library, Styles, Layers, and Character panels. The Library panel: The Library panel contains assets you can use in menus. You can store and organize menu templates, buttons, images, vector shapes, backgrounds, layer sets, and text. Assets are organized into sets; you can create new sets containing assets suitable for the types of projects you create. Store buttons, backgrounds, and shapes in the Library panel for easy reuse across multiple projects. The Styles panel: The Styles panel stores defined styles you can apply to text, images, and shapes for a standard look within a set of menus for one or a series of DVD titles. You use it to apply standard looks such as drop shadows, font faces, color gradients, and other attributes. Create or edit styles in the Menu Editor, then drag them to the Styles panel for use again later. Styles in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 are actually Photoshop files that include layer effects, so you can also use Photoshop CS2 to create or modify any style for use in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. The Layers panel: The Layers panel provides control over the layers in a DVD menu, including menus with nested layer sets that you create in Photoshop CS2. The Layers panel in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 can display or hide each layer in a menu; lock or unlock each layer; change the layer order; and change layer sets into buttons, or buttons back into regular text or shape layers. The Character panel: You use the Character panel to view and edit type-formatting options for text in menus and subtitle streams. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 supports all character sets, including Asian fonts. Creating navigation Once you have arranged your DVD content into timelines and created menus, it s time to put the entire project together by creating navigation. While simple menus and buttons provide a way for users to make selections, you can specify a range of navigation options that determine how your DVD production will behave. You specify, for example, what happens when a particular timeline finishes playing does the DVD return to the menu, or does another timeline begin playing? You specify navigation links using the Properties or Flowchart panels. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 lets you link to practically any destination in the project, whether it be a menu, timeline, slide show, playlist, or chapter playlist. (ROM content is the exception. ROM content must be accessed from a computer s desktop.) You can set the following types of links to create navigation: first play, title button, menu remote, standard link, end actions, and overrides. You can also specify other options that determine how the DVD production behaves. All links in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 point to a menu, a timeline, a playlist, a chapter playlist, or a slide show. 11

12 When a menu is selected in the upper portion of the Menu panel, the lower portion displays the properties for each button defined for that menu. These properties include the button s name, number, link data, and more. You can select multiple menus in the upper list to display the button properties for more than one menu at a time, then highlight multiple buttons in the bottom list and use the Properties panel to make global changes to their properties. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 provides other ways to specify navigation, including using the Pick Whip to quickly link a button action to a timeline, another button, or a slideshow; or by dragging the destination element from the Project panel onto a button in the Menu panel. Generally, however, you can specify navigation by selecting the element for which you are setting the link, and then selecting a destination for the link in the Properties panel. Transcoding assets Transcoding refers to the process of preparing asset files video and audio for inclusion on a DVD by creating the appropriate file format and compression characteristics for the files. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 automatically transcodes in the background, although you specify the transcoding settings for a project overall, or for any single asset by modifying the Transcoding setting in the Properties panel when the asset is selected. If you allow Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 to handle transcoding, it will produce the best quality possible while ensuring that all of your media will fit on a DVD. Previewing a project Previewing allows you to step through your DVD project s navigation and view its content. It s especially useful for catching mistakes that work technically, but that do not make sense practically for your DVD s audience. For example, a link destination may not make sense after you ve viewed it in context with other links, or you may discover that with your designated bit rates there are problems with the quality of video or audio you have transcoded. You can start the preview anywhere in your content and then exit the preview at any point. Knowing the exact location of the content you preview lets you follow up with precise edits more quickly. You use the Project Preview panel to preview your DVD and test the navigation logic and features before you create a DVD, which will save you time. 12

13 You can preview an entire production by choosing File > Preview. Alternatively, you can choose Preview From Here from a context menu by right-clicking an asset in the Project panel, Menu panel, or Slideshow panel. When you choose Preview From Here, the Project Preview monitor opens and starts previewing the DVD from the object that you selected. The Project Preview panel offers controls for navigation and transport, zoom, audio, and subtitle cycles. Many of the standard navigation (menu-related) and transport (timeline-related) controls in the panel duplicate the appearance and functionality of the standard controls found on remote controls for television DVD players, as well as of those found in the playback panels of computerbased DVD players. The Exit Here button in the Project Preview panel stops the preview and selects the current timeline, menu, or slide being previewed in the appropriate editor. New to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is the Flowchart panel, which provides an additional way to visualize the overall structure of a project and complete many common authoring tasks. With the Flowchart panel, you can create and update project navigation by arranging and linking elements; identify and fix linking problems; and edit and update elements and properties. Producing a DVD When your project is complete, you have the option of burning a DVD, saving a master image to Digital Linear Tape (DLT) for hand-off to a DVD replication service, or saving your project as a DVD folder or a DVD image to an available hard disk. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 can output the final project to any standard DVD-Video format, building directly to disc, or to tape for hand-off to a volume disc replicator. You can burn Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 projects onto recordable single- or double-layer DVD media using the Disc panel. In the Disc panel you can specify both a Volume Name for the disc and the size of the disc. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 supports a variety of CD and DVD disc sizes including 650MB and 700MB CD media, 3.95GB, 4.7GB, and 8.54GB DVD media, as well as a custom size. You can also add DVD-ROM content to your disc (for access from a personal computer) by browsing to and selecting the folder or file you want to add. The Disc panel keeps track of how much disc space you are using, and provides information on total space used, space used for DVD-ROM content, and space remaining. The Disc panel also allows you to specify project settings, check link status, and build the project: The Project Settings window lets you specify region codes and copy protection settings for disc projects that will be written to Digital Linear Tape (DLT) for disc replication. (Region coding and copy protection cannot be set for DVDs that you burn directly from Adobe Encore DVD 2.0.) You can also specify the disc size in this window, and the side number designated for twosided DVD projects. The Check Project window provides a comprehensive set of checks for navigation, bit-rate, and subtitle problems. This is an excellent way to check that there are no technical errors in your DVD project before burning your DVD or sending your DVD project for replication, and is particularly helpful on a large project containing many timelines and menus. The Build Project dialog box enables you to burn a recordable DVD. Other options for building your DVD project are available from the File menu. (Note that a volume or image contains all of the contents and structure of your DVD, and should not be confused with Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 project or *.ncor files, which are used by Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 to keep track of each project s settings between work sessions.) When you are ready to output your DVD project, choose the desired option from the File > Build DVD menu. If you want to burn a DVD (as opposed to writing a tape or creating a DVD volume or image), another option is to click the Build Project button in the Disc panel. 13

14 Regardless of the output type you have chosen, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 helps ensure the quality of your results by automatically checking the project for problems and displaying an alert if any are found. From this point it is easy to return to the Check Project dialog box and quickly identify the details of any issues so that you can address them, and then carry on with your work. In addition to creating DVD output from the current project, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 can also create DVD output from a DVD volume or an image file stored on your computer. Choosing an output option The output option you choose depends, of course, on what you intend to do with the output. For the type of output you need, keep in mind the following tips. Build DVD Disc: Use this option to build a recordable disc to play on television DVD players, computers, or game consoles. You can record to a DVD in a DVD-writable drive or to a CD in a CD-R or CD-RW drive. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 supports a wide variety of DVD recorders, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/ RW, and DVD+R DL models. You can control the write speed as well as the number of copies to be burned. If you intend to write to a CD, keep in mind that it will play only in computer-based DVD-compatible drives, and will be limited to the data capacity of a CD-ROM, which is usually 650MB to 700MB. Still, you may find that writing DVD-compliant files to a CD-ROM is a good way to distribute short projects not intended for television viewing. The quality will equal that of a DVD. Build DVD Master: Use this option to output to digital linear tape (DLT) used for mass replication of DVDs. Creating a DVD master requires having a DLT drive connected to your computer. DLT is the preferred method for sending DVD-Video disc images to a DVD replication facility. While some replication facilities accept different formats, virtually all replication services accept a DLT Type III tape in DDP 2.0 format. Alternative formats include DLT Type IIIXT and DLT Type IV tapes. Many replication services will also accept disc images on a recorded DVD format such as DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM. Dual-layer DVD projects or projects that make use of any of the copy protection or region coding features of the DVD-Video specification must be output to DLT for replication. Build DVD Folder: Use this option to build a DVD directory structure on your hard disk for quality assurance or local playback on a PC. You can play the program using a DVD playback application, and the directory behaves just like a disc, offering full navigational abilities. Build DVD Image: Use this option to build a DVD image on your hard disk. You would typically use this option replicating DVDs using a third-party mastering application. Adding copy protection to a DVD Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 offers all three standard copy-protection schemes for DVD: Copy Guard Management System (CGMS), Content Scrambling System (CSS), and Macrovision (also called the Analog Protection System). To create DVDs with copy protection, however, you must output your project to DLT for production at a DVD replication service. CGMS: This method of copy protection for CDs or Digital Audio Tape (DAT) restricts the number of copies that can be made of the CD or tape. Turning CGMS on in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, however, disables the ability to make any copies of the DVDs your replicator creates from your DLT. CSS: This method encrypts the video data and then includes decryption keys that can be read only from the officially replicated disc. Duplicates do not include the decryption keys, so the video remains scrambled. This method prevents unauthorized duplicates by end users from playing. 14

15 Macrovision: This method is intended to prevent playing back recordings made from DVD to analog video devices, such as VCRs. Macrovision encoded data sends electronic pulses to the analog device to disrupt recording sync, thereby scrambling the recorded image. There are three different types of Macrovision protection, all of which you can employ in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0. Note that using Macrovision copy protection requires that you pay a per-disc royalty. Your replication service can provide you with more information. Adding region coding to a DVD Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 supports all standard region codes, which you can select in the Project Settings dialog box. However, the code selections apply only when creating a DLT for submission to a DVD replication service. DVDs burned directly from Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 always have all regions enabled. In order to gain the support of the major motion picture studios, the DVD Forum had to modify the original DVD-Video specification to include region coding. Region coding is designed to allow the major motion picture studios to control the release of their DVDs throughout the world. When a DVD is manufactured, a region code can be stored on the disc. Similarly, when DVD players and DVD-ROM drives are manufactured, a region code is stored within the player hardware. The DVD player performs a comparison of its own internal region code with the region code or codes stored on a DVD disc loaded into it. If the region codes match, then the DVD player will display the default menu or will start playing the default timeline. If the region codes do not match, the DVD player will not provide access to the disc contents. Eight region codes have been defined: 1. The U.S., U.S. territories, and Canada 2. Europe, Japan, South Africa, and the Middle East (including Egypt) 3. Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and others) 4. Mexico, South America, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean islands 5. Countries of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, India, most of North Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia 6. The People s Republic of China 7. Reserved 8. Airplanes (in-flight entertainment) The use of DVD region codes is optional for content owners, but mandatory for DVD hardware manufacturers. Content owners can publish DVDs using any combination of regional codes that they choose, or none at all. Players are manufactured to play back data for a single region. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0: Next steps The workflow described in this primer is a general one, and doesn t exhaust the options and features that Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 offers. It s intended to demonstrate both that getting started in creating DVD projects is easy, but that you can get as creative with your projects as your imagination allows. If you re new to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, with this primer as an overview you may find a few other approaches to learning about DVD projects helpful, including: Experiment with the sample project files. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 comes with a complete sample project that you can examine, edit, and use as a learning laboratory. 15

16 Create your own test projects. Once you feel you have a grasp of the basics, try creating a basic project that includes menus, timelines, playlists, and slide shows. Start by using the templates provided for these and other elements, then customize the elements using both the tools in Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 as well as Photoshop CS2 (for menus). A personal project using your own video, photos, and other assets can be a great learning experience, particularly if you plan the DVD and then try to follow all the steps in this workflow primer to create it. FOR MORE INFORMATION For a comprehensive overview of Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, please visit Refer to online Help. Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 comes with extensive online Help that follows the workflow described here in greater detail. Check out other documentation and training. The Adobe website contains resources about Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 and other Adobe products. Given how closely integrated Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is with other products in the Adobe Production Suite, gaining expertise in these other tools (if you don t already have it) serves to increase the options you have for creating DVD projects and helps you work more efficiently. Whether you re new to DVD production or are a professional producer, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 is aimed at helping you produce professional, polished DVDs as efficiently and easily as possible. With a little planning, exploration, and learning, you ll soon be creating your own rewarding DVD projects. Adobe Systems Incorporated 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA USA Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe Encore DVD, Adobe Audition, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and After Effects are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Apple, Macintosh, and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.