User guide

Welcome to Polk County Instructional Television’s DVD Studio Pro Quick Reference Guide, Summer

2008 Edition. This guide seeks to cover the basics of DVD Studio Pro and Compressor, its complement pro-

gram, as well as provide training in more advanced uses of the application.

 InordertoappreciateanapplicationlikeDVDStudioPro,youmustrstappreciatetheendresultof

any DVD Studio Pro project: a DVD. Perhaps the main distinction between DVDs and VHS tapes, besides the

difference in video and sound quality, is the manner in which they are operated. The content on a VHS tape can

onlybeplayedbackintheorderinwhichitwasrecordedtothetape,allowingnouserinput,conguration,or

customization of their viewing experience. A DVD is quite different. First of all, DVDs can potentially store

much higher quality media than a VHS tape. Also, DVDs can hold multiple videos, pictures, and music, which

may be watched in whatever order the viewer likes. Finally, a DVD can include multiple playback settings, al-

lowing the viewer to select the settings most appropriate for their system.

 WhilemanyofthesedifferencesbetweenVHSandDVDwereimpressivewhenDVDswererstre-

leased, the novelty of the DVD’s features has worn off. Most viewers probably take for granted the interactive

elementsincludedonmosteveryDVD.However,asyoumightalreadyknow,oratleastareabouttondout,

all of the special elements such as playback settings, bonus content, high-quality video, and interactivity don’t

just happen. Everything you experience when watching and controlling a professional DVD has been designed

and programmed into it. This is where DVD Studio Pro comes in.

DVD Studio Pro (DVDSP) allows you to create professional-quality DVD discs for playback on any

standard DVD Player or on a computer that can read DVD discs. You can use one of DVDSP’s many high-

quality pre-designed templates or start from scratch and create your own menus, transitions, buttons, etc. Out

of the many programs included in Apple’s Final Cut Studio, DVD Studio Pro requires the most knowledge of

all the applications, especially if you intend on creating a totally customized DVD. One DVD project might in-

clude videos from Final Cut Pro, sound effects and music from Soundtrack Pro, menu animations from Motion

or After Effects, and menu designs from Photoshop.

However, even if you don’t intend on creating an entire project from scratch, you’ll still be able to

develop quality DVD projects using the many built-in templates, all of which can be customized to meet your

liking. Throughout this guide you will learn the layout of DVDSP and how to use its most common functions,

aswellassomeofitsmoreadvancedfeatures.Bythetimeyounishthisbook,youwillbeabletodesignand

burn a DVD from scratch.

Compressor, an encoding software that complements DVD Studio Pro, will be an essential tool during

theDVDcreationprocess.ADVDdiscdoesnotuseregularQuickTimeor.AVImovieles,butinsteadneeds

specictypesofcompressedvideoandaudioles.Compressorallowsyoutoquicklyandeasilycreatethese

specializedlesbeforeyoubeginworkingonaDVDproject,whichsavestimeduringtheDVDcreationpro-

cessandimprovesthequalityofthenalproduct.

Further information on encoding, planning, creating, and burning DVDs can be found in the Compres-

sor and DVD Studio Pro Help manuals that come pre-installed with the applications. There are also multiple

resources online that highlight DVD creation techniques and tips. A few of these sites are listed in

the back of this guide.