DVD specifications, info needed.

[gerax]

Hi

A producer I work with has approached me with the idea of doing (finally) a serie of DVD of some live concerts he is doing with a string quartet, with video and obviously high quality audio.

Where can I find a detailed explanation (web links, books, articles etc..) of all the possible formats, codecs, and overall formula about making such a production?
I've been doing CDs for a few years now with this producer, and so I need to present him all of the possibilities when requesting a budget for the work. I've read some tech notes here and there on the net (on the Micasa web site), but I'm still a bit confused about how I have to approach this project.
Should I go for a DVD Video and then have 16/48 audio only (maybe in 5.1 surround) or should I venture in a DVD Audio format (that I understand has high resolution audio capabilities but limited video)?

Thanx for all the help you can give me.

L.G.

[citysoundman]

Thomlinson Holman's books on Surround Sound are excellent resources.

[froyo]

Hello. The two biggest resources in book form are DVD Demystified by J. Taylor and DVD Authoring and Production by Ralph LaBarge. DVD Demystified also has an online FAQ.

Would it surprise you to know that the DVD-Video specification allows 24/96 audio? Yep. You can do 24/96, PCM, uncompressed on a DVD-Video. Here's the rub. There are no players that I know of that will play such a disc.

DVD Audio will not allow anything more than a picture slideshow to play while the audio is going. As you will find out, anything having to do with the creation of a DVD disc always revolves around 'bit budgeting'. In a DVD Audio disc the high resolution audio takes up most of the rate available. For video to play in a DVD Audio disc, you have to author a DVD Video layer so to speak. So basically you are better off doing a DVD Video disc to begin with.

[gerax]

Thanx for the reply

That's what I was thinking; I guess the producer wants some kind of high quality live CD with video footage of the concert, if you get what I mean. I recentely checked out several live DVDs from artists such as Norah Jones, Eagles and several others: they are outstanding, and budget aside I'd like this production to take such a direction; I guess those are DVD Video with 16/48 stereo or 5.1 surround audio tracks, is this correct? If it's like that I think I'd conform to that standard, and have my audio recorded @24/48, then I'll dither down to 16/48 for the final stems.
I've been recording and mixing music in stereo for several years, but surround is still new to me (from a production standpoint). I think I have the recording side planned out using two additional mics pointed toward the back of the room that I'll use for the surrounds (I'm experimenting with a surround Decca Tree). The encoding of my final stems for the creation of the master is what concerns me the most ( AC3? DTS? Do I have to supplement a standard stereo mix as well?), if you have some web link pointing me toward a few usefull infos I'd be thankful.

Again thanx for the help.

L.G.

[froyo]

Hello. Actually gerax you can do 24 bit audio on a DVD Video disc, whether uncompressed PCM or compressed Dolby Digital, DTS, etc. The reason you rarely see a disc author uncompressed is for the bit rate on playback. Visuals take up most of it, so audio is compressed. But you can encode to DTS, Dolby Digital or Circle Surround at 24/48, 5.1.

All or most players from today playback Dolby and DTS. Older players may be one or the other. If I was a betting man and would only choose one, I would go with Dolby. However, Circle Surround is a new option that is more affordable so it's definitely an option. As for links.

http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

http://www.dolby.com/

http://www.dtsonline.com/

http://www.srslabs.com/

[K.B.]

Hi Lorenzo.

Moving into DVDs eh? I'll be picking your brains soon enough. But I'll let you make all the mistakes first (hell, I had to struggle with those damn Matrox tweaks! )

There's a thread here which isn't specifically what you're asking about, but may give you some useful background DVD info.

Best of luck.

[froyo]

Hello. Hey gerax and Karel, here's to hoping either Apple comes around and allows the Windows version of QuickTime to spit out DV or Digidesign steps up with support for Windows Media Player. No more of these incessant, tiresome workarounds.

As for DVD's, it's been my contention that the record labels dropped the ball massively when it came to audio and DVD. We all know how unstoppable DVD has been in video. There is no reason why this couldn't happen with audio. Imagine this.

You buy a DVD Video disc. But it's the new Rush album. 16/44 or 24/48 stereo. Also with 24/48 5.1 DTS, AC3 or Circle Surround. You also get a 'behind the scenes', 'making of the album' documentary. Plus lyrics. Or a 'Score' type function of visual notation that plays along visually with the song. There are a thousand ways to add value to a music CD with the current DVD spec. And it is the reason why DVD Video is so massive now. Surround sound, deleted scenes, the making of, etc. Added value at a fair price.

If we start to author music discs like this, the public will eventually want this. Big time. Don't be afraid to be innovative and stretch your legs on this project.

[gerax]

Hi Guys

Thanx a lot for the replys and links.

Sorry for the delay in my answer, but I've been out for a few really grueling days of production sound for this new movie I've been hired for...recovering now in the first day off.

Anyway, I'll check these links out and see what I elaborate from them.

DVD projects like this have been in the back of my mind for a few years now, 'till the day I started working on my first A/V post project; it was the proverbial "light bulb" that went on in my head, and I totally agree with you about the fact that if you have a record coming out with 24/48 surround sound and hig def video footage plus all of the added bonus features for a little more of the price of a standard CD the choice is a no brainer for the consumer. In fact I'm trying to push my clients toward that direction, several of them seem more reactive to the idea, while others, being a little more conservative tend to stick to the standard CD format, but easily change their mind when I show them a few cuts of some live commercial DVDs .

The potential of the format is huge not only for video, but for audio purposes too, and I'm diving in ASAP; the only issue is convincing people that the added costs of video shoots, post and manufacturing are justified by the end result, but this has been an ongoing battle for all of the work I have done.

Froyo

The workarounds we found for the Matrox card are just that for the moment, but they are usable enough to allow me a correct work with video, and if I can have frame accuracy with audio tracks and playback everything in the box without lockup times and time code issues that's a good success in my book!

Karel

You lazy guy

OK, this time is my turn to do the homework and let the classmates copy the results .

I'll study the links above and see what I can come up with.

I'll post back my findings and I hope to have some good news by this producer for the live DVD project.

Cheers my friends.

L.G.