usually limited, and every viewer connected to a single drive/decoder must watch
the same thing at the same time.
Many companies provide support for streaming video (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4,
etc.) over LANs, but only from files or realtime encoders, not from DVD-Video
discs.
The Internet is a different matter. It takes over a week to
download the contents of a single-layer DVD using a 56k modem. It takes about 7
hours on a T1 line. Cable modems theoretically cut the time down to a few hours, but if other
users in the same neighborhood have cable modems, bandwidth could drop significantly.
[Jim's prediction: the average DVD viewing household won't have sufficiently
fast Internet connections before 2007 at the earliest. Around that time there will be a new
high-definition version of DVD with double the data rate, which will once again
exceed the capacity of the typical Internet connection.]
CSS (Content Scrambling System) is an encryption and authentication scheme
intended to prevent DVD movies from being digitally copied. See 1.11
for details. DeCSS refers to the general process of defeating CSS, as well as to
DeCSS source code and programs.
Computer software to decrypt CSS was released to the Internet in October 1999
(see Dana Parker's article at www.emediapro.net/news99/news111.html), although
other "ripping" methods were available before that (see www.7thzone.com,
go.to/dvdsoft, www.neophile.net,
and www.dfbills.com/powerbook/dvd.html).
The difference between circumventing CSS encryption with DeCSS and intercepting
decrypted, decompressed video with a DVD ripper is that DeCSS can be considered
illegal under the DMCA and the WIPO
treaties. The DeCSS information can be used to "guess" at master keys,
such that a standard PC can generate the entire list of 400 keys, rendering the
key secrecy process useless.
In any case, there's not much appeal to being able to copy a set of movie
files (often without menus and other DVD special features) that would take over a week to
download on a 56K modem and would fill up a 6G hard disk or a dozen CD-Rs. In
March 2000, a DVD redistribution technology called DivX;-) appeared. (Yes, the
smiley face is part of the name, whose creators
should be drawn and quartered for the stupid joke, which has confused thousands.
See 2.10.) DivX;-) is a simple hack of Microsoft's MPEG-4 video codec and MP3
audio, allowing DeCSSed video to be re-encoded for downloading and playing in Windows
Media Player. The DivX;-) creators are now involved in Project
Mayo developing a new version called OpenDivx (originally called Divx Deux). There's also an open-source
variation called 3ivx. In spite of lower data rates (and therefore lower
quality) of DivX;-) et al, the time and effort it takes to find and download the files is not
worth the bother for most movie viewers. The reality is that people ripping and
downloading DVDs are doing it for the challenge, not to avoid buying discs.
The
supporters of DeCSS point out that it was only developed to allow DVD movies to
be played on the Linux operating system, which had been excluded from CSS
licensing because of its open-source nature. This is specifically allowed by
DMCA and WIPO laws. However, the DeCSS.exe program posted on the Internet is a
Windows application that decrypts movie files. The lack of
differentiation between the DeCSS process in Linux and the DeCSS.exe Windows
application is hurting the cause of DeCSS backers, since DeCSS.exe can be used
in the process of copying and illegally distributing movies from DVD. See OpenDVD.org
and Tom Vogt's DeCSS central for more information on DeCSS.
Worthy of note is that DVD piracy was around long before DeCSS. Serious DVD
pirates can copy the disc bit for bit, including the normally unreadable lead in
(this can be done with a specially modified drive), or copy the video output from a
standard DVD player, or get a copy of the video from another source such as
laserdisc, VHS, or a camcorder smuggled into a theater. It's certainly true that
DVD piracy is a problem, but DeCSS has little to do with it.
Shortly after the appearance of DeCSS, the DVD CCA filed
a lawsuit and requested a temporary injunction in an attempt to prevent
Web sites from posting (or even linking to!) DeCSS information. The request was
denied by a California court on December 29, 1999. On January 14, 2000, the
seven top U.S. movie studios (Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony [Columbia/TriStar],
Time Warner, Twentieth Century Fox, and Universal), backed by the MPAA,
filed lawsuits in Connecticut and New York in a further attempt to stop the distribution of
DeCSS on Web sites in those states. On January 21, the judge for the New York suit granted a preliminary
injunction, and on January 24, the judge for the CCA suit in California
reversed his earlier decision and likewise
granted a preliminary
injunction. In both cases, the judges ruled that the injunction applied only
to sites with DeCSS information, not to linking sites. (Good thing, since this
FAQ links to DeCSS sites!) The CCA suit is based on misappropriation of trade
secrets (somewhat shaky ground), while the MPAA suits are based on copyright
circumvention. On January 24, 16-year old Jon Johansen, the Norwegian
programmer who first distributed DeCSS, was questioned by local police who
raided his house and confiscated his computer equipment and cell phone. Johansen
says the actual cracking work was done by two anonymous programmers, one German
and one Dutch, who call themselves Masters of Reverse Engineering (MoRE).
This all seems to be a losing battle, since the DeCSS source
code is available on a T-shirt
and was made publicly available by the DVD CCA itself in court
records--oops! See Fire,
Work With Me for a facetious look at the broad issue.
A variety of multimedia development/authoring programs can be
extended to play video from a DVD, either as titles and chapters from a DVD-Video
volume, or as MPEG-2 files. In Windows, this is usually done with ActiveX
controls. On the Mac, until DVD-Video support is added to QuickTime, the options
are limited. Newer versions of the Apple DVD Player can be controlled with
AppleScript.
DVD-Video and MPEG-2 video can be played back in an HTML page
in Microsoft Internet Explorer using many different ActiveX controls (see
table). Some ActiveX controls also work in PowerPoint, Visual Basic, and other
ActiveX hosts. Netscape Navigator
is out of the game until it supports ActiveX objects. Simple MPEG-2 playback can
be done in PowerPoint using the Inert Movie feature (requires a
DirectShow-compatible MPEG-2 decoder). DVD and MPEG-2 playback can be integrated
into Macromedia Director using specialized Xtras.
|
Price |
HTML (IE only) |
PowerPoint |
ActiveX host |
Director |
Microsoft MSWebDVD (DirectX
8, docs at MSDN) |
free |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
Microsoft Windows
Media Player (docs in Windows
Media SDK) |
free |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
InterActual PC Friendly |
not available |
certain versions |
no |
no |
no |
InterActual Player
2.0 |
$2000 and up |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes? |
SpinWare iControl |
$1200 and up |
Web version |
PE version |
no |
no |
Visible Light Onstage
DVD |
$500 and up |
ActiveX version |
ActiveX version |
ActiveX version |
Director version |
Zuma ActiveDVD
(InterActual engine) |
$400 and up |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
Sonic EDK
(InterActual engine) |
$4000 |
yes |
no |
no |
no |
Sonic DVD
Presenter (InterActual engine) |
$40 |
no |
yes |
no |
no |
Tabuleiro DirectMediaXtra
|
$200 |
no |
no |
no |
MPEG-2/VOB files, but not DVD-Video volumes |
LBO Xtra DVD |
$500? |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
Matinée
Presenter |
? |
Separate presentation application. Plays MPEG-2
files (not DVD-Video). |
Of course, if you simply treat DVD-ROM as a bigger, faster
CD-ROM, you can create projects using traditional tools (Director, Flash,
Toolbook, HyperCard, VB, HTML, etc.) and traditional media types (CinePak,
Sorenson, Indeo, Windows Media, etc. in QuickTime or AVI format) and they'll work just fine
from DVD. You can even raise the data rate for bigger or better quality video.
But it still won't look as good as MPEG-2.
The DVD-Video and DVD-Audio specifications define how audio and
video data are stored in specialized files. The .IFO (and backup .BUP) files
contain menus and other information about the video and audio. The .VOB files
(for DVD-Video) and .AOB files (for DVD-Audio) are MPEG-2 program streams with
additional packets containing navigation and search information.
Since a .VOB file is just a specialized MPEG-2 file, most MPEG-2
decoders and players can play them. However, any special features such as angles
or branching will cause strange effects. The best way to play a .VOB file is to
use a DVD player application to play the entire volume (or to open the
VIDEO_TS.IFO file), since this will make sure all the DVD-Video features are
used properly.
The DVD Video Recording format will introduce .SOB files
<snigger>.
Most .VOB files won't play when copied to your hard drive. See 4.5.
Windows 98 and Windows 2000 include a simple player application. It requires that a DirectShow-compatible DVD decoder
be installed (see 4.1). During setup, Windows installs the player application if it finds a
compatible hardware decoder. You must install the player by hand if you want to use it with a software decoder
or an unrecognized hardware decoder. Using WinZip or
other utility that can extract from cab files, extract dvdplay.exe from driver17.cab (on the original Windows disc).
This is the only file you need, but you can also extract the help file from driver11.cab, and you can extract dvdrgn.exe
from driver17.cab if you intend to change the drive region.)
Windows Me includes a much improved player. It is always installed, but it usually does not appear in the Start menu.
To use the player, choose Run... from the Start menu, then enter dvdplay.
DVD production has two basic phases: development and replication. Development
is different for DVD-ROM and DVD-Video, replication is essentially the same for
both.
DVD-ROMs can be developed with traditional software development tools such as
Macromedia Director, Asymetrix Toolbook, HyperCard, Quark mTropolis, and C++.
Discs, including DVD-R check discs, can be created with UDF formatting software
(see 5.3). DVD-ROMs that take advantage of DVD-Video's MPEG-2
video and multichannel Dolby Digital or MPEG-2 audio require video and audio
encoding (see 5.3).
DVD-Video development has three basic parts: encoding, authoring (design,
layout, and testing), and premastering (formatting a disc image). The entire
development process is sometimes referred to as authoring. Development
facilities are provided by many service bureaus (see 5.5). If
you intend to produce numerous DVD-Video titles (or you want to set up a service
bureau), you may want to invest in encoding and authoring systems (see 5.3 and 5.4).
Replication (including mastering) is usually a separate job done by large
plants that also replicate CDs (see 5.5). DVD replication
equipment typically costs millions of dollars. A variety of machines are used to
create a glass master, create metal stamping masters, stamp substrates in
hydraulic molds, apply reflective layers, bond substrates together, print
labels, and insert discs in packages. Most replication plants provide
"one-off" or "check disc" services, where one to a hundred
discs are made for testing before mass duplication. Unlike DVD-ROM mastering, DVD-Video
mastering may include an additional step for CSS encryption, Macrovision, and
regionalization. There is more information on mastering and replication at Panasonic
Disc Services and Technicolor.
For projects requiring less than 50 copies, it can be cheaper use DVD-R.
Automated machines can feed DVD-R blanks into a recorder, and even print labels
on each disc. This is called duplication, as distinguished from
replication.
Videotape, laserdisc, and CD-ROM can't be compared to DVD in a
straightforward manner. There are basically three stages of costs: production,
pre-mastering (authoring, encoding, and formatting), and mastering/replication.
DVD video production costs are not much higher than for VHS and similar video
formats unless the
extra features of such as multiple sound tracks, camera angles, seamless
branching, etc.
are employed.
Authoring and pre-mastering costs are proportionately the most expensive part of DVD. Video
and audio must be encoded, menus and control information have to be authored and
encoded, it all has to be multiplexed into a single data stream, and finally
encoded in low level format. Typical charges for compression are $60/min for
video, $20/min for audio, $6/min for subtitles, plus formatting and testing at
about $30/min. A ballpark cost for producing a Hollywood-quality two-hour DVD
movie with motion menus, multiple audio tracks, subtitles, trailers, and a few
info screens is about $20,000. Alternatively, many facilities charge for time,
at rates of around $400/hour. A simple two-hour DVD-Video title with menus and various video clips can cost as
low as $3,000. If you want to do it yourself, authoring and encoding
systems can be purchased at prices from $400 to over $2 million. Prices for
software and hardware will
drop very rapidly in the next few years to where DVDs can be produced on a
desktop computer system that costs less than $20,000.
Videotapes don't really have a mastering cost, and they run about $2.40 for
replication. CDs cost about $1,000 to master and $0.50 to replicate. Laserdiscs
cost about $3,000 to master and about $8 to replicate. As of the beginning of
2000, DVDs
cost about $1000 to master and about $1.60 to replicate. Since DVD production is
based mostly on the same equipment used for CD production, mastering and
replication costs will drop to CD levels. Double-sided or dual-layer discs cost
about $1 more to replicate, since
all that's required is stamping data on the second substrate (and using
transparent glue for dual layers). Double-sided, dual-layer discs (DVD-18s) are
more difficult and more expensive. (See 3.3.1.)
- Adaptec
Toast DVD. DVD formatting software for Mac OS. Writes to DVD-R
and tape. Can create DVD-Video discs from VOB and IFO files. $200
- GEAR
GEAR Pro DVD. DVD formatting software for Windows 95/98/NT4. Writes to
DVD-R, DVD-RAM, jukeboxes, and tape, along with general UDF formatting and CD-R/RW burning
features. $700.
- JVC Professional Computer Products
DVD RomMaker. DVD formatting systems with RAID hardware. $60,000 to
$100,000.
- SmartDisk (acquired MTC)
ForDVD. DVD formatting software for Windows. Writes to DVD-R and
tape. Can create DVD-Video discs from VOB and IFO files. $1200.
- Philips
DVD-ROM Disc Builder. DVD formatting software for Windows NT.
Writes to tape.
- Prassi
DVD Rep. DVD formatting software for Windows. Writes to DVD-R,
DVD-RAM, and tape.
- Smart Storage
SmartDVD Maker. DVD formatting software for Windows NT. Writes to
DVD-R and tape. Can create DVD-Video discs from VOB and IFO files. $2500. (Discontinued
as of March 2001.)
- Software Architects
WriteDVD Pro and WriteUDF. DVD formatting software for Mac OS
and Windows. Writes to DVD-R and DVD-RAM.
- Sonic
DVD-ROM Formatter. DVD formatting software for Windows NT/2000.
Writes to DVD-R and tape. Can create DVD-Video discs from VOB and IFO files.
- Young Minds
DVD Studio and MakeDisc for DVD. DVD formatting software
for Windows NT and Unix. Writes to DVD-R.
Features to look for in DVD formatters:
- Support for UDF file system, including MicroUDF (UDF 1.02 Appendix 6.9) for DVD-Video and DVD-Audio
zones.
- Support for UDF bridge format, which stores both UDF and ISO-9660 file
systems on the disc.
- Ability to recognize VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS directories (containing IFO,
VOB, and AOB files) and place them contiguously at the physical beginning of the disc
for compatibility with DVD-Video players. Placement of directory entries in
first UDF file descriptor is also needed for compatibility with certain
deficient consumer players.
- Support for long filenames in Windows (Joliet format recommended).
- Full equivalence between UDF and Joliet (ISO-9660) filenames. (Windows
NT 4.0 and Windows 98 read Joliet filenames; Mac OS 8.1+, Windows 98, and
Windows 2000 read UDF filenames. MS-DOS and Windows 95 and earlier read
ISO-9660 filenames. Mac OS 8.0 and earlier read HFS or ISO-9660 filenames.)
- Proper truncation and translation of ISO-9660 filenames to 8.3 format for
discs intended for use with MS-DOS and certain other OSes.
- Support for Mac OS file information within the UDF file system (for use
with Mac OS 8.1 and later).
- Support for Mac OS HFS file system if icons and other file information is
needed for Mac OS versions earlier than 8.1.
- Ability to create a bootable disc using the El Torito specification in the
ISO-9660 sectors.
- Astarte
- M.Pack. MPEG-2 video encoding software for Mac OS. (PixelTools
encoding engine.) $400.
- Brent Beyeler
- bbMPEG. Basic MPEG-2 encoder for Windows. Free.
- Canopus
- Amber MPEG-2 Archiving and Mastering Kit. MPEG-2 hardware
designed for encoding and archiving video onto DVD-RAM discs. VBR and
CBR. In spite
of its name, it doesn't actually do any mastering. (Panasonic MN85560
encoder chip).
Windows NT. $2,500.
- Custom Technology
- Cinemacraft. MPEG-2 real-time NTSC video encoding software for
Windows NT.
- Darim
- MPEGator 2. MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware for Windows and Windows
NT. $1,800.
- Dazzle
- Digital Video Creator II. MPEG-2 video capture/edit/encode
system with PCI card. Includes Sonic DVDit LE. Windows 98/2000.
$300.
- Digital Ventures
- DVDComposer. MPEG-2 video encoding system for SGI. VBR and CBR.
(C-Cube chip). $50,000.
- Digital Vision
- BitPack. MPEG-2 video encoding workstation. Extendable to HDTV.
- DVNR system for video pre-processing.
- Digigami
- MegaPeg. MPEG-2 video encoding software for Windows. VBR and
CBR. $500. Also available as Adobe Premiere plug-in for Windows or
PowerMac. $400.
- DreamCom (formerly Gunzameory)
- MPEGRich. Professional MPEG-2 real-time encoding hardware. CBR
and VBR. Windows NT.
- DV Studio
- Apollo Expert. MPEG-2 video encoding (and decoding) hardware for
Windows NT. $2,000.
-
FAST Multimedia
- 601 [six-o-one]. MPEG-2 non-linear editing system with
"print to DVD" option to output MPEG-2 ES or PS.
- Heuris
- MPEG Power Professional 1, MPEG Power Professional 2, MPEG Power Professional
DVD, and MPEG Power Professional TRN. MPEG-2 video encoding software
for Mac OS and Windows. Bundled with SruceUp authoring software. DVD
and TRN versions include VBR encoding. $350, $1,000, $1,500 and $2,500.
- Cyclone. MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoding software designed for OEMs.
Mac OS and Windows NT.
- InnovaCom
- DV5100. MPEG-2 real-time hardware encoding station for Windows
NT.
Ligos
- LSX-MPEG Encoder. MPEG-2 video encoding software. CBR and VBR.
Windows. $150.
- LSX-MPEG Suite. Adobe Premiere plug-in for producing MPEG-1 or
MPEG-2 output. Includes standalone LSX-MPEG player. Windows 9x/NT. $400.
- Media100
- iFinish RealTime MPEG Option. Editing software with MPEG-2 video encoding
add-on. Windows NT. $6,000 to $18,000.
- Microcosmos/Nanocosmos
- MPEG SoftEngine. MPEG-2 video encoding software for Windows,
Solaris, and Linux. $250 to $3500.
- Minerva
- Compressionist 110, 200, and 250. Professional MPEG-2 real-time encoding
hardware. CBR and VBR. Mac OS host computer. $70,000. [No longer
available.]
- Publisher 300. Professional MPEG-2 video and MPEG Layer 2 audio
real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Mac OS. [No longer available.]
- Optibase
- MPEG MovieMaker 200. Professional MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital audio
real-time encoding hardware for Windows and Windows NT. CBR and VBR.
$7,000 to $22,000.
- Philips
- DVS3110. Professional MPEG-2 video encoder for PAL and NTSC.
CBR and VBR.
- PixelTools
- Expert-DVD. MPEG-2 video encoding software. CBR and VBR.
Windows. $2,000.
- Simple-DVD. AVI-to-DVD conversion utility for Windows. $1,5000.
- Snell & Wilcox
- Prefix CPP100, Prefix CPP200, NRS500, Kudos NRS50, and
Kudos NRS30.. Video preprocessors (noise reduction and image
enhancement).
- Sonic Solutions
- Sonic DVD Studio. Professional MPEG-2 video encoding hardware.
CBR and VBR. Segment-based reencoding. Mac OS.
- DVD Fusion. Encoding/authoring plug-in for Media 100 and
QuickTime video editing systems. Hardware-accelerated version (velocity
engine) encodes VBR and CBR in real time. Mac OS. $8,000 and $12,000.
- Sony
- DVA-V1100. High-end MPEG-2 video encoding hardware.
CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
- Spruce Technologies
- MPEGXpress 3000. Professional MPEG-2
real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
- MPEGXpress 2000 (formerly from CagEnt). Professional MPEG-2
real-time encoding hardware. CBR and VBR. Windows NT.
- Tele-Cine
- Film to video (telecine) transfer services.
- TMPGEnc
- TMPGEnc and TMPGEnc Pro. MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 software
video encoders. Free.
- VisionTech
- MVCast. Low-end real-time MPEG-2 video/audio encoding hardware
for Windows NT and Solaris. AVI-to-MPEG-2 conversion. $2000.
- Vitech
- MPEG Toolbox-2. AVI to MPEG-2 VBR/CBR. MPEG-2 video editing.
Windows 95/98/NT. $250.
- Wired
- MediaPress. MPEG-2 encoding hardware (PCI).
CBR and VBR. Mac OS and Windows 95/98/NT. $2,500.
- Zapex
- ZP-200. Real-time PCI encoder for MPEG-2 video and PCM Audio.
Non-real-time encoding and VOB multiplexing from Adobe Premiere. Windows
NT.
- ZP-300. Real-time PCI Encoder for CBR/VBR MPEG-2 video,
2-channel Dolby Digital, and PCM Audio. Non-real-time encoding and VOB
multiplexing from Adobe Premiere. Windows NT.
- Astarte
- A.Pack. Multichannel Dolby Digital audio encoding software for
Mac OS. $800.
- Digital Vision
- BitPack. Multichannel audio encoding workstation for Dolby
Digital, MPEG-2, and PCM.
- Dolby
- DP569. Multichannel Dolby Digital audio encoding hardware.
- Kind of Loud Technologies
- SmartCode Pro/Dolby Digital. 5.1-channel encoding software
plugin for Digidesign Pro Tools. $1000.
- SmartCode Pro/DTS. 5.1-channel encoding software plugin for
Digidesign Pro Tools. $2000.
- Microcosmos
- MPEG SoftEngine/Audio. MPEG audio encoding software for
Windows/Solaris. $95/$350.
- Minerva
- Audio Compressionist. Professional Dolby Digital real-time,
5.1-channel encoder. Windows NT.
- Minnetonka Audio Software
- SurCode for DOlby Digital. Multichannel Dolby Digital audio encoding
software. $1000.
- SurCode DVD Professional for DTS. Multichannel DTS audio
encoding software. $2000.
- Philips
- DVD3310. Professional MPEG-2 multichannel audio encoder.
- PixelTools
- Expert-Audio. MPEG Layer 2 audio encoding software. Windows.
- Sonic Solutions
- Sonic DVD Studio. Professional real-time Dolby Digital 5.1,
MPEG-2, and PCM audio encoding hardware. Mac OS.
- Sonic Foundry
- Soft Encode. Dolby Digital 2-channel or 5.1-channel audio encoding
software. Windows 95/98/NT. $500 (2 channels) or $900 (5.1 channels).
- Sony
- DVA-A1100. High-end, real-time Dolby Digital 5.1,
MPEG-2, and PCM audio encoding hardware. Windows NT.
- Spruce Technologies
- ACXpress 2000 (formerly from CagEnt). Professional Dolby
Digital real-time, 2-channel encoder. Windows NT.
- ACXpress 5100 (formerly from CagEnt). Professional Dolby
Digital real-time, 5.1-channel encoder. Windows NT.
- Zapex
- ZP-100. Real-time PCI encoder for 2- or 5.1-channel Dolby
Digital and MPEG Layer 2. Windows NT.
- Computer Prompting & Captioning Co.
- CPC-DVD. Closed Caption production system. DOS. $6,000.
- Isomedia
- DVD DLT utilities: copy DLTs, extract images, inspect ISO/UDF/DDP
info, checksums, etc.
- Novastor
- TapeCopy. Copy DLTs, inspect tape blocks.
- Smart Projects
- ISOBuster. Inspect CD and DVD volumes and image files. Free.
- SoftNI
- The DVD Subtitler. Subtitle graphics preparation software.
Windows 95/98/NT/2000.
- The Caption Encoder. Closed Caption production system. DOS,
Windows 95/98.
- The Caption Retriever. Closed Caption recovery and decoding
system. Windows 95/98/NT/2000.
- Captions, Inc. (Burbank, CA), 818-729-9501.
Captioning and subtitle services.
- European Captioning Institute (ECI) (London, UK). +44-171-323-4657.
Captioning and subtitle services.
- National Caption Institute (NCI) (LA
818-238-4201; NY 212-557-7011; VA 703-917-7619). Captioning and subtitle
services.
- Softitler (Los Angeles, CA).
Subtitle services.
- Tele-Cine (London, UK), +44 (0)
171 208 2200. Film-to-video conversion.
- Vitac (Canonsburg, PA) 888-528-4822.
Captioning services.
- Apple
- DVD Studio Pro. DVD-Video
authoring tool for Mac OS. $1,000.
- iDVD. Simple, drag-and-drop DVD-Video authoring, bundled with
Macs that have DVD-R drives.
- Astarte
Note: Astarte was acquired April 2000 by Apple, so their
products are generally no longer available. They resurfaced in March 2001 as
iDVD and DVD Studio Pro from Apple.
- DVDirector and DVDirector Pro. Low-end and high-end DVD-Video
authoring tools for Mac OS. Pro version includes MediaPress hardware MPEG-2
encoder from Wired. Millennium
Bundle turnkey workstation includes DVDirector Pro, Mac G4,
and more. $5,400, $10,00, $15,000.
- DVDelight. Simple, drag-and-drop DVD-Video authoring for Mac
OS. $1,000.
- DVDExport. Software to convert Macromedia Director
presentations to DVD-Video format. Mac OS. $900.
- Authoringware
- DVD WISE. Authoring system for Windows 95/98/NT. $950.
- DVD Quickbuilder. Multiplexing software.
- Avid
- Xpress DV. Turnkey workstation based on IBM Intellistation
hardware running Avid Xpress software and Sonic Solutions DVDit.
$9,000.
- Blossom Technologies
- DaViD 2000, 4000, 6000, and 10000. Turnkey Windows NT 4.0
systems using Daikin Scenarist authoring software and Optibase encoding
hardware or Sonic Foundry audio encoding software. $20,000 to
$100,000.
- Canopus
- Amber for DVD. Amber MPEG-2 encoding hardware with Spruce DVDVirtuoso
authoring software. $3,300.
- Compact Data
- SimpleDVD. AVI-to-DVD converter for Windows. $1,500.
- Daikin (Daikin US Comtec
Laboratories)
- Scenarist SGI. DVD-Video authoring for SGI. The original.
$35,000.
- Scenarist NT. DVD-Video authoring on Windows NT. Comes in
three versions: Basic, $9,000; Advanced, $19,000; Professional,
$29,000.
- ReelDVD. Low-end authoring for NT and Windows 2000. $900.
- DreamCom (formerly Gunzameory)
- DVDRich. DVD-Video
authoring/encoding on Windows NT. Uses MPEGRich encoder and Daikin Scenarist
or Intec DVDAuthorQuick. $30,000.
- DV Studio
- Apollo Expert Author and Apollo Expert DVDer. DVD-Video authoring
system for
Windows NT, using DV
Studio Apollo Expert MPEG-2 encoding hardware and Intec DVDAuthorQuick authoring software
(Author package, $4,000) or Sonic DVDit (DVDer
package, $2,500).
- Apollo Expert Archiver. MPEG-2 encoding system for archiving
video to DVD-RAM. $2,500 (DVD-RAM drive included).
- Futuretel
- InnovaCom
- DVDimpact. DVD-Video authoring aimed at multimedia studios
and corporations. Uses InnovaCom DV5100 hardware encoding station and
Daikin Scenarist NT or Intec DVDAuthorQuick
software. $47,500 and $29,000.
- Intec America
- DVDAuthorQuick. DVD-Video authoring software line for Windows NT.
Comes in three versions: Pro, Desktop, and LE.
$8,000, $2,500, and $400.
-
Margi Systems
- DVPublish-to-Go. Simple DVD authoring to DVD-R or CD-R/W. Includes
Margi's 1394-to-Go PC, MGI's VideoWave III, and Sonic
Solution's DVDit LETx. Windows 98 SE or 2000. $300.
- Matrox
- Matrox RT2000 and DigiSuite DTV. Video capture and editing in DV and MPEG-2
formats. Includes Sonic Solution's DVDit LE for simple DVD
authoring. Windows 98. $1,300.
- Microboards
- DVD AuthorSuite. DVD-Video
authoring/encoding for Windows NT. Uses Intec DVDAuthorQuick software, Zapex
encoders, and Sigma Designs decoder. $25,000.
- Minerva
- DVD-Professional SL and DVD-Professional XL. DVD-Video authoring/encoding
systems for
Windows NT. Includes Publisher 300 and Minerva Studio. $100,000.
- Impression. DVD-Video authoring/encoding system for Windows.
$10,000.
- MTC (Multimedia Technology Center)
- StreamWeaver Express and StreamWeaver Pro. DVD-Video authoring, and $900 premastering on Windows.
$900 and $3,000.
- DVDMotion. Authoring systems for Windows, oriented toward multimedia DVD-ROM production.
Comes in three versions: Pro, SE (Standard), CE
(Consumer). $1,000, $400, $95.
- DVDMotion CE. Entry-level authoring system for Windows 98/NT4.
$75.
- NEC
- DV Editor. IEEE-1394 card and and software, plus Sonic's DVDit
LE. Windows 98. Available in Japan only.
- Optibase
- DVD-Fab XPress and DVD-Fab. Turnkey DVD-Video authoring/encoding systems
for Windows NT.
Includes Optibase MPEG Fusion MPEG-2 encoder and Daikin Scenarist
authoring software. $35,000.
- Panasonic
- LQ-VD2000S. Turnkey DVD-Video authoring system, including
Windows NT 4.0 workstation. Uses Panasonic MPEG-2 encoder and LQ-VD3000
emulator. $120,000.
- LQ-VDS120. Additional workstation software for networking with LQ-VD2000S.
$22,550
- LQ-VD3000. DVD Emulator. $15,000
- Pinnacle
- DVD1000. MPEG-2 video editing and DVD-Video authoring system for
Windows. Pinnacle DVD1000 hardware with Adobe Premiere and Minerva
Impression. $8,000.
- Philips
- DVD-Video Disc Designer and DVD-Video Authoring Toolset.
Windows NT.
- Pioneer
- DVDDesigner. An off-line design tool for DVD-Video planning and
layout. Can feed an "authoring decision list" into other
authoring systems. Available free to qualified developers. Windows and
Mac OS.
- Q-Comm
- Sonic Solutions
- DVD Creator. DVD-Video authoring/encoding
systems for corporate and industrial applications. Mac OS. Four configurations: DVD
Creator All-in-One Workstation,
$80,000; DVD Creator Encoding, $24,500, DVD Creator Authoring,
$15,000.
- DVD-Audio Creator. DVD-Audio authoring system (co-developed
with Panasonic). Mac OS. DVD-Audio Complete Workgroup, $53,000, DVD-Audio
Creator Authoring, $13,000.
- OneClick DVD. Simple DVD-Audio authoring. Mac OS. $15,000.
- DVD Fusion. Mid-end DVD-Video authoring system. Mac OS.
- DVD Fusion for Windows. Mid-end DVD-Video authoring system.
Windows. $3,000.
- DVDit LE (limited), SE (standard), and PE (professional). Simple, drag-and-drop DVD-Video authoring for Windows.
$500 (SE), $3,000 (PE). LE version is designed to be bundled with
other hardware and software products.
- MyDVD. Simple personal DVD-Video authoring for Windows. $99.
- DVDit for Premiere. Adobe Premiere plug-in for DVD-Video output.
Windows. $400.
- Sony
- DVA-1100. High-end authoring/encoding system with one to eight
stations. Price range starts at $175,000.
- Spruce Technologies
- DVDMaestro, DVDConductor, DVDVirtuoso, DVDPerformer. Authoring/encoding systems
for Windows NT. Also allow DVD content to be recorded and played from
CD-R. $25,000, $10,000, $1500, and $?.
- SpruceUp. Simple personal DVD-Video authoring for Windows
(NT4/98/ME/NT/2000). $129.
- DVDStationCX. Turnkey system using DVDConductor. $25,000.
- DVDStationNLE. Turnkey system using DVDConductor and Heuris MPEG
Power Professional encoding software. $10,000.
- DVDTransfer. Turnkey automated tape-to-DVD system. $30,000.
- Visible Light
- Macarena and Macarena Pro. DVD-Video authoring for Power
Mac G4. Software encoding or hardware encoding (Pro version). Uses
Astarte DVDirector
software. $10,000 and $15,000.
- Vitech
- DVD Toolbox. AVI to DVD-Video. Write to CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, etc. Windows 95/98/NT.
$400.
- DVD Cut Machine. Hardware audio/video encoder bundled with DVD
Toolbox software. $800.
[A] = authoring (including encoding, DVD-R duplication, and
premastering).
[R] = replication (mastering, check discs, and mass production).
Also see 5.8 for companies specializing in video-to-DVD-R
transfers.
- [A] 12CM Multimedia (Mountain View, CA,
650-564-9000; Santa Clara, CA 408-350-9000).
- [A] 4MC (London, UK), +44 171 878 7884.
[Acquired Post Box, Stream, and TVP.]
- [A] Abbey Road Interactive
(London, UK), +44 171 266 7000.
- [A] Accelerated Post (Chicago, IL,
312-595-9100; Minneapolis, IN, 612-377-3100).
- [A] Accudigital Media Services
(Castro Valley, CA), 510-247-9940.
- [A] Advanced Visual Communications (AVCOM
Video) (Tampa, FL), 813-875-0888.
- [A] Alchemey Digital Video (Portland, OR),
503.735.1222.
- [A] All Post (CA), 818-556-5756.
- [A] Aludra (Ontario, Canada),
888-552-5837.
- [R] Americ Disc (also see MPO),
Salida, CA, 888-545-7350; Miami, FL, 800-364-0759; Drummondville, Quebec,
Canada, 800 263-0419.
- [A] asv multimedia (Mengen, Germany),
07572/78361.
- [A] Atelier Digital
(Birmingham, AL), 205-263-7678.
- [A] Audio Plus Video International (Northvale,
NJ, 201-767-3800; Burbank, CA, 818-841-7100).
- [A] AVCA (Austin, TX), 512 472-4995.
- [A] AVM Dialog AB (Goteborg,
Sweden).
- [A] B1 Media (Sherman Oaks, CA), 818-905-9902.
- [A] BCD Associates (Oklahoma City,
OK), 405-843-4574.
- [A] Blackcat Interactive
(Cheltenham, UK), +44 1926-614675.
- [A] Blue City Digital (North Kansas City,
MO), 816-300-0441.
- [A] C&C interactive AB (Boras,
Sweden), +46 33 290700.
- [A] California DVD (San Francisco,
CA), 1-800-864-1957.
- [A] CBO Interactive (Los Angeles,
CA), 323-468-9580.
- [R] CD-ROM-Works (Portland, OR),
503-219-9331.
- [A] Chicago Recording Company (Chicago, IL), 312-822-9333.
- [A] Cine-Magnetics (Armonk,
NY, 914-273-7500; Studio City, CA, 818-623-2560), 800-431-1102.
- [A] Cinram POP DVD Center (Santa Monica, CA).
- [R] Cinram (Huntsville, AL,
256-859-9042; Anaheim, CA, 714-630-6700; Richmond, IN, 800-865-2200;
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, 416-298-8190), 800-433-DISC.
- [A] CKS|Pictures (CA & NY),
408-342-5009.
- [A] ComChoice (Gardena, CA),
877-633-4241.
- [A] Complete Post (Hollywood,
CA), 323-860-7622.
- [R] Concord Disc Manufacturing
(Brea, CA), 714-579-6600.
- [A] COTOC (Stockholm, Sweden), +46 8
54568780.
- [A] CREATIVVIDEO & DIALOGOS (Moedling,
Austria), +43(0)2236-48311.
- [AR] Crest National (Hollywood,
CA), 323-860-1300.
- [A] CRUSH Digital Video (NY),
212-989-6500.
- [A] CruSh Interactive,
(Houston, TX), 713-972-1133.
- [A] Cut & Copy (Vienna,
Austria), +43 1 523 98 24.
- [A] CVC (Los Angeles, CA),
818-972-0200. (Time Warner California Video Center)
- [A] D2 Productions (CA), 818-576-8113.
- [A] Dallas Digital Transfer
(Dallas, TX), 214336-6292.
- [R] Davenport (Van Nuys, CA).
- [A] DAVID (Aprilia, Italy),
39-6-92704597.
- [R] Deluxe
Video Services (Carson City, CA), 310-518-0710. (Formerly Pioneer Video
Manufacturing)
- [A] Designlab Systems, (London,
UK), +44 (0) 207 437 5621.
- [A] Digidisc (Atlanta, GA)
770-925-1839.
- [A] Digital Farm (Seattle, WA),
206-634-2677.
- [A] Digital Group (London, UK)
- [A] digital images (Halle, Germany), +49
(0)345/2175-101.
- [A] Digital Media Group (Amsterdam, The
Netherlands), +31-20-422-6317.
- [A] Digital Metropolis
(Denver, CO), 303-292-4692.
- [A] Digital Outpost (CA), 800-464-6434.
- [A] Digital Video Compression Corporation
(CA), 818-777-5185.
- [A] Digital Video Dynamix (Seaford, NY), 516-826-6414.
- [A] Digital Video Mastering (Sydney, Australia).
- [R] Digital Video Technology 3000 (DVT)
(El Segundo, CA).
- [A] Digitonium (Los Angeles, CA),
818-889-2215.
- [A] Digiverse (London, UK), +44
(0) 20 7287 3141.
- [R] DISC (Orem, UT).
- [R] Disc Manufacturing Inc. (now part of Cinram).
- [R] Disctronics (Southwater, UK;
Plano, TX; France; Italy).
- [R] Disk Press International (Erembodegem,
Belgium), +32 53 78 48 14.
- [A] Directorsite (Manhattan
Beach, CA), 310-727-2770.
- [A] DGP (London, UK), +44 0 207 734
4501.
- [R] DOCdata (Tilburg, The
Netherlands, +31 13 544 6444; Berlin, Germany, +49 30 467 0840; Sanford, ME,
USA, 207-324-1124; Canoga Park, CA, USA 818-341-1124).
- [A] DVD Labs (Princeton, NJ),
888-DVD-LABS.
- [A] DVD Master
(Fountain Valley, CA), 714-962-4098.
- [A] DVD Power (Auckland, New Zealand), +64 (9)
415 5639.
- [A] DVD Power (Singapore), +65
7796155.
- [A] DVD Recording Center
(Acton, MA), 800-321-8141.
- [A] DVD Technologies (Sydney,
Australia), 1-300-FOR-DVD.
- [A] DVD Transfer.com
(Minneapolis, MN), 612-676-1165.
- [A] DVD Scandinavia
(Copenhagen, Denmark), +45 3581-7585.
- [A] DVData (Carson, CA)
310-513-0757.
- [A] Dynamic Media (Ellicott
City, MD), 410-203-2553.
- [AR] DV Line (Seoul, Korea),
82-2-3462-0331.
- [A] DVM - Digital Video Mastering
(Sydney, Australia), +61 2 9571 6767.
- [A] EagleVision (Stamford, CT),
800-EAGLE73.
- [A] EDS Digital Studios (CA), 213-850-1165.
- [A] Electric Switch (London), +44-0-131-555-6055.
- [A] Ent/Gates Productions (Buffalo,
NY), 716-692-0064.
- [A] E-M-S (Dortmund, Germany), 0231 442411-0.
- [A] FATdisc (Seattle,
WA), 425-837-1791.
- [A] Film- und Videotechnik B. Gurtler (Munchen, Germany).
- [A] Firefly (Ireland).
- [A] Fitz.com (Santa Monica, CA)
310-315-9160.
- [A] Forest Post Productions
(Farmington Hills, MI), 248-855-4333.
- [A] Full Circle Studios
(Buffalo, NY), 716-875-7740.
- [A] FULLSTREAM DVD (Dallas,
TX), 214-969-1820.
- [R] Future Media Productions (Valencia,
CA), 661-294-5575.
- [A] Future Disc Systems
(West Hollywood, CA), 323-876-873.
- [A] G9 Interactive (Monrovia, CA), 626-358-0859.
- [A] Gateway Mastering Studios (Portland,
ME), 207-828-9400.
- [A] Gnome Digital Media
(Burbank, CA), 818-563-6539.
- [A] GTN (Oak Park, MI), 248-548-2500.
- [A] HAVE (Hudson, NY), 518-828-2000.
- [A] Hecker & Schneider GmbH (Dortmund, Germany).
- [A] Henninger Interactive Media
(Arlington, VA), 703-243-3444.
- [A] Hoek & Sonépouse (Diemen, The
Netherlands), +31 020 - 69 09 141.
- [AR] Home Run Software Services
(Huntington Beach, CA), 714-375-5454.
- [A] Ibis Multimedia
(Suffolk, UK), +44 01473 288865.
- [A] IBM InteractiveMedia
(GA), 770-835-7193.
- [A] IBT Media (Merriam, KS),
913-677-6655.
- [R] Imation (formerly 3M) (WI), 612-704-4898.
- [R] Infodisc (Taipei, Taiwan,
886-2-22266616; El Paso, TX).
- [A] International Digital Centre (IDC) (New York, NY), 212-581-3940.
- [A] IPA Intermedia (IL),
773-871-6033.
- [R] IPC Communication Services
(Foothill Ranch, CA), 949-588-7765.
- [A] Javanni Digital Video (Atlanta,
GA), 704-795-7712.
- [R] JVC Disc America (Sacramento,
CA), 310-274-2221.
- [AR] KAO Infosystems (Fremont, CA),
800-525-6575.
- [AR] Kao (Ontario, Canada), 800-871-MPEG.
- [A] k-kontor[Hamburg] kommunikations
(Hamburg, Germany), +49-40-850-9021.
- [A] The Lawrence Company (Santa
Monica, CA), 310-452-9657.
- [AR] LaserPacific (CA),
213-462-6266.
- [R] Lena Optical Disc (Hong
Kong), 852-2556-8198
- [A] Look and Feel New Media
(Kansas City, MO), 816-472-7878.
- [A] Mares Multimedia
(Nashville, TN), 615-356-3905.
- [A] Marin Digital (San Rafael,
CA), 415-507-0470.
- [A] Main Point Interactive (Oley,
PA), 610-987-9320.
- [AR] Marcorp (Pittsburgh, PA),
800-284-6277.
- [A] Mastering Studio München
(Munich, Germany), +49-89-286692-0.
- [R] Maxell Multimedia (Santa Clara, CA),
800-325-7717.
- [R] Maxwell Productions (Scottsdale, AZ).
- [AR] Media Group (Fremont, CA), 815-356-9484.
- [A] Media Tech (Denver, CO),
303-741-6878.
- [AR] Memory-Tech Corporation (Tokyo, Japan).
- [A] MEP Medienhaus (Frankfurt,
Germany), +49 (0)69 78960202.
- [AR] Mercury Entertainment (Selangor
Darul Ehsan, Malaysia).
- [R] Metatec (OH), 614-761-2000.
- [A] Metcom Video (London, UK),
+44 (0)207 836 2772.
- [A] Metropolis Group
(London, UK), +44-20-8742-1111.
- [A] Microsoft Studios Digital Video
Services (Redmond, WA).
- [A] Microvision Services (Huddersfield,
UK) +44 1484 644852.
- [A] Mills/James Productions
(Columbus, OH), 614-777-9933.
- [A] Mirage Video Productions
(Boulder, CO), 303-786-7800.
- [A] MPEG Production (Stockholm, Sweden) +46-8-324030.
- [R] MPO (Europe & Asia), +33 01 41 10
51 51.
- [R] MRT Technology (Ritek partner)
(City of Industry, CA), 626-839-5555.
- [R] Nimbus CD International
(see Technicolor).
- [A] NOB Interactive (Netherlands), +31
(0)35-677-5413.
- [A] NordArt Video & Multimedia (Sundbyberg,
Sweden), +46 8764 66 90.
- [A] Oasis Post (Kent Town, South
Australia),
+61 8 8362 2888.
- [R] Optical Disc Corporation, 310-946-3050. (LaserWave DirectCut DVD
recorder for creating single copies.)
- [R] Optical Disc Media (CA).
- [A] Option Facilities (Mechelen,
Belgium), +32/15/28 73 00.
- [A] OUTPOST (Charlotte,
NC), 704-344-3577.
- [A] Pacific Coast Sound Works (CA), 213-655-4771.
- [R] Pacific Mirror Image (Melbourne, Australia).
- [A] Pacific Ocean Post (CA), 310-458-9192.
- [A] Pacific Video Resources (CA),
415-864-5679.
- [AR] Panasonic Disc Services
Corp (Torrance, CA; Pinckneyville, IL; Guadalajara, Mexico; Youghal,
Ireland), 310-783-4800.
- [A] Paris Media System (Paris, France).
- [A] The Pavement (London, UK),
+44 (0) 207 426 5190.
- [A] Phaebus (Manchester, UK), +44
(0) 161 950 8105.
- [A] PIMC (Professional Interactive Media
Centre) (Diepenbeek, Belgium), +32 11 303690.
- [A] Pioneer France (Nanterre, France), 33 1 47 60 79 30.
- [R] Pioneer Video (Kofu, Japan).
- [AR] PolyGram Manufacturing & Distribution Center (Langenhagen,
Germany), +49 511 972 1486.
- [A] Positive Charge Ltd.
(Warszawa, Poland), +48 22 632 97 32.
- [A] PRC Digital Media (Jacksonville,
FL), 904-354-5353.
- [A] Provac Disc Media
(Toronto, Ontario), 800-876-9013.
- [A] Rage DVD & Multimedia (Dallas
, TX), 214-358-2588.
- [A] Rainmaker New
Media (Burbank, CA), 818-526-1500.
- [A] Riccelli Creative (Fort
Worth, TX), 817-332-7777.
- [A] The Richard Diercks Company
(Minneapolis, MN), 612-334-5900.
- [A] RISE Int'l. Inc. (Fort Worth,
TX), 800-990-2348.
- [AR] Ritek (HsinChu, Taiwan, ROC),
+886-2-29979111.
- [A] Sharpline Arts (Glendale,
CA), 818-500-3958.
- [R] SKC (Chonan, South Korea),
- [AR] Sonopress (Gütersloh,
Germany, +49-5241-80 5200; Weaverville, NC, USA, 828-658-2000; Singapore)
- [R] Sony DADC (Niederalm, Austria),
+43 624 688 0555.
- [R] Sony Disc Manufacturing (Terre
Haute, Indiana), 541-988-8000.
- [A] Sound Chamber Mastering
(North Hollywood, CA), 818-752-7581.
- [A] SOUNDnVISION (Milano, Italy),
+39 02 55 18 02 45.
- [A] Squash DVD (London, UK) +44
(0) 20 7292 0222.
- [A] Star Video Duplicating
(Phoenix, AZ), 602-437-0646.
- [A] Stay Tuned (Brussels, Belgium),
+32 2 7611100.