F.A.Q.s about DVDs

• What are the biggest advantages to DVD over VHS?
  1. Long-lasting...they will last at least 40 years, and usually more, without degrading.
  2. Storage space...they're small and thin
  3. Selective viewing...they are chapter marked for quick access to other parts of the program
  4. Quality...they are generally better looking than VHS.
     
• Isn't the quality always better?  I mean, DVD movies I buy look incredible!
  • Although it will look very good, the DVD production by an independent producer (like Image One) will not look just like a DVD of a Hollywood film, because -
    1. A movie is shot on film to begin with, and motion picture film is still absolutely the best medium we have...and VERY expensive.
    2. Hollywood DVD productions are done on equipment and in facilities worth millions of dollars.  They use a special DVD with 2 layers (read below to see why this matters), that is heretofore cost-prohibitive for independents.  As always, technology becomes cheaper and better. as time goes on.
  • The quality of a DVD depends on the length of a program, and this is true of Hollywood produced DVDs as well. 

A DVD contains digital information.  The more information that has to be 'squeezed' on to the disc, the lower the quality.  So a 30 minute show can be encoded at a maximum quality, but for a 2-hour program to fit, it must be encoded at a lower quality, or lower bit-rate.  Generally, for single layer DVDs (what independents use), anything up to 2 hours is excellent.  When a program approaches 2.5 or 3 hours, the quality becomes more like regular VHS...however, the other benefits and advantages still apply.

The longest programs that we produce are Dance Recitals.  Depending on the length of the show, it may be split into 2 or more DVDs.  By the way, 2-layer discs (used by Hollywood) can have twice as much information at the same quality, which is why you can buy a 3 hour movie with no noticeable difference in overall quality from  a 90 minute movie.  In 2006, dual-layer recordable discs are available (event producers can use them), but a single one of those discs cost much more than 2 discs that are single-layer.  So, realistically, it will be awhile before using these is cost efficient.

• What's the deal with price...why does Image One have to charge $22 or more for a DVD when I can buy a movie for $15 or $20?
  • It's all about marketing - supply and demand, and sheer numbers.  If Image One could sell half-a-million Talent Shows, we could sell them for about $3 apiece.  But we can't, so we don't.

• Will a DVD from Image One play on any DVD player?
  • They will play on about 97% of all stand-alone players.  The percentage is closer to 100% on machines that are less than 3 years old.  They should be able to be played on almost any computer with a DVD-ROM drive.  If you receive a disc that does not work right, just call us at the number on the DVD to talk about your options or to try another disc.  
• But wait a minute, we play Hollywood DVDs all the time and there's no problem..!!??
  • Here's a VERY important point - Hollywood DVDs and the kind you get from special events producers can NOT be compared.  Here's why...
    Hollywood DVDs are "replicated".  They are manufactured, or pressed, with the information on them.  The compatibility with replicated DVDs is about 99.99%.  Point-in-fact however, I personally have had Hollywood DVDs that don't play perfectly on even the highest rated players.  So, glitches do happen, though rare.  NOW, the replication process, in order to be anywhere near cost effective, requires an order of at least 500 discs - so obviously special events producers simply can't replicate most of the time, because DVD sales for events are usually way under 100.

    The DVD process used in smaller runs is called "duplication" - blank DVDs, i.e. discs that are already made, but are blank - that are "burned".  The information goes onto the disc after the manufacture process.  Many people are used to this in making their own CDs.  You buy a blank CD and "burn" - that's "duplication".  Same thing.  The compatibility among DVD decks and DVD duplication media is NOT 99.99%, but more like 95%.  There will be an occasional person who just can't play a disc, even tho the disc may be fine.  In other words, you might have trouble on one machine, and another machine may play it just fine.  To confuse things even more, there are 2 types of discs (and many brands) ...  -R and +R.  Some machines seem to playback one kind better than the other.  Our first run discs our -R, which is the oldest system, but we can provide a +R, and most of the time that's all it takes.

    My favorite story is of the customer who owned a DVD-ROM drive in his computer which was purported to record DVD-R discs.  However, it always had problems even playing back any kind of -R disc.  BUT it "liked" playing +R discs really well.  Funny thing, when this drive was manufactured, +R discs hadn't even been invented yet - not for about 3 more years! 

    So it is not as scientific and straightforward as people tend to think.  At this technological point in time, that's just the way it is.   It is the nature of the process.  Our experience has been that less than 2% of our customers end up having trouble with their disc.  They give us a call, and we do our best to remedy the situation.  Sometimes it is simply defective.  Other times, it is a compatibility problem.  As time goes on though, the incompatibility narrows.

    VARIABLES - there are several variables which affect compatibility.  Change any one of them and use different combinations, and the compatibility with certain machines will be more or less successful.  They are: 

    • the actual original burning software
    • the bit-rate used - extremely high ones can lessen compatibility rates
    • the brand of media used (certain brands really are better than others)
    • the type of DVD disc (+R, -R)
    • the actual specific drive used to make the disc
    • the specific make and model of the DVD player or computer optical drive which plays the disc

    This is all well documented on the internet.  Some models don't do well at all with duplicated media, for example a Toshiba SD-3109.  Check out the compatibility of your own machine.   
    

• Can I hire Image One to produce DVDs and Video CDs for me?
  • Of course, just give us a call at the number below.

For more info or if you have more questions, just call us at 817.370.2233 or email us...thanks a bunch!