I am doing a number of "home movie-type" video files and am being authored by a DVD pressing company. The item I am making has the potential to be sold in several regions. The authoring company said I needed to send him files that are "region free" for the disc to be region free. I am using Powerdirector 16. by Cyberlink. Can region be set to "0" with this software (or any other software)?
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There is no such thing as "region free files".
If you are doing the basic authoring and giving them a burned disc or disc image or CMF as master, make sure your DISC is region free. Region 0 works, or choosing ALL regions works. Which option depends on the app, don't know about that one.
If they're doing the authoring, you shouldn't have to worry about that.
Note that you still have to worry about different TV systems: NTSC (720x480@29.97) vs. PAL (720x576@25).
Can't get around that without creating 2 different sets of master files and authoring them as either 2 different discs, 1 disc with different format per side, or 1 disc, 1 side but AT LEAST 2 different Title Sets.
Might help somewhat if you started with film-based (24p) sources, but that horse has left the barn.
Scott -
NTSC (720x480@29.97) authored Region Free can be played anywhere in the world. If this pressing company doesn't know this....look for a new company.
Odds are they are just trying to baffle you into thinking that what you are paying for is extremely technically difficult.....but it's not. -
To expand on what Scott stated, basic authoring packages create Region 0 disks. Only pro or pro-summer programs give you the option to create disks with a choice of Region Codes and although I also do not know about PowerDirector I would guess that its target market does not put it into that category.
But in any event you should read the manual. It does have a manual doesn't it ? -
Thanks everyone. I am not worried about the NTSC vs. PAL issue. You are right in that if I create files they are not region coded. When I use my PowerDirector 16 program the files are not region coded until I burn them to disc. I will follow up, the authoring service said that the disc would be in whichever the code is that I give him, and since he is getting direct mp4 files this should be a non-issue.
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Surely you did NOT mean to say 'mp4' ? Such files are NOT dvd-compliant. Check the top of this page and read 'What is' >> DVD
Is the authoring service actually creating the dvds or just pressing them ? There is a vast difference. -
The DVD company is authoring them and pressing (as opposed to burning) them. The files created by my Power Director 16 generate MP4 at either 24 or 30 FPS. It is able to create 1920x1080 at 16 mbps. This is for the material shot with camera. The DVD manufacturer will be receiving the camera material in MP4 format, the DVD will not be an MP4 DVD. Thanks for contributing to my knowledge on this, I appreciate your combined experience.
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The more I read, the more I worry.
A little advice. Ask the DVD company precisely what format, codec, bitrate they expect these files to be in as they receive them. Professional dvd authoring programs expect source material to already be dvd-compliant as these programs do NOT re-encode non-compliant material which is what you appear to be providing.
You might also ask them what software they are using to author the dvd since that itself could tell a great deal about their professionalism.
You have only written about dvd whereas your camera source is more suitable for Blu-ray.
No doubt that Power Director can prepare dvd-compliant files but it is for the authoring company to tell you first what you should provide to them. -
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Maybe you misunderstand my reply.
There is no need to upgrade your software. The onus is on the dvd authoring company to supply the information as stated. I am quite confident that the software you use can prepare that.
One thing requires some clarification. You are NOT authoring. Authoring means taking video assets and preparing final vobs and ifos, including, usually, a menu, to be burnt/pressed. Very few programs can prepare the tape-based files that pressing services traditionally required. These days they can work from home-burnt dvd material.
What you appear to be doing is editing and preparing source for authoring and pressing. Without even using the software that you have I am sure that you could author a dvd with the menus that you desire. yet do not seem to need to do that.
And as Hech54 states this service does appear to be over-stating the complexity of the whole process and probably over-charging you for the privilege. -
As I am a newby, you are correct. I am not authoring, the company is. I was concerned with the types of files I needed to supply. I now see that the Powerdirector 16 can produce a 2k file from a 2k source. That is what I need to deliver. My describing my question was using all the wrong words and phrases. I was unsure of the process. Thanks for walking me through this.
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For a DVD, you should NOT be providing a 2k file. You should be providing an SD file, either NTSC- or PAL- based.
Unless you don't trust yourself (of they don't trust you) with the encoding task. You are putting the decisionmaking on aspects of the quality of the clips into their hands when you give them 2k files, because no matter what, they will HAVE TO downrez them (and thus re-encode them one more time than necessary).
So as an example of what SHOULD be the preferred workflow for quality (given modern consumer camera sources), it would go like this:
2k mp4 file source -> 2k lossless intermediate for editing -> 2k lossless edited/composited/rendered master clip(s).
Determine needed size for disc via bitbudget calculations. This determines bitrates.
Resize & encode -> SD mpg2 assets.
Add in to authoring app, compile and create master disc image.
After approval, goes to presses.
See how there are only 4 generations of encoding, and since the 1st one cannot be avoided here (because it is done in-camera), and since 2 are non-resizing and are lossless should minimal-to-NO effect on quality, you are only basically 1 generation down from your originals. And YOU are making the choices regarding resize algorithm and encoder and bitrate settings (which likely should be VBR for optimal use of the disc, BTW).
Now, considering the peculiarity of the conversation so far, and assuming they've dealt with this kind of thing before, and they have access to a professional resizer and mpg2 encoder, maybe them doing it is not such a bad idea.
But you need to know what is being asked of you and why, and you need to be able to see the areas that could be improved (or not worsened).
I say this as someone who worked professionally authoring commercial dvds for nearly a decade.
Scott
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