Sams teach yourself DVD authoring in 24 hours

Sams Teach Yourself DVD Authoring in 24 Hours......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Contents at a Glance......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
About the Author......Page 17
Acknowledgments......Page 18
We Want to Hear from You!......Page 19
Introduction......Page 20
PART I Producing Your First DVDs......Page 24
HOUR 1 Discovering What DVDs and DVD Authoring Software Can Do for You......Page 26
How Converging Technologies Got Us to This Point......Page 27
Enhancing Your Media with DVDs......Page 31
Delving into DVD Project Ideas......Page 32
What DVD Authoring Software Can Do for You......Page 38
Summary......Page 41
HOUR 2 Getting Your Gear in Order—DVD Recorders and Media......Page 42
Clearing Up the DVD Recording Media Confusion......Page 43
Selecting a PC DVD Recorder......Page 45
Evaluating Three DVD Software Movie Players......Page 50
Summary......Page 58
Workshop......Page 59
HOUR 3 Burning Data DVDs......Page 62
Using Windows XP to Burn Data Files to a CD......Page 63
Using Bundled Software to Burn a DVD......Page 67
Taking a Quick Tour of Roxio’s Easy CD & DVD Creator......Page 72
Workshop......Page 76
HOUR 4 Authoring Your First DVD Project Using MyDVD: Part I......Page 78
Introducing the Authoring Process......Page 79
Checking Out the MyDVD 5 Interface and Features......Page 80
Using MyDVD’s Scene Detection Module......Page 86
Workshop......Page 91
HOUR 5 Authoring Your First DVD Project Using MyDVD: Part II......Page 94
Editing Video with MyDVD......Page 95
Assembling Assets and Building Menus Using MyDVD......Page 102
Setting Chapter Points and Adding a Slideshow......Page 107
Workshop......Page 116
HOUR 6 Authoring Your First DVD Project Using MyDVD: Part III......Page 118
Previewing Your Work-in-Progress......Page 119
Editing the Menu Style......Page 122
Creating Templates and Sharing Them on the Web......Page 131
Burning Your DVD Project to a Recordable Disc......Page 133
Summary......Page 135
Workshop......Page 136
PART II Creating Media......Page 138
HOUR 7 Creating Still Images......Page 140
Digital or Film Cameras—What Will Work for You......Page 141
Making High-Quality Photos—Tips and Tricks......Page 147
Selecting a Scanner for Your Video and DVD Projects......Page 154
Workshop......Page 156
HOUR 8 Acquiring Audio......Page 158
Ripping Music CDs......Page 159
Licensing Music or Buying Royalty-Free Music......Page 163
Creating Custom Music with SmartSound Movie Maestro......Page 169
Recording High-Quality Narrations......Page 173
Workshop......Page 176
HOUR 9 Making Videos......Page 178
Making a Case for Digital Video......Page 179
Choosing a Digital Camcorder......Page 180
Evaluating Two Popular Consumer Camcorders......Page 184
DVD Camcorders—Not There Yet......Page 186
Video Shooting Tips......Page 188
Workshop......Page 191
HOUR 10 Capturing Video— Transferring Videos to Your PC......Page 194
Transferring Digital Videos to Your PC......Page 195
Trying Two Free Video Capture Software Products......Page 196
Capturing Analog Video Easily and Inexpensively......Page 204
Overview of Three Full-featured Video Capture Cards......Page 208
Workshop......Page 210
PART III Editing Media......Page 212
HOUR 11 Crafting Your Story and Selecting Video Editing Software......Page 214
Organizing Your Assets......Page 215
Creating Your Story......Page 220
Evaluating Four Video Editing Software Titles......Page 223
Workshop......Page 230
HOUR 12 Editing Video with Pinnacle Studio 8......Page 232
Getting Acquainted with Pinnacle Studio 8......Page 233
Using the Storyboard and Timeline for Cuts-only Editing......Page 238
Adding Transitions......Page 245
Using Special Effects......Page 247
Workshop......Page 249
HOUR 13 Adding Audio, Tackling Text, and Improving Images......Page 252
Adding Titles to Your Videos......Page 253
Grabbing Freeze Frames......Page 258
Editing Images with Adobe Photoshop Elements......Page 259
Adding Narrations, Music, and Sound Effects to Your Videos......Page 263
Using Studio 8’s Audio Mixer......Page 268
Workshop......Page 270
HOUR 14 Applying Professional Video Editing Techniques with Adobe Premiere......Page 272
Touring Adobe Premiere—How It’s Different......Page 273
Looking at Layering......Page 277
Trying Three Editing Tools and Two Special Features......Page 283
Evaluating the Competition......Page 289
Stepping Up to a Professional Video Production PC......Page 292
Workshop......Page 293
HOUR 15 Scanning and Formatting Images for DVD Authoring......Page 296
Explaining Scanner Settings......Page 297
Scanning Images for DVD Projects— Automated or Manual......Page 299
Formatting Images for DVD Projects......Page 308
Workshop......Page 314
PART IV Authoring DVDs......Page 318
HOUR 16 Evaluating Competing DVD Authoring Products......Page 320
Selecting DVD Authoring Features That Work for You......Page 321
Evaluating Entry-level DVD Authoring Products......Page 325
Testing Prosumer-level DVD Authoring Products......Page 336
Summary......Page 345
HOUR 17 Designing DVD Projects and Authoring with DVDit!: Part I......Page 348
Planning Your Project......Page 349
Presenting Your Media in Its Best Light......Page 350
Organizing Your DVD’s Menu Structure......Page 351
Checking Out the DVDit! Interface......Page 352
Workshop......Page 359
HOUR 18 DVD Authoring with DVDit!: Part II......Page 362
Adjusting Project Settings......Page 363
Beginning to Work on Menus......Page 365
Adding Buttons......Page 368
Working with Text......Page 371
Workshop......Page 375
HOUR 19 DVD Authoring with DVDit!: Part III......Page 378
Adding Videos and Stills to Your Menus......Page 379
Working with Chapters and a Scene Selection Menu......Page 383
Editing Button, Text, and Menu Attributes......Page 388
Workshop......Page 393
HOUR 20 DVD Authoring with DVDit!: Part IV......Page 396
Linking Media and Menus......Page 397
Adjusting Menu and Media Properties......Page 401
Creating Personal Projects......Page 406
Designing Business-Oriented DVDs......Page 410
Working on Professional DVD Projects......Page 412
Summary......Page 415
Workshop......Page 416
HOUR 21 Burning DVDs and Dealing with Mass Replicators......Page 418
Checking Menu and Media Links and Project Flow......Page 419
Selecting DVD Recordable Media......Page 421
Burning and Testing Your DVD......Page 422
Using MyDVD’s Direct-to-DVD Option......Page 428
Going the Mass-Replication Route......Page 431
Using Sonic Solutions’ Publishing Showcase......Page 435
Summary......Page 436
Workshop......Page 437
HOUR 22 Creating Custom MyDVD Templates with Style Creator......Page 440
Introducing Sonic Solutions’ Style Creator......Page 441
Changing a Template Background......Page 445
Editing Buttons and Button Elements......Page 449
Testing Your Template Edits in MyDVD......Page 461
Summary......Page 465
Workshop......Page 466
HOUR 23 Professional DVD Authoring with ReelDVD: Part I......Page 468
Professional Versus Prosumer: Explaining the Differences......Page 469
Taking a Hands-on Tour of ReelDVD......Page 470
Installing and Setting Up ReelDVD......Page 472
Adjusting the Sub-Picture Color and Opacity Scheme......Page 476
Importing Project Elements......Page 481
Summary......Page 487
Workshop......Page 488
HOUR 24 ReelDVD: Part II, DVD Producer and DVD Trends......Page 490
Working with Chapters......Page 491
Linking Media and Menus......Page 493
Editing Buttons......Page 495
Proofing Your Project......Page 504
Touring DVD Producer......Page 506
DVD Trends......Page 511
Workshop......Page 513
INDEX......Page 516