DVD Studio Pro 1.5 (for OSX) [update 1]
Written: Apr 02 '03 (Updated Apr 03 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Powerful, pro-level, feature-rich, fairly intuitive
Cons: Expensive (but worth it)
The Bottom Line: Great for pro-level DVD authoring, but maybe a bit much for the average home user. The best software-only DVD authoring package there is.
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| whitesf's Full Review: Apple DVD Studio Pro 1.1 Full Version for Mac (M85... |
DVD Studio Pro 1.5
FYI: The software comes on a DVD-ROM and includes versions for both OS9 and OSX. I have only tested it on OSX, but I can't imagine it being terribly different on either OS.
Important: System Requirements
I was about to install the software when I noticed a system requirement that made my heart skip a beat: "Power Mac G4 computer with Apple-supplied AGP graphics card and DVD drive." How could I have overlooked that requirement?! I have but a lowly iBook (with a G3 700mhz - see my review on that as well) and I was quite angry that Apple had shut me out. In the manual, it claims that DVD Studio Pro won't even install on a G3.
This is not the case, however, as I installed it just fine immediately after reading the warnings. During the installation, Quicktime Pro is also installed, including the Quicktime MPEG2 encoder (which now becomes available in all Quicktime-based applications, including Final Cut Pro and iMovie). Here's where having a G3 is a problem. The Quicktime MPEG2 encoder will only work with G4 machines. And, there is no workaround, no way to trick the software into thinking you have a G4.
So, in summation, if you don't have a G4 system, I would not recommend purchasing DVD Studio Pro 1.5. There are other methods of encoding MPEG2 that will run on a G3, but they are either expensive or flaky freeware. I ended up using Cleaner 6 to do the encoding. Given the really slow speed, I can see why Apple doesn't want you to use a G3 with DVD Studio Pro, but I think the individual should have the option to suffer through ridiculously long renders if they so choose. Just so you know, on my iBook, Cleaner 6 tops out at a rendering speed of 2.3 frames per second, which means that one minute of video takes just over 13 minutes to encode, and that doesn't include the sound!
User Requirements
Using DVD Studio Pro itself isn't all that difficult. What is more daunting is all of the skills and knowledge you need before you even start the application. It is assumed that you are well skilled with a movie editing application (like Final Cut Pro, Premiere, or even iMovie), that you are very familiar with Quicktime Pro, and also that you are quite good with Photoshop. The Photoshop skills are used to create really fancy menus via multi-layered PSD files. If you don't have Photoshop, a copy of Core Photo-Paint 10 comes on the DVD Studio Pro installer DVD-ROM. Photo-Paint will let you build and output multi-layer PSD files.
Heavy-duty DVD authoring
This program is THE authoring program for DVD-video. The only way to get higher quality output is to move up to a dedicated editing station (which start at about $10k). Everything else on the market is a poor imitation and nothing comes close to the flexibility in options.
• Interactive Menus and Buttons
This is where all the fancy menus are made. The menu options alone could take up an entire review. You can have plain text buttons, simple graphic buttons, complex graphic buttons with multiple states (normal, selected, and active) via Photoshop PSD files, and even full-motion video buttons that loop. Also, you can build several submenus with complex interconnections to all other menus. The only limitation is your imagination and sanity (it can get really confusing with several menus and many buttons).
You can also include web links and content that is only available when played in a PC or Mac DVD drive.
• Languages and Subtitles
You can have several languages available on your DVD, either for audio tracks or subtitles or both. This makes it easy to deliver content to multiple language destinations with a single project.
Included with DVD Studio Pro is an application called "Subtitle Editor" which does just what its name implies. Very Handy.
• Angles and Extras
DVD Studio Pro also provides the ability to have multiple simultaneous camera angles that are user selectable. This is a rarely-used but very advanced DVD feature.
Additionally, you can have several different audio tracks for the same video, which allows for things like multiple languages (see above) and director's commentary.
Video options
The options for video are quite flexible. The data rate is adjustable from 1mbps up to 10mbps, allowing a wide latitude of video compression vs. quality options. The MPEG2 codec includes Variable Bit-Rate encoding (VBR), which is a nice feature for maximizing quality while limiting file size. There are also myriad options for NTSC and PAL, interlacing, and field dominance. I actually had to buy a separate book to figure out what all of this stuff was! It's confusing, but I'm glad the flexibility is there.
Audio options
DVD Studio Pro includes and audio encoder called A.pack. This will convert raw PCM (wav) audio into Dolby 5.1 compliant AC3 streams. This is essential for saving space on a tight DVD and also for properly encoding and specifying what audio tracks should be played from which channels in a surround-sound system. A.pack has tons of configuration options, but for most non-professional projects, the basic settings work just fine.
Output
When you've got your project all put together, you can export straight to a DVD burner, or use the "build disk" option to put everything together in a folder on your hard drive for later burning. DVD Studio Pro handles all of the file naming to make the project compliant with DVD-video player standards.
Overview
This is really a professional tool for DVD authoring. The average user will be daunted by the range of options and lack of "canned" project settings. You really could start a business with this software.
If you can afford the high price ($999), I highly recommend it for even general home use. The learning curve is initially steep, but the payoff is well worth it. And, considering that you can do damn-near anything that is possible with the DVD format, the price tag is well justified. As I mentioned above, I can't recommend this for anyone with a G3, due to the encoding trouble I encountered.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
whitesf
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Location: Hopatcong, NJ
Reviews written: 45
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Guitar, amp, pedal junkie and DIY enthusiast.
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