What do I need to do to produce a DVD disc?
There are two parts to the process, one done by you and one done by RSRT.

• Part I is authoring (sometimes called development).
• Part II is replication.

Authoring involves all the decisions and processes needed to prepare your title for replication. Working with a DVD authoring professional, you decide which features to include.

Do you want:

• subtitles in various languages?
• Different camera angles?
• Parental controls? More than one image size?
• Multi-channel surround sound?

All these features, and many more, are possible, but because they all use up disc space, each choice involves making trade-offs and deciding priorities.

Working with your goals, the authoring professional creates the level of interactivity the disc offers. Typical data formats include compressed audio files in multichannel Dolby Digital AC-3, compressed video files in MPEG2, and titles from bitmap files.

Once the authoring has been completed, the title is put on Digital Linear Tape (DLT), which RSRT uses as a source of data to be mastered into DVD.

How do I find a DVD authoring professional?
RSRT, through its many alliances in the replication industry, has developed a data bank of the prime DVD authoring sources in the United States. You choose the one that best meets your individual needs.

What about the artwork involved?
Depending on the type of disc involved (one-sided or two-sided; one-layer or two-layer), you may choose either silk-screening or pit art.

Silk-screening
The specifications for silk-screening are generally the same as those for a CD: Artwork should be submitted as film, camera-ready artboard, or electronic files with the specifications provided separately. But there are some differences from CD art. DVD discs are more sensitive than CDs to extremes of temperature and to anything that might compromise the surface flatness. Silk-screening involves heat; therefore, it is suggested that the art involve no more than two colors, for minimum exposure to high temperatures. Also, artists should avoid designs that require lots of ink coverage, because that can affect disc flatness. Technicians at RSRT will suggest the most appropriate graphic treatment for your DVD project.

Pit Art
Pit art does not involve ink. It is an arrangement of the pits on the top layer of a DVD disc to create writing or other designs. Artwork for pit art should be submitted as a black-and-white electronic file with at least 300 dots per inch (dpi).

Does RSRT provide a disc-testing service?
Yes. With DVDs, it is recommended that a small "test batch" be made before mass duplication so that all aspects of the authoring can be re-checked. This disc-check service is part of the replication procedure at RSRT.

What about packaging?
So far, there is no universal DVD packaging standard. The packaging experts at RSRT will work with you to determine which of the currently available options best meets your needs.  Here are the current DVD packaging options.