DVD PRO University Featured DVD Authoring Software Comparisons
The DVD PRO University, held March 14-16 at Fess Parkerís DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara, California, in essence, was a one-stop shop for anyone considering any kind of DVD title development. Billed as ""Where DVD Developers Learn How,"" the conference, organized by Online Inc. and its publication EMedia Professional, featured first-hand exposure to the development process taught by experts in design, asset preparation, video, audio, authoring, premastering and replication. Gary Reber, Widescreen Reviewís Publisher & Editor and Joe Kane, Contributing Technical Video Editor attended the conference. Debuting at the DVD PRO University was Pioneer New Media Technologiesí DVDesigner software, which the attendees received. DVDesigner is a Java-based, cross-platform offline design and planning tool for DVD-Video titles. The software helps to remove the development/design barrier. The conference featured expert instruction in the various steps of the DVD authoring process, including Fundamentals and Definitions, taught by Jim Taylor, Widescreen Reviewís DVD Evangelist and DVD Evangelist for Microsoft. Other subjects were Design, Asset Preparation, Creating DVD Hybrids, Quality Assurance & Testing, and Premastering & Replication. During the ""Authoring Academy"" portion of the conference, side-by-side examination was facilitated using encoders, authoring software, non-linear editing, soft and hard playback, DVD-R, and DLT tape to show attendees every step of the process. Attendees were taught how to prepare a design document and all assets for a title. Eight different DVD authoring software vendors participated in individual 90 minute seminar demonstrations designed to give attendees hands-on direct comparisons of authoring a DVD-Video title using the same assets created by the attendees. The eight authoring system products featured were Scenarist, DVMotion, DVD Producer, DVDirector, DVD Maestro, DVDAuthorQuick, Impression, and EasyDVD. ""DVD PRO Universityís Authoring Academy was a unique opportunitiy for developers to evaluate DVD authoring tools in varying price ranges, and with varying capabilities, all in one place, at one time,"" said Conference Chairperson, Dana Parker. ""Attendees were able to make A to B comparisons of the available products, not just from a spec sheet, but from actually seeing how the authoring tools work on the same set of assets. This is was a one-stop shop for anyone considering any kind of DVD title development."" Online Inc.ís next DVD Pro Conference & Exhibition will be held in San Francisco at the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero on August 16 and 17, 1999. Laura Buddine, Founder and General Manager of IACTA Design and Development will keynote the conference. For the latest information on DVD PRO University and the DVD PRO Conference & Exhibition, visit the DVD PRO Web site at www.dvdpro.net or phone 800 248 8466 or 203 761 1466. Sponsors of the DVD PRO University conference were Millimeter magazine, and DVD Report, Pioneer New Media Technologies, Nimbus CD International, Inc. (a Technicolor Company), Macrovision, Spruce Technologies, and Sonic Solutions.