DVD Studio Pro 2: Late-Breaking News

For the latest information about product updates, tips and techniques, and qualified third-party devices, visit the DVD Studio Pro website at http://www.apple.com/dvdstudiopro/. General Information Missing Fonts Automatically Replaced If you open a DVD Studio Pro project that uses a font that is not on the computer you are opening it on (either because the font was deleted or the project was created on a different computer), any items using the missing font have a different font substituted with no warning. There are three items in a DVD Studio Pro project that utilize fonts: a menu's text objects, a button's text, and text-based subtitles. Using FireWire Drives For best results, make sure that the external FireWire drive you are using is connected to your computer and turned on before you open DVD Studio Pro. While writing data, do not disconnect your FireWire drive from your computer. This will disrupt the process and result in a write failure. Getting Consistent Colors With Still Assets The colors in the still assets you use in your project are affected by the Display Profile you choose in your computer's System Preferences (in the Displays pane in the Color tab). To make sure the colors in the still assets more closely match the color profile applied to the video assets, and match other computers running DVD Studio Pro, choose the Generic RGB Profile in the Color tab, and set the Colors to Millions in the Display tab. Asset Information Deleting the MPEG Folder While Encoding Can Cause Problems Later If, while DVD Studio Pro is encoding an asset, you delete the MPEG folder that it creates to hold the asset, DVD Studio Pro may stop responding when you later build your project. Video and Audio Lengths of a QuickTime Asset May Appear to Be Different When you import a QuickTime asset that contains both video and audio, you may find that their lengths, as shown in the Assets tab, do not match exactly. This is often due to the DVD-Video specification's frame rate for the supported audio formats not dividing evenly into the video frame rate. This does not affect the lip sync between the audio and video streams or their playback, and is purely cosmetic. Using AAC Audio Files From the Apple Music Store DVD Studio Pro is able to import and use AAC format audio files purchased from the Apple Music Store as long as the computer you are using them on is authorized to use them. If you import Music Store files that the computer is not authorized to use, DVD Studio Pro will play silence when it encounters those files. Additionally, if you select and try to play a Music Store file that the computer is not authorized to play in the Audio tab of the Palette, DVD Studio Pro will play silence. Projects With Missing Parse Files Must Reparse While Opening When you open a project that uses assets requiring parse files, DVD Studio Pro checks to see if the files are available. If not, it creates them as part of the project-opening process; in these cases, the project takes longer to open. It is not uncommon for the parse files to be left behind when moving a project and its assets from one computer to another. Creating the parse files can take from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the number and length of the assets used in the project. A progress bar indicates the completion status of the parse file. 720 x 486 NTSC Still Assets Are Scaled If you import 720 x 486 still assets, commonly referred to as CCIR NTSC or D-1, DVD Studio Pro scales them vertically to a height of 430 lines. You can work around this issue by either scaling or cropping the assets to 720 x 480 with a graphics program. Missing Assets Do Not Automatically Relink While the Project Is Open If your project has missing assets, their names and the names of any elements that use them appear in red in the Assets and Outline tabs. If you correct the reason that the assets are missing-for example, you connect the FireWire drive that contains them to your system- their names in the Assets tab turn black, indicating they are now available to be relinked. You must either use the Relink window or close and reopen the project to relink the assets. Mask Edges May Be Visible in Shapes You Create If you make the thumbnail image mask layer (the first layer) of a shape the same size as the shape's graphics layer (the second layer), you may see some of the mask layer around the edges of the graphics layer. This is because the shape's graphics layer is processed differently than the mask layer. You can work around this issue by making the mask layer slightly smaller than the graphics layer. Note: The thumbnail image mask layer is only required if you intend to show an asset in the shape. If you do not intend to show an asset in the shape, you can leave this layer empty (but the layer must still be there). Using Shape Layers for Drop Shadows When you activate drop shadows on a button or drop zone using a shape, DVD Studio Pro uses the first two layers of the shape's PSD file to define the shape of the drop shadow. These are the layers that define the image thumbnail area and the shape's visible graphic. Single Layer Shape Files Are Not Supported All shape files you import must have at least two layers. If you import a shape file that has a single layer, a gap appears in the Palette where the shape should appear. You cannot select the shape or delete it within DVD Studio Pro. To delete a single layer shape file, do one of the following: • If the shape was not imported as a project-only shape, use a Finder window to locate the shape's file in the [root]/Library/Application Support/DVD Studio Pro/Shapes folder and delete it. • If the shape was imported as a project-only shape, you only have to delete the original shape file from its original location. ( When a shape is imported as a project-only shape, a reference is added to the project, defining the shape's location.) 16-Bit RGB and All CMYK PSD File Formats Are Not Supported DVD Studio Pro does not support 16-bit RGB or any CMYK format PSD files. Since Adobe Illustrator files are imported into Photoshop as 16-bit CMYK files, you need to change their mode in Photoshop to 8-bit RGB before saving them as a PSD file for importing into DVD Studio Pro. Markers in MPEG Files Encoded With DVD Studio Pro 2 Do Not Appear in Earlier Versions of DVD Studio Pro The markers in MPEG files encoded with DVD Studio Pro 2 are not compatible with earlier versions of DVD Studio Pro. You need to manually add the markers to the files if you want to import them into the earlier version of DVD Studio Pro. Reference QuickTime Movies With Missing Assets That You Cannot Locate Must Be Cancelled Multiple Times If you import a reference QuickTime movie (that relies on a master movie for its content), and you cannot locate its master movie, you must cancel the QuickTime search three times before the search is terminated, and DVD Studio Pro displays an asset import error dialog. Segmented MPEG Files Do Not Import Correctly The segmented MPEG files created by some third-party encoders do not import correctly into DVD Studio Pro. Some encoders segment their large encoded files into 1 GB files. When imported into DVD Studio Pro, only the first 1 GB segment is imported. You need to append the files into a single file before importing the asset into DVD Studio Pro. There are several third-party applications that can be used to append a segmented MPEG file into a single file. Existing Clips in Tracks Automatically Use the Reencoded Version of an Asset If you reencode an asset that has already been assigned as a clip to a track, the track automatically uses the newly encoded version. If you change the bit rate before reencoding, the original bit rate-encoded version of the asset is still available, and can be reused. Viewer Information Some Assets Show Field-Based Artifacts Some assets, most commonly 16:9 PAL assets, show field-based artifacts when playing in the Viewer tab. You can improve their playback by choosing Show Single Field from the Viewer tab's Settings pop-up menu. Display Condition Information Last Chapter Played Setting Reliable When Assigned to Menus When using the Last Chapter Played setting for display conditions assigned to a track or story, you will get unreliable playback on some DVD players. The Last Chapter Played setting can be used reliably with display conditions assigned to menus. Display Conditions Using the Subtitle Stream Number Only Work With the Subtitle Stream Set to View When you configure a display condition for a track or story that uses the subtitle stream number option, the display condition will work correctly only if the subtitle stream is set to be viewed. For example, if you configure a menu's button to use subtitle stream S1 and a track has a display condition configured for subtitle stream S1, the display condition will only work correctly if you also select the subtitle stream's View checkbox in the Button Inspector. Some DVD Players Do Not Allow Parental Level in Display Conditions Some DVD players do not process the parental level option correctly when used in a display condition, allowing content to play that should be disallowed. Menu Information Text Justification Can Be Overridden If Set With Keyboard Shortcuts If you use keyboard shortcuts to set the justification of text in text objects or buttons, the text justification will be overridden if you change the text later. For example, if you create a text object on a menu, type two lines of text, press Shift-Command-], and deselect the text object, the two lines of text will right-justify. If you then select a word in one of the lines and change its color, font, or spelling, the text jumps back to its original justification (as controlled by the Text Object Inspector). You can work around this issue by using the justification controls in the Text Object or Button Inspector to set the text justification. Not All Shapes Support Button Highlights Not all of the shapes supplied with DVD Studio Pro support highlights. Some shapes are intended to be used with drop zones, and do not include the highlight layer used by buttons. Item Descriptions for Menus Do Not Retain Their Languages If you create a menu that supports multiple languages and export an item description for it, the item description will not contain any language attributes. For example, if you configure a menu to support three languages, with each language having different backgrounds and text objects, and export the menu as an item description, the item description will only retain the background for the first language and any buttons that have been configured. All text will be deleted (although the text objects will remain). Applying Different Templates to Different Languages on the Same Menu Is Not Supported When working with a menu that supports multiple languages, you can get inconsistent results if you apply different templates to each of the languages within that menu. Since each language version of a menu must have the same number of buttons, drop zones, and text objects, and they must be in the same locations, applying a template that configures these items forces all other language versions in that menu to conform to this template's layout. It is recommended that you apply a template to the first language and then manually modify the other languages as necessary. Last Letter in Italicized Text May Be Partially Clipped When you add italicized text to a text object or button in the Menu Editor, it is possible that the last character may be partially clipped. Whether or not this happens depends on what the last letter is and the font you are using. You can work around this issue by adding one or more spaces to the end of the text. Overly Large Font Size Can Make a Text Object Disappear If you set the font size so large that the text does not fit vertically on the screen, the text object disappears. As long as you still have the text in the text object selected, you can enter a smaller font size and the text will reappear. If it is not selected, you can choose Edit>Select All to select it (and all other items on the menu) and enter a smaller font size. (If there are other text objects, this change will also affect their font size.) Button Assets Do Not Automatically Update If a button's asset is automatically set after a Drop Palette action, such as dragging a track to a button in the Menu Editor, the button's asset does not automatically update if you later change the asset used by that track. You must manually choose the button's asset if you want it to match the new one used in the track. Changing the Simple Highlight Color in Apple Templates Can Create Bad Edges The Apple templates use the same highlight color for all four of the color mapping settings for the template's buttons. Since the template reduces the opacity for the dark gray and light gray color mapping settings, the buttons have pseudo anti-aliased edges. The Apple templates are also set to the simple overlay mode. When you change a highlight color in the simple overlay mode, you only change one of the four color mapping settings (the black one), which can lead to a situation where the primary highlight color has been changed while the other highlight colors, generally only seen on the button's edges, retain the original color. For example, if the template uses a red highlight color and you use the simple overlay mode to change the color to blue, the button's new blue highlight color will have red edges. To avoid having different highlight colors appear on the button edges when modifying the Apple templates, select the Advanced overlay mode in the Color Settings tab in the Menu Inspector, and set all four of the color mapping colors to the same color. Premastering Information CMF Format DVDs Cannot Be Burned on Systems With an Adaptec SCSI Card DVD Studio Pro is unable to burn CMF format DVDs on an authoring DVD-R drive connected to your system using an Adaptec SCSI card. Systems with an Adaptec SCSI card are able to burn non-CMF and DDP discs as well as write any of the supported formats to a DLT drive. Systems with Apple-approved ATTO SCSI cards are able to burn CMF format DVDs on an authoring drive. Region Code Information Unreliable With General Media Discs If you change the region code settings and burn a DVD using general media, some DVD players that should be prevented from playing it will play the disc. This issue does not occur with replicated discs originated from either general or authoring media. Video Bit Rates That Are Too High Are Allowed When Using Multiple Streams DVD Studio Pro allows video clips with bit rates that exceed the maximum allowable bit rate to be used when creating a project with multi-angle or mixed-angle tracks. When creating multi-angle or mixed-angle tracks, the maximum allowable video bit rate for clips in a track is reduced, depending on how many additional video streams you add. If the bit rate is left too high, some DVD players may have trouble playing the DVD smoothly. See the DVD Studio Pro 2 User's Manual for more information. Project Import From iDVD and Earlier Versions of DVD Studio Pro Information Slideshows Created in iDVD Drop Zones Only Display the First Slide If you import an iDVD project that contains a drop zone configured as a slideshow and has multiple slides assigned to it, DVD Studio Pro will only show the slideshow's first slide in the drop zone. Default Highlighted Button Can Change in iDVD Menus When you import an iDVD project, you may find that the button that is highlighted by default on some menus may change. During the project import, DVD Studio Pro numbers the buttons on each menu and highlights button 1 by default. You can assign any button on a menu to be the default button in the Menu tab in the Menu Inspector. Script Information GPRM-Based Jump Command Only Allows Selection of Specific Parts of an Element When configuring a GPRM-based jump command in a script, you should not be able to choose specific parts of an element with the Jump To pop-up menu. For example, you should be able to choose menu 1, but not button 3 of menu 1. (The selected GPRM is intended to choose the specific button in this case.) If you choose a specific part of an element from the Jump To pop-up menu with the GPRM Based checkbox selected, only the element is used and the specific part you chose is replaced by the value supplied by the selected GPRM. Simulator Information Simulator Displays Subtitles That Cross Chapter Markers Subtitles cannot appear across chapter markers, and DVD Studio Pro automatically trims the subtitles accordingly during the build process. However, if you simulate a track that has a subtitle that extends across a chapter marker, the subtitle will continue to appear. Be sure to build your project and test the subtitles using a DVD player so that you are not surprised by a subtitle that gets trimmed unexpectedly. Simulator Changes Subtitle Streams Incorrectly In the Simulator, if you change subtitle streams while playing a track, the current subtitle from the new subtitle stream appears immediately, even if it is in the middle of the subtitle text. The proper behavior, as happens with DVD players, is for the DVD not to change subtitle streams until the current subtitle clip ends, and not to show a subtitle from the new stream until a new subtitle clip starts on that stream. Slideshow Information Minimum Slide Duration Each slide in a slideshow must have a duration of at least 12 frames if you are using the NTSC video standard, or 10 frames if you are using the PAL video standard. You are not warned of this requirement until you build your project. The most common way to encounter this problem is to use a very short overall audio file and select the "Fit to audio" setting in the Slideshow Editor. Subtitle Information Characters on a Right-Justified Subtitle May Be Cropped on the Right Edge If you create a subtitle and set the text to be right-justified, the character on the right edge may get partially cropped. This issue does not exist with the left- and center-justified settings. If you require right-justified subtitles, you can use the left or center settings and manually position the subtitle along the right edge. Stream Selection on Buttons Over Video When configuring a button that is part of a buttons over video subtitle clip, you are not able to set the stream selections unless the button's target is set to "not set" or to a marker within that subtitle's track. If you need the button to jump to a specific stream on a different track, you can create a script that jumps as needed, and have the button jump to that script. Track Editor Information Zooming the Timeline to Fit the Selected Clip You can zoom the timeline to fit the selected clip by pressing Shift-Option-Z. (The manual has the incorrect keyboard shortcut listed.) Adding Chapter Markers Between Still Images and Video Clips in Tracks To ensure proper builds, insert a chapter marker between each still and motion video clip within a track. A.Pack Information Having Too Many Jobs in an A.Pack Batch List Causes an Error Dialog When you configure a large batch list, you may get an error dialog stating that there are too many files open. The number of jobs you can have in a batch list depends on their audio coding mode (two channel or 5.1 channel, for example) and the other applications that are open on your computer. In some cases, the error dialog may not appear until you start encoding the batch list. You can work around this issue by encoding your audio in smaller batch lists. File Suffixes to Indicate the Channel Are Interpreted as the File Creator Suffixes, such as .L for left front and .C for center front, are needed by A.Pack to differentiate the channels when using the drag-and-drop method to assign the files in A.Pack. In Mac OS X, the suffixes are interpreted as information about the file creator. As a result, the files that make up the different channels can be associated with various Mac OS X applications based on the suffix. This has no effect on the decoding of the files. Compressor Information In addition to the following topics, see the Late-Breaking News file in the Compressor documentation folder. Encoding for Quicker Import Into DVD Studio Pro When using Compressor to encode your video assets for use in DVD Studio Pro 2, you can speed up the importing process by selecting the "Add DVD Studio Pro meta-data" checkbox in the Compressor Extras pane in the Encoder pane (in the Presets window) before encoding them. This sets the Compressor encoder to include the parsing information in the encoded file, which makes the file usable as soon as you import it into DVD Studio Pro. Note: Selecting this checkbox makes the encoded file incompatible with earlier versions of DVD Studio Pro. Using Markers Automatically Generated by Final Cut Pro You can set the preset you are using in Compressor to either use or ignore the compression markers that Final Cut Pro adds to transitions when exporting a movie. In addition to any markers you manually set in Final Cut Pro, compression markers are added to its exported file at each transition. These markers can be used by Compressor to force I-frames at places that can greatly benefit from them (since transitions generally indicate a sudden change of video content) and result in a better encoded file. The drawback is that the I-frames inserted at these automatic markers make it difficult to use the encoded file as part of a multi-angle or mixed-angle track. Select the "Include chapter markers only" checkbox in the Compressor Extras pane in the Encoder pane (in the Presets window) to set Compressor to only process the markers (chapter and compression) you manually add in Final Cut Pro. Deselect this setting to allow Compressor to process both the markers you manually add and the markers Final Cut Pro automatically adds. DVD Studio Pro only processes the markers you manually add in Final Cut Pro. DVD@CCESS Information DVD@CCESS Web Link Utility May Not Start Automatically on All Windows XP Computers The Windows-based DVD@CCESS web link utility may not start automatically on all Windows XP computers if the computer is restarted. In a few cases, an error dialog appears, saying that Windows could not locate the necessary files. You are able to manually start the DVD@CCESS web link utility by double-clicking the DVDAccess.exe file, located in the /Program Files/Apple Computer/DVD@ccess folder. DVD@CCESS Does Not Work Automatically With Plug-in Drives on Some Windows Computers Web links on DVDs located in plug-in drives, such as FireWire and USB drives, work on Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers, but do not work on Windows 98, Windows SE, or Windows ME computers, until you relaunch or deactivate/reactivate DVD@CCESS. Web Links May Open in the Same or New Windows If you're using Netscape Navigator 6.x as your default web browser in Windows or the Mac OS, or Safari in the Mac OS, each time you activate a DVD@CCESS web link, it opens in a new browser window. With Internet Explorer and older versions of Netscape Navigator, DVD@CCESS links open in the same browser window. DVD@CCESS Does Not Work With WinDVD 2.x DVD Players on Some Windows Computers WinDVD 2.x versions (2.1 and 2.2) don't work with DVD@CCESS links on Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows NT computers. Using CoolDVD With DVD@CCESS Links A specific web link can only be activated once using CoolDVD 1.1 on Windows 2000 and Windows XP computers. Currently this problem does not exist in the latest version of CoolDVD. DVD@CCESS Actions Assigned to Still Menus Play Erratically on Some Windows Players DVD@CCESS actions assigned to still menus can play erratically on some Windows XP computers using the Media Player and on most Windows computers using Power DVD. In some cases, a DVD@CCESS action assigned to a different menu may be activated, or the action may be activated only the first time a menu is accessed. To work around this issue, you can create all menus with DVD@CCESS actions as motion menus. Filenames Not Conforming to the 8.3 Filenaming Convention May Not Work With Some Windows Computers Links that access files on the DVD disc itself (for example, file:///NameofDVD/xxx.xxx) and that contain names exceeding the 8.3 filenaming convention, may not be accessible on Windows NT 4 computers. Copying a .VOB File Causes DVD@CCESS Links to Activate Copying a .VOB file from a DVD (to a hard disk, for example) causes your default web browser to open and connect to all the URLs embedded in the DVD title. This happens because DVD@CCESS runs and reads all data from the DVD. DVD@CCESS Links May Affect Playback When Activating When DVD@CCESS opens a URL in a web browser, the level of performance and smoothness of video playback depend on your computer. The playback of video on a slower computer may be slightly interrupted when DVD@CCESS opens a URL.