Video_TS restrictions in DVD-A hybrid discs.

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neil wilkes

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As there are now a couple of apps out there that pretend to be able to create Hybrid DVD-A, I thought that I should post a few words of caution for all members thinking of trying this for themselves.

You cannot, repeat cannot, just import any Video_TS folder into a project & call it DVD-A. You will run into some major problems if you do.

Now, having just said that - as long as the disc is intended for personal use only, there will be no problems (most of the time) as the restrictions won't apply. But if you are creating a disc for a client then you need to be aware of this, as if you attempt to use WaveLab's import function you are going to be out of spec almost immediately.

The first problem comes with the 2 different types of hybrid it is possible to create. Linked & Unlinked. To satisfy the DVD-A spec, only linked hybrids are allowed - which means that all VTS titles imported must be pointed from the AMG - In short, you must have this on the menu system in the Audio Zone.
Non compliance will result in an out of spec disc that will fail verification and logo testing at the replicators, who will back the disc as non DVD-A.

Also, these imported VTS folders cannot be created with Abstraction layer tools, which on a PC rules out everything except Sonic Scenarist, and possibly DVDLab Pro, which is still in beta & should not be used on critical projects until a retail release is available. On a Mac, you have a choice of Sonic Fusion or Sonic DVD Creator. No other app to do this currently exists.

Now for the hybrid itself..
There are 2 apps capable of doing this - discWelder Chrome 2 and Sonic DVD-A Creator. No others as yet, and nothing at all on the Mac platform. The reason only these 2 may be used is that no other app has a legality checker included to tell you if you are out of spec. which is laughably easy to do.

I have attached to this post a full list of the restrictions faced when creating discs like these, in the hope that it will save some members the grief we had 18 months ago when learning how to do this for ourselves.

I repeat - for home use this does not matter - all that matters there is that the damned disc plays. But for commercial projects - the full list of restrictions applies.
There are no exceptions & no workarounds, and WaveLab cannot do this.

Finally, don't shout at me over this - I didn't write the rules. The DVD-FLLC did, as it is their Intellectual Property & their logos. So I guess they get to write the rules, in much the same way Philips have for CD, and Sony/Philips for SACD.

I hope this saves someone a lot of time & angry clients, if so then it has served it's purpose.
 

Attachments

  • VideoTs Restrictions.doc
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DVD Lab Pro is now at release status - and will indeed create the required Video_TS for hybrids if done correctly.
 
It seems, then, that The Beatles' "Love" DVD-Audio is out of spec as there is no way to navigate between the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS parts.
 
It seems, then, that The Beatles' "Love" DVD-Audio is out of spec as there is no way to navigate between the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS parts.

Correct.
There are also a lot of the Warner titles with the same spec violations.
Problem is in the wording of the rule:
All VTS titles shall be pointed from the AMG of the Audio_TS.
To me, the word "Shall" says "This is mandatory", not "If you like" or "If the author can be arsed to do it".
It's also out of spec in not (apparently) having a dedicated stereo stream or a downmix.
 
Well, it has. There's a PCM 2.0 track in the VTS section :eek:
So it's still only the first point ...

Nope.
That is in the Video_TS, not the Audio_TS, so it's out of spec.
Doesn't actually matter though, unless you're a stereo head.
The PCM in the Video_TS is a 16/48 one too, not 24/96 or 24/48, so not High Rez.
 
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