Wedding DVD?

T

tipdrinker

Member
Hi,

I'm starting out as a wedding videographer and I'm finsishing off my 2nd wedding (burning the disks as we speak)

I was wondering what is the best format to use for dvds expecially as both my weddings have ended up being too big for a single layer disk. From what I'm aware, DVD-R works in most dvd players and DVD+R works in some dvd players. However when it comes to getting the dual layer equivalents it's very hard to find and quite expensive comparatively to get dvd-r dl disks as opposed to dvd+r dl. So what I was wondering is what do other wedding videographers do with regards the dvd end of the equation?
 
In these days, DVD+R and DVD-R has pretty much no difference. Just go with JVC / TY watershield DVD. Print it with a cheap Epson photo printer, the output is amazing. Compared to regular white inkjet DVD, the difference is day and night. Check out my blog
http://lacoloronline.com/blog/?10106-Taiyo-Yuden-JVC-Watershield-Glossy-DVD

Also, don't go with Dual layer DVD. If you got so much good footage, split them onto 2 DVDs.

Got some links here you can reference http://lacoloronline.com/blog/?10199-Professional-DVD-and-BluRay-Production-at-Home
 
I can also send you a wedding DVD that I did so you can see how I work with the DVD navigation structure. Email me at takybb@gmail.com. You need to pay for shipping tho :)
 
Taky said:
Also, don't go with Dual layer DVD. If you got so much good footage, split them onto 2 DVDs.
Click to expand...

Is there a reason you advise this? Because I've always thought it was a bit tacky to do a 2-DVD set when a single dual-layer DVD would work. What's the reasoning here, other than price?
 
Compatibility is the issue. Many older set top DVD players (especially from big brands like Song, Toshiba, Panasonic) won't play Dual layer DVD. Those cheap $30 DVD player at walmart will play fine.

Many DVD DL out there works well with computer. If the layer break point wasn't set right, many set top DVD Player can only play the first layer. It stops at the layer break mark.

The other reason is, I can't find the watersheild glossy DVD DL disk like the JVC/TY disk.

I found the opposite that DVD set is luxurious, just like a hollywood movie box set. Our customers love dual DVD set.

This is from one of our weddings dual DVD set

dual-dvd-set.jpg
 
I love it, beautifully packaged. With the insert do you just print it with your printer and cut it out? Also these days dow many copies to you end up making for clients on average? I've been providing one blu ray and 3 dvds as standard and then charging more for any further copies
 
But Taky, aren't Hollywood movies on DL discs? Considering how cheap DVD players are these days, how many of those older ones are still out there in common use?
 
Thats right, Hollywood DVD are mostly dual layer. However, they are using pits to represent 0 & 1, not dye. Those dvd discs are replicated by "pressing" from a master.Home made DVD are done by using laser beam to change the chemical on the surface to change the dye color. those DVD has lower settop player compatibility.

we can't control what kind/brand DVD player people use at home. so our job is to get the DVD distributed to the mass with the lease problem. I wouldn't want to get calls from brides complaining their grandma can't play the DVD because they have an older DVD player.

I did a few weddings on DVD DL. there were some minor issues, not too bad. but I rather deliver something issue free. Also the JVC / TY watersheild glossy are too.good not to use. :)
 
Just throwing this out there, but why would your wedding video be so long that it doesn't fit on a single layer disk? What bitrate are you encoding at?
I agree with the dual-layer compatibility issues, but I think that's less an issue today than it ever has been. I personally do not shy away from DVD-DL when it becomes practically necessary.
 
I did many ethnic weddings including asian weddings. They are eventually. It could start 8am till midnight. esaily 14 to 16 hours. There're door games, tea ceremony, asian ritual, western matrimony, photo session. And reception would includes lots of toasting and games.

I also have other Bonus chapters on the DVD including honeymoon slideshow, wedding slideshows, interviews, bloopers, photo session. I encoded with Procoder. Still got very decent footage at 3 to 4 mbps encoding. There're times I want to use higher bit rate for some frequently watched chapters like the Cinematic highlights. Those I will pick 5 to 8 mbps.

I did several DVD DL before. there were only minor compatibility issue. But now I rather do dual dvd set because of the print quality of JVC/TY watershield DVD. Also, the dual DVD set gives an luxory feel to the final products. Brides love them.
 
Who watches DVDs any more? Aren't we passed that?

Skip the cost of manufacturing and distributing DVDs. Send them a digital file via Mediafire or something similar. Emphasize that digital file delivery is FAST. You'll be the only person in your area offering it and therefore can charge a higher rate. And you'll save yourself time.

Or (I'm assuming you shoot in HD) make Blu-Ray discs. Offer them as a premium to your clients.
 
ha, I already have that option offered for $300. That includes online DVD delivery and USB thumbdrive for local playback. That is not just copy individual files over to the client. It's using Encore to export the entire DVD authoring to Flash format that preserve the DVD navigation experience. :)
 
Taky said:
Compatibility is the issue. Many older set top DVD players (especially from big brands like Song, Toshiba, Panasonic) won't play Dual layer DVD.
Click to expand...

This is just not so. If it were true, they became useless as soon as almost every movie was put to dual-layer, and that was 1999-2000, so any such player would long ago have been replaced and would no longer be an issue anyway.

I have never, ever seen a player which could not play a dual-layer disc, and my 1998 Sony, which I still use frequently, plays anything I put in it -- including my own burned DL discs.
 
tipdrinker said:
From what I'm aware, DVD-R works in most dvd players and DVD+R works in some dvd players.
Click to expand...

They always worked in the same number of DVD players; they just had different quirks which would glitch in different players. So you might have a player which would play DVD-Rs but not DVD+Rs, but you'd also have another player and it would do the reverse.

Either way, the number of incompatible players for either was very, very small. I never saw either kind of DVD glitch on anything.

These days, there's just no difference.
 
When I said "compatibility is the issue", that was referring to the OP asking if DVD+DL or DVD-DL is the issue.

I used to put weddings on DVD DL. Mostly fine. Until the last one I did the bride couldn't get it play on her DVD player as well as her grandma DVD player. There was about 4 years ago. There're still settop dvd players out there won't play home burned DVD DL disk.

Later on, instead of using DVD DL, I split onto 2 discs making it a dual DVD set weddings. Our customers love it. Also, JVC/TY watershield disc print quality is just unbeatable. I am just happy to deliver them onto 2 discs instead of DVD DL with POTENTIAL playback problem.

BTW, my home very old DVD player can play fine with all the DVD DL I made. But I can't control what people have out there. :)
 
Understood. But a problem with a specific DL disc and player doesn't make it a general problem. There are quite a few factors which could have contributed to that particular client not being able to play the disc. To generalize from it that a whole generation of players -- especially going back only 4 years -- can't play DL discs just isn't accurate.

There's always the possibility that someone's cheap player won't play your disc. But that possibility is there no matter how you burn.
 
That's true! But the generalization goes both ways. You have no problem playing DL disc on your 1988 Sony DVD player. That doesn't mean everybody else will not have problem with DVD DL discs. :)

These kind of compatibility issue will go away slowly as time goes by. For now, the reason I split into two DVDs instead of one DL disk was because of the overall presentation and the print quality of TY disc. Only a slight concern on the DL compatibility issue. However, I would rather deliver something less likely to have problem. I'm sure that bride 4 years ago will now have a BluRay player. But it is very likely her old grandma is still using that same old DVD player. :)
 
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