DVD Authoring is the term given to the final assembly of the DVD master (read more about CD DVD mastering). For video content, titles are created from encoded audio and video files, the importing of subtitle streams, and the setting of chapter points.
For menus to help users to navigate around the disc, video, audio and a `highlight layer` are brought together and hotspots are drawn for the buttons.
Finally the disc is programmed with the required logic to indicate the DVD Player what to play, when to play it, and how the various assets are chained together on the disc. Interactive content can also be implement in the form of play lists, quizzes and integrated links from video to other content.
It is also possible to add additional files on your DVD such as Acrobat PDFs, Word Documents and PowerPoint Presentations, there is a large number of DVD-ROM authoring solutions, including Macromedia Director and Sonic eDVD.
Generally DVD authoring is a process that differs from MPEG encoding, but most DVD authoring software have a encoder built in it.
You should know that majority of authoring applications are for video DVDs only. They do not support the creation of DVD-Audio discs.
DVD authoring is connected with DVD creation. CD DVD manufacturing process consists of few steps:
1. The DLT tape master is loaded onto a hard disk and compared with the physical DVD specification.
2. The data is then loaded into a laser beam recorder (LBR)
3. The Laser beam signal is modulated by the digital signal and strikes a photo sensitive chemical coated onto a glass plate (glassmaster) (Two glassmasters are produced for a DVD-9/10)
4. The glassmaster is then developed and etched to produce a set of useable pits. It is then silver plated
5. The silver plating is then electro plated with nickel in a galvanic bath.
6. This layer the `father` is peeled of the original and is a reverse or the master surface
7. The father is then used to make further versions (stampers)
8. The stamper is then cut and placed in a mould
9. The mould is injected with liquid polycarbonate and cooled rapidly
10. The clear disc(s) with data cooled onto one side then enters a chamber
11. The chamber contains a vacuum, and inert argon gas is injected
12. A negative electric charge is applied to the base of the chamber and a metal target is at the top.
13. Depending on if the disc is a DVD-9 or a DVD-5 the two layers are bonded together with different amounts of reflective coating
14. The disc is then coated with a lacquer to prevent oxidization
15. Finally the disc enters the printing process.
16. Cycle time is under 3 seconds (DVD-9)