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DVD Authoring
This is the process of creating a DVD which can be played on a standard DVD player. The DVD can be created to be either Auto-Play, or to have Interactive functionality.
Authoring the DVD
Once our video has been encoded, the DVD can be Authored. The DVD Authoring software helps us create a disc that conforms to the specifications so that it will play in your DVD player properly. In this stage, we may add interactive features, such as menus and transitions.
Auto-Play vs. Interactive
In its simplest form, a DVD will begin to automatically play a video when it is inserted into a DVD player. Often a DVD will include Interactive Menus. When the disc is first inserted into a DVD player, a Menu will display buttons or other graphical content which will link to different videos or sub-menus, just like you see when you watch a movie.
Menus may also be interspersed throughout the DVD, instructing the viewer to complete tasks relevant to the video - for example, multiple choice questions on a training video. The increase in cost can be significant as each menu must be graphically designed, programmed and tested.
In certain cases, interactive elements are crucial to the product being created. However, the level of complexity of a DVD is often determined by the budget of the project.
