Q: Can't I make my own DVD's using my home or office computer?

A: If home-movie quality is all you need, with limited functionality, there are some very good applications that will let you author your own DVD's. If you need better than that, you will require some more sophisticated (and expensive) hardware and software (see Technical Stuff), or use a professional authoring company.

Q: Isn't it still very expensive to have limited edition or one-off DVD's made?

A: PLx can make high-quality, custom-made DVD titles for a very reasonable cost, depending on the length of the video material, and the complexity of the graphic design and authoring required. Talk to us about your requirements. If you have your own Graphics Design or Art Department, you can involve them in the design and look of menus and graphic elements.

Q: Can recordable DVD's be played on all DVD players?

A: Recordable DVD's (DVD-R's, or DVD+R's) can be played on most DVD set-top players, and on most computers that have DVD drives. Some older players will not play DVD-R's properly. Double-layer (DVD-R DL or DVD+R DL) recordable discs can also have some compatability issues. Replicated DVD's (those that are mastered then mass-produced at a replication facility) should be playable on all DVD players.

PLx can produce DVD-R's (for one-off or small quantities) or can have replicated discs made for larger quantities on request.

Q: How much material can be put onto a DVD Video disc?

A: Depending on the format, and the quality required, DVD's can hold anything from 1.25 hours to 3.5 hours of video.

Q: What is "zoning" for DVD? Is it anything to do with PAL/NTSC?

A: Zoning is a copyright protection mechanism, designed to limit where a disc can be played. For example, a disc purchased in Australia would normally be Zone 4. This means it can only be played on a Zone 4 player, the type that are sold in Australia. Discs purchased from other countries normally cannot be played on a Zone 4 player, and vice-versa, just as discs purchased in Australia could not be played on a Zone 1 player (USA), Zone 2 (Britain and Europe), and so on. Many players today are multi-zone, which means they will play discs regardless of their zoning.

DVD's are also authored in the TV standard appropriate for the territory (PAL, NTSC etc) but this is independent of the Zone for which the disc is made. Confused? To simplify things, DVD's can be authored with no zoning, which means they can be played anywhere, or with multiple zoning, so they can be played in a number of territories.