DVD Studio Pro 2.0.4

The following enhancements are included in DVD Studio Pro 2.0.4.

PAL Projects Using the 2.0.3 Release

The DVD Studio Pro 2.0.3 release introduced an issue in PAL projects using still images. Still menus, slideshows or tracks containing stills, are being scaled incorrectly in PAL projects. NTSC projects are not affected by this issue.

Note: When PAL projects with still images are played back from the Simulator, they will appear to be scaled correctly. However, when played back in a DVD player, any still images in the project will appear incorrectly scaled and cropped.

Additional MPEG-2 Resolutions Now Supported

DVD Studio Pro now supports the cropped D-1, 1/2 D-1, and SIF MPEG-2 video resolutions.

Following is a list of supported MPEG-2 video resolutions:

* Full D-1: 720 x 480 NTSC, 720 x 576 PAL

* Cropped D-1: 704 x 480 NTSC, 704 x 576 PAL (matches analog blanking)

* 1/2 D-1: 352 x 480 NTSC, 352 x 576 PAL

* SIF (Standard Interface Format): 352 x 240 NTSC, 352 x 288 PAL

There are several things to be aware of when using these resolutions in a track:

* While a project can contain a combination of the three supported video resolutions, all video clips within a track must use the same video resolution. For example, if you have a full D-1 and a 1/2 D-1 video asset, they cannot be used within the same track, but could be used within separate tracks in the same project.

* The embedded MPEG encoder only encodes with the full D-1 resolution. When you add QuickTime assets to a track, the entire track must only contain full D-1 resolution clips.

* Still images are encoded as full D-1 MPEG-2 assets. Any tracks you add still images to must only contain full D-1 resolution clips.

When creating standard menus, you can assign assets using any of the three supported video resolutions to drop zones and buttons. Since menus are rendered as part of the build process, you can mix video resolutions as required in your menus.

Trimming Clips Precisely Is Now Easier

If you decide to trim a track’s clip by entering a new Clip Start Time in the Clip Inspector, the clip’s Duration setting automatically changes to accommodate the new start time. Earlier versions of DVD Studio Pro 2 required you to first enter a shorter duration before entering a new start time.

Subtitle Clips Can Now Cross Markers

Subtitles that cross chapter markers are now automatically split into multiple subtitle clips at each marker when you build your project. The DVD-Video specification does not allow subtitles to extend across chapter markers. By splitting a single long subtitle clip at each chapter marker as part of the build process, DVD Studio Pro allows you to create the impression of one long seamless subtitle clip.

Illegal Still Clip Lengths Disallowed