[MacDV] Re: 90 min DVD cap

[Mark M. Florida]

While this is, in fact, true (can't burn multi-layer disc)...  It's not the
(only) reason for the 90 min cap for iDVD.  It is very possible to squeeze
over 2 hours of video on a standard 4.7 GB DVD-R, but at a much lower bit
rate (lower quality) than what iDVD offers.

I believe Apple chose a 90 minute limit for iDVD for a couple of reasons:

1.  To make sure the video was high-quality.  Apple simply wants the user to
have the best experience possible when using their products -- could you
imagine the disappointment of a video "newbie" (for lack of a better term)
that went to burn their 3 hour DVD only to be utterly shocked at the poor
quality of the video?  A 90 min. 4.7 GB DVD is a decent compromise between
video quality and storage space -- it allows a high enough bit rate to keep
the video looking good, while offering a little extra movie time if needed.

2.  To help preventing *easy* pirating of commercial DVDs.  It's pretty easy
to find a DVD player that has MacroVision copy-protection disabled (or easy
to disable it with a CD-ROM firmware "upgrade") -- I should know, I have two
of them.  So now all you need is a DV capture device (camcorder or
converter) to digitize the movie with iMovie and re-burn it with iDVD, even
though you'd lose the interactive experience offered from the original DVD.
With a 90 minute limit built-in to iDVD, it's not possible to use it to copy
any movie longer than 90 minutes.  Granted, it *is* possible to rip or
digitize a DVD longer than 90 minutes and re-encode it with DVD Studio Pro
(or other freeware/open-source utilities), but the quality of the video will
be severely compromised trying to squeeze it onto a single-sided,
single-layer 4.7 GB DVD-R disc.  To put it simply:  IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT.
Take my word, I've tried to justify the process... But when it takes a whole
day to encode a full-length movie (tying up your computer in the process),
it's worth the $20 to just buy the darn thing.  If your time is less
valuable than that, then, well...  I have no sympathy for you...

So that's my take on it.

- Mark


> Commercial DVDs use multiple layers that the SuperDrive is incapable of
> burning.
> 
> jab
> 
>> From: "Eric Phillips" <PHILLIE at wyeth.com>
>> Reply-To: "Macintosh Digital Video List"<MacDV at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
>> Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 11:45:56 -0500
>> To: "Macintosh Digital Video List" <MacDV at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
>> Subject: [MacDV] 90 kin DVD cap
>> 
>> I am assuming that
>> there are commercial movies on DVD that are longer than 90 minutes.