DVD authoring software lets you create Hollywood-style DVDs using your own videos, music, and photos. Sams Teach Yourself DVD Authoring in 24 Hours helps you make the most of this new technology. This book gives you hands-on, step-by-step instruction on the entire DVD creation process: from video and audio production to DVD authoring. It eases you into the DVD authoring process then gradually helps you build your skills to the point where you can create professional-looking DVDs.

Sams Teach Yourself DVD Authoring in 24 Hours comes with a companion DVD packed with software, including: The latest versions of three DVD authoring products from industry leader Sonic Solutions:

• MyDVD the world s top-selling DVD creation tool geared to home DVD enthusiasts
• DVDit! extra power and features for those who want to ramp up their DVD creation skills
• ReelDVD professional DVD creation made easy
• Pinnacle Studio industry leading consumer-level video editor
• Adobe Premiere best-selling prosumer/professional video editor
• Adobe Photoshop Elements industry standard, entry-level image editor
• SmartSound Movie Maestro -- easy-to-use, customized music creation software

DVDs are quickly replacing tape as the video publishing format of choice for video professionals and video enthusiasts. Here s why:

• DVDs are an excellent media to archive, publish, and share data and multimedia.
• DVDs can hold two hours of high quality video.
• DVDs are interactive. Using menus, users can easily and immediately access "chapters" within videos, images, text, and high-quality audio.
• DVD recorders ("burners") are now widely available at prices well within the reach of average consumers.
• DVD technology is the fastest growing consumer electronics product in history. There are more than 30 million DVD set-top players and more than 70 million DVD-equipped PCs in the market today.

Contents

• Introduction
• Producing your first DVDs
  • Hour 1. Discovering What DVDs and DVD Authoring Software Can Do for You
  • Hour 2. Getting Your Gear in Order-DVD Recorders and Media
  • Hour 3. Burning Data DVDs
  • Hour 4. Authoring Your First DVD Project Using MyDVD: Part I.
  • Hour 5. Authoring Your First DVD Project Using MyDVD: Part II
  • Hour 6. Authoring Your First DVD Project Using MyDVD: Part III
• Creating media
  • Hour 7. Creating Still Images
  • Hour 8. Acquiring Audio
  • Hour 9. Making Videos
  • Hour 10. Capturing Video-Transferring Videos to Your PC
• Editing media
  • Hour 11. Crafting Your Story and Selecting Video Editing Software
  • Hour 12. Editing Video with Pinnacle Studio 8
  • Hour 13. Adding Audio, Tackling Text, and Improving Images
  • Hour 14. Applying Professional Video Editing Techniques with Adobe Premiere
  • Hour 15. Scanning and Formatting Images for DVD Authoring
• Authoring DVDs
  • Hour 16. Evaluating Competing DVD Authoring Products
  • Hour 17. Designing DVD Projects and Authoring with DVDit!: Part I
  • Hour 18. DVD Authoring with DVDit!: Part II
  • Hour 19. DVD Authoring with DVDit!: Part III
  • Hour 20. DVD Authoring with DVDit!: Part IV
  • Hour 21. Burning DVDs and Dealing with Mass Replicators
  • Hour 22. Creating Custom MyDVD Templates with Style Creator
  • Hour 23. Professional DVD Authoring with ReelDVD: Part I
  • Hour 24. ReelDVD: Part II, DVD Producer and DVD Trends
• Index