DVD Demystified Third Edition (Paperback)

by Jim Taylor (Author) "In 1877, Thomas Edison recorded and played back the words "Mary had a little lamb" on a strip of tinfoil, presaging a profound change in..." (more)
Key Phrases: physical disc formats, media key block, media unique key, Dolby Digital, United States, Blu-ray Disc (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
U.S DVD sales will top $8.1 billion in 2002, an increase of over 50%, according to Adams Media Research. DVD sales this year surpassed video, even though only 30% of households have DVD players (compared to 90% for VCRs). In August 2002 the New York Times dubbed DVD the most successful home entertainment device in history…a true pop-culture phenomenon.

DVD Demystified has served as DVD's bible since the format first shipped in 1997. Demystifying not only basic technology issues but detailing production and authoring processes, making sense out of the plethora of battling video, audio, and data formats, and clearly explaining how DVD standards and specs dovetail or clash with related digital media standards, this book has not only become DVD's standard reference, but also required reading for DVD enthusiasts who wanting to peer behind the scenes and figure out how to get the most from their technology.

Since then, Jim Taylor has become DVD's most visible guru, now President of the DVD Association, author of the internet DVD FAQ, and profiled by E!Online and DVD Report.

This third edition will be almost completely rewritten to cover the major technology, format, and standard changes of the past three years, and will once again include a DVD designed to show the extreme limits of performance of this dynamic technology.

From the Back Cover
"This series has launched many a DVD career including my own and should be required reading in any world class DVD facility… a perfect resource for any DVD professional or novice." -- Benn Carr, VP of New Technology, Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, CA

"Even DVD experts need a place to turn to for guidance, advice and reference. DVD Demystified IS THE place." -- Andy Evans, Chairman, The Pavement, London, England

"Jim Taylor is the smartest guy on the planet when it comes to DVD. Add Mark Johnson and Chuck Crawford and there's nothing this team can't help you with. No matter what you need to find out about DVD, this book gives you the answers you can understand, use, and count on." -- Fred Grossberg, President, Mill Reef Video, Washington, DC

REVISED AND EXPANDED INCLUDING THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGIES, FORMATS, AND PRODUCTION DETAILS

DVD INCLUDED
Hybrid DVD-Video/DVD-ROM
Showcases dynamic application of DVD technology with samples from Dolby, DTS, THX, IMAX, Joe Kane Productions, Microsoft, Widescreen Review, and others * Plus audio/video tests, WebDVD, HTML files, spreadsheets, and more

THE LEGENDARY GUIDE TO EVERYTHING DVD
Driving a business of over $50 billion per year, DVD is the all-encompassing media technology that has reshaped entertainment, professional video, business communications, and computing.

This updated edition of the renowned, reader-friendly guide defines, demystifies, and details DVD and related technologies. This book is a MUST read if . . .

• You're in the audio/video or entertainment business
• You're a multimedia developer
• You work with educational technology or industrial training
• You're an IT professional or technology consultant
• You're a filmmaker or a musician
• You cover cutting-edge technology as a journalist or analyst
• You can't afford thousands of dollars for the standards and specifications books
• You read the standards and specifications books but didn’t understand them
• You're a technovideoaudiophile
• You want to be in the know, up to speed, and on the leading edge of this fascinating technology

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Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 3 edition (January 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071423966
• ISBN-13: 978-0071423960
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #481,779 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitive guide for DVD authors, April 7, 2006

By	calvinnme "Texan refugee" (Fredericksburg, Va) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I needed to learn about creating a DVD, and most of the recommendations that I got steered me towards DVD Demystified by Jim Taylor. The book, and accompanying DVD, do exactly that - it demystifies the DVD media.
I enjoyed the review of the history of DVD, including the interesting machinations that moved the standard along and continues to scare the entertainment producers. The section gave valuable information without diving into the technical details too quickly.
After that, the author gets technical enough so that a novice can learn about the requirements. Everything from information for the home set-top box buyer to material preparation, standards (such as they are), file formats and clear explanations of the terms used in DVD and the programs with which you create them are all there. While the book doesn't give hardware or software recommendations, I actually think this is a plus. The field is changing so rapidly that such a book would be useless in short order.
To me, two of the best chapters of the book are those on DVD myths and the accompanying chapter "What is Wrong with DVD?". It both gives you an idea of what improvements could be coming to this technology in the future, plus if you need to convince your boss to transition to this technology, it breaks down the misconceptions about DVD in easy to understand language that can be easily converted into a presentation that even Dilbert's boss could understand.
The DVD has some program demos and some odds and ends that I couldn't get very excited about. There is also a website associated with the book that is updated monthly and is a terrific resource. Since Amazon throws out reviews with web addresses in them, suffice it to say that you need to type "dvddemystified" into Google and look at the first address listed.
The only real disappointment I had with DVD Demystified is that the scripting language of the media is not explored. Anything that I have learned about scripting has come from the authoring program I am working with, but I would like to have another reference to fall back on.
Thus, if you need to move towards delivery of DVD products, I do recommend you read this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works for me!, March 22, 2006

By	philipmerrill (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews

Taylor's been the man for DVD sooo many years now and this latest revision is the first I've purchased. The depth of detail and fullness of the technical specification information is fantastic and what one would hope from a classic-staying-fresh.

I was only after a relatively narrow batch of information, and this certainly worked for me on that. Beyond that, it certainly tempts me to learn more about DVD authoring and what the formats are capable of (inc. Blu-Ray/HD DVD).

From a money point of view, "DVD Demystified" has always been a good value and still is.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary book , January 16, 2007

By	Pacifici Fausto (Orvieto, (TR) ITALY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The 5-stars rating is probably reductive for the third Dvd Demystified edition. It is the most complete work about the amazing dvd technology,
its history, the production processes and its future (or should i say: actual?) developments. For video technicians, dvd authors, graphics designers and for those who love to get a deeper knowledge about dvd world DVD demystified is like the Bible, a must-have opera which the included dvd (with examples of all the contents allowed by dvd specs) has an enormous value by itself. Purchase it with no fear: it really keeps the promises it makes.