DVD final quality?

I just completed a 45 minute HDV video and authored it using DVD Studio Pro 3. It looks fine and plays well. I have the following question:

If I want to release just a few duplicated copies prior to replication would the quality be better if I burned them onto DVD-R directly from DVD Studio Pro as opposed to duplicating them using a duplication program such as Fast DVD Copy 4?

I assume that by going the Fast DVD Copy 4 route I will be re-compressing and thus lose a little quality. Is this a correct assumption?

Thanks for your assistance.

as far as i know, duplicating programs just copy whats on the disc. cant imagine why it would recompress it...?

There is a third way. You make an Image of the original DVD and store that.

MyGreatMovie.dmg

When you need copies, you can burn the image onto fresh disks and get an exact copy every time.

The Image Burning software is part of OS-X and any machine can do it, not just ones with Studio Pro or Final Cut. That is, any OS-X Mac with a DVD Burner.

Koz

One of the most bullet proofed (and quickest) way to make some duplicates is to use a copy program (such as Toast) to first create an image file to your HD and then burn the DVDs. You can fully emulate the behavior of your final product and burn only after you are 100% sure everything works. There is no re-compression involved in that process.

{ this of course in a Mac world ☺ }


Image files have some other advantages as well;
- You can archive your finalized project without physical medium knowing it will be 100% same as any duplicates made from it
- Your burner may not be of industrial quality. It is a lot safer for you to submit your work for the replication house in a data DVD ?format (AKA Image File). My 3 Macs all fail when trying to burn red-book DVD?s.

Wayne, Koz & Nick,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge regarding this matter.

Greatly appreciated.

Phil

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