This article is from the DVD Formats FAQ, by jtfrog@usa.net (Jim Taylor) with numerous contributions by others.
DVD production has two basic phases: development and replication.
Development is different for DVD-ROM and DVD-Video, replication is
essentially the same for both.
DVD-ROMs can be developed with traditional software development tools such
as Macromedia Director, Asymetrix Toolbook, HyperCard, Quark mTropolis, and
C++. Discs, including DVD-R check discs, can be created with UDF formatting
software (see 5.3). DVD-ROMs that take advantage of DVD-Video's MPEG-2
video and multichannel Dolby Digital or MPEG-2 audio require video and
audio encoding (see 5.3).
DVD-Video development has three basic parts: encoding, authoring (design,
layout, and testing), and premastering (formatting a disc image). The
entire development process is sometimes referred to as authoring.
Development facilities are provided by many service bureaus (see 5.5). If
you intend to produce numerous DVD-Video titles (or you want to set up a
service bureau), you may want to invest in encoding and authoring systems
(see 5.3 and 5.4).
Replication (including mastering) is usually a separate job done by large
plants that also replicate CDs (see 5.5). DVD replication equipment
typically costs millions of dollars. A variety of machines are used to
create a glass master, create metal stamping masters, stamp substrates in
hydraulic molds, apply reflective layers, bond substrates together, print
labels, and insert discs in packages. Most replication plants provide
"one-off" or "check disc" services, where one to a hundred discs are made
for testing before mass duplication. Unlike DVD-ROM mastering, DVD-Video
mastering may include an additional step for CSS encryption, Macrovision,
and regionalization. There is more information on mastering and replication
at Panasonic Disc Services and Technicolor.
For projects requiring less than 50 copies, it can be cheaper use DVD-R.
Automated machines can feed DVD-R blanks into a recorder, and even print
labels on each disc. This is called duplication, as distinguished from
replication.
 
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