Book excerpt: DVD is today's hottest digital storage technology, not simply in the home video market, but also in corporate, advertising, video production, multimedia, and a host of related fields. If you're involved in presentation, entertainment, or communication-for business or for consumers-DVD is a technology you can't afford to ignore. Contains a free trial version of DVDit! authoring software from Sonic Solutions With DVD Production, you get both a comprehensive introduction to DVD and a practical, real-world resource for bringing titles to market. The book begins with an in-depth look at the DVD family of formats (DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, etc.), as well as extensions such as Web-connected DVD, giving you an insider's understanding of DVD's capabilities. From there, you learn step-by-step about the DVD production process, from the preparation of source materials to the making of a final master. The book also outlines requirements for DVD tools and production environments, helping you to tailor your facility to meet your expected DVD needs. Whether you are a content publisher, a media professional, or simply a DVD enthusiast, DVD Production covers everything you need to discover DVD's rich potential. Philip De Lancie is a freelance writer covering technology and market developments for production professionals in fields such as video, film, audio, interactive multimedia, and the Internet. He has written extensively on topics including DVD, surround sound, streaming media, and High-Definition video. Since 1985, De Lancie has been published regularly in Mix, where he is the New Technologies editor. He is also a contributing writer for Millimeter, and a frequent contributor to magazines including EMedia, Video Systems, NetMedia, and Digital Video (DV). His work has also been published in NewMedia, Post, Electronic Musician, and WEBTechniques. De Lancie's writing draws on his own professional experience in audio engineering, including 13 years in CD premastering, as well as in multimedia production for the Web and CD-ROM.