DVD Studio Pro - About Alternate Stream Video Assets

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About Alternate Stream Video Assets

If you want to switch between video streams while the DVD is playing, the DVD
specification sets some restrictions on the alternate streams. They must be in the same
MPEG format and have the exact same GOP structure as the main stream. It is strongly
recommended that you use the same encoder for all streams to ensure they match exactly.

For multi-angle tracks, all streams, including the main one, must be the exact same length.

For mixed-angle tracks, you use markers to define one or more sections of the main
stream that contain the alternate streams. There are three basic rules for the alternative
sections:

• Within a track, you can use markers to define multiple sections to use additional angles,

but each section must have the same number of streams. For example, you cannot
have one section early in the track with two alternate streams and a section later in
the track with three alternate streams—both sections must have either two or three
streams.

• Each alternate angle section can be different lengths, but all streams within a section

must be the same length. For example, you can have one mixed-angle section early in
the track that is 10 seconds long and a second mixed-angle section that is 20 seconds
long. All alternate streams in the first mixed-angle section must be 10 seconds long;
all alternate streams in the second mixed-angle section must be 20 seconds long.

• You cannot use still images in the V2 through V9 streams. You can use still images in

the V1 stream as long as they are outside of the mixed-angle areas (places where video
is present in the V2 through V9 streams).

See

Encoding Video for Multi-Angle Tracks

for more information on stream requirements.