Working on a project for a client.
When a client contacts me, they usually know what delivery methods and how they want to distribute their content.
Once they've figured out the delivery method, they let the professionals do the rest. Most experienced clients know exactly what they want and leave the rest to the professionals. Every now and then I get a client who feels the need to point out how they edited video in school or that they have a friend who knows Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, Oprah, Stephen King... etc.... But have no idea what they want. Most clients though, they let the creative content professionals do their work and concentrate on doing what they do best....whatever that is.
So....back to the delivery methods:
CD/DVD (not for broadcast tv distribution)
Beta SP
Flash Video File
Video Streaming
There are some others...
Betacam SP, DVCAM IC Chip, DVAM No Chip, DVCPro, DVCPro HD, HDCAM, HDCAM SR, Betamax, D-1, D-9 Digital S, VHS, 8mm Video Tape, Large DV, MII, 3/4 Inch Umatic, Digital Betacam, Digital Master DVCAM, Mini DV, Betacam SX, Betacam Oxide, D-2, DCT, SVHS, SVHS-C, Micro NT, MPEG IMX, and Hi8.)
Then clients have to choose a distribution format. That could be online, mobile, or for broadcast TV and is usually in the format of the above mentioned. This past month, I got an unusual request. A plain old consumer format: DVD.
In creating content, I always prepare by making sure I run diagnostics on all equipment. Here with all the pro-gear armed and ready to go, it was really something else to have the least expensive, most under used piece of consumer level equipment fail.
Mishaps
This single piece of equipment that I did not run a diagnostic on, the least expected piece of equipment failure was my DVD recorder.
I have a built-in Matshita UJ-816 with DXJ3 firmware. It has been used over and over for CD burning however, I recently found out that it has known issues when burning DVD-R's.
Of course, I had to find out in the middle of turning over the content to the client. I had a few Memorex DVD's laying around and used them to give to the client for the first rough cut. They burned fine. But when it was time to purchase a new batch, now up to 16x, I did not realize that there was going to be an issue. How could I? The other disks worked so....In the process of a failed CD something told me to do a google search that went a little something like this "Matshita PowerMac DVR known issues" and boy was I enlightened:
Matshita DVD-R UJ 816 Ejects blank discs
Problems mounting a CD on a Matshita DVD-R UJ-816
Apple admits SuperDrive 8x media reliability glitch
There are at least 100 articles or forums on this drive.
HAPPY ENDING
We were able to find a workaround and use several options to get the final DVD done but doesn't apple need to take accountability for all this without having petitions and other legal actions? hMMM I wonder. Till next time.
