This is my first project with DVDSP.

I am trying to create a DVD with an alternate audio track (Commentary) for an 85 minute video. I've researched and read up on it (there's not a lot) and ended up creating two tracks. Each track uses the same DV video asset but on the alternate track, I deleted the audio from the original DV asset and replaced it with the alternate audio asset (AIFF).

The problem is that this doubles the storage requirements and blows out the 4.7GB limit of DVD-R. I was hoping there was a way to wire it all up so that the same encoded video asset is used in both cases but the audio is different.

Can DVDSP do this? Can you point me in the right direction for the technique I should learn?

TIA

Two questions to start out: Which version of Compressor and when did the process "fail" for you? Placing the commentary audio track into the timeline? Importing just an audio track?

I'm using DVD Studio Pro version 4.1.2 in FCS 1 on 10.5.6. When I add the DV asset to the track for the alternate audio, it increases the disk disk meter on the toolbar to reflect it's adding to the existing count. That's all I went on. When I saw it was over, I assumed it wouldn't let me burn to a 4.7GB DVD-R.

Seemingly unrelated but I'll mention in just in case, when I reduced the DVD to fit in 4.7GB, the Build failed on VCS#1 saying it was an invalid asset type. Every thing is DV (Exported from ST Pro) and AIFF so I am puzzled by that error. The same files encode and burn fin with iMovie and Toast.

TIA

I think I've got i figured out: I BELIEVE you need to export a DVD compliant audio only stream in order to add a commentary track. In other words, from FCP, Export Using Compressor the track that contains your commentary track, in Compressor choose Dolby AC3 as your audio filetype, export, Import into DVDSP and add the audio to the DVD by dragging it to the second audio track of your already asset-filled Track.

Shaun...thanks for the idea... I found a discussion using search terms about COmmentary (I had been using alternative audio) that had the answer to my problem about reusing the video asset with a different audio asset. The key is to use only one track and add the commentary audio as the A2 audio then wire the button to use a different (A2) audio stream. Here's the suggestion:

From : Question about DVD Studio Pro (Regarding Commentary) - Mac Forums (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=246717)
create your main track as normal
drop your audio track into a2 in the same track
1 button on your main menu will be pointed to the main track
create a 2nd button...go to inspector...make sure the target indicates the same main track...go to the advanced tab...under audio...choose a2

As for the build problem, I took your advice but am still having a problem with the video asset apparently being invalid. After Exporting as Quicktime from FCS1, I used QT Pro to export a DV Stream NTSC 16x9 progressive which DVDSP accepted. But the build log has the error below. Am I interpreting it correctly that it's about the video on the menu and not the track?

Starting DVD Build TEST...
Compiler Initializing...
Precompiling Project TEST
Compiling VMG Information...
Created 9 PGCs in VTSM1
Created 8 PGCs in VMG.
1 Menu(s) will be created...
Compiling Menu PGCs...
Compiling Menu#1 (Menu 1)...
Rendering Menu:Menu 1,Language:1...
Generating Transition: VTSM #01, VOB #1...
Writing VIDEO_TS.VOB
1 VTSs and 1 Titles will be created...
Compiling VTS#1 (Movie)...
Movie:Invalid Video Asset


Changing the encoding of the Menu video to use a COmpressor MPEG-2 preset did not fix the problem.

Epilog:
I'm getting the hang of DVDSP. After encoding the DV video using Compressor, the build error goes away. It's a paradigm shift from iDVD and Toast in that it does not seem to do the encoding. The manual states the input formats it supports and DV is not listed. Unfortunately, it imports and simulates using DV. Thanks.