Apple Final Cut Pro 6 - Manual (Page 1753)

270 Part III Output
Video for High Definition DVDs
DVD Studio Pro includes the ability to author DVDs using high definition (HD) video
content. These DVDs support MPEG-2, HDV (an MPEG-2-based codec), and H.264 (when
encoded using Compressor). Both standard and HD image dimensions and frame rates
are supported.
Note: MPEG-1 video is not supported on HD DVDs.
See the DVD Studio Pro documentation for details about HD DVD burning and
playback requirements.
HD DVD Editing Formats
There are three common HD formats used when editing HD projects in Final Cut Pro:
DVCPRO HD, uncompressed HD, and HDV. The format you use affects how you deliver
your completed footage to DVD Studio Pro.
Starting with DVCPRO HD or Uncompressed Sources
Because the DVCPRO HD format and uncompressed HD video result in large file sizes,
files in these formats must be further compressed before you store them on a DVD.
DVD Studio Pro supports two formats for use in HD projects: HD MPEG-2 and H.264.
 The HD MPEG-2 format has the same basic structure as the MPEG-2 format used with
standard definition–based (SD-based) DVDs; the difference is that it uses a higher bit
rate range and supports the HD video format image dimensions.
 The H.264 format, also known as AVC or MPEG-4 part 10, uses an encoding process
that is twice as efficient as the MPEG-2 encoding process. When compared to
MPEG-2 encoding, this means that with the H.264 encoder:
 You can use a lower bit rate to get the same quality, resulting in smaller files
 You can use the same bit rate and get better quality with the same file size
Dimensions Frame rate Scanning method Description
720 x 480
720 x 480
Anamorphic 16:9 29.97 fps Interlaced NTSC
720 x 576
720 x 576
Anamorphic 16:9 25 fps Interlaced PAL
1280 x 720 23.98 fps, 29.97 fps,
59.94 fps, and 50 fps Progressive NTSC-compatible
PAL-compatible
1440 x 1080 29.97 fps
25 fps Interlaced NTSC-compatible
PAL-compatible
1920 x 1080 29.97 fps
25 fps Interlaced NTSC-compatible
PAL-compatible