Newbie question about layer "pause" on DVD-9 discs

[DevilsChild]

Hi,

I recently bought a concert DVD, and noticed that an annoying "pause" occurs midway through one of the songs. From what I've read, this pause happens because the laser has to refocus onto the second 4.7 GB data layer. It is supposedly less noticeable in top of the line DVD players.

My question is: Isn't it possible for the author of a DVD to control where this layer pause occurs? Someone told me that it's impossible to do this, i.e. you can't make the pause occur between songs so as to make it less noticeable. Certainly a DVD author can control the timing of a layer pause within a movie? Since I've never really noticed this "pause" on other DVD's, I would think that they could.

[malum]

It must be possible to determine where the break occurs

On another note, if you have a DVD recorder you could copy the disc and make one without a layer break in it.

[smiller667]

Yes, the layer break can be placed pretty much at will, e.g. in an inconspicuous black fade. Putting it in the middle of a scene is rather unnecessary.

That said, it really depends on the individual player how much you notice a layer change - some higher-end models have additional buffer memory, some low-end models simply have a "fast" drive. If you use your digital-audio out, then it also depends on the combination of dvd player & receiver - some apparently switch to their default audio mode if they lose the ac3 signal at their input, resulting in an additional break.

[2ZOD.COM]

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[writersblock29]

I'm really confused as to why anyone would want to MOVE the layer break when it's so much easier to REmove it. Many of your one-click backup programs -- including DVD2ONE, Pinnacle InstantCopy, and Recode 2 -- will fix this within one fell swoop, and you'll not have it to worry about. If a free solution (although a bit more complicated) is what you need, you could use IFOedit to remove this break, as well. If you back up this title using the CCE, reauthoring, route, then you won't have it to worry about no matter what, since you'll be rebuilding the DVD from off of the audio and video streams themselves, rather than the codes used during the original DVD's authoring in the studio.

[Kedirekin]

I don't think DevilsChild meant he wanted to move the layer break on his backup. I think he was asking if the authoring studio has control of where the layer break happens when they author the original DVD9 master.

As I understanding it, the studio actually has to submit two separate archives to the mastering company (I can't remember if they have to submit two tapes or just one tape with two archives), so they do have control over it. Unfortunately, as 2ZOD.COM points out, sometimes there aren't any good places to make the switch, so the authoring company has to choose the least bad spot.