DVDbased

DVDbased is a designation used in media production and archiving to describe workflows, tools, and storage solutions that take DVD as the foundational physical medium. It covers both DVD-Video disc creation, intended for standalone DVD players, and data discs intended for computer access, distribution, or archival use.

In DVDbased workflows, the primary deliverable is a DVD recordable or press-ready disc. For video, discs follow the DVD-Video standard, typically with MPEG-2 video, audio, and a navigational structure stored in a VIDEO_TS folder containing VOB, IFO, and BUP files. Data discs use ISO 9660 or UDF file systems to present files in a directory hierarchy.

Core activities include content encoding, authoring (navigation menus and chapters), mastering (creating a disc image such as ISO or similar structure), and physical replication or burning. DVDbased projects may require compliance checks for regional coding, disc specifications, and playback device compatibility.

Historically, DVDbased terminology emerged during the rise of DVD in the late 1990s and 2000s as a practical way to distinguish media rooted in optical discs from hard drive or network-based workflows. While streaming and Blu-ray have reduced its prominence, DVDbased remains in use for archival, specialty distributions, and hobbyist productions.

Related concepts include DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, ISO 9660, and UDF, as well as disciplines involved in optical disc mastering and distribution.