FAQ of TFDVD Research Labs Are you a replicator? TFDVD Research Labs does not replicate your project, and is not connected in any way with any replication facility. We are also not a replication broker. Our policy has been not to recommend any particular replicator. We have built many important relationships with replicators over the years, but these professional collaborations have been at the plant floor engineer level, working on authoring system formatting issues. Many Replicators are also our clients on various replication troubleshooting jobs for their customers DVDs. We value our independence, and all our clients know they can come to us with a complete impartiality and confidentiality intact. What DVD Authoring system files do you work with? TFDVD Research Labs works will all DVD Authoring system's files (VIDEO_TS folders) and their DDP file sets. What exactly, is it you do? 1) Work with your staff to either augment your DVD proofing, formatting, verification, compatibility testing, etc., or completely handle all these areas of the process leading up to and including DLT pre-mastering (recommended) your DVD project and submitting it to the replication facility. 2) Help troubleshoot replication issues when you find yourself in a jam at the plant, or your discs are being returned by your clients customers with compatibility issues (our services were not contracted beforehand). 3) Consult on project authoring, asset creation, studio set up, etc.; all issues even remotely related to DVD production to help keep you out of trouble from the get-go.. 4) Anything to help you get your DVD project completed successfully and avoiding catastrophe. Will you author or produce a DVD for our company? Yes. TFDVD Research Labs is licensed with Scenarist Professional and DVD Studio Pro, and if you can create the majority of the discs assets, we will author your DVD; but usually we are a sub-contractor for DVD production companies, Indie Film makers, and other production enterprises who are able to create and edit their own project assets. When should we contact you about contracting your services? As early in the job as possible. Over the years, Trai Forrester has even been involved in helping studios land the DVD production job, in the first place, and can be enlisted for this purpose. At any time in the DVD production process, Trai can be especially useful in helping your client understand the need for pre replication verification, and the importance of a concerted Quality Control effort (please see "Why Verify the DVD?"). There's just too much that can go wrong with the myriad standards that make up the DVD-Video format and the imperfect tools we have to use to create DVDs. Also, chances are (90%?), Trai is going to discover something you're going to need to fix/redo. It's much better to find this out early in the project, than later. How do you schedule Pre-mastering Jobs? Pre-mastering is done on a first come first serve basis. Rarely are materials for pre-mastering jobs delivered to us on an expected date, due to last minute changes, problems discovered and fixed, etc. Ordinarily, we will turn around your project within a 48 - 72 business hour window after receiving your materials. For an additional fee, all night and/or all weekend marathons will be commenced on your behalf to get the job out within 24 hours after receiving your materials. Will you sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA)? TFDVD Research Labs staff is bound, regardless of it being made official, or not, to keep all transactions, work done, client, and client project details, replication issues, discussions, even the existence of our relationship, strictly confidential. Trai will sign an NDA that is limited to these concerns, that can also include stipulations that spell out protection and confidential treatment of all electronic assets. For the entire 10 years Trai Forrester has been involved in DVD Production, it has been as a consultant to DVD producers, and related DVD creation enterprises. All of Trai's several hundred DVD projects submitted to replication facilities since 1999 have been done on behalf of, and in concert with DVD authors and their production company who have engaged Trai for this purpose. There's no equivocation or loop holes; the relationship to your client and specifics of your DVD production is held as sacrosanct here. Trai Forrester's TFDVD Research Labs does reserve the right to document and reveal, in a completely anonymous manner, any DVD production or replication issues that collaboration on your project may uncover, for the benefit of other TFDVD Research Labs clients, and to members over at the DVD Producers' Guild. Do you guarantee your work? Yes. All our work is guaranteed. Our liability, however, is limited to the amount of the fee for the particular service performed on any job. On rare occasions, we will ask that you sign a waiver in the case that you over ride a suggestion of ours, or proceed with the use of a feature in particular authoring systems that we recommend against. But this disclaimer will be very specific, leaving you protected in all other cases. Example: We recommend against using a feature because it's been known to cause playability problems, but if you decide it needs to stay on the DVD; you are still protected if your Image is rejected at the plant. (Most of these playability problems are not even checked by replication facilities.) We are so confident in our tools, procedures, experience and abilities that if there were ever a case where an image that we formatted for you was rejected at the replication facility, we would pay for any blown glass master (up to the amount of our Pre-mastering fee), and fix it for free. Both of our pre-mastering packages guarantee that there will be no problems at the replication facility. Here's our Warranty and Limited Liability Statement What are your payment policies? TFDVD Research Labs accepts Master Card, Visa, American Express, and company checks. Full payment is expected before the final job (DLT tapes, documentation) leaves our facility. Please arrange for full payment by phone or with material submissions for DVD proofing/compatibility testing jobs, and please plan on credit card payment at the beginning of phone consultation sessions.