Making DVDs (Compatibility Issues)

I found this on the web, and since it wasn't copyrighted, I decided to save it for my own reference. But here it is for others so you don't have to struggle as much as I did to make DVD's.

STEPS TO INSURE HIGHEST LEVEL OF DVD COMPATIBILITY

high quality DVD recorder such as Plextor or Pioneer
high quality DVD-R media (Maxell, Fuji)
high quality MPEG encoder (Procoder, CCE)
5,500-6,000 kbps (lower bitrates mean lower error tracking problems on home DVD players)
use of high quality DVD authoring programs, some that get high praise for producing DVD"s that have high rates of compatibility are: Sonic's MyDVD/DVDit, Ulead DVD Workshop, ReelDVD)
use standard authoring templates and not exotic GOB options
always encode audio AC3 (dolby digital), easiest way is by buying an authoring program that has this capability
use a top notch burning program to burn to DVD, Nero is an example
always include AUDIO_TS with VIDEO_TS folders, do not add extra data files
don't apply labels to DVD discs
use proper DVD cases, not CD-ROM cases
when burning turn "validation" on, to check for errors, extra precaution, copy the burned DVD to your hard drive to check for data integrity errors, if there's a problem with the disc Windows will report it during the transfer from DVD to hard drive

To this, Ralph LaBarge added: -

There is no reason to recommend DVD-R over DVD+R media as long as you use a "name-brand" of either type. There are some players that prefer DVD+R over DVD-R, while there are other players that prefer DVD-R over DVD+R. I recommend that authors have a multi-format drive so that they can burn both DVD-R and DVD+R. Then if a particular player is having problems you can always send that user a disc made using the other format.
Another thing you can do to improve playback compatibility is to avoid filling the disc. The outer edge of a recordable DVD disc is more susceptible to data errors, so if you only use about 90% or less of the total disc capacity you will get better overall results.
Some independent tests have reported better compatibility results with discs that were burned at 1X speeds. I have never seen a test that focused solely on playback compatibility versus burn speed so I am a little skeptical about this connection. In my own testing I have seen a higher number of compatibility issues with discs burned at 4X and 8X speeds. Aside from these comments, I think you have listed everything you can do to improve playback capability. Ralph LaBarge, Author, "DVD Authoring & Production"

AND A BRAND NEW ONE:

record dummy data if your DVD-R discs are under 1G, some home DVD players read DVD-R discs under that as being black and so will not play them

Webmaster Note:

My own formula isusing Sony Vegas 5.0, DVD Architect 2, and Nero 6.0 for burning.
I settled on a Firewire Pioneer 8x DVD writer. It seems to do MUCH better in 8x mode than in 1x or 2x.
I use Ritek -R media. These have been much better than other media types I have used
Your Mileage may vary on this stuff. Everyone has to find the combination that works for your software and hardware.