Selling self produced DVD on my web site

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014


First of all I run Mac OS 10 8.4 and I use a web design program called Rapid Weaver.  I also sell our eBooks on Rapid Weaver using a program called RapidCart/RapidLink...I also have a PayPal account.


 


What are my options in selling my self produced DVD off of my website without costing me a fortune, a monthly fee, and losing quality and not taking up too much space. Paying a percentage on what I sell is ok as I like how PayPal works.


 


Yes I know I'm asking a lot. But I'm looking for an economical way to get my DVDs out without sending them by way of the  US Postal Service and people all around the world would be able to get them for the first time. Sending them outside USA has been cost prohibitive up until this point.


 


Thanks for any ideas you may have...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    dmfettdmfett Posts: 141member


    No ideas on this subject yet?

  • Reply 2 of 12
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    dmfett wrote:
    I'm looking for an economical way to get my DVDs out without sending them by way of the US Postal Service

    It sounds like you still want to ship physical discs but you also mention compression, which suggests you'd consider digital distribution.

    The other issue to consider when selling internationally is whether NTSC DVDs will play in PAL DVD players.

    I don't think there's an easy solution.

    If you stick to physical discs, you'll have to deal with one of the mail carriers and their charges and although the discs likely won't be region-coded, some PAL players might have compatibility issues:
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Shipping-items-from-the-USA-to-the-UK-EU/10000000000125860/g.html

    For digital distribution, you can host an ISO of the DVD, which is an exact copy of what they'd get on disc. This could be a large file if the video is long and you'd have to host it on an unlimited bandwidth server and either have it as an HTTP download or you can use torrents to transfer. Customers probably won't like this though as many will have to burn their own discs.

    You can also make a .mp4. You can get away with about 1500kbps for standard definition video so a 90 minute DVD would be about 1GB. This can be hosted the same way as a DVD but both would need some authentication system so not just anyone could download it.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Marvin wrote: »
    dmfett wrote:
    I'm looking for an economical way to get my DVDs out without sending them by way of the US Postal Service

    It sounds like you still want to ship physical discs but you also mention compression, which suggests you'd consider digital distribution.

    The other issue to consider when selling internationally is whether NTSC DVDs will play in PAL DVD players.

    1) A DVD contains MPEG2 stream, which is compressed.

    2) A NTSC DVD will play on any PAL DVD player (and visa versa, except for Canada, don't ask me why); the conversion happens on the player. It's the Region Code which needs to be set to ALL (all flags up; Region-free)

    edit: turns out I'm not entirely correct here:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvd_region_code

    "In general, it is easier for consumers in PAL/SECAM countries to view NTSC DVDs than vice versa. Almost all DVD players sold in PAL/SECAM countries are capable of playing both kinds of discs, and most modern PAL TVs can handle the converted signal.† However, most NTSC players cannot play PAL discs, and most NTSC TVs do not accept 576i video signals as used on PAL/SECAM DVDs. Those in NTSC countries, such as in North America, generally require both a region-free, multi-standard player and a multi-standard television to view PAL discs, or a converter box, whereas those in PAL countries generally require only a region-free player to view NTSC discs. There are also differences in pixel aspect ratio (720 × 480 vs. 720 × 576 with the same image aspect ratio) and display frame rate (29.97 vs. 25). Again, NTSC discs can be played on most DVD systems worldwide,[citation needed] while PAL discs play on very few players outside of PAL/SECAM countries.[8]

    Most computer-based DVD software and hardware can play both NTSC and PAL video and both audio standards.[8]

    ^† NTSC discs may be output from a PAL DVD player in three different ways:

    using a non-chroma encoded format such as RGB SCART or YPBPR component video.
    using PAL 60 encoded composite video/S-Video—a "hybrid" system which uses NTSC's 525/60 line format along with PAL's chroma subcarrier
    using NTSC encoded composite video/S-Video."
  • Reply 5 of 12
    dmfettdmfett Posts: 141member


    First off, thank you for responding to my question. For some reason I was never notified that there was a response so I just by chance I came here tonight. In any case I found it let me explain further.


     


    For the foreseeable future, most of my clients actually buy the DVD for their DVD player at home in the USA. That's not a concern for me.  Sales are going just fine in this area & I appreciative of that.


     


    I am mainly interested in selling downloads of my DVDs. Nothing else.


     


    Although I produce four DVDs for sale, I am still not sure how I should take my movie and created as a file that takes up little space but keeps the quality. I would need a step by step on this area...as I have no clue ...All 4 videos are 90 minutes each.


     


    I am using a product called Rapidcart & Rapidlink on my web site to sell my e-books  which is working out just fine. However they take a lot less space.


     


    So now maybe someone has some other good answers for me to figure out what to do here.  I am using iMovie call for my productions.


     


    Thanks

  • Reply 6 of 12
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    dmfett wrote: »
    First off, thank you for responding to my question. For some reason I was never notified that there was a response so I just by chance I came here tonight. In any case I found it let me explain further.

    For the foreseeable future, most of my clients actually buy the DVD for their DVD player at home in the USA. That's not a concern for me.  Sales are going just fine in this area & I appreciative of that.

    I am mainly interested in selling downloads of my DVDs. Nothing else.

    Although I produce four DVDs for sale, I am still not sure how I should take my movie and created as a file that takes up little space but keeps the quality. I would need a step by step on this area...as I have no clue ...All 4 videos are 90 minutes each.

    I am using a product called Rapidcart & Rapidlink on my web site to sell my e-books  which is working out just fine. However they take a lot less space.

    So now maybe someone has some other good answers for me to figure out what to do here.  I am using iMovie call for my productions.

    Thanks

    You'll need to lower the bitrate. An answer could be found here:
    http://www.videohelp.com/
  • Reply 7 of 12
    dmfettdmfett Posts: 141member


    I will check out the link...but in the meantime can lowering the bitrate be done in iMovie?  If so how do you do it?  Will lowering it keep quality good and size down?

  • Reply 8 of 12
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    How do you plan on making the sale? Are they paying for a download of say a .mp4 clip or would they just get a license to stream the movie from your server and are you concerned about someone just uploading a .mp4 somewhere else? If you want buyers to have a movie with a menu, you'd have to author a lower bitrate DVD ISO that they'd burn to watch in a DVD player. You can't easily change the bitrates for that in iMovie, that's better done in something like DVD Studio Pro. Authoring to .mp4 is easier but as I say, how do you plan on customers watching it?
  • Reply 9 of 12
    dmfettdmfett Posts: 141member


    How do you plan on making the sale?


     


    Of my web site peafowl.com  Much like I do with my e-books on http://www.peafowl.com/rapidcart/download.html with no issues....


     


    Are they paying for a download of say a .mp4 clip or would they just get a license to stream the movie from your server


     


    I have no idea on this one...I only know how to make quicktime movies from my iMovie project...I post them (some for free on You-Tube) on You-Tube and as a quicktime movie on my web site (free on certain video. Not the ones that I'm asking about.)...I do not know how to make a .mp4 from iMovie....never made one....I would not mind selling a license to view/buy or selling a download as long as only one person buying get it and no one else...


     


    are you concerned about someone just uploading a .mp4 somewhere else?


     


    Yes and I do not have a clue on how to protect my DVD...


     


    If you want buyers to have a movie with a menu, you'd have to author a lower bitrate DVD ISO that they'd burn to watch in a DVD player.


     


    This is another issue...how do I protect it...I do not know how to lower the nitrate at this point...


     


    you can't easily change the bitrates for that in iMovie, that's better done in something like DVD Studio Pro


     


    So I would have to put the movies in Final Cut X?   Would have to get it...not ready for the expense of it at this time...


     


    Authoring to .mp4 is easier but as I say, how do you plan on customers watching it?


     


    Have no clue...that is way I asked how to do it!


     


    You are very smart . How would you suggest I do this. Based on my answers.

  • Reply 10 of 12
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    1) iMovie is cool for what it is, but the output options are limited to 'consumer level' (Menu/Share/iPhone/720 etc)

    2) If you can't spring for FCP, you could buy the $49 [URL=https://itunes.apple.com/app/compressor/id424390742?l=en&mt=12]Compressor[/URL]

    Even cheaper is the open source http://handbrake.fr Don't worry about their TLD; it's all in English. It's free, and you can output your source to any given bitrate. The interface is a bit, well, open source, but it works, it's 64-bit, multi-platform. Take a look, read up on it, ask around. And don't limit yourself to internet forums; it's way easier to learn something from someone showing you how to do things in any given software package.

    3) Protecting your video is, well, not possible to do for free. For DVD's you'll need Macrovision protection, which can only be done at a replication plant. There's no option to burn DVD with that protection yourself. Besides, it was hacked the day it came out, people know how to do this, they Google it and bang, your work is compromised. What you could do is streaming your content from a protected server that'll only allow access from the IP the purchase was made. Or something similar, but there's never a real secure option, as everything gets hacked on way or another.

    Happy learning!
  • Reply 11 of 12
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    dmfett wrote: »
    I would not mind selling a license to view/buy or selling a download as long as only one person buying get it and no one else...

    I'd say the best option would be to host it online. Having people download a 1GB+ .mp4 or other file just isn't that common. People like to have instant access. This is how some online movie sites do it. You just get a login and you can even topup minutes, which deplete as you watch or you can buy a license to a whole movie. I'm not sure if there are off-the-shelf solutions that integrate with Rapidcart, you might need some custom development. There are guides here for setting up HTTP Live streaming:

    http://blog.kyri0s.org/post/271121944/deploying-apples-http-live-streaming-in-a-gnu-linux
    http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/networkinginternet/conceptual/streamingmediaguide/UsingHTTPLiveStreaming/UsingHTTPLiveStreaming.html
    http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/networkinginternet/conceptual/streamingmediaguide/DeployingHTTPLiveStreaming/DeployingHTTPLiveStreaming.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008332-CH2-SW3

    If a customer buys a movie, you can link a movie ID to their account so when they try to access a stream, it will verify and start the stream. Because the movie is in chunks, it's not something that's easy to download directly. Apple uses HTTP Live streaming for their keynotes. This should allow people to access it from computers or iOS devices and Airplay it to a TV.
    dmfett wrote: »
    I do not know how to lower the nitrate at this point...

    Medicated shampoo? ;) Media encoders like Handbrake will let you adjust the bitrate. You only need to export a high quality file from iMovie and you can encode that with Handbrake or some other media tools.
    dmfett wrote: »
    So I would have to put the movies in Final Cut X?   Would have to get it...not ready for the expense of it at this time...

    DVD Studio Pro isn't sold with FCPX. You'd only get it from 3rd party resellers as it's discontinued. I don't think going the DVD ISO download route would be a good idea. I take it you already have a server hosted somewhere or are you running a server from home?
  • Reply 12 of 12
    dmfettdmfett Posts: 141member


    You're very kind to spend this much time explaining the ins and outs of this complex issue of selling my DVDs online.


     


    You're right about getting first-hand experience with someone right next to you...it is much more valuable than over on the Internet. However without the Internet will never learn about these other experiences.


     


    I will review all your suggestions and all the things you showed me in the last post. I plan on doing some studying and if I have any further questions I get back online in the next several weeks, thank you


     


    PS:


     


    You're the nicest person online on these forms that I have come across and I appreciate that very much.

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