A disc with video on it does not necessarily make it a DVD. DVD is a designation of a particular method used to record video information onto a disc. Some others are, VCD, WMV, MPG1, MPG2, MPG3, AVI, DIVX, MOV, and RM. There are more but you get the idea that the list is extensive. Any of these formats can be recorded onto a disc that will physically look like a DVD. However, only two of these formats, DVD and VCD, can be played in the DVD player currently installed in the Main Auditorium system. The only way to tell what format you have is to either know the source of the disc, have the accompanying literature that tells you what the format is, OR put it into a computer and check the properties of the file.

Why am I writing this? We had a situation in the 2/23 service which was related to this very thing. A disc, intended as a sermon illustration, was brought to the sound booth to be played on our DVD player 5 minutes before the service was scheduled to start. This is a major no-no (not to be confused with Major Domo and the subject of another Tech Tip). It was inserted into the DVD and DISC ERROR popped up on our monitor.

Your Technical Staff went the extra mile to make things work (unabashed plug for my tech team). After the service had started, during the opening worship, the disc was taken into the TV Control Room where arrangements were made to play it back on the Power Point computer. Well then, everything worked out fine, you say. NOT SO, my friends. What one person could have done ended up requiring the coordinated efforts of 4 people to accomplish while they all were occupied with doing jobs that they couldn't stop doing to concentrate exclusively on this situation. (But I'm not bitter about it...really I'm not... hey does anyone know where Danny (Minister of Counseling) is? I might need a session with him.

That's all for now but I encourage you to check out "To DVD or Not DVD - Part II", BEHIND THE SCENES to get some insight into exactly what had to happen to make things work. Til next time... see ya in church!

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