Step 1 - Capturing: Preparing the Video Tape, Processing the Video Tape Source Material and Converting to a Digital Format
Many video tapes will require little preparation. However, in some cases, repacking the tape on the spools can help in ensuring the tape is played at a more consistent speed in the VCR. Other techniques are available for more extreme cases when a tape won't play.

Professional VCR's contain frame memory (e.g. computer memory) onboard the VCR, which is used to provide digital noise reduction and image stabilization. This noise reduction becomes especially critical in converting video tapes to DVD, as this noise reduces bandwidth that would otherwise be available for capturing details of the picture. The image stabilization can help with older tapes which otherwise won't track properly in the VCR and would appear as up and down jittering when playing the tape. Additional picture control and edge corrections can be applied to enhance the video tape signal. The video signal is output as separate chroma and luma signals (rather than a composite signal) to provide the best possible picture quality.

In cases where the sync signals and color burst signals have faded from the tape, a time base corrector can be used, in effect digitizing the tape's signals, stripping off the old sync and color burst signals, and replacing all sync and color burst signals with new, clean signals and re-combining the new signals with the original tape's visible content. The result appears as a more clear and sharp video output, with none of the wavy lines characteristic of older tapes.

Then, the analog source material is converted to a digital format. The equipment used to convert the signal has two key characteristics, one being a high-quality codec to produce a nice looking, high-quality picture,and the second being a locking of the audio signal to the video signal. This audio/video lock is critical to preventing drift when capturing tapes which otherwise would result in the audio and video being out of sync (which looks like a lip sync performance the two are out of sync).

Step 2 - Editing: Final Picture Corrections and Any Additional Editing
Once the source tape is in its digital format, and final corrections to color, contrast, etc. can be made digitally.

In addition, this is the point in the project where any of the editing of the material, as specified, would be performed. This can range from none, all the way to hours or days of editing to produce the project. PYM uses the same computer software for editing as is used for TV commercials, etc.

Step 3 - Rendering: Compressing the Digital Source into the DVD Standard Format for Video
At this point, the video is ready to be converted to the compressed format standard for DVDs. This step is important because the format used for capture and editing of the material is critical for the initial capture and the editing, but is not an effective delivery format. In order to provide several hours of material on one DVD and meet the DVD standards, the material must be compressed into the MPEG2 format. The audio is also compressed, typically to an AC-3 (Dolby) format which is highly efficient, and allows as much of the disc as possible to be used for video content.

There are many different software and hardware products available for this process, and this is one area where use of lower quality products or mistakes in defining the parameters for the conversion will result in noticeably lower-quality results. PYM uses what it believes are the products which produce the highest quality results appropriate for the various offerings provided by PYM.

PYM will spend anywhere from real time (e.g. 1 hour rendering for 1 hour of source) to 16:1 (e.g. 16 hours rendering for 1 hour of source) rendering your source materials, depending on the circumstances and nature of the order.

Step 4- Authoring: Creating Menus and Navigation and Preparing the Video Object Files
Up to this point, all we have is the digital version of the source material. At this point, we add menus and navigation, which are what is used in manipulating the DVD on your DVD player.

The extent of the menus and navigation depends on which PYM service is selected. For bulk conversions, a very simple menu is added, as the emphasis is on converting many tapes for a low per-tape cost. For the Special Occasion packages, a significant amount of time can be spent to create the backgrounds, menus, etc. that will be the "main menu" on the DVD. This can include either standard or custom backgrounds, motion menu buttons (which are really created as 'mini-movies') and background music.

In addition, the menus and video content are formed into Video Object Files and a structure which meet the DVD standards, so your DVD player can read the DVD.

Step 5 - Burning: Writing the Video Object and Other Files to the DVD
Now, all of the information can finally be burned onto the DVD. The DVD media is selected based upon a number of criteria, and PYM constantly follows the reviews of the various manufacturer's media. In addition, if you provide the make and model of your DVD player when you order, PYM will also check for compatibility of the media with your player. Discs are sampled (quality assured) for read errors after they are burned, to help assure that the DVDs will play all the way through.