DVD Video FAQ

Is the YesLaw DVD compatible with other case preparation and presentation software?

Yes.  The YesLaw DVD provides video clip export to other case preparation and presentation software in MPEG-2, MPEG-1, and WMV file formats.  Each of these file types will play in Windows Media Player in a computer with a DVD drive – a DVD drive is required to read the disk.

How much video will fit on one disc?

2 hours of high-qualtiy MPEG-2 video will fit on one YesLaw DVD disc. 2 hours of compressed MPEG-1 video will fit on one YesLaw CD disc.

What are my options for a video that is longer than 2 hours?

There are 2 options:

  1. The order can be split into 2 separate orders.
  2. The order can be processed onto DVD media as compressed MPEG-1 video. These DVDs can fit up to 8 hours of video. Please note that high quality presentations and viewing on TV are not available on these MPEG=1 DVDs.
What does a YesLaw DVD provide that a YesLaw CD does not?

The YesLaw DVD allows video depositions to be viewed through stand-alone DVD players. And the YesLaw DVD provides higher quality, Hollywood-movie style video that does not look grainy when presented at full screen.

In what format is the video encoded?
DVD video data (compatible with DVD players) is necessarily MPEG-2 encoded. The MPEG-2 data is then broken down into smaller “VOB” files and named per the DVD specification. This maintains compatibility amongst all the different manufacturers of DVD players.
 
Can I play the disk in my (Mac) computer as a video DVD?

The DVD will play as a video DVD in standalone DVD players as well as in PCs with DVD drives and DVD playback software. If your computer will play a Hollywood movie, it will play a YesLaw DVD.

Is the YesLaw software compatible with Macintosh computers?

The YesLaw software is Windows software and runs only under windows. That said, if you are running Boot Camp or Parallels on your Intel-based Mac, yes the software does run.

Can I put exhibit files onto a YesLawDVD?

Yes, please do. An Exhibits folder is provided on the DVD disk for the exhibit files. Any files copied into this folder will appear in the player’s Exhibit List. We do not recommend putting exhibit files in another directory on the disk as the hyperlinks will not remain intact should a user copy the disk contents to their hard drive � necessarily changing the file path. Also links to this exhibits folder will transfer among different users as the path from the player software to this local directory will not change.

Can I link to exhibit files on a shared network server?

Yes. The hyperlink simply saves the path to the file. So anyone with similar access to a shared network server can link to shared files and then share their hyperlinks with others.

How can I share my video clips with others?

You can share video clips with others in a number of different ways. You may export the video clips to an MPEG or WMV file format then share or email the files (see next hint about playing media files with subtitles). Keep in mind that video files minutes long will be quite large and perhaps too large to email.

If the other user has a copy of the YesLaw DVD (or CD) you can share your video clips, along with your annotations, exhibit links and highlights simply by email a YEF file you save from within the YesLaw application. These files are small and easily emailed as they only contain the meta-data and not the audio/video content. Another user can open this YEF file from within their YesLaw application if they are looking at the same disk.

Can I have the transcript text scroll under my exported video files when playing through Windows Media Player?

Yes, this is a great way to share video clips with others. When you export a video clip into MPEG or WMV format, actually multiple files are exported simultaneously, but with different file extensions. Along with the MPG or WMV video files will be a TXT file which includes the corresponding transcript text. Also a SMI file – called a “Sammy” file which provides synchronized transcript to be played as subtitles. For another user to play the video clip with subtitles, both the video file and the SMI file must be provided. Instructions to enable subtitles within Windows Media Player are also advised.

To enable subtitles within Windows Media Player requires two steps (Windows Media Player 10 and later). Select “On if Available” from the Play>Captions and Subtitles menu, then select “Show Local Captions When Present” from the Tools>Options>Security tab. Provided the SMI file is present (same filename as the video file and in the same directory as the video file), the subtitles will play below the video.