Know your user’s technology level

I have a client that develops software for managing specialized functions in the travel industry. Their software development team produced a video contrasting an early version of their software with their newest release. They wrote and produced a terrific movie. They asked me to help produce a nice distribution disk using artwork they had produced. This couldn’t be easier. All I needed to do was design a simple DVD “label” that my burner’s LightScribe labeling technology would etch into the DVD. They would burn the movie to the DVDs using their equipment.

The first DVD I labeled would not play reliably. It worked fine on their Macs, not on their PCs or stand-alone DVD players. I burned a new disk burning both the movie and the label. This disk worked on their stand-alone players, Macs, and most PCs, but not all. Read the rest of this entry »