An authoring file, readable by DVD-Video authoring program, defines the playback structure of the DVD-Video material residing in a given disc's "DVD-Video zone" (VIDEO_TS directory) and also defines the location of the assets that make up the disc--s DVD-Video "presentation data." The efficiency with which a DVD-Video title stored on a rewritable disc (e.g. DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, or CD-RW) that has been revised in a compatible software applicaiton may be written back to that same disc is optimized. The minimum amount of file rewriting required to effect the desired revisions to the project, in particular avoiding the rewriting of large VOB files, is determined.