2 1/2 hours onto iDVD?

Question

I am using Final Cut Pro 4 and have a 2 1/2 hour movie that I need to fit onto iDVD. I tried compressing the file with Compresor, but iDVD dosn't recognize compressed files. What can I do to fit this movie onto iDVD? Is there a specific export setting I can use that will reduce the file size and still retain fairly good sound and image quality?
Please Respond!
- Dsprate In Low Buget Land

Answer 1

Things are heating up a bit too much, so this will be my last post to this thread.
Rob,
As stated, they are just options to possibly solve
the OP's dilemma ... not necessarily addressing his
specific question. Since he has been trying to fit a
2.5 hour program on DVD-5 media using a tool (iDVD)
that has a 2 hour limit on program length, I felt
that offering other options was in order.
Nothing personal David, it's all appreciated. Offering options is of course valuable, especially when the options are viable.
1) I don't have or use iDVD so I cannot say whether
or not is supports dual layer discs.
Fair enough.
2) Using DVD-SP is a valid option - sure you have to
buy it, but since the OP stated he is using FCP 4, he
should qualify for the $199.00 up/crossgrade to Final
Cut Studio. I don't think you could find a better
deal anywhere for software of that caliber unless
someone was giving it away. And there's certainly no
need to buy a post-production facility just to burn a
DVD. But then, with a decent Mac and Final Cut
Studio you'd be well on your way to doing just that.
Are you telling me that in the whole mac world, the only piece of software that's accessible to the OP and that'll give him decent quality output is DVDSP for which he has to shell out $200? Like I said, there are millions of programs for DVD authoring for Windows (try the google experiment I suggested earlier), and I refuse to believe that the mac world can only answer with DVDSP for $200 (or indeed $1200 for FCS, in case someone is just coming to the world of mac for editing purposes, lol! "Be warned, that if you want to actually output your work, you must buy into the entire FCS as there are no other options... that's $1200, thank you!").
3) What if you want to do it on one disc? Heck, I'd
like to be able to cram 14 raided SATA drives inside
my G5, but what we want isn't always the best option.
I've listed other one-disc options anyway. A 2 disc
set IS a very valid option that the OP may have not
considered. It would allow the bit rate to be set
higher resulting in better quality as well.
The obvious answer is to do it on a DL disc. So what's all the drama about cramming 150 minutes into a SL disc? Nobody suggested that. ONE disc does not mean SINGLE layer disc. There's also DL. No need to split up the output to two discs. Since iDVD can't do over 2 hours, the natural thing is to suggest software that can (hopefully AGAIN, DVDSP is not the ONLY software that can do i!!!).
4) Yes, I have stated on several occasions that I
feel the encoding quality of Toast is lacking (when
compared to other encoding apps). But trying to fit
150 minutes onto a single layer DVD is going to mean
a quality hit no matter what you do.
No, the 150 minutes is not the issue. Again, why the focus on SL discs? Who's suggesting that? ONE disc is not only SL. After all you can use a DL disc, so why do you keep talking about "trying to fit 150 minutes onto a single layer DVD"? Who said he's limited to SL? Didn't you yourself suggest DL? That's a red herring. The problem is not the quality of SL stuff burned with Toast, the problem is the compression engine used by Toast, whether SL, DL or whatever. That doesn't make it viable, unless the OP doesn't care about that level of quality. Again: is DVDSP the ONLY software in the mac world that will give you decent quality output? Don't you see that this is what you seem to keep suggesting over and over and over again? If you are right, then I'd suggest there is a very serious problem for mac users. The entire point of my posting in this thread, however, is to say that I find that suggestion hard to believe, and I hope against hope that SOMEONE has actually used another piece of software (for less than $200!) that can give good quality output... so far we have suggestions to the effect "try this, it might work, I've never done it myself"... not exactly a vote of confidence.
5) A standalone DVD recorder does its own encoding
from the video signal being fed in to it. No need to
convert file types, just connect A/V cables to the
inputs. The one I have (Pioneer DVR-533H-S) does
have a Firewire input and when connected to my Mac,
FCP recognizes it as a DV device. I simply playback
from the Timeline or do a Print-to-Tape. It records
to disc in RT, plus about 3 minutes afterward for
disc finalization. The user can set the record time
in 15 minute increments up to 6 hours (I cannot
attest to the quality of long recording times).
Again, what I would hope is testimony from someone who CAN attest to the quality. Not faulting you, merely saying that this question never seems to get a satisfactory answer on the board. Answer would be short and sweet: "Yes, of course in the mac world we have several software options to do what you want to do - f.ex. program X, at $50 will output very good quality DVDs of 150 minutes on a DL DVD - that's just one among many such apps". That's it! Instead we get: "DVDSP the one and only, and anything else, has either poor quality (Toast 7), or is untried, and maybe will work, maybe not, and oh yeah, we actually don't have another software solution, so how about a hardware solution, cause I'm sure you need another hunking piece of metal to add to your collection... and even so, I'm not sure about the quality of the result."
6) As far as my re-editing suggestion; that too is a
very valid option. It was not at all intended to be
sarcasm. How you took it that way is beyond me.
Sorry David, here I must disagree. Do you imagine for 1 second that someone who has 150 minute film is unaware of the option of editing things down? If they are at 150, it is presumably because that's what they find to be optimal. It is insulting to suggest that it may not have occured to him/her to edit it down. Not to mention the laziest kind of advice. "I'm thirsty, where can I get something to drink around here?" "Have you considered not quenching your thirst?" "My car is not working, where can I get it fixed" "Have you considered not fixing it?". This is so silly, I'm shocked you'd actually suggest this in answer to a technical question of how to output a 150 minute DVD "make it less than 120". If he wanted to do a 120 minute project, he wouldn't be doing a 150 minute one. You CANNOT be serious. I'd suggest you NOT to give this particular piece of "advice", as it's highly insulting.
In fact, it would seem that you've taken exception to
just about all of the options I listed. Hopefully
you'll re-read them in a more objective light.
-DH
I have only taken exception to what your wrote, based on my own experience - I had an almost identical question (134 minute long project), and I saw the answers I got. I'm here to tell you, these kinds of answers DO NOT help. What would help is: "DVDSP is not the sole solitary unique and only option in the whole wide world of Apple computers if you want good quality output to a DL disc of material over 120 minutes long. For example Softare X, one among many, will do exactly that, and this has been widely confirmed." That's it! Are you suggesting that apart from the holy DVDSP there IS NOT ONE such software solution that has been CONFIRMED to give good quality output to a DL disc? Either that's true, in which case it's incredibly sad and depressing for mac owners, or it's not true... and if not true, then we need to find what that Software X is - so far, you don't seem to have the answer. Mabye somebody does.