"Errors found during the burning process"

Question

Hello,
I created an iDVD project that includes:
1. 108-minute movie
2. 6-minute movie
3. 3-minute movie
4. 12-minute slide show (3 four-minute slide shows)
The project worked fine in the iDVD Preview. I then attempted to burn the DVD right from iDVD, and after 8 hours of encoding, I got the "Errors found during the burning process" message.
I've read so many posts here with a hundred different possible solutions, but what is the best place to start to try to determine what the errors are and how to fix them?
Following one suggestion, I am now creating a Disk Image first, but if errors still exist with a Disk Image, what do I do then?
I'm working on a Powerbook G4 with the iLife upgrade. Thanks for any advice.
Larry

Answer 1

Larry,
Here's my philosophy on iDVD troubleshooting, largley based upon my experience here at this forum, with heavy doeses of input from Ken Tidwell, Len Goff, Old Toad, F Shippey, with more recent input from SDIllini, Hui Cheng, and Beverly M.......
#0 - always use "Save as Disk Image" instead of burning when troubleshooting iDVD
#1 Try the easy usual suspect fixes first! After all if these don't work you can always try the hard fixes!
Check the list on this download:
http://dvd.kentidwell.com/iDVDUOFAQ2005.pdf
But here are easy solutions IMHO:
Get free space on the startup drive -20GB recommended
Delete the iDVD plist file com.apple.iDVD.plist
Repair Disk Permissions
Clear Cache Files (CacheOutX, TigerCacheCleaner, Onyx)
Do you have 12 bit audio - check your camcorder.......if not 16 bit you will have problems
Fix Chapter Markers-don't put one at the beginning in iMovie (iDVD will do it for you)
Chapter Markers - don't put one at the end.
Chapter Markers - don't put one within 2 secs of a transition
Delete other corrupt preference files (try using Preferential Treatment)
#2 When the easy fixes don't work, you need to divide and conquer. The suspects are your a) your project media, b)your hardware, c)your system/user preferences, d)iDVD.
A good test for a&d is to build a simple test project with other photos/movies/themes/audio and see if you can "save as disk image" the test project. The iDVD4 tutorial project is great if you've ever had iDVD4 installed on your machine. If this works it suggests that iDVD is working OK, and that something in your project is causing the hiccup.
The most common problems in projects are CMs, audio and transitions. One way that sometimes clears them up is to export to full quality DV (or to tape!) and re-import into iDVD. In slideshows, funny JPEGs can bring iDVD down. The only method here is to try different groups to find the bad actor.
OK let's assume that you can't burn (I mean "Save as Disk Image") the test project or the tutorial. This suggest that your hardware/system/iDVD is having problems and your project is probably fine. Then what?
c) Hardware: if you can make a disk image but can't burn it, or it plays badly, then try creating a data DVD - if you can't do that I'd suspect your DVD drive. Try different brands of DVD-R (and I'd stick to -R, not +R nor +RW), I like Verbatim. Next on the suspect list is RAM. iDVD is the best test for RAM known to mackind. Try pulling non-Apple supplied modules and try again.
OK, let's assume you can make data DVDs, but you can't make a good disk image, and you've tried pulling all non-Apple RAM. What next?
Try creating a new user. New users have more limited sets of fonts and all new preference files and caches, not only for iDVD but for everything, and few (if any) third party plug-ins installed.
Finally try reinstalling iDVD.......
If you've done all this, a new system install might be in order, but come here first for advice from others before going that far!
john b