IDVD disk won't play on the computer that created it.

Question

I am running iM6.0.3 on a G5 MAC with OS X 10.3.9.
My problem is that after I create a movie with iMovie, and burn it to a DVD disk using iDVD, the G5 Mac that I created it on cannot then read the disk. It just ejects it. No disk icon ever appears on screen. However, the DVD disk plays fine on my consumer DVD player, even my Windows PC, and also on other Apple computers. Commercial DVD disks play fine on my G5. It just won't play the disks that I create on it.
One other factor: I am burning these disks to Hewlett-Packard DVD-R 16x disks. I have heard that there can be a problem burning to 16x disks on iDVD that is rated for 4x, but I have had no difficulties that I am aware of. I am wondering if perhaps my G5 cannot read the 16x disk on playback, and I should be using 4x. ( I just don't have any 4x disks handy at the moment.) But then, why would other apple computers and DVD players be able to play my 16x disks?
Any suggestions as to what might be the problem? Any comments would be much appreciated.
G5   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  
G5   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

Answer 1

Hi Rich,
Just my comments:
DVD issues have plagued the Mac OS since 10.0. I have the same problem. DVD's I created on my machine are the same regardless of how they are created (data DVD or "Movie"). When it doesn't immediately eject them back out it will ask me what I want to do with the blank DVD I have inserted yet another machine plays them just fine. A DVD contains two "tracks" one is about 1 GB± and is unaccessible to users with consumer products (including most "pro" apps) and contains the information for the various types of DVD Players to know what to do with the data including the manufacturers info i.e. type of DVD (RAM, ROM, -R -RW etc) as well as read/write speeds. One very important piece of information is the time-code. DVD uses SMPTE time-codes and Mac OS X as you've experienced can write them but cannot seem to read them properly, that's why they work on the other machines and not the one that created them. Even if the Mac isn't writing them 100% the DVD playback SW in most set top boxes can compensate for this error as they are expecting data from all types of SW and burners. I am assuming the "other" macs are most likely G4's as this is my experience.
Write speeds should not be as much as a factor as they appear to be. Trying to burn 16X to a 4X disc would be a problem (most burning SW would prevent this anyway) but 4X to a 16X disk should not. I have tried every disc speed and setting and it is always the same.
This is what I know on this subject. It also appears to be the reason for the 60 min limitation as well. Apple's replacing DVD drives at an extremely high rate and many of them are most likely returning to service in another machine as there is nothing mechanically wrong with them. Apple care does not test the equipment the same way as the manufacturer/remanufacture and most Apple HW tests indicate they are in working order as well, however if they can duplicate the issue they replace the drive. You can have them replace the drive but the problem will most likely persist.
At this point my only hope is that Leopard resolves these issues but because they've persisted for so long I am not getting my hopes up.
I can't install 10.3.9 on this machine but I am curious if you went back to a QuickTime version prior to 7 if that makes any difference. You will lose some functionalities here as QT is actually part of the OS and updates have added functionality that was previously only available in 10.4 such as it allows the video apps to use the graphics card instead of the processor whenever possible so you will notice a slow down and possibly an elimination of "real time" editing in most apps and some of the Quartz video effects will no longer work.
Sorry I don't have any solution but am quite certain this is what the problem is.
Sweet Polly