Premiere Elements Disk Menus does not show in replay using Mac Pro OS X 10.9.3

Question

I recently installed Premier Elements 12 on my Mac Pro OS X 10.9.3 (Maverick).
Naturally I want to get the highest possible quality to show off on the TV using a standard DVD player.
Outputting to DVD not using AVCHD retains the menu but not on AVCHD, what am I doing wrong?
The Output Quality using just DVD and not AVCHD is lousy, what have I missed?

Answer 1

SigiPC
Thanks for the reply.
Objective Miscellaneous
Let us start with your objectives. If you are restricted to a DVD disc, then your export choices from Premiere Elements will be
DVD-VIDEO widescreen on DVD disc (720 x 480 stretched to 856 x 480 for display after encoding)
or
AVCHD format on DVD disc (1920 x 1080 16:9)
Disc menus are possible as described for main menu page, scene menu page, main menu markers and scene markers. The players will recognize the stop markers placed in a Premiere Elements burn to DVD-VIDEO on DVD disc, but will not recognize the stop markers in a Premiere Elements burn to AVCHD on DVD disc. There should not be problem with main menu markers or scene markers in either choice.
Also, AVCHD on DVD is not playable in the standard DVD player. You need a Blu-ray player that supports AVCHD on DVD disc. Many do, but some may not. The specifications of the player is your guideline.
For AVCHD on DVD disc, you do not need a Blu-ray DVD burner to burn to AVCHD on DVD disc. That can be done with a DVD burner.
And, under all conditions, a stop marker should never be placed at the end of the last item on the Timeline.
Specific Replies
What disk menu?  I am talking about “disk menus” as per page 243 of Premiere Elements Manual.
It was my impression that you said that "Disc Menus Do Not Show...", so I was asking which specific disc menu theme are you using? And, is this "do not show" applicable to all the disc menu themes that you have tried to work with?
I am using a Panasonic Blu-Ray player on the TV.
Are the disc menus of your Premiere Elements DVD-VIDEO or AVCHD on DVD not displaying solely with this Panasonic player? Or, is the same observed with computer playback of the DVD product? If the missing menus in the end product issue that brought you here involves solely the Panasonic player, then I would ask if you have checked the player for any option that would control the display of menus in the playback?
Not sure if I am using “interlaced video” but you would know from my input sources mentioned above.
You wrote "My source media is output from iPhoto and Fotomagico slide shows whose output is MP4 MOV or M4V and if played back in Quicktime are of very acceptable quality (H.264 1920X1080)". That does not tell me if 1080p or 1080i, but I suspect that it is 1080p. The MediaInfo properties readout will give a definite answer.
http://download.cnet.com/MediaInfo/3000-2169_4-10413046.html
Just be careful for unwanted carry alongs with the MediaInfo free program. But iPhoto and Fotomagico should be telling you before export whether you are exporting 1080i or 1080p. My main focus on the Premiere Elements 1080p DSLR aspects related to slideshow is the fact that that Premiere Elements DSLR project presets seem to give consistently a sharper photo image in the end product. So when applicable (photo and video wise) it is the preferred route for me and others.
“Quality area” and space requirements are not of concerns at this stage since present show length is not even 30 minutes – or should I be concerned for some other reason but space?
As routine, the Quality area Space Required and Bitrate should be known, even for your 30 minute Timeline content duration. You should be working with a check mark next to "Fit Content to Available Space" and watching the Bitrate in that area. Anything lower than the maximum 8.00 Mbps indicates that the program is making a fit by lowering the Bitrate. The extent that it does not impacts the quality of the end product. Also, of note, the that Bitrate is a variable one in the end product.
This may or may not affect what you are doing now, but it is important information to include in the discussion "just in case".
Also, related trivia...DVD disc marked 4.7 GB/120 minutes is in reality 4.38 GB; DVD disc marked 8.5 GB/240 minutes is in reality 7.95 GB.
Are we any closer to getting at why your disc menus are disappearing after end product creation in Premiere Elements and at playback with your Panasonic player?
Please review and consider.
Thank you.
ATR