Problem sending iMovie to iDVD

I have a fairly large iMovie that when I try to send to iDVD I get an "unknown" error message? Are their size limits...could that be the cause? Any suggestions?

iDVD: How Much Video Can I Put on a DVD-R Disc?
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93330
Sue

Similar Messages

Best way to send Imovie to idvd?

OK just finished my Imovie, added chapter markers, but I am getting different info on ways to send movie to IDVD in 2 different books. Do I open idvd and import my imovie file (which is saved on my external hard drive) into idvd? also if i import this saved file does it import a copy of the movie from the external or is it the original and only file? I don't want to lose this only copy on my external Hdrive. any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Here's a few ways I use:
You can also drag & drop the QT movie directly into iDVD if you prefer. Hope this is helpful and good luck.
SDMacuser
(3) G4 PM's/(3) S-Drives/Sony TRV900/Nikons/6FWHD's/PS7/iLife06/FCPHD/DVDSP/etc. Mac OS X (10.4.8) My ichatav AIM account is: SDMacuser1 (Please use Text chat prior to video)

Sending iMovie to iDVD

Trying to send a 12 minute movie to iDVD from iMovie and only 4minutes or so load onto iDVD. I must have a setting wrong somewhere to not enable me to transfer all 12 minutes. Please advise. Thanks.

Hi
Free space on Start-up hard disk. HOW MUCH ?
Do You use external hard disks ?
• connected via FW or USB/USB2
• formatted as ?
• free space on this/them
Yours Bengt W

Problem with Imovie and IDVD 16:9 aspect ratio

I've recently converted to a mac. The main reason for this was to take advantage of the superior video / dvd editing capabilities. However, I have hit upon a problem with the aspect ratio of the final video.
I have connected my video camera (a sony DCR-HC42E PAL which is in theory 16:9 aspect ratio) and imported the DV tape into iMovie. It recognised that this is a DV widescreen (i.e. 16:9)movie and imports the video and then "letterboxes" the video for some time. In the clips window it then shows each clip as it should in a widescreen mode.
I have created a final video then exported this to iDVD for burning to a disc. When it arrives in iDVD it is however elongated - i.e. 4:3 aspect ratio.
Is there any way of avoiding this / working around this problem?
I understand that my camera may not be videoing 16:9 but rather 4:3 then converting it itself - but in previous windows environment this was fine and the pre-loaded free windows movie maker software managed to cope with this - can a mac?
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Brilliant!
Thank you very much. I've spent the last 4 hours trying to solve this and also spent a good half hour on to apple care, not even their "teir 2" imovie experts in san fransisco could solve this problem - you are a star!!!!!
I was just about to throw the mac through the window and revert to windows - you have restored the faith!
I've done as you said (although the "auto pillerboxing tick is in "import" tab (not general) on my version 6.0.3 of imovie!) The movie has appeared in 16:9 format as suggested.
I would also comment that for general information, I pressed on with the higer frame setting and edited the full movie with the wrong setting on the macbook all the way through which looked weird - then burned a dvd via idvd and used the 16:9 setting as you suggested and the final video looked fine - therefore, the only place where the movie is incorrect was on the mac screen.
Overall I would agree that this is definatly a imovie "glitch". Thanks again.
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

IMovie to iDvd problem /frozen frame on DVD

i produce many videos with iMovie and iDVD every day. the imported video footage via different cameras like sony cx105 or panasonic sdr 150 works fine and i can see the footage without problems in iMovie. after editing and rendering in iMovie, sending the footage to iDVD i can see that sometimes, while encoding the footage in iDVD the video footage freeze but iDVD finish the whole procedure. later while watching the dvd the movie runs for a while and than suddenly the video freeze at one frame but the audio continues.
this happens in around 15 burned dvd 1 times. if i try to start the whole iMovie project again and sending it to iDVD after rendering and even by cutting the frozen frame shot out the same thing happens again.it seems that there is somehow an error while importing the footage from the sd card or camera into the computer iMovie. the following error message comes up:
21.06.09 12:00:15 [0x0-0x10010].com.apple.iMovie8[102] Error: MPEG2Decompressor[0x1f3f8a50]: bad picturecodingtype (number = 85, size = 148628)
i am using iMacs with 10.5.6, ILife 09 mit iMovie 8.0.3 oder iMovie 8.0.2
Please help! Thanks!!!

Hi
Most probably iDVD pref file - trash it - or even better start a new User-account
log into this and have a re-try.
Else
*Not knowing the origin to Your problem - General approach when in trouble is as follows.*
• Free space on internal (start-up) hard disk if it is less than 10Gb should rather have 25Gb
• Hard disk is untidy. Repair Permissions, Repair Hard disk (Apple Disc Util tool)
• Delete iDVD pref file - *or rather start a new user/account* - log into this and re-try
iDVD pref file resides. Mac Hard Disk (start-up HD)/Users/"Your account"/Library/Preferences and is named.
com.apple.iDVD.plist
While iDVD is NOT RUNNING - move this file out to desk-top.
Now restart iDVD.
• Program miss-match. iDVD 5.0.2, Mac OS X.4.11 AND QuickTime 7.5.5 - is OK - DON’T work under Leopard
• Program miss-match. iDVD 6.0.4, Mac OS X.4.11 AND QuickTime 7.5.5 - is OK (might work under Leopard)
• Program miss-match. iDVD’08 v. 7.0.1, Mac OS X.4.11 AND QuickTime 7.5.5 - is OK (might work under Leopard)
• iDVD (08) v7 Locate theme folder. Move out iDVD1, iDVD 2 and eventually iDVD4 folders to desktop - re-try
• Try a Cleaning CD/DVD that cleans the laser lens on the DVD burner/player
iDVD 6.0.4 and iDVD 7.0.1 are compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Last resort. from Craig. Solved the problem!! Finally!!
I deleted every iDVD application and folder from my boot drive,
emptied the trash and then installed iDVD 08 using the customize option
and I am up and running.
If You do a re-install be sure to get rid of all iDVD old parts AND then EMPTY the Trash-basket !
iDVD updated ?
Apple Codec updated ?
Start a New Clean project - or delete project assets
Yours Bengt W

Problem writing Imovie to disc using IDVD on my Mac

Using a Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 Intel Core with IMovie 11 and IDVD to create movies. I created the discs using my Sony DVD Direct VRD MC6 and converted the files to .mp4 using Handbrake. I've created several but had some difficulties - mostly in getting IDVD to write them. I have no problem creating, editing, copying, etc. and chosing the style ("Professional Quality") and "Normal" or Wide Screen" format to write them in. At first, after "finalizing" and "Sharing" with IDVD and then chosing the "Magic" DVD process, I would get this drop down which stated "Your file is in too large format for the program to write to disc" (or similar) - so I would go back to IMovie, cut, clip and erase to get the total time down to little more than one hour of video - which showed to be well below the 4.7 G available on the blank disc. Now it has progressed ot the point that as soon as the movie is "finaliized" I have the same "drop down" even before I open IDVD to select "Magic DVD".
Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks much in advance and I look forward to any suggestions.
samfromhernando

Hi
Yes - I don't use Magic-DVD that way.
I do
• in iMovie - NOT "Share to iDVD" - BUT "Share to Media Browser" and as Large (NOT HD or other resolution as result will SUFFER)
• Close iMovie
• Open iDVD and create a brand NEW Project (using old ones set's off the iDVD BUG with lot's of strange problems)
• Now in iDVD I select a theme I like - Usually from Old Themes - "Brushed Metal" as this takes very little time from over all duration and this is VERY important in iDVD - Movie time PLUS Menu time. Menu can take 15 minutes or more). iDVD only cares about DURATION not at all about Mb or Gbs ! !
• Then I click on the Media button down right and here select Movie (top right) and Here select Your movie and drag and drop it into the big iDVD Menu window to the left.
• Select Encoding Quality - I use Pro Quality (always)
• Set down burn speed to x2 or x4
• Use high quality DVD brand - I use only Verbatim
• I use DVD-R as they play on more and even older DVD-Players
Good Luck !
Yours Bengt W

I produced a film in iMovie and send it to iDVD to make a DVD with a theme. When everything was ready it starts at my mac-computer. But at the TV the theme always comes at the end of the film not at the beginning. What have I to change, what´s wrong?

I produced a film in imovie and send it to idvd to make a dvd with a theme. After finishing all the dvd starts in my mac-computer and first comes the theme and then the film.
But when I start it with a dvd-recorder at tv first the film comes an at the end of the film the theme comes. What did I wrong? Where is my mistake?

Hi
A. Do not Use - Share to iDVD - in any iMovie version at all !
B. Start a BRAND NEW iDVD project
C. in iMovie'08 to 11 - Share to Media Browser and as LARGE - NOT HD or other resolution as quality will be even worse
- in iMovie HD6 - just close it and from within iDVD import the iMovie movie project icon (with a Star on it)
- FinalCut - Export as QuickTime Movie - NO QUICKTIME CONVERSION - AT ALL !
D. When in iDVD - see to that in the Lay-out menu (when it looks like a box-plott) there ARE NOTHING in the upper left most box (Auto Start box). As this overruns any Menu.
E. Save as a DiskImage - TEST this first - befor burning any DVDs
Yours Bengt W

Sound problems when burning a film made in iMovie in iDVD

PLEASE HELP!!!
I have upgraded to iLife 09 and for all the bad that people have to say, I actually like it a lot. Anyway, it gave me the encouragement I needed to play with some old home movies I had stored with the aim of producing DVDs to give to my friends, and hopefully showing off the slick production values I have come up with.
So after spending a week getting to grips with iMovie and editing an old holiday film with all the cuts, transitions, chapter markers and music etc that I wanted, I ended up with an hour long movie that I was happy with.
Then to iDVD. After trying out all sorts of ways to go from iMovie to iDVD to ensure the best quality, I have finally given up trying to replicate the on screen quality of the movie in iMovie with the finished DVD, and just opted for the easy to use 'share to iDVD' option. The quality is not great, but then the footage is old anyway so not too much of an issue.
Then I spend another few days playing with and learning iDVD and again end up with a finished product that I am happy with, with nice looking menu's and a slideshow etc.
So I come to burn the final DVD, for which I pick the 'Professional burn' option which takes 4 hours but I am happy to wait if it means the best quality possible, and my DVD is done.
I then play the DVD to discover my problem - the sound in the movie is not right. To explain further, in my movie I have reduced the sound of some of the film clips to nothing and placed music over the top. When played and previewed in iMovie it works fine - the music plays and the sound that is attached the the video does not. When previewed in iDVD it works fine - just as I had edited it in iMovie. But then when I burn the DVD, some of these sounds are present again which completely wastes all my hard work at the editing stage.
I have searched and searched for help on this but am unable to find any.
Sorry for the very long description and story behind my issue, but it is massively frustrating. Basically, at some point during the 'burn to DVD' stage in iDVD it decides to completely ignore most of the sound edits I have made on the movie in iMovie.
If anyone can help it would be much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

Further to this, I have just sat and watched the whole final DVD on my TV and it would seem to be that the sound issues may be something to so with the transitions added in iMovie. Some of the sounds have even slipped in time! I get the sound from the next clip coming in early and then a blank patch of sound where it should be. All of this is always just before an iMovie transition.

Are there glitches in iMovie or iDVD that would create problems with viewing a finished project on a standard dvd player?

Everytime I render a new project in iMovie and share it with iDVD to produce a video, there always seems to be glitches in the finished project. I have gone back and tried to recreate the slideshow, but have not had a whole lot of luck. I am wondering if I need to delete the iMovie and iDVD applications from the computer??? If I do that will it fix my problem or will I even be able to redownload the programs without having to pay for them again? I have spent more time and $$$ trying to get a viewable disc to burn and am ready to get rid of the computer altogether. Hopefully that will not have to happen, but this is a constant issue that I go through everytime I work on a project. Any suggestions???

Hi
Yes and No.
There are Bugs and ways to make better or Worse DVDs - see if this can help.
There are two "Bugs" (or at least one)
• In iDVD - do not go back to video editing program - if You got Chapters set in Your movie - if You try - then now back in iDVD it will ask You to up-date ==> all Chapters will point to Chapter one. Medicine - create a brand new iDVD Project.
• There MUST NOT BE any Chapter mark set in very beginning of the Movie - or in any transition or within 2 seconds from them.
DVD quality
1. iDVD 08, 09 & 11 has three levels of qualities. (version 7.0.1, 7,0.4 & 7.1.1) and iDVD 6 has the two last ones
• Professional Quality
(movies + menus up to 120 min.) - BEST (but not always for short movies e.g. up to 45 minutes in total)
• Best Performances
(movies + menus less than 60 min.) - High quality on final DVD (Can be best for short movies)
• High Quality (in iDVD08 or 09) / Best Quality (in iDVD6)
(movies + menus up to 120 min.) - slightly lower quality than above
Menu can take 15 minutes or even more - I use a very simple one with no audio or animation like ”Brushed Metal” in old Themes.
About double on DL DVDs.
2. Video from
• FCE/P - Export out as full quality QuickTime.mov (not self-containing, no conversion)
• iMovie x-6 - Don't use ”Share/Export to iDVD” = destructive even to movie project and especially so
when the movie includes photos and the Ken Burns effect NOT is used. Instead just drop or import the iMovie movie project icon (with a Star on it) into iDVD theme window.
• iMovie’08 or 09 or 11 are not meant to go to iDVD. Go via Media Browser ( AND AS MEDIUM - not HD etc as DVD then will suffer in quality ) or rather use iMovie HD 6 from start.
3. I use Roxio Toast™ to make an as slow burn as possibly e.g. x4 or x1 (in iDVD’08 or 09 this can also be set)
This can also be done with Apple’s Disk Utilities application when burning from a DiskImage.
4. There has to be about or more than 25Gb free space on internal (start-up) hard disk. iDVD can't
use an external one as scratch disk (if it is not start-up disc). For SD-Video - if HD-material is used I guess that 4 to 5 times more would do.
5. I use Verbatim ( also recommended by many - Taiyo Yuden DVDs - I can’t get hold of it to test )
6. I use DVD-R (no +R or +/-RW) - DVD-R play’s on more and older DVD-Players
7. Keep NTSC to NTSC - or - PAL to PAL when going from iMovie to iDVD
(I use JES_Deinterlacer to keep frame per sec. same from editing to the Video-DVD result.)
8. Don’t burn more than three DVDs at a time - but let the laser cool off for a while before next batch.
iDVD quality also depends on.
• DVD is a standard in it self. It is Standard Definition Quality = Same as on old CRT-TV sets and can not
deliver anything better that this.
HD-DVD was a short-lived standard and it was only a few Toshiba DVD-players that could playback.
These DVDs could be made in DVD-Studio Pro. But they don’t playback on any other standard DVD-Player.
Blu-Ray / BD can be coded onto DVDs but limited in time to - about 20-30 minutes and then need
_ Roxio Toast™ 10 Pro incl. BD-component
_ BD disks and burner if full length movies are to be stored
_ BD-Player or PlayStation3 - to be able to playback
The BD-encoded DVDs can be play-backed IF Mac also have Roxio DVD-player tool. Not on any standard Mac or DVD-player
Full BD-disks needs a BD-player (in Mac) as they need blue-laser to be read. No red-laser can do this.
• HOW much free space is there on Your internal (start-up) hard disk. Go for approx. 25Gb.
less than 5Gb and Your result will most probably not play.
• How it was recorded - Tripod vs Handheld Camera. A stable picture will give a much higher quality
• Audio is most often more critical than picture. Bad audio and with dropouts usually results in a non-viewed movie.
• Use of Video-editor. iMovie’08 or 09 or 11 are not the tools for DVD-production. They discard every second line resulting in a close to VHS-tape quality.
iMovie 1 to HD6 and FinalCut any version delivers same quality as Camera record in = 100% to iDVD
• What kind of movie project You drop into it. MPEG4 seems to be a bad choice.
other strange formats are .avi, .wmv, .flash etc. Convert to streamingDV first
Also audio formats matters. I use only .aiff or from miniDV tape Camera 16-bit
strange formats often problematic are .avi, .wmv, audio from iTunes, .mp3 etc
Convert to .aiff first and use this in movie project
• What kind of standard - NTSC movie and NTSC DVD or PAL to PAL - no mix.
(If You need to change to do a NTSC DVD from PAL material let JES_Deinterlacer_3.2.2 do the conversion)
(Dropping a PAL movie into a NTSC iDVD project
(US) NTSC DVDs most often are playable in EU
(EU) PAL DVDs most often needs to be converted to play in US
UNLESS. They are play-backed by a Mac - then You need not to care
• What kind of DVDs You are using. I use Verbatim DVD-R (this brand AND no +R or +/-RW)
• How You encode and burn it. Two settings prior iDVD’08 or 09
Pro Quality (only in iDVD 08 & 09)
Best / High Quality (not always - most often not)
Best / High Performances (most often my choice before Pro Quality)
1. go to iDVD pref. menu and select tab far right and set burn speed to x1 (less errors = plays better) - only in iDVD 08 & 09
(x4 by some and may be even better)
2. Project info. Select Professional Encoding - only in iDVD 08 & 09.
Region codes.
iDVD - only burn Region = 0 - meaning - DVDs are playable everywhere
DVD Studio pro can set Region codes.
1 = US
2 = EU
unclemano wrote
What it turned out to be was the "quality" settings in iDVD. The total clip time was NOT over 2 hours or 4.7GB, yet iDVD created massive visual artifacts on the "professional quality" setting.
I switched the settings to "high quality" which solved the problem. According iDVD help, "high quality" determines the best bit rate for the clips you have.
I have NEVER seen iDVD do this before, especially when I was under the 2 hour and 4.7GB limits.
For anyone else, there seem to be 2 places in iDVD to set quality settings, the first is under "preferences" and the second under "project info." They do NOT seem to be linked (i.e. if you change one, the other is NOT changed). take care, Mario
to get this to work I
• Secure a minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up (Mac OS) hard disk
• Use Verbatim DVD-R (absolutely no +/-RW)
• Set down burn speed to x4 - less burn errors = plays on more devices
• No other process running in background as - ScreenSaver, EnergySaver OR TIMEMACHINE etc
• and I'm very careful on what kind of video-codecs, audio file format and photo file formats I use
• and I consider the iDVD Bug - never go back to video-editor to change/up-date - if so Start a brand new iDVD project
• Chapters set as they should - NO one at very beginning and no one in any transition or within 2 sec from it
• Lay-out - Turn on TV-Safe area and keep everything buttons, titles etc WELL INSIDE not even touching it !
Try to break the process up into two stages
• Save as a DiskImage (calculating part)
• Burn from this .img file (burning stage)
To isolate where the problem starts.
Another thing is - Playing it onto a Blu-Ray Player. My PlayStation3 can play BD-disks but not all of my home made DVDs so to get this to work I
• Secure a minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up (Mac OS) hard disk
• Use Verbatim DVD-R (absolutely no +/-RW)
• Set down burn speed to x4 - less burn errors = plays on more devices
• No other process running in background as - ScreenSaver, EnergySaver OR TIMEMACHINE etc
• and I'm very careful on what kind of video-codecs, audio file format and photo file formats I use
• and I consider the iDVD Bug - never go back to video-editor to change/up-date - if so Start a brand new iDVD project
• Chapters set as they should - NO one at very beginning and no one in any transition or within 2 sec from it
• Lay-out - Turn on TV-Safe area and keep everything buttons, titles etc WELL INSIDE not even touching it !
TO GET IT TO WORK SLIGHTLY FASTER
• Minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up hard disk
• No other programs running in BackGround e.g. Energy-Saver
• Don’t let HD spin down or be turned off (in Energy-Save)
• Move hard disks that are not to be used to Trash - To be disconnected/turned off
• Goto Spotlight and set the rest of them under Integrity (not to be scanned)
• Set screen-saver to a folder without any photo - then make an active corner (up right for me) and set
pointer to this - turns on screen saver - to show that it has nothing to show
• No File Vault on - Important
• NO - TimeMachine - during iMovie/iDVD work either ! IMPORTANT
• Lot's of icons on DeaskTop/Finder also slows down the Mac noticeably
• Start a new User-Account and log into this and iMovie get's faster too - if a project is in a hurry
• And let Mac run on Mains - not just on battery
Yours Bengt W

Sound problem during render from iMovie to iDVD

I created an iMovie project that plays beautifully on my iMac G5 with OS X v 10.4.5.
When it comes time to create a DVD project, iMovie tells me that because of two slow motion scenes, that "rendering" has to be performed.
Within iDVD, the video plays fine. But the sound is warbled and slow (though in the correct key) throughout.
I closed iDVD, iMovie, rebooted, and tried to create another iDVD, but the same thing occurred.
Is there a way I can salvage this project?

Hi, Paul,
iMovie 'renders' slo-mo in a way that you don't really want--as you discovered. So, get your movie into iDVD without letting iMovie render it. Try doing it this way:
Instead of sending your iMovie to iDVD from within iMovie, close iMovie.
Open iDVD, and create a new project. Click on the 'custom' button, and navigate to the 'Media' tab. Select 'Movies' and find your iMovie in the little window. Drag it onto the iDVD screen. Be sure not to put it into a drop zone. Then, make the titles and buttons the way you wish.
Save the DVD as disk image. You can play that after it is finished to see if the sound is what you want. If so, go ahead and burn your DVD.
Hope this helps!!

Problems sharing project from iMovie to iDVD

I understand that in order to share my project from iMovie to iDVD, I must go to Share > iDVD. I did this, then began adding a main menu and other details to my project in iDVD. Then I went to view the project. I discovered some errors I had made while editing the project in iMovie, so I quit iDVD and went back to iMovie to make the corrections.
After I fixed my project, I went back to Share > iDVD to discover that iDVD had been grayed out. I have already tried:
1. Restarting the computer
2. Duplicating the project
I have the latest versions of all the software (just bought my MacBook over the holidays). Help, please.

Hi,
I am having the same problem with imovie - did you ever resolve this problem?
Thanks

Problem sending finished movie to iDVD

I have just completed a small family birthday movie but when I try to send it to iDVD a previous movie comes in the iDVD starting section not allowing me to create a titled/picture beginning for my new movie.I cannot get rid of the old one either.Any suggestions?

Use this routine instead:
1. Close your imovie project, and open iDVD.
2. If iDVD opens to a previous project, don't worry - just go File>New.
3. Choose a theme, and then go File>Import, and navigate to and select your imovie project.
Should be straightforward from there on.

Problems to export from iMovie to iDVD

Hi,
I made a film using iMovie and, when I try to export it to iDVD, an information board tells me that it's impossible due to a "mystake 0". The board asks me to check if the program is correctly installed (it is) and if I have enough space disk (I have plenty).
Can you please help me. This film is very important to me.
Thanks in advance !
Hakim

Hello, and welcome to the discussions!
Have you ever burned a DVD? If not, try making a 2 min movie in a new iMovie project and see if you can burn it as a disk image.
You might receive the 'Error 0' message if you are using purchased iTunes songs in your movie.
Try deleting the plists for both iMovie and iDVD. plists found in Username->Library->Preferences->com.apple.iMovieplist/ com.apple.iDVDplist.
Then, if you can save a short movie as a disk image, you are not using purchased iTunes music, and you have deleted the plists---don't use the 'create DVD' from within iMovie. Close iMovie. Open iDVD. I recommend you create a new iDVD project for your film. After selecting the theme, go to the 'media' tab and find the 'movies' and drag and drop your movie onto the iDVD main screen. Finish making your titles, scene selection themes, etc.
Then, try saving the project as a disk image. If that works, you can burn your DVD using Disk Utility to burn in from the disk image.
Post back if this is not clear or does not work.

IMovie and iDVD, Stupid Upgrade Questions, Sorry Must Ask

Okay, the deal is I have a PowerMac G4 Version 2.1 with a Combo Drive. I am upgrading to Mac OSX 3.0 so I can do certain things in iMovie and acquire a better browser. (My constraints on the iMovie project about which I've been inquiring are that at least 40 people have been waiting for copies of it for about a month and wondering why I don't come through with it--I sent a lengthy explanation to the guy who'll be duplicating it in case anyone asks. That's one reason I'm in such a hurry I have to ask urgent questions at forums and newsgroups and don't take the time to read every word ever written on every one of these systems and their various applications, abilities, and uses.)
I started out thinking I was about one step from having a completed project and the more I learn, the more grim the situation looks. Yet I've done ALL THIS WORK already to create beautiful titles and elaborately-edited outtakes. I HATE to ditch it all if any faint hope flickers into sight!
My Mac came with the following:
iMovie 3.0.3 -- which seems to be working fine, only problem is, due to deficiencies in other equipment, I'm having trouble getting my movie to DVD or into any other form where it can be played anywhere outside the Mac!
iDVD 2.1 -- My feeble brain, inadequate as it may be, has so far gathered the information that to go to DVD, a project can't be played in iMovie and sent straight to a DVD burner (can it?) There has to be some intermediary step. (Right?) People have argued the various merits of iDVD vs. Toast to accomplish this step. I hadn't opened my copy of iDVD because I am in no way near the point of being ready to make a DVD--I have not yet finished editing the project in iMovie. I made the hideous error of ASSUMING that since this came installed in my Mac, it would work fine when needed, just as iMovie did. When I tried to open it just to see what version I had, it wouldn't open and told me this:
System Requirements
iDVD 2 requires a PowerMac G4 computer with 256 Megs of RAM, a built-in DVD-R Superdrive and Mac OS 10.1.3 or later.
Stupid redundant bonus question #1: WHY would this come installed on a Mac which lacks the hardware to use it? (iMovie could still be used to edit, and then copy projects--if I had a digital video camera--which I don't. The only other way we've figured is to send it back through the Canopus ADVC110 converter I used to get the video in there, and play it out to a VCR--a cumbersome process I've been assured will result in crummy quality.)
Okay, here are the REAL questions:
1. I don't suppose there's any way the Canopus could be connected to the DVD burner and the information sent to a DVD that way? Just asking.
2. Obviously the upgrade isn't going to fix things to make iDVD work, as I'm already using Mac OSX 10.2.8, so I would assume its discontent stems from not having the Superdrive--at least, it was complaining something about inadequate hardware and I think that's what it meant. Will connecting a DVD burner via FireWire convince iDVD to work (either automatically or after some sort of tweaking), or am I stuck replacing the drive? I bought a DVD burner the minute I realized my drive was a Combo Drive and not a Superdrive (which is the first time I stuck a blank DVD in it and nothing happened) before learning details about this intermediary step and that there is more than one way to accomplish it.
3. Is it even worth replacing the Combo Drive with a Superdrive or is it more worth buying a whole new Mac? If I am FORCED to buy a new Mac, what should I do with the old one? (Not only am I ethically opposed to tossing a perfectly good piece of electronic equipment into the ravine, I might get fined for littering. Can a good home be found for it? For that matter it would be a pain as I've saved all sorts of stuff to the Hard Drive which would have to be transferred to the new one before I could get rid of the old one. So can I keep the old one...PLEASE?)
4. After making the system upgrade, will I be able to bypass iDVD entirely by using Toast, or does Toast also have all sorts of requirements my hardware does not possess so I'll still be SOL, stuck replacing drives or even the whole Mac, or going directly to crummy-quality VHS as there is NO OTHER WAY OUT?
5. After making the system upgrade, would I be ready for more advanced versions of iMovie and iDVD? Are any upgrades free, or does every improvement cost? Do I get them all at the Apple site, order some of them from some supplier or other the way I did with the Mac OSX upgrade, or what?
Thanks for helping to clear up my massive confusion!!!

Wow, thanks. It's good to know iDVD is still an option, even if I don't buy the Superdrive (is that even possible, to get the Combo Drive taken out of my current Mac and a Superdrive put in? There's a question still unanswered.)
(I think this is good to know--because part of my reasoning in asking the question was to eliminate one option or the other, and now I'm ending up with options of options, but hold on for Part 2 as I do have some questions concerning the capabilities of iDVD and Toast.)
Partly answering one of my own questions (although I'd appreciate confirmation from someone who actually knows,) if these Toast 7 requirements mean what I think they do, I don't see anywhere that it says the computer MUST have a Superdrive and CAN'T use an external DVD burner!
Toast 7 Titanium
Requirements:
* PowerPC G4 processor or faster (G5 recommended for viewing DivX files on your Mac)
* PowerPC G3 processor and Mac OS 10.2 users, see Toast 6 Titanium or Popcorn
* Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later
* 300 MB of free disk space to install
* Up to 15 GB of temporary free disk space during usage
* QuickTime 7 or later
* CD or DVD burner and recordable media
If this is true (that I can use an external DVD burner) I like Toast already! My Quicktime Player is only version 6.5.2--is it going to be difficult, expensive, or both, to upgrade that? If it is or the other System Requirements are not met I can just go with Toast 6.
As far as those requirements, I promise you I don't understand a word of it but here is what my System Profiler says my Mac has. Maybe someone can make sense of it and help me decide which version of Toast to get or, if not, what to do:
System Profile
Software Overview:
| |
| System version : Mac OS X 10.2.8 (6R73)
(As I said, I'm upgrading to 10.3.0 soon, and obviously if I want Toast 7 gotta figure out the best way to go to 10.3.9 or higher.)
| Boot volume : Hard Drive |
| Kernel version : Darwin Kernel Version 6.8: Wed Sep 10 15:20:55 PDT 2003; root:xnu/xnu-344.49.obj~2/RELEASE_PPC |
Hardware Overview:
| |
| Machine speed : 867 MHz |
| Bus speed : 133 MHz |
| Number of processors : 2 |
| L2 cache size : 256K (times 2) |
| L3 cache size : 1MB (times 2) |
| Machine model : Power Mac G4 (version = 2.1) |
| Boot ROM info : 4.4.6f2
Memory Overview:
Location Type Size
DIMM0/J21 DDR SDRAM 256 MB
DIMM1/J22 DDR SDRAM 512 MB
DIMM2/J23 empty
DIMM3/J20 empty
Network Overview:
Built-in:
| |
| Flags : 0x8051<Up,PpoinToPoint,Running,Multicast> |
| Ethernet address : 00.00.00.00.00.00 |
| IP : 67.0.142.95--> 67.0.128.6 |
| Subnet Mask : 255.0.0.0 |
| |
Devices and Volumes
PCI:
SLOT-1(AGP):
| |
| Card Type : NVDA,GeForce4MX |
| Card Name : NVDA,Parent |
| Card Model : GeForce4 MX |
| Vendor ID : 10de |
| Device ID : 172 |
| ROM# : 1121 |
| Revision : a5 |
| |
USB Information:
USB Bus 0:
Apple internal modem:
| |
| Product ID : 33282 ($8202) |
| Vendor : HCF USB V.90 Data/Fax Modem |
| Device Speed : Full |
| Power (mA) : 500
FireWire Information:
No FireWire devices found.:
(Unsure why it says this as the Canopus Converter is a FireWire device and it's connected, turned on, and has been working.)
Bus:
CD-RW/DVD-ROM:
| |
| Disc Burning : Fully supported.
(Obviously this means CDs only, not DVDs.)
Hard Drive:
| |
| Disk Size : 57.26 GB (1K = 1024) 62 GB (1K = 1000) |
| Unit Number : 0 |
| ATA Device Type : ata |
| Device Serial : VNC303A3L6AAHA |
| Device Revision : VA3BA52A |
| Device Model : IBM-IC35L060AVVA07-0 |
| |
Hard Drive:
| |
| Volume Size : 57.26 GB (1K = 1024) 62 GB (1K = 1000) |
| Ejectable : No |
| Writable : Yes
One thing which may really sway me in favor of Toast is, will it make possible burning 2-hour DVDs? Supposedly iDVD will not enable anything longer than 90 minutes, and when I get to the other big project for which I really want to use the Canopus ADVC 110 converter, that is, converting my home movies from either VHS or 8mm video camera tape to DVD--well, ALL of my tapes are two hours long, because that's the way they come!! I don't see being limited to making 90-minute DVDs as anything but another GIANT PAIN of which I'm already amply supplied! So if Toast will fix this dilemma I'm ALL FOR IT!
As always, thanks for help and advice.

Can't get my iMovie into iDVD 4.0.1

I am having great difficulties getting my iMovie into iDVD. (Have made many dvds in the past from iMovie and never had a problem so this is new.) I have tried every way to do it (when previously had no problem just clicking on "Create DVD" pane). The movie won't show up on iDVD when I do this now. Either just "My Great DVD" comes up or a previous iDVD project. I have tried via Share/iDVD; I have tried to import from iDVD (get an "unsupported file type - invalid video" message). Any ideas? Thanks!

The movie that's in the iDVD folder (of the Shared Movies folder) contains chapter information. If you imported that movie to iDVD, iDVD should have delivered chapters.
Make sure your iDVD preferences are set to accept chapters.
If nothing works, this failure of iMovie 5 to export to iDVD suggests some kind of underlying problem. I suspect something is corrupt in the video or audio content.
Try importing that made-for-iDVD movie I mentioned to a NEW iMovie 5 project. (Drag it to the Timeline of the project.) That should deliver "cleaner" video/audio. Add your chapters to THAT project, send it to iDVD. Everything might start working as it should.
Karl

Problem sending iMovie to iDVD

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