Using iDVD to make avideo on DVD

I am having trouble producing a DVD of an FCE video, using my present software: FCE 3.0; QT Pro; and Toast 7. (In case its relevant, transitons and fades to black cause the format to change momentarily from 16:9 to 4:3 and back. I cannot cure this.) DVD Studio Pro is now sold only as part of the big package at huge cost, so I want to try iDVD but need advice on whether it will definately do what I want, which is:
1. My camera is a Sony DCR-HC96 (current model). It's True Widescreen: that is, its CCD is physically 16:9
2. Produce a video (including transitions, fades, effects) in QT format from FCE by choosing FCE > Export > QuickTime Movie
3. Produce a DVD which will display on a standalone DVD player and TV set as either letterboxed (on a 4:3 TV) or as true 16:9 (on a widescreen 16:9 TV) with no reversion to 4:3 when the transitions or fades or effects appear
Two questions please:
A) Will iDVD definately do this successfully?
B) What Easy Setup should I use: DV-PAL or DV-PAL Anamorphic (or another)?
Thanks
G5/2.0 GHz Mac OS X (10.3.9) 1 GB RAM, 150 GB HD, Sony DCR-HC96 mini DV, FCE HD 3.0

I don't know what you have already tried but when dealing with standard DV this is what you do.
1. In the timeline select the clips you want or use In/Out markers.
2. Choose File>Export>QuickTime Movie etc.
However, the best thing to do is try it out on a DVD-RW so that if it doesn't work you have not wasted anything - other than time.
If you want to use a DVD-R then get some on a cakestand that cost less than 30 pence each - I have never had any problems with them.
Ian.

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Can I use iDVD to make a HD DVD?

<<I read that "Mac Superdrives with HD burning ability do not exist. All your
HD editing ends up squished down to standard DV specs using iDVD.">>
So...when I use an HD camcorder, shoot in HD, edit the HD clips in 16:9 format,
using iMovie HD (for FCP, for that matter) if I output them to iDVD or DVD Pro,
they are then re-compressed in some sort of SD format, is that correct?
Hal

You are correct a standard DVD burned via a Mac Superdrive cannot contain HD content.
This is simply because it is not an HD DVD, there is not the capacity on the disc to store the data required.
You can of course edit in HD in iMovie and then watch the output on an Apple TV / HD TV in HD.
Until there are HD DVD or Blue-Ray burners in Macs and an iDVD upgrade that can output the same formats you will not be able to make a HD DVD.
Ian

I am using IDVD to make slide shows. The pictures are clear and of good quality. When I burn the slide show to a disk, the pictures are blurry and of poor quality. Is there a setting for quality of picture in burning a disk?

I am using IDVD to make slide shows. The pictures are clear and of high quality when viewed on my computer. When I burn the slide show to a disk, the pictures are blury and of poor quality. Is there a setting adjustment to correct this problem?

I would re-post in the iDVD forum. You are likely to get a faster answer there. Good luck.

Using idvd to put movies onto dvd

im trying to put some .avi files onto a dvd so it will play in a dvd player but idvd doesnt seem to like my .avi's
does anyone know of a method to do this?

won't work without a third party app that will first convert them to QT file. There are several apps that can do this but for simplicity, here I'll use one.
For example:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.products.htm
The latter of which can be brought back into iDvd (or iMovie for that matter).
Hope this helps but if not just come on back.

IDVD to make 'normal' video DVD's

A simple question, but I have not seen a definitive answer.
On a new iMac with a Superdrive, can I use iMovie 5 and iDVD 5 to
burn a video DVD that will play on a normal (noncomputer)
DVD player? I know that I can create my movie in iMovie,
it is the burning part I am concerned about before I spring
for a new Mac. Thanks!

Yes, that is precisely what the applications are designed for.

Is there any way to get around having to use iDVD to burn DVD?

Is there any way to get around having to use iDVD to export FCE to DVD?
I've been trying to burn a FCE2 sequence to DVD. A friend of mine told me all I had to do was put a blank DVD in, click on the icon on the desk top, export the sequence to Quicktime and drag the QT sequennce into the DVD icon and click burn.
Well something happened! But there's nothing on the DVD!! What am I doing wrong? I loathe iDVD. i don't want to author. I just want to burn the project on a DVD. Please advise. Thanks.
Chuck
iMAC 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 Mac OS X (10.3.1)
iMAC 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 Mac OS X (10.3.1)

If you export a sequence at full resolution to can burn it onto a DVD as a data DVD, but this is for transportation purposes only. At full resolution the DVD, especially as it fills up, will not have sufficient throughput to sustain good playback of the material. That's why the material is encoded into MPEG-2 for DVD authoring. If you want to make a DVD for set-top playback it has to be authored to include the DVD format structure. There is no way around that. If you don't like iDVD, take a look at Final Cut Studio, you might prefer DVD Studio Pro. Or you might what to look at Roxio's Toast. It has basic authoring capabilities. Personally I don't think direct playback hardware solutions (except for seriously expensive ones) produce acceptable quality, but that's just me.

Extract DVD videos, to author a new DVD using iDVD...?

I want to extract seveal chapters from a few DVDs, and then make a new DVD (using idvd) from these chapters. What is the best method/video format I should use to extract the chapters to begin with, so here is minimal loss if quality in the final DVD? I was thinking of using Handbrake to extract chapters (from several DVDs) as mp4 files, and then use iDVD to author a new DVD from those files. But what format in Handbrake should I use to ensure best quality? Is Handbrake the best way to go anyway? Thanks, Fox.

You need to convert the VOB files in the TS-Folder of the DVD back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
(unless you are running Lion in which case see below))
which is a mere $20.
Another possibility is to use DVDxDV:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.overview.htm
which costs $25.
For the benefit of others who may read this thread:
Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.
If you are running Lion:
From the MPEG Streamclip homepage
The installer of the MPEG-2 Playback Component may refuse to install the component in Lion. Apple states the component is unnecessary in Lion, however MPEG Streamclip still needs it.
To install the component in Lion, please download MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b7 beta above; inside the disk image you will find the Utility MPEG2 Component Lion: use it to install the MPEG-2 Playback Component in Lion. The original installer's disk image (QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg) is required.
The current versions of MPEG Streamclip cannot take advantage of the built-in MPEG-2 functionality of Lion. For MPEG-2 files you still need to install the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component, which is not preinstalled in Lion. You don't have to install QuickTime 7.

Legalities of using iDVD for commercial productions

Hi all,
How do I stand legally using iDVD to produce home movie DVDs commercially. I've search for answers to this with no clear reckoning.
All input is most welcome.
Thanks in advance.
SR

iDVD is not suitable for any commercial DVD titles (ie: replicated discs) . You need to use DVDSP or have someone do it for you. Factors like bitrate, for example, can really screw up a title - BEWARE- you might be OK, you might not.
Remember, just because a disc works in your set top doesn't mean it will in others and there are millions of players in the world. Authoring a title using professional tools is needed to make sure certains aspects of a title adheres to the DVD spec.
E

Using iDVD for "for-profit" projects

I'd like to use iDVD to make some videos that will be sold as part of a training program.
Do I need some sort of commercial license if I'm going to use the menu themes (and accompanying music), jingles from GarageBand, etc.? Or are all of these truly royalty free for whatever use -- commercial or private -- we have planned?
Thanks.

I finally received an email yesterday from the Manager of Licensing at MPEG LA in Chevy Chase, MD; in it he asked me to call him to "discuss these matters briefly on the telephone". I just called him and he stated that as long as these homemade DVD's only contain "made by consumer" material (such as video/stills shot by consumer with his or a friend's camera) and using software which already has a license on it, I would not have to get a license or be required to pay approx. $0.03 per copy. However, if it contains commercial material and is intended for commercial use, a license and fees would be required. He also stated that they are not interested in pursuing fee collection with hundreds of thousands of consumers for the fee of one or two copies each because their administrative costs would be higher than the fees collected.
This, at last, answers my question related to iDVD/iMovie (mpeg) and hopefully answers yours; I don't know about GarageBand (I don't use it). I have read the SLA covering Sound Track (part of FCE) and it is allowed IF you make your own composition.
Message was edited by: Barbara Daniels1

Speeded up film in iMovie is jerky when using iDVD

The film I've created in iMovie HD uses speeded up and slowed down film which is smooth when played in iMovie. I've used iDVD to burn it to DVD, but when I play this, the smoothness of the original is gone, and there's a jerkiness to the motion.
Any suggestions for how I can keep the smoothness?
Thanks.

If your slow and fast effects play fine on your deinterlaced computer screen, but jerky on an interlaced TV, then that would seem to point in the direction of an interlaced/deinterlaced problem. iMovie renders deinterlaced video when it exports to iDVD. With iMovie 6.02 that caused slow/fast effects to play less smoothly on an interlaced TV. You might be experiencing a vestige of that bug. I have not used JES Deinterlacer, but I have heard that that freeware program works well to smooth out slow/fast effects from progressive material that is played on an interlaced TV. The website addy is www.xs4all.nl/~jeschot/home.html.
There are others on this forum more tech savvy than I. I just wanted to get you a response since no one had weighed in as yet.

Use iDVD to author .exe Games?

I have searched the Apple/iDVD forums and found nothing on this topic.
Do you know if it is possible to use iDVD 5 to author a DVD of executable [.exe] game files?
I would like to put several childrens games on one DVD. Set up the menu to go to the various Game Start Page - to read about the game and be able to press "Play" to launch game [the .exe game file] Once game is finished, I would like a page giving a choice to Continue Playing [launch the game file again] or Go To Main Menu.
I have the .jpgs and .gifs about each game to bring in as footage - will iDVD allow me to bring in the .exe files as footage? Or is there another or better way to get the .exe files into iDVD?
When it comes to launching the game, do I need to add special code to button? When game is finished, how do I get it to go to page giving the choice to Continue or Go To Main Menu [instead of it automatically going to the Main Menu]?
This is my first time trying to use iDVD this way. I have only used iDVD with video movie footage and stills for slideshow.
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks in Advance.

This isn't something you can do with iDVD. I think you can do this with Apple's DVD Studio Pro.

After bringing in the movie from (a Canon) video camera in iMovie and finishing a Project where do you save the project and make DVD using iDVD?

I am trying to burn DVD of the movie I have taken using a Canon and/or aSony video camera. I brought in the movie in iMovie. Enhanced the movie adding titles and various transitions and completed the project. Now how do I make a or several DVD of the movie using iDVD? please help.

You can either share it directly to iDVD by choosing Share > iDVD or you can export it using your favorite preferred settings by choosing Export to Quicktime. With the former method, iDVD will open automatically, with the latter method, open iDVD and drag in your movie. With both: choose a theme for your menu (what people will see when the DVD first starts playing) - you should play around a little to learn how to use iDVD. In any case, when done, you can burn directly from iDVD.

IMovie '08 option to make the best quality video on a DVD using iDVD '08

Which iMovie '08 option will make the best quality video on a DVD using iDVD '08?
1. Share-Media Browser-Large-Publish
2. Share-Export Using Quicktime
3. Or can you use an unpublished iMove in iDVD?
(Of course I'll have to first get iDVD to open without crashing...)

Which iMovie '08 option will make the best quality video on a DVD using iDVD '08?
1. Share-Media Browser-Large-Publish
2. Share-Export Using Quicktime
3. Or can you use an unpublished iMove in iDVD?
As always, this depends on a number of factors which you failed to cover in your original question.
1) If you source files are SD, other than an increased loss of time in converting you gain nothing in scaling the files up in iMovie '08 only to scale them back down in iDVD. On the other hand, if your source files are HD, then you will likely see a marginal increase in quality which may or may not be worth the price of increased processing time. In this latter case, you are allowing the MPEG-2 compressor to get the most it can out of your file at the P- and B-frame level.
2) Export using QT allows you to customize your output with regard to both compression format and settings. For instance, you can use a codec with extremely high data rate (e.g., VGA dimensions with DV at 28.5-57.0 Mpbs, AIC at 18.0-22.0 Mbps, or even unlimited H.264/AAC at 16.0-20.0 Mbps). High video data rates generally translate to less lost quality during the re-compression process. Thus, if the intermediate file produced by iMovie '08 and passed on to iDVD retains more of its original quality, the MPEG-2 compressor can get more quality out of the final conversion as stated above.
3) Since no physical file actually exists until the project (simply a set of instructions detailing how the final file will be created) is published, there is nothing to be physically sent to iDVD. basically you must create a physical file from the project in order to do anything at all whether sending it to a gallery, iTunes, YouTube, iDVD, etc.

How can I burn a DVD of an iMovie 13 project using iDVD 7.1.2 version.

I have a late model iMac which came with iDVD. I use iMovie to make photo and movie projects and share them to iDVD to burn DVDs. I use these often and I love them, specially iDVD.
When Mavericks came out I updated and of course it changed iMovie. I just finished a photo project with music on iMovie and planned to transfer it to iDVD for burning DVD. This is a family project and I want to distribute copies to the rest of the family.
It turns out that I cannot use iDVD with the new iMovie version and/or Mavericks.
iDVD does not contain the buttons that it used to have on each theme in order to play the DVD.
I cannot drag the movie into iDVD.
What can I do so that I can use iDVD when I have an iMovie project to burn it on a DVD.
I can go back to the previous version of iMovie and still have Mavericks.
I do not know, I am lost. Why doesnt this work without any problems when updating the operting system. Apple should take into consideration all the previous applications etc when it makes an older computer able to update to more current system.
I appreciate any help offered.
Thank you

Export the slideshow out of iMovie via the File ➙ Share ➙ File menu option as a 480p Quicktime movie.
Open iDVD, select a theme and drag the exported QT movie file into the open iDVD window being careful to avoid any drop zones.
Follow this workflow to help assure the best quality video DVD:
Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.
To check the encoding mount the disk image, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is good.
Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.
OT

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

Using iDVD to make avideo on DVD

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