How to burn DVD with FCE, Toast 6, PB & Console DVD Burn

[dmwierz]

I have access to a PB TiG4 800Mhz running OS 10.3.4, Toast 6 Titanium and a Pioneer Console DVD burner with a Firewire input (DVR-210).

Considering how I am a newbie to FCE (refuge from Windows and Pinnacle Studio) and burning with external console burners via a Mac, can anyone help me out? I have an hour and a half of DV shot at my niece's wedding and I'd like to edit it in FCE, output from FCE (which format?), author it and burn it to a DVD with my set-up.

Thanks,

Dennis

[miksu]

You have to export MPEG2 from FCE. Required MPEG2 component is automatically installed with FCE. Then just drag&drop mpeg-file into toast.
MPEG2-export component is easy to use, only thing to be considered is file-size, since it has to fit into disk and then video-standard.

If you can use iDVD, it might be easier to use it instead of toast. But in that case, you have to export DV-stream from FCE and import dv-stream into iDVD.

Benefit of using iDVD is, creating menus is easy and iDVD is able to use chapter marks created in FCE.

Personally I would prefer FCE-iDVD method, since it's easier, gives good results and it's fast. And one app less to mess with

[dmwierz]

miksu,

Thanks for your reply, but now I'm really confused. How can I use iDVD with an external console DVD burner? I thought iDVD was only for INTERNAL DVd burners?

Also: "You have to export MPEG2 from FCE" - I only get two options for export: Final Cut Express and QuickTime. Which one of these is MPEG2?

Dennis

[live4ever]

You'd want to output back to the DV tape in the camcorder from Final Cut Express (after editing), then hook up the camcorder to firewire port on the DVDR set-top and import (probably by a tv menu, but I have never used one of those recordable DVD boxes, so refer to its manual).

[dmwierz]

live,

Thanks, and I know about "Output to Tape" then going from the DV Camcorder to the console burner via the firewire input, but my question was specifically about going directly from my Mac to the console burner. I have read bits and pieces of posts elsewhere about folks succesfully hooking up to firewire inputs on console DVD burners.

Dennis

[miksu]

Inexact info, removed...

[miksu]

Just one thought...

Transfer to DV-stream after editing and then authoring and toasting may not be necessary at all?

Just cut, add titles, render, then use FCE's "print to video" feature (or whatever it's called), same as you would use when transferring edited copy back to DV-cam, this time just hook-up your recorder. It won't create menu or anything fancy, I suppose, but Toast won't do it either (except simple menu). Depending on recorder, it may be able to create chapter marks.

Since set top recorder behaves like common VCR and it is able to record from DV-cam, it should be able to record from computer as well. Just check you have selected proper Firewire-option, namely PAL or NTSC depending where you are. FCE should handle your DVD-recorder just if it were DV-cam? Hook it up, start FCE. If it doesn't complain, it works right away. If it complains, check FW-settings.

Sorry, my first reply was maybe slightly confusing It would have been way to go, if you were interested in making somethin' complex... Sometimes this engineering student logic be damned

I only get two options for export: Final Cut Express and QuickTime. Which one of these is MPEG2?

Selecting Quicktime let's you choose wanted codec, also MPEG-2. Quicktime-option is also used, if you want to create Divx or something similar.

[dmwierz]

OK, now I see. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the help.

Dennis