Converting and burning problems with iDVD 7.0.3

[stormrider76]

Hello all:

I'm a former Windows user who's just stumbled into the enchanted forests of Apple land with only the vaguest idea what I'm doing. Ergo, please be gentle .

I'm trying to use iDVD 7.0.3 to convert four roughly hour long .avis (of roughly 550 mb each) into a video_TS folder, which I will then compress to DVD5 size and burn to a single DVD with Disk Utility. Simple enough in theory, but iDVD has other ideas.

When it decides to work, iDVD will convert the files in a reasonable time, but even after I choose Save As Video_TS folder from the File menu, it still thinks it's burning either to a single or double layer disc and won't let me continue. Changing the settings in Project Info is no help because single or double layer are the only options in the DVD type box. Is there a way around this so I can trick the thing into doing what I ask? All help is appreciated!

[Frobozz]

According to iDVD Help making a disc image only involves choosing Save as Disc Image from the File menu, naming the disc image and saving it.

You have a different problem, however. iDVD creates uncompressed PCM audio tracks which gobble up space on a video DVD, making the bit rate for video very low on longer movies. Tools that requantize dual-layer discs (or disc images) to single-layer discs only shrink the size of the video stream. Four hours of PCM audio won't leave enough room for your video to fit the single-layer disc.

On top of that, even if you could do it the result would be abysmal to look at. It will even look bad burned to a DL disc.

Your best solution is to get a DVD player that has DivX play capability and burn your AVIs as data format to DVD with no re-encoding.

You next best solution is to get Toast or Popcorn 3 so it can encode your video with AC-3 audio.

[stormrider76]

Thanks for that . I have Toast Titanium, but prefer the menu I've made with iDVD to any of the templates that TT has to offer. Is there any way I can import that over to Toast on its own before converting any of the .avi files?

[rumplestiltskin]

IIRC, iDVD will only do a two hour long DVD (although I've not tried it with anything longer, frankly). Trying to compress four hours of AVI might be a really troublesome task. Toast may do it for you but do remember that four hours of video (with whatever you choose for audio quality) might look pretty awful due to what MPEG2 does to the bitrate (to get it to fit on your DVD).

If you have a DVD player that will "do MPEG4", then perhaps just burning the AVIs to the DVD (but as ISO and not UDF) might work.

Otherwise, consider the longer term solution of an AppleTV or that nice WD media device which will play whatever you have on an external HD.

Hope this helps.

[Frobozz]

Thanks for that . I have Toast Titanium, but prefer the menu I've made with iDVD to any of the templates that TT has to offer. Is there any way I can import that over to Toast on its own before converting any of the .avi files?

If you want the iDVD menus you need to shorten the project a lot.

There's a new kid on the block that I've purchased but haven't used that may give you a nice menu. It is MovieGate. Also, CaptyDVD 2 has motion menus.

Toast's menus keep getting more attractive but they are still just sign boards. I read a post from a Roxio person years ago that explained their reasoning: "People don't watch menus; they watch videos."

[AKnight]

Hello
I am having trouble making a DVD in iDVD all my footage looks OK when captured,looks OK in Final Cut. but when it is encoded about 40 to 50 Min. in it pixilated. its spoty all through from that point. I don,t understad what is going on or what to do to fix this problem can anyone help me understand this? Just wanted to add the video is on mini DV tape the footage that is giving me the problem was on used tape, it looks good on the tape. used the same project on macro system prestige looks good when direct out to VHS tape but has the same problem when encoded in DVD-Arabesk. could the tape cause this for some reason?