Please help- can't burn DVD and job depends on it

[mmconeyb]

First, let me say that I am a video/DVD novice and so am working with a steep learning curve here. I am a teacher applying for National Board certification. Part of the process requires burning a DVD of myself teaching, which MUST PLAY when placed in any computer or my submission will be considered unscorable and I will be denied. If I am denied the certification, I miss out on a pay increase and various other job perks. Also, next go around I will have to pay the $3000 application fee myself instead of it being covered by the state. Needless to say, getting it right this time is preferable.

I recorded the video using a digital JVC camera which created .MOV files. I edited the video using Windows Movie Maker, which created .MSWMM (windows movie maker project) files. I am attempting to burn these files to DVD using a memorex USB DVD burner. The burner came with a 'plug and play' feature, so I didn't install the software initially and instead tried to burn using my computer's software. The first burn attempt resulted in an unplayable DVD that wasn't "finalized". The second attempt resulted in a DVD which you could visibly see burn marks on, but when placed in a computer/player registered as a blank disk. My next attempt will involve me installing the memorex burner software and attempting to burn using their program.

The short of it is, I really don't know what I am doing and I NEED this DVD to work every time it is placed in a computer. Any information or advice about how to make this work is much appreciated. Thanks

[neomaine]

In Windows Movie Maker, make sure you set the 'finalize disc' option, or, unset the 'will continue to use disk option'. I forget what it is off hand, haven't use WMM for a while. But, it will create a playable DVD.

- Its doubtful that anything besides WMM will know what to do with the MSWMM project file. You'll need to either create a DVD-compliant MPEG (one of the output options of WMM) and author and burn with other sofware, or create the DVD directly from WMM. Just be sure to finalize the DVD. MS has an annoying, to me, penchant for creating unfinalized discs of any kind. It wants to treat it as a file system where you can add/change later on. I suppose this was advantageous to someone when discs were $5US apiece but at $1 a dozen, doesn't make much sense to me. Oh well...

- Have a DVD play in 'any' computer is a tough call. Computers, well ones with a Windows OS anyway, do NOT come with DVD playing capability. It just doesn't have the mpeg2 codec installed. So, this assumes a computer with DVD playing software. As long as they say a playable DVD I'm guessing you'll be all set.

- With so much at stake, I also would make sure to use very reliable media. The ONLY one that fits this bill is Taiyo Yuden. Spending even $25 for a small cake box would be well worth it. I wouldn't trust anything else.

[jman98]

There are NEVER NEVER NEVER 100% guarantees that what you do will work in ANY computer if you do it yourself. NEVER. As neomaine points out, the ability to play DVDs does NOT come standard with Windows. And you can't rule out the old dumbass factor where you did everything right yet some moron can't do the right thing (ie. somebody puts your disc in upside down, which will never work). Or the PC may simply have bad drives, bad software, etc. For the best chance of success, you're going to need to use good media and pray that it doesn't get scratched during delivery. I recommend either Taiyo Yuden (you'll have to buy them online) or Verbatim and stick to single layer DVDs. For computer playback there is no preference for DVD-R vs. DVD+R. Both are fine for computer playback. The only way to guarantee playback is to correctly author a DVD and pay for it to be pressed, not burned, by a commercial DVD manufacturer. If you make your DVD correctly on good media it SHOULD work, but 100% guarantee? Can't give you that.

[Bjs]

Sounds odd .... wmm does not burn "dvd" ... it can burn to dvd media yes

No, dont burn the "project files" to disc ... it wont be usable except in the system which contains the original content ... I've seen a few people email those and wonder why their friends phone saying it's not working

As for getting it completed:

1: Go here
2: Come down to sub heading Prepare the Content and follow through this section
3: Output format ... choose one option that will produce a file of near equal resolution to that of source if using wmv as output

It will show you how much free system space there is and the file size it will produce according to chosen output ... oh and it lies about freespace ... go into windows explorer and check to make sure about freespace ... remember you will also need another 10gig of freespace in order to convert this output to "dvd"

To be safe

File output size + 10gig + 5gig = required freespace ... should avoid any common errors

4: Once the output has finished you can close wmm

Note: Should the wmv be less than 600mbs I would recommend burning that file to a cd and send it along with the dvd which is created next ... if the dvd does not play then the cd should have less problems

5: Run dvdflick and click "add title" ... browse and select your wmv you just created
6: Down below click "browse" ... I recommend you create a new folder for this output ... when you select it a warning will pop up ... answer yes as there is no content inside this new folder

7: Click project settings box above
8: General > Name project

9: Target size ... depending on what dvdflick had to say about % in first screen ... say it's only 50% ... then choose "custom" from the drop down list (top most option)
10: if 50% then in size you type 2500

11: Skip right down to "burning" and check the box "create iso" and click accept
12: Click "create dvd" and answer yes to any pop up box's ... might be two of

13: When completed go to that new folder and you should find an iso image ready to burn

14: Use imgburn , upon start up choose "write image file to disc"
15: Click the source button folder (the one on the left of the folder with a +) ... locate the iso image which was just created
16: Insert blank media and wait for logical unit to become ready
17: As it's an memorex external set burn speed to 2x and use better media ... verbatim dvd-r is pretty well considered as being the most popular
18: Click the big colourful button in the lower left panel to start the burning process ... confirm in next window and dont use the system while burn is in progress

That should be all you need to complete the project ... but as all will say ... there are no guarantee that the dvd disc will play on systems you have no control over

[Supreme2k]

If you complete this project (and I suggest even before), you should do the tiniiest bit of research. Simply look up Authoring on the menu to the left and that will tell you all you need to know.

Since you have NO IDEA what you are doing, you would be better off taking your footage to Walmart or Walgreens (keep it in the "Wal"). For less than $100, you can have a fully usable disc created.

At the very least, you could read the help files of WMM and learn how to export to a format that is viewable in most PCs (Windows), such as wmv.