[CUBE] [MacDV] Re: iDVD3 w/ external drive... Anybody try this?

[Tom Hostler]

> I want to know, like you do, the name of the "whatever it is called
> file". Who out there on this list knows if it is one iDVD 3 file or a
> disc image or a group of files that can only be combined with an iDVD 3
> burn to an internal SuperDrive?


DVD discs are actually very simple - there's no hidden files or perculiar
lead in/lead out data. The only thing that identifies a DVD disk is the
following:

1. The formatting of the disk (UFS)

2. The file structure - having two folders "AUDIO_TS" and
"VIDEO_TS" at root level

3. The encrypted media (eg VOB) files contained within those folders

You can burn a DVD to a CD-R or even a CD-RW - albeit a very short (650Meg)
one - commonly seen in DVD singles - although note your DVD player will need
to be capable of reading recordable media. You can do this because as long
as the format is UFS, and those folders are there with media in them DVD
player just doesn't care. Come to think of it you could theoretically burn a
DVD to a blank floppy if you media was small enough! You can even set up a
disk image and copy those files & folders to it and use Apple DVD Players
"Open VIDEO_TS" command to play it back from that virtual media.

I haven't used iDVD as I don't have a superdrive, but all it must do is
create the necessary VOB files from your project and attempt to burn them to
a recordable device. In that chain of events it's checking the identity of
the drive to ensure it's an Apple internal one. If it has an "export"
function then you may be able to create the files and then burn them to the
DVD-R using toast or even the Finder burning routines.

DVD Studio definitely does this export routine so you can preview projects
in DVD player before burning them.

That's my head emptied on the subject.

Tom