[iMovie-List] iDVD3: encoding hack ?

[Erica Sadun]

>I have a 65 minute iMovie which I hope to use in iDVD3's "60 minute" mode.
>
>I remember others mentioning to hack the ProjectData file in TextEdit,
>I cannot locate the part of the ProjectData file (it is huge) that allows
>me to alter the setting nor the emails that others have shared to
>specifically do this.
>
>I know iDVD encodes "60 minutes or less" movies at 8mbs, and I am hoping
>that I can lower this bitrate slightly for my 65 minute movie or perhaps
>use the 90 minute mode (5 mbs) but raise the encoding rate to get better
>quality for this length of movie.
>
To: "Macintosh Digital Video List"  <MacDV at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
From: Erica Sadun <erica at mindspring.com>
Subject: Did it. (Encoding iDVDs at a lower bitrate)
Cc:
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So, out of curiousity, I decided to take a break from
writing and see if I could make iDVD encode at the
bitrate I desired.

I edited the ProjectData file from the project (without
iDVD running)

  <key>Bit Rate</key>
    <dict>
     <key>Is modifiable</key>
     <string>1</string>
     <key>Max value</key>
     <string>9800000</string>
     <key>Min value</key>
     <string>2000000</string>
     <key>Order</key>
     <string>20</string>
     <key>Property name</key>
     <string>Bit Rate</string>
     <key>Property persistent name</key>
     <string>Bit Rate</string>
     <key>Property type</key>
     <string>3</string>
     <key>Value</key>
     <string>2000000</string>
    </dict>

I enabled background encoding, adding a short movie and
sure enough, (after extracting the file from the project
file MPEG folder):

/Users/ericasadun/Desktop/MPEGS/try1.m2v
   Mpeg 2 Video File
   Estimated Duration: 06.15s
   Aspect ratio 4/3 (TV)
   Interlaced, chroma format: 4:2:0
   Video Format: NTSC
   Size [720 x 480]     29.97 fps    2.00 Mbps


I got the 2.0 Mbps that I requested.

-- Erica