[MacDV] Can't render/encode my iDVD project - Can't burn project to DVD

[Robert L. Vaessen]

Ted -

On Oct 25, 2004, at 16:54, Ted Langdell wrote:

> On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 21:04:03 -0600 "Robert L. Vaessen" wrote:
>
>> For that matter to say that you can't use MPEG files in an iDVD 
>> project
>> is a very strange statement. Considering the fact that QuickTime video
>> files (.mov extension) are based on MPEG standards.
>>
>
> Regarding your problems using iDVD:
>
> Upgrade to the latest version of iMovie if you haven't done so, yet.  
> Restart, then:

I did that, it doesn't seem to have helped.

> As another poster suggested... and I'll modify here slightly:
>
> Try using a short piece of original video you've captured into iMovie 
> in the conventional way from a camcorder, so you know that you're 
> getting the proper file format into iMovie in the first place.

Sorry, but that is not possible. The original video came from a VHS 
tape. A friend transfered/converted the movie from VHS to DVD (in 
VIDEO_TS) format. What do you mean by the proper file format? Would 
iMovie allow me to import an 'improper' file format? That doesn't seem 
likely. If the video plays fine in iMovie, it should be assumed that 
this data is 'proper'.

> Pull that clip into the timeline, save the project, then hit the 
> button to create a new iDVD project. Quit iMovie.

I took a 2 minute 19 second clip into iMovie, added 4 chapter markers, 
and created a new iDVD project. Quit iMovie,

> Burn a DVD.

and attempted a burn using iDVD. After about 15 minutes at stage 2, the 
burn icon began to spin at an accelerated and constant rate (CPU usage 
drops dramatically). This is indicative of iDVD giving up, but not 
throwing up an error message, or crashing. I've seen this behavior many 
times now. If I allow it to continue the icon will 'freewheel' until I 
force quit. Cancel and quit have no response.

> It shouldn't take very long to find out whether THAT short project 
> burns, and is playable on your Mac and your DVD players.
>
> IF it does, it suggests that the software and hardware are working, 
> and that there's something in one or more of the elements you've used 
> in your "problem" project.
>
> ----------------------
>
> One thing that was suggested either here or on the Apple Discussion 
> boards :
> http://discussions.info.apple.com/
>
> Make sure that you have a SUBSTANTIAL amount of free hard drive space 
> on your internal drive, since OS X uses some of your hard drive for 
> swap files (what we remember as "virtual memory" on OS 9 and earlier) 
> and the software in use may also do the same thing.
>
> SUBSTANTIAL was suggested to be as much as or more than 40GIGabytes.

I've got over 50Gb worth of space.

> If it DOESN'T work, try checking the TS_Video folder's files by 
> opening it with Apple DVD Player.
>
> If they DO behave as you wanted, try burning the TS_Video and TS_Audio 
> files to a DVD using Toast.

I've yet to get to this point. iDVD fails at stage 2 or 3.

> I've use the last two steps to check and successfully burn a DVD 
> Studio Pro 3 project that I was having problems burning from inside 
> the DVDSP3 application.
>
> Let us know what happens... but in your case, I wouldn't keep trying 
> to use the files you've converted or ripped from a DVD using software. 
>  I suspect that's part of the problem.

The files were converted/ripped from VHS using hardware. An analog to 
digital converter. The DVD created by that process plays fine in my DVD 
player (Set top player and computer). So, despite the fact that the 
movie looks good, previews fine, and works in iMovie and iDVD, it might 
be bad video?

FYI: I attempted to burn the iDVD project on a DP 2.5Ghz G5 at the 
nearby AppleStore. iDVD crashed three times while I was there. :-(