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

[Bruce Maclean]

I went through almost all of the problems you describe.

The last step Apple tech strolled me through was creating a new user,
logging in under that user and trying again, that worked, but then 
problems again.

Following this thread carefully , I think your problem is the same as 
mine:  BAD RAM!!!!

The "free" 512 RAM upgrade I got with my G5 Dual 2.5, turned out to be 
faulty.

Now. when they determined this at the local Apple dealer, they didn't 
have replacement RAM so I took

it back to my studio and I have been burning DVD's out of iMovie up to 
60 minutes long (for my cable access

TV show "I'm Not Fishing")  flawlessly  since.  I also run about 30 
hours of  very involved ProTools sessions weekly.

ALL WITH ONLY 512 MEGS OF RAM !!!!

I was gettin' really bummed with Apple, but it turned out it was the 
crap RAM the reseller put in.

Did you get your machine from a reseller with a RAM upgrade???

Bruce Maclean
Maclean Studio
Cape Cod
On Oct 26, 2004, at 8:58 AM, Robert L. Vaessen wrote:

> 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. :-(
>
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