pauus5

Q: IMOVIE '11 has the iDVD greyed out WHY? I cannot save projects to DVD help?

I am using MT Lion MAC OS X 10.8.2 - IMOVIE '11 has the iDVD greyed out.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), iCloud installed

Posted on Oct 20, 2012 1:39 PM

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Q: IMOVIE '11 has the iDVD greyed out WHY? I cannot save projects to DVD help?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Ziatron,

    Ziatron Ziatron Oct 20, 2012 9:34 PM in response to pauus5
    Level 4 (3,924 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 20, 2012 9:34 PM in response to pauus5

    iDVD is missing from your Mac.

     

    You can purchase iLife 11  (includes iDVD) on disk.

     

    IDVD is a wonderful piece of software and well worth the low cost of $40.

     

    http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC623Z-A-iLife-VERSION/dp/B003XKRZES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=U

     

    http://dealmac.com/lw/artclick.html?1,527850,1872219

  • by pauus5,

    pauus5 pauus5 Oct 21, 2012 8:50 AM in response to Ziatron
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 21, 2012 8:50 AM in response to Ziatron

    Hi Ziatron,

    I appreciate your answer. However, I OWN iLife'11 and installed it. This was my first time to use iMovie after I just finished a short digital movie I took with my Canon PS SX20is (compatible with iMovie). Further, when I wanted to save and pass it one I followed directions to SHARE and found iDisk to be greyed out. Nothing!  I then checked spotlight and found iDVD app. I then tried to use it outside of iMovie but I couldn't get the procedure right to use the iDVD app.

    Yes I can use the other share items but I wanted a hard copy (DVD) for some record.

    Shall I re-install iLife'11 or comtact apple for a replacement?

    Thank you,

    pauus5

  • by pauus5,

    pauus5 pauus5 Oct 21, 2012 11:35 AM in response to pauus5
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 21, 2012 11:35 AM in response to pauus5

    Hello Ziatron,

    With appoliges. You advised that I purchase iLife'11. As I mentioned I own iLife'11 However, I discovered that I had not registered it with Apple since I purchased it in Dec. 2010 - Good Grief.

    Today Sunday 10-21-12 I did registered my copy with Apple using my Apple ID. I expected to hear from Apple but have not yet heard from them.

    I am still stuck with the iMovie I installed and still have a problem with iDVD with it greyed out and useless.

    Any suuggetions? Or just wait and call Apple support Monday?

    Thank you.

    pauus5

  • by Ziatron,

    Ziatron Ziatron Oct 21, 2012 12:25 PM in response to pauus5
    Level 4 (3,924 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 21, 2012 12:25 PM in response to pauus5

    Any suuggetions? Or just wait and call Apple support Monday?

     

    Many people have reported getting a free copy of iDVD buy calling Apple support.  You must talk to the second tier support people to get your free copy. The first tier people cannot do it.

     

    Only the version of iLife 11 on disk contains iDVD.

     

    iDVD is tested and works perfectly with mountain lion.

  • by AppleMan1958,Helpful

    AppleMan1958 AppleMan1958 Oct 21, 2012 7:05 PM in response to pauus5
    Level 7 (27,430 points)
    Oct 21, 2012 7:05 PM in response to pauus5

    Share to iDVD is only available as an option if your Event clips are in the DV codec or in the Apple Intermediate Codec. If it is anything else (and even if it is DV or AIC), you should SHARE/TO MEDIA BROWSER in Large size. Then, in iDVD, open the Media Browser and navigate to your iMovie Project. You can drag your project in from there.

  • by pauus5,Helpful

    pauus5 pauus5 Oct 22, 2012 5:25 AM in response to AppleMan1958
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2012 5:25 AM in response to AppleMan1958

    AppleMan1958

    Your suggestion that my Event cllips should be in DV codec, etc. After trying to find what codec my Canon SX20is uses all I could determine is the video sys-NTSC (sets output format for TV display).

    What I did find is that I have 2 other Event clips that are marked with 3 bars (last being large & bright). I clicked on these movie clips and the iDVD appeared.

    So my question is how do I determine what codec my Canon is using (not in the manual)? 2nd Is there a conversion I can use to change the non-DV codec clip or others I may come across.

    As you can tell I rather new to iMove. Another fact, I used the EYE-FI card to record the movie and send it to my MacBook.

    I looked up the iMovie help section and I see I have to do more homework.

    Thank you for enlightenment regarding DV codec or in the Apple intermediate Codec.

    Pauus5

  • by AppleMan1958,

    AppleMan1958 AppleMan1958 Oct 22, 2012 5:57 AM in response to pauus5
    Level 7 (27,430 points)
    Oct 22, 2012 5:57 AM in response to pauus5

    OK for starters, the DV codec is used for mini-DV tapes that were very popuplar from about 1995 through 2006 when the high definition AVCHD camcorders started taking over the market. If your camera uses tapes, you probably use DV.  These will be in standard definition, which is fine for DVD which are also standard defintion.

     

    Some tape camcorders can shoot HDV, which is 1440x1080 MPEG2. This is converted to Apple Intermediate Codec on import.

     

    Many modern camcorders shoot AVCHD. This is automatically converted to Apple Intermediate Codec on import.

    This is a high definition format that typically shoots 1920x1080 or 1280x720. AVCHD is a variant of h.264.

     

    Some camcorders shoot in h.264. h.264 files can be anything from the tiny 320x220 movies of the older cell phones to 1920x1080.  For the smaller sizes, iMovie can edit the h.264 natively. For the HD sizes, you should convert to Apple Intermediate Codec. This is called Optimizing.

     

    For why Apple Intermediate Codec is involved in all this, see this post. https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3941

     

    When you SHARE your iMovie project, and use EXPORT MOVIE, SHARE TO ITUNES, SHARE TO MEDIA BROWSER, SHARE TO YOUTUBE etc. your movie is always rendered in h.264.

     

    You would think that sharing to iDVD directly in DV or AIC would produce better results (using SHARE/iDVD), but for most people, sharing through h.264 looks better. This is possibly because of the way iMovie deinterlaces.

     

    In addition, when you SHARE/iDVD it produces a single very large temporary file. This files goes away after you create your iDVD project. Finally, when you share to h.264, it becomes much easier to have multiple iMovies on the same DVD. When you SHARE/to iDVD, you have one movie per DVD.

     

    You would usually not ever want to save a high definition file in DV codec. (you would lose the high definition)

     

    Having said all that, here is how you can tell for sure what codec your camera uses.

     

    Right-click on one of your Event clips. Select "Reveal in Finder". You should see a Finder window with the clip selected. Right-click on this clip and select "Open With.../QuickTime Player".

    Now, in QuickTime Player, type Command-I to open the Inspector. You can see the audio and video codecs next to the word "Format" in the Inspector.

  • by pauus5,Solvedanswer

    pauus5 pauus5 Oct 22, 2012 7:34 AM in response to AppleMan1958
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2012 7:34 AM in response to AppleMan1958

    I just read your reply. First, I have a digital camera Canon SX20si that has the capability of taking HD 720 movies in NTSC/PAL. I use NTSC.

    It's not that I do not want to use SHARE TO MEDIA it is limit that is imposed. I can send to my iPhone or iPod (I don't have). That is the limit.

    So I spent all morning looking for a conversion app to change the format NTSC (HD720) movie to the DV or Apple DV.

    Any ideas will be wecomed and thank you for your time.

    Pauus5

  • by pauus5,

    pauus5 pauus5 Oct 22, 2012 8:15 AM in response to pauus5
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2012 8:15 AM in response to pauus5

    Thank you for all of your help. Since I am new (one week) to iMovie but not Apple (2007) I just could not understand why I couldn't see the iDVD.

    I finally went to iMovie help and found in Start a new project item #5 seems to support NTSC format (30 fps). So it is now matter of re-doing what I had started and go from there.

    A Mac Bud of mine just called to offer his help as he is an expert so I hope to resolve my problems.

    I appreciate all of efforts. I will watching If you want to add more tips / hints on iMovie.

    Again thanks

    Pauus5

  • by AppleMan1958,

    AppleMan1958 AppleMan1958 Oct 22, 2012 8:15 AM in response to pauus5
    Level 7 (27,430 points)
    Oct 22, 2012 8:15 AM in response to pauus5

    I don't have your camera so I cant test this.

     

    But it looks like the most straightforward way to import from your camera is to:

    Plug in Camera via USB.

    Better yet, put camera SD card in a USB card reader.

    FILE/IMPORT MOVIE

    Navigate to the camera card.

    Select one or more MOV files to import.

    If it offers to optimize, say yes.

     

    If that does not work, I would import into iPhoto. You can access them in the iPhoto Event.

  • by pauus5,

    pauus5 pauus5 Oct 22, 2012 8:25 AM in response to AppleMan1958
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 22, 2012 8:25 AM in response to AppleMan1958

    Thanks - it seems that there are many ways to import to iMovie. I have made copy of your tips/hints I will try them out.

    I'll keep you posted when I finally make the short iMovie.

    Thanks so much.

    Pauus5