burning an iPhoto slide show to a DVD

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

Check out the Share -> Send to iDVD command.

Regards

TD

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. A number of users have reported problems with syncing the music to the slideshow. If you find that's the case you might consider creating the slideshow in iDVD using the stills. Here's how:

1 - create an album of the photos you want and arrange them in the order you want.
2 - select them and use the same Share->Send to iDVD menu option.l
3 - once the photos have been imported into iDVD you can assign the transition to use between photos and set the music to use via the Media/Music pane.

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*NOTE: the Ken Burns effect in iPhoto is not available in iDVD.*

4 - when you've complete the project use the File->Save as Disk Image menu option to create a disk image of the project. This will separate the encoding of the project from the burning process.

Click to view full size

5 - mount the disk image by double clicking on it and then launch DVD Player to preview your project.
6 - If it plays as intended with DVD Player then burn to disc with Disk Utility or Tosat at the slowest speed available to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatium, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

The iDVD themes are only for the menus, not the slideshows. The only type of slideshow iDVD produces is like the classic in iPhoto with a variety of transitions to choose from. You can make a plain menu theme by picking a very simple theme without drop zones and use a plain jpeg file for the background if you'd like. I've have excellent results with creating slideshow in iDVD and playing them on a 50 plasma HD TV set.

I toohav e this problem. When I import my iPhoto slideshow to iDVD it superimposes the formatting onto an iDVD theme. I cannot get rid of the themes for burning purposes, though I can see the slideshow without background. if I eliminate the theme box in the panel below the photos on the left (what is this called?) I hate all the preset themes, they truncate my photos and are not appropriate. I did make Quicktime movie. (.mov) and tried burning it in iTunes and by dragging it to the disc, no luck How can this be so hard-I do not want to export it to any of the options I am about to just burn the photos to a CD but can't figure out how to do that either. I'm using iLife 09 and an intel machine so can't just hook the computer up to a TV Any advice? Thanks

iDVD does not have themed slideshows, only themes for menus. If you're using the Share->Send to iDVD menu option to get the slideshow to iDVD that is creating a Quicktime movie of the slideshow and adding it to the menu of an iDVD project. Those movies are not scaled to the TV safe area that slideshows create entirely in iDVD are. You can, however, export the iPhoto slideshow at 640 x 480 as a QT movie and then add that movie to the slideshow window of an iDVD project as seen below:

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This will allow you to set iDVD's preferences to scale the slideshow to the TV safe area and not lose any of the movie due to TV overscan.

After using the Mac for 30 years maybe this is over my head BUT... all I want to do is make a DVD from iPhoto pics and video with music. I would like to add titles and names which iPhoto does not apparently support. What must I do to get this thing to play on any DVD player? It's got to be simpler than what I hear and read....
I want to disable Ken Burns, too. Is this only possible in iPhoto?

AHH a fellow sufferer. I was pulling my hair out about this finally with help from my computer literate son and the apple genius bar figured how how to do this.

1.go to IDVD. Pick a theme (actually this is a menu and only shows when your dvd opens until you click a "my slideshow button on the menu page. Some music will also be playing. Ignore this for now) If you want one of your photos or more to show in the first opening panel, just go to media, There you will find all your iPhotos. PIck an album or event. PIck a simple theme like the lotus flower and your photo will override it totally.Drag one photo to the Theme box. You can limit how long the theme panel shows also by going to the little ion the left lower next to the + click and you will see various things that you can do like decrease loop time and eliminate "intro and outro"?? Can't give you any advice on this but I usually shorten the loop time.

2.Then go to the lower left "+" sign and it will let you drag in a slideshow you have made in iPhoto. If you note directly below the middle of the screen on the left there is a diagram, sort of an algorhythm. showing three squares. in the middle you will see two arrows indicating revolutions and on the right a dotted edge small box. Ignore these.(for now anyway).Go to your iPhotos shown under media (on the lower right there are buttons for Themes, buttons and media. Click on media and you will see all your iphotos under photos and all your iTunes under audio. Arrange the order of the photos and then Drag the photos you want onto the panel which says slideshow. Presto, there you are. If you have given titles to your photos they can be displayed and you can affect the type, etc. Double Click on the slideshow panel, you will see thumbnails with the .cmg or.jpeg annotations. Click on the Settings GEar and you will see the options to show titles. (The final option"duck audio.." can apparently lower audio(??)I didn't notice any difference
3. On to Audio. go to the audio files select what you want to play and highlight it and drag it anywhere onto the slideshow/ You will know it is there by an ITunes speaker showing up in the lower panel YOu can hit transitions to chose how that works, does not have ken burns which I dislike because it truncates my photos. Select slideshow speed. 3 secs is too short with titles. Click return.
4. you will be returned to the screen with the Theme box, the slideshow box on its right and a gray box on the left. for a start which will avoid the theme opener, drag the slideshow box over to the left box, you will now have two slideshow boxes. This usually avoids the theme screen entirely when your disc plays. Now you can preview and burn.
5. You can also make an iPhoto slideshow complete with music, other formats transitions and music and save it as a Quicktime movie to your desktop. Then when you hit the "+" button on the left click on add movie and drag it from your desktop onto the little box next to the theme box (the same place you dragged your slideshow or photos)
6. Finally the approved way per applestore genius bar, use iMovie. it will show up your iphotos in the media box. Drag them into the upper bar. There is also a media box, which has your iTunes. drag the ones you want onto the lower box. For more specific tunes for certain groups of photos you just drag the tunes under the photos, truncating the music as you wish with your cursor. You can also add titles under your photos but iMovie will not transfer the titles you may have given photos in iPhoto, so I did not use this method, already having gone to all the work of titling my iPHotos
After previewing, hit the burn button, it can take some time to set up, but if you burn several discs the repeat burn time is much shortened.
HOpe this helps, if yo have more questions I'd be happy to helpl if I can. forgive the typos please
Kmcnm

Thank you for taking the time to reply.
In iPhoto I have the option of simply building an event or album. Or, I can create a slideshow with many bells and whistles, music, kburns effect, etc.
What do you suggest?
I believe iPhoto gives me these options when iDVD does not... and when I move to iMovie it/they are already locked into my work. The frustrating thing is that when I do a iDVD I cannot burn it or use it in any other way to "share" it.

Firts, were you able to navigate my intructions, i.e. find the little boxes, butttons etc I referred to? I hope I was clearEither make an album and then turn it into a slideshow go to create slideshow, then drag your album there. If you have used titles on your photos, ad you can add music to the slideshow via itunes. Then go to "share" on the upper menu, and do it with Quicktime a movie format. Save it to your desk top for easy dragging later into the iDVD you are making when you click the + button on the lower left. This will preserve whatever iPhoto format you used.Follow the other directions. You should be able to burn a DVDfrom the iDVD you create this way.
OR select + slideshow and drag photos directly to the slideshow box from the media box on the right Click Medic, click photos, select photos by clicking your slideshow under the iPhoto area. Add music from audio and you are good to go.
I did not use iMovie. I was told my way was a workaround and that the photos might be degraded but for my purposes, i.e. Computer or TV viewing they were just fine. If I had not already done the work of formatting a slideshow in iPhoto and adding titles in iPhoto I would have tried iMovie- it seems a little more direct. Let me kow how it works out

If you have not figured this out, check my detailed response on 12/10 and good luck. They certainly arenot very clear about how to do this.