iMovie project too large for DVD burning

The DVD-Video standard specifies “Standard Definition” (720×480 NTSC 29.97 fps interlaced/23.976 fps progressive, 720×576 PAL 25 fps) in MPEG-2 format at no more than 10 Mbps. Usually between 4–8, though, depending on content (randomness and fast action require more bitrate than e.g. a talking head). This way, a DVD can hold about 2 hours of video at good quality (but still SD). For 71 minutes, 8 Mbps throughout is no issue (excellent quality, but still SD). Time is all you need to worry about; the software re-encoding will make it small enough.

DVD - Wikipedia

What is DVD - VideoHelp

If you want to burn your video with other specifications (e.g. .mov/.mp4/.m4v, high bitrate, high resolution, ProRes video codec, etc.), then it will not play as DVD-Video in a set-top DVD player. DVD-R discs come in sizes 4.7/8.5 GB.

If you want to burn your video as Blu-ray, then you will need a Blu-ray encoder and a Blu-ray disc and a Blu-ray burner drive and Blu-ray burner software. Writable Blu-ray discs come in sizes 25/50/100/128 GB, for burner drives that also support each of these sizes.

But these days, I wouldn’t bother with optical discs, if I can avoid it. I just send .mp4 files with H.264 video and AAC audio instead, compatible with computers, smart phones, tablets, many modern TVs and streaming devices. Or maybe with H.265 video for even better quality at even smaller sizes, if I know the recipient’s compatibility.

As Martin says, the size of your iMovie project does not matter.

The only thing that will affect your ability to burn to a DVD is the length in minutes.

This can vary but whatever you do, the minimum will be no less than 90 minutes so you will be fine.

The massive size of your project is probably caused by render files.

Never export "Best Quality" . . . it is a misnomer, it's not better than High Quality but it creates ridiculously massive files.

It should never have been included in iMovie as it is only intended for specialised use where someone needs to archive a project which they may later intend to re-edit. Theoretically it gives the optimum quality but in reality you will never notice any difference even under the closest scrutiny . . . apart from those gigantic files which are generally unplayable on anything other than a computer.

Shelley-205 wrote:

I’ve been working on my Mac in iMovie to make DVDs. I just worked on a movie that is 1:10 min.

my Burn app is encoding the file to mpg. but looking at the saved copy it says it is 76.44 GB. QT movie

How did you export this movie from iMovie? And what version of iMovie are you using?

If you exported to "Best(ProRes)" that is the reason you have such a large QT file. Best(ProRes) creates enormous files that are totally unnecessary if your plan is to burn to DVD. "Medium" or "High" quality will be sufficient for DVD.

Shelley-205 wrote:

I’ve been working on my Mac in iMovie to make DVDs. I just worked on a movie that is 1:10 min.

my Burn app is encoding the file to mpg. but looking at the saved copy it says it is 76.44 GB. QT movie

I’ll never be able to burn that. I’m trying to figure out why it is SO BIG.

The size of the QT movie file from iMovie is not what is burned to DVD. When your Burn app burns the QT file to the DVD it first re-encodes & compresses the QT video to MPEG2, which is much smaller than the source QT file. You are not burning 76.44GB to the DVD.

What matters is the length in time of the movie you are burning. A standard DVD can hold 2-2.5 hours of finished video. You can easily fit a 1:10 movie on DVD.

How big does iMovie say the file is when you export it from iMovie and before the Burn app encodes it?

Are you exporting the movie in 4K quality by any chance?

What settings do you have for the burn app? you may be using settings that are too high to be used for regular DVD's

DVD's aren't super high definition mediums. So you don't want to be exporting 4K video if you want to save it as a playable movie DVD or even as just a copied file on a data DVD.

It's unlikely the original location of the pictures and videos is the issue.

You'll need to provide more details about what you are doing to the video exactly, what quality export options you are choosing in iMovie and what settings you have in the burn app.

Also, how your iMovie project is laid out. Make sure you actually have 1:10 minutes of movie and you don't have like 3 more hours of darkness at the end of the iMovie project.

Is the Burn App on a Mac or on the Windows PC?

What Burn app is it exactly?

The easiest, quickest and free way to distribute your videos to your family and friends is to export the edited video to an .mp4 file and upload it somewhere like YouTube. Once the finished video is on your desktop it just takes minutes to upload (depending on its length and your internet speed).

The quality will be better than DVD as DVDs are only Standard Definition whereas your video could be High Definition or 4K on YouTube.

You only have to do it once as opposed to burning multiple DVDs and your family can access them or download them from anywhere in the world on their mobile phones, smart TVs, computers etc. You don't have to hand them over in person or spend money posting them and they are instantly available.

If you wanted only your family and friends to have access to them you could specify they be Unlisted or Private so nobody else could see them.

Do you really need DVDs?

They are heading the same way as VHS and Betamax tapes and the Dodo.

Most people simply convert their videos to .mp4 video files which can be viewed anywhere on computers, mobile phones, TVs etc. and posted online.

As mentioned elsewhere, apart from being obsolete they are unreliable, likely to deteriorate after a few years and require the viewer to own a DVD player.

I'm having trouble with some of the DVD’s not wanting to burn in my BURN app. They just spin around and pop out.

DVD discs would need to be empty. Partially filled DVDs cannot have DVD-Video content added; it should be written in one session for DVD-Video. Re-writable DVDs would be need to be erased first, if something was written to it earlier.

Some discs (brand, disc specs, age) may not work well (fallout percentage of those discs). Some discs (brand, disc specs, age) may not work well will specific burner drives.

Daylight, and especially direct sunlight, is bad for optical discs. Keep them in their case when not in use. Keep them scratch-free.

I don’t think that the burner software is the likely culprit.

Shelley-205 wrote:

... but I have many more DVD Projects to be done. So hopefully some of them will work. I was given a huge bunch of DVDS & was hoping they would work for my projects.

This sounds like a different question.

Are you planning/hoping to import video from DVDs into iMovie and edit them in iMovie? What sort of videos are on the DVDs? Commercial movies, home movies, something else?

Sorry, I've just re-read your post.

Are you trying to Burn (create a new DVD) or simply Play and Copy your existing DVDs?