My iDVD can't "see" certain MOV files

Question

My iDVD can't "see" certain MOV files

Hi,

Using Final Cut Pro X, I export a film in standard Quicktime MOV format, shot on a Canon EOS 550D in 1080i HD.

FCPX is happy, my Mac is happy, Quicktime is happy, and for the most part, iDVD is happy - it picks up the files and runs with them.

But sometimes I produce an MOV file, and it's as though iDVD can't see it - it isn't there. I can play it in Quicktime, I can move it around, but iDVD just doesn't acknowledge its existence.

I've recently produced 4 films and iDVD could see 2 but not the other two. It only sees them if I import them into iMovie, and then re-export them, but that sometimes corrupts elements of the film.

The two films it could see (less than 2 Gb) were smaller than the other 2 (over 3 Gb), but i have also created a DVD where the main film was over 13 Gb, and iDVD could see it without blinking. So I don't think it could be a size limit issue.

I am running iDVD 7.1.2 (1158) on an iMac which is running OS 10.6.8, with 4GB RAM.

Does anyone have any ideas???

Thanks

iDVD 7.1.2-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jun 15, 2012 3:04 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 15, 2012 9:53 PM in response to DavidHSimmons

Hi

I can only guess - There are a lot of info that are needed to mak any clever answer. BUT

• iDVD - Doesn't care about Gbs at all - only duration/time

I've movies on 500 Mb that are to large to fit and on 50Gb that fit's nicely

iDVD 08, 09 & 11 has three levels of qualities. (version 7.0.1, 7,0.4 & 7.1.1) and iDVD 6 has the two last ones

• Professional Quality

(movies + menus up to 120 min.) - BEST (but not always for short movies e.g. up to 45 minutes in total)

• Best Performances

(movies + menus less than 60 min.) - High quality on final DVD (Can be best for short movies)

• High Quality (in iDVD08 or 09) / Best Quality (in iDVD6)

(movies + menus up to 120 min.) - slightly lower quality than above

Menu can take 15 minutes or even more - I use a very simple one with no audio or animation like ”Brushed Metal” in old Themes.

About double on DL DVDs.

• Then - MOV - is no video codec - it's a container. Open it with QuickTime-Player then open Inspector [cmd+I] and then read

Video Format/Codec: nnnnnnnnnnnn - and -

Frame rate: 25fps or 29.97fps ? ?

What does they read.

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 2

Jun 16, 2012 1:30 AM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Hi Bengt

Interesting you should ask - the film iDVD can "see" is Apple Pro-Res 422, Linear PCM, Timecode

The other one is H.264, AAC

I have never consciously changed the way I export the films from FCPX ... but it appears to be the same thing for all the films which iDVD can "see".

I shall experiment a bit more when I have a moment...

Thanks,

David

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Answer 3

Jun 16, 2012 3:38 AM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Hi Bengt,

Here are the details when I look at the Quicktime Inspector:

Gascoigne Report (can't be seen by iDVD)

Length: 4 min 18

Format: Apple ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, Millions

24-bit Integer (Little Endian), Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz

FPS: 23.38

Data rate: 116.32 MB/s

The Survey (can be seen)

Length: 1 min 59

Format: Apple ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, Millions

24-bit Integer (Little Endian), Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz

FPS: 23.98

Data rate: 111.33 MB/s

The News (can be seen)

Length: 1 min 41

Format: Apple ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, Millions

24-bit Integer (Little Endian), Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz

FPS:23.98

Data Rate: 101.30 MB/s

A Great Time (Can't be seen)

Length: 4 mins 10

Format: Apple ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, Millions

24-bit Integer (Little Endian), Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz

FPS: 23.98

Data Rate: 101.20 MB/s

Volunteering (Can be seen)

Length: 16 minutes

Format: Apple ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, Millions

24-bit Integer (Little Endian), 5.1 (L R C LFE Ls Rs), 48.000 kHz

FPS: 23.98

Data Rate: 108.98 Mb/s

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Answer 4

Jun 16, 2012 4:14 AM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Hi

Just discovered that if I export from FCPX using H.264, it can be seen by iDVD.

I shall burn the disc and test it on the TV.

Cheers

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Answer 5

Jun 16, 2012 7:09 AM in response to DavidHSimmons

What I find problematic is

fps 23.98 (24)

iDVD can not use this - it is either

• PAL = 25fps

• NTSC = 29.97fps (30)

I use JES_Deinterlacer to convert from PAL to NTSC for DVDs to US - but it can also make a very good conversion from 24fps to what's needed. MUCH better than just drop it into iMovie or iDVD to let them do the conversion ( Meaning BAD result )

Also feeding iDVD - HD-material will not improve the final out come - as downscaling to SD-Video is not done in a good way but result will lose much of it's quality

DVD - is as standard (Whatever program is used to create it) - Interlaced SD-Video. If You need HD then Blu-Ray is the only real format availably. (HD-DVD is very unique - and even fewer players can handle it to be playedback)

Yours Bengt W

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