iDVD not loading my iMovie projects

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Level 1

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iDVD not loading my iMovie projects

Hello,

I really, really, hope someone can help.

I created a film in iMovie and would like to create a DVD with chapters/menus etc using iDVD.

Once I had finished my film and set the chapters etc I went to Share -> Media Browser and selected HD 720 and clicked publish.This seemed to work fine and took some time as my film is 57mins and 33 seconds.

However, when I open iDVD, create a project and then go into the Media section by clicking on the Media button and then clicking on Movies..it just says "Loading iMovie Projects...."

Now I'm not sure how long I should have to wait...but nothing happens....it just says that message and nothing...just the swirling icon to say it's loading....

- Now I don't even have many projects in iMovie...about 4 and they aren't as big as this one which I have been working on for some time.

After doing some research I have been able to double check imovie shared the movie (from what I did in Media Browser) as their is a .mov file in the 'Show Package Contents' of the original iMovie project file called: "720p.MOV".

Not sure how it all works but I want iDVD to allow me to access the film I shared in Media Browser and then create a DVD that has all the chapters I set in iMovie and so allows me to create a good DVD with all the sub-menu's etc.

I hope all that makes sense? I just really am struggling to understand why the iMovie projects won't load in iDVD?!? All this work for nothing?? I hope not!

I was advised to create the DVD this way - I know there is another way to do it in iMovie - Share -> iDVD.....I think I did try that once and it crashed but do I need to do it this way? will that work?

Hope someone can help and advise me of a way to do this. I don't want to burn this as a DVD without chapters and slick menu's. I was really counting on iMovie and iDVD to work. The screenshot of what is happening follows:

User uploaded file

I am using iDVD 7.1.2, iMovie 11 and a 2008 MacBook Pro (2.2 GHz Dual Core Intel) with 4gb ram and the rather crappy geforce 8600M GT with 128mb.

Thanks

iDVD '08, Mac OS X (10.6.8), iDVD version 7.1.2

Posted on Aug 11, 2012 5:02 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 12, 2012 12:14 AM in response to Mirez

Hi

Not having enough know-how to give full answer on Your suggestions - I only can share what I would do and think.

A. I never use "Share to iDVD" in any version of iMovie 1 to 6 or 08 to 11.

B. I Share to Media Browser - AND AS LARGE - Not HD or other resolution as this gives problems and not better picture !

C. If iDVD ill behaves

• Trash iMovie pref. file

• Repair Permissions (Disk Util tool)

• Repair Hard Disk (Disk Util tool - but one needs to start Mac from DVD or ext. Hard Disk - to get it to work)

D. If free space on Start-Up (Mac OS) Hard Disk goes low everything get's slow and un-stable - I never go under 25 Gb free space on THIS HARD DISK !

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

207,367 points

Aug 12, 2012 10:50 AM in response to Mirez

Are you able to see the iMovie files in the media browser of any other apps?

Give this a try: delete the iApps (com.apple.iApps.plist, iMovie (com.apple.iMovie.plist) and iDVD (com.apple.iDVD.plist) preference files located in your Home/Library/Preference folder. Then launch the apps in this order: iMovie and then iDVD. See if that will jump start the media browser loading of iMovie.

OT

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Answer 3

Mirez Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 13, 2012 1:38 PM in response to Mirez

Thanks Bengt and Old Toad for your help so far.

Unfortunately iDVD will still not load any of my iMovie projects.

Since my original post I have also gone to Share -> Media Browser and created a Large as well as the HD720.

However, this has made no difference at all.

I should also tell you the movies do not load up in any of the other apps - same problem: "Loading iMovie Projects...."

I also trashed the .plist files as recommended by Old Toad in the sequence as recommended - no difference.

It seems my only options now are:

1. Bengts option C.

If iDVD ill behaves

• Trash iMovie pref. file *********DO YOU MEAN plist file?????***********

• Repair Permissions (Disk Util tool)

• Repair Hard Disk (Disk Util tool - but one needs to start Mac from DVD or ext. Hard Disk - to get it to work)

2. Try share -> iDVD ( i know people dont recommend this but I am desperate to be able to make a DVD!)

3. Re-install iDVD - will that make a difference???

4. Try a Apple Genius person at the Apple Store (not sure they will be able to help as they have limited knowledge in my experience.)

5. Look at some other way to create the DVD - however I know I am stuffed as I have a 1 hr film which i need to make menus and chapters for and it is all in iMovie...probably could be exported to FCP but I dont have that.

6. Take a sledge hammer to my MBP and wave goodbye to Apple.

Any other ideas? Who else can I contact to get an actual fix? I have googled this problem and not found anyone else with a similar issue.

Bengt's Option C could well be the answer but I am scared to mess with my hard disk as I fear this could screw up my whole HD which is rammed full (have about 10gb of a 120gb drive left) as yes I know it was recommended to have 25gb free. But I really don't think that is the issue with this.

Please someone help - thanks!!!

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Answer 4

Mirez Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 13, 2012 1:50 PM in response to Mirez

Is there any manual way to drop in the 'Large.m4v' file that I can see in the package contents?

I could copy that file and paste elsewhere or drop it in from where it is? Is that what I need to be able to create chapters and menu's?

I dont get how it all works....I mean my final project has been marked up by me using chapter markers etc...

Do iMovie and iDVD need to be open when I am trying to create the DVD?

Considering my film is under an hour - how long should it take iDVD to find and load my movie projects? I mean is just taking ages to load as they are quite large files? Well now I have a large one too whch is only 1.66gb, so that should load up fairly quickly and well I guess noting is done with them until I select one and take it across into my DVD project right?

Why oh why is it not working 😟

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Answer 5

Mirez Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 13, 2012 2:36 PM in response to Mirez

Could it also be because the folder the project is in is:

/Users/myusername/Movies/iMovie Projects.localized

Or could it be that the extension of the project file was hidden - made it unhidden but it made no difference.

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Answer 6

Aug 13, 2012 11:50 PM in response to Mirez

To test if - trash pref file is right You can Safely do

• Start a new User-Account (Apple / System pref/set-up / Accounts

• Log out and into this

• Try iDVD - Does it now beheave - then trashing iDVD.pref file can be of big help (in original Account)

Delete iDVD pref file

• Delete iDVD pref. file - or rather start a new user/account - log into this and re-try

iDVD pref. file resides.

Mac Hard Disk (start-up HD)/Users/"Your account"/Library/Preferences

and is named.

com.apple.iDVD.plist

While iDVD is NOT RUNNING - move this file out to desk-top.

Now restart iDVD.

If You run Mac OS X.7 or more - then the Library in the User-account folder is invisibly and need to be set to be viewable. IT IS NOT in the Library on Root level (when opening MacintoshHD - first window = root level)

( It can be done like this: Open Terminal, then enter: chflags nohidden ~/Library

Press return, then restart, and it will always be visible until the next major update, when you do the same thing again. )

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 7

critterb

Level 1

0 points

Aug 29, 2012 4:05 PM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Thanks for the tip Bengt!

I had the same problem - iDVD got stuck when I clicked on the Media then Movies tabs, so that I had to Force Quit iDVD.

I removed the file (com.apple.iDVD.plist), restarted iDVD, and it works fine.

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