iDVD inexplicably expands code volume of iMovie project beyond disc capacity

iDVD doesn't care about file size. It's only requirement is that the playing time of all media and menus combined be less than 120 minutes.

(typically 90 - 110 minutes each) "Project Duration" (your project exceeds the max content duration)

How long are your menu? Adding a long audio track to a movie clip to a drop zone on a menu can push it over the 120 minute limit.

Follow this workflow to help ensure the best quality final product:

Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.

To check the encoding mount the disk image and launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding was good.

Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

OT

In the Projecgt ➙ Project Info menu window.

Hi

Multiplexing Error

PART One.

Use of strange video/audio material e.g. .avi, .wmv, .mp3 etc.

I only use.

Video - StreamingDV (miniDV tape via FireWire) and

Audio = .aiff (as on audio-CDs) (else converted to this .aiff 48KHz)

Chapters !

A. Using strange letters in video project name e.g. +,/; etc. keep to a-z and 0-9 strange letters in project name e.g. +

as described by Donnyboy69. Does the title of your project have any symbols or decimal points in it. If so, that is why you are getting the error. I had a project that had a + sign which caused the same problem. I renamed it without the symbol and low and behold, it worked.

B. Location of Chapters

• Can’t be at start or end of movie (Skip first/start one - iDVD sets this by it self. At the End - no need)

• Not in a transition (or within 2-3 seconds from it)

Important when from iMovie HD6 or previous - Now also observed when using FCE 4

PART Two.

from Robert Modero.

"Multiplexing Error. Problem during initialization of tracks"

Simply remember to add subtitles to your Quicktime files and menu buttons.

Once I did that, I was back in business.

from Boise Jim

Do a safe reboot (by holding down the shift key until you see the spinning gear on grey background, then release, then restart when your start-up screen appears).

I always makes a DiskImage first and test this so that it runs OK

I use only - Verbatim DVDs

I use only - DVD-R

I burn at an as slow speed possibly e.g. x1

This gives good DVDs

PART Three.

Multiplex Error

Chuck, Chicago 2/7/2009.

Back again. Here is what I have found to work. I also have and use a LaCie DVD-R/RW DL external drive and a LaCie external hard drive as well. Since yesterday I have tried a few ways to burn a themed iDVD project having four 56 minute movies on it, amounting to 226 minutes onto a DVD DL disc, capacity 240 minutes. Apple tech support really didn't know what to do but gave me a very good tip. I had two options left. Apple tech support's tip was to try disc image. One of the replies on a thread with this subject said not to, but my experience today is good. Put your project onto "Burn to disc image," under "iDVD, file." Yesterday encoding took me 23 1/2 hours. Overnight for iDVD disc image, encoding took 21 1/2 hours (again) while I slept. This morning I tried to copy/burn disc image to a DVD with Roxio Toast 7, and it stopped near the end of the burn with some kind of "error" message. So then I tried Utilities> Disc Utility> Burn icon, and followed it through. Be sure to click the DVD DL drive in the window "Burn disc in.". I had one other problem though. At the end of a 46 minute copy, it started to verify, and at the end of verify it rejected the burn. So I tried again, and when "verify" appeared, I clicked on "Skip." The disc finished burning and is doing fine and well. A long and tortuous process, but at last something works. I made several additional copies using Disc Utility. Best wishes. Chuck, Chicago.

2. Disconnect any other external devices not absolutely needed.

e.g. external USB/USB2 hard disks, other FW hard disks etc.

3 Chapter marks in transitions - minimum 2 sec from

FROM Bev.

(Not a 'guy' but I will answer!)

First, I do not think that mixing widescreen and standard makes a difference in iDVD.

Second, you should use a better brand of DVD disk. Also, many of us have experienced fewer problems on playback with DVD-R disks. Recommended brands here are Verbatim, Maxell and Taiyo Yuden. Memorex and TDK are not consistent and may not give you a correct burn. They apparently have fewer layers in the composition of the disk. I have always used Verbatim DVD-R disks and have not had any burn problems.

Also, choose a slower burn speed, 4x or less.

Third, to determine if the iDVD project will burn properly, create a disk image file (from within iDVD, go File->Save as Disk Image) and test it. Mount the disk image and then open DVD Player (in Applications) and view your project. If it plays correctly, you can then burn the actual DVD disk from the disk image file using Disk Utility.

From. Boise, Idaho

I did everything I've seen suggested, but a friend (who used to be an Apple Genius) suggested that I do a safe reboot (by holding down the shift key until you see the spinning gear on grey background, then release, then restart when your start-up screen appears).

It worked, and I got a clean burn from iDVD.

Hopefully this can help other people.

by dheb0422

Well, I finally got it, and it was odd enough to post here incase anyone looks this topic up again. Many things were tried, including burning the unedited film, the edited film without titles and chapter markers, abbreviating the chapter markers in case length was the issue (remember the old iMovie used to truncate them when moving to iDVD?). In the process, I noticed that one, and only one, chapter marker was on the same line as the title marker. All the others were on the line above. The only way I seemed able to change that was to clip a few seconds of film. After that last clip, the offending marker took a place on the line above, as were all the others. That run published, compiled completely and burned. That's one for the books.

Yours Bengt W

How is it possible I consistently get Multiplexer Error when I am down to movie clips only?

When we get into multiplexer errors I'm out of my element. But one of the two users who are the most knowledgeable, Bengt Wärleby, has already posted and should help steer you in the right direction.

Sorry - I got word-fixated - as I read this part from Your first text.

Before I burn the DVD I make sure to adjust the Encoding setting within iDVD Project Info from Best Performance to either High Quality or Professional Quality - when I do this the capacity bar resets from exceeding capacity to about 3.5 GB at a time of about 100 minutes, which is within both the project capacity and my DVD disk capacity (Verbatim, 4.7GB, 16X, 120 min). The burning process take 2 1/2 - 3 hours, and only at the very end of this process do I get the message about Multiplexer Error or Project Duration. When I open the Project Info after the failed burning initiative, the capacity bar has grown and shows in red text, 6.7 GB and 120 min.

Sorry - just skip it !

Yours Bengt W

Next, I copied one of my problematic movie projects, then re-edited it by removing all transitions and all title pages. Thus, all that is left are the movie clips (a 1 1/2 hour movie).

Did you add this edited movie to your existing project? If so try creating a new project and add the editied movie to it. Then save as disk image.

Very good questions - I wish I was smart enough to answer - but I can offer my thoughts (for what they might be worth)

1. If You got an MPEG4 (.m4v) file - Then I would open it with QuickTime-player (7 pro) and press [cmd+I] (opens Inspector) and read

• Video formatted as (codec) : nnnnnnnnnnnn

• Frame rate : yyyyyy / sec

Then Export as streamingDV .dv or AIC as iDVD can use these

2. Most probably - and ask them to convert to - streamingDV .dv or AIC - Have no idea Who might do this but if You've got a Video-Club or study circle or evning class in Video - they most probably have tools that works

I use as extra tools

• JES_Deinterlacer

• MPEG Streamclip

• QuickTime player Pro (7.7)

• Audacity (to keep all audio as .aiff - never .mp3 or direct from iTunes)

and most of them free - only QT-pro that costs

3. Don't know - Got iDVD, DVD Studio Pro, Toast™, Devideon and Burn - but no MPEG4 (.m4v) to use as test. SORRY

Yours Bengt W

3. Don't know - Got iDVD, DVD Studio Pro, Toast™, Devideon and Burn - but no MPEG4 (.m4v) to use as test. SORRY

found some as

and

• DVD Studio Pro - incompatible file format (may be too old one - came with FinalCut Studio Pro 2)

• Roxio Toast™ - Makes an Excellent Job

• Burn - Tries but fails

Yours Bengt W