I exported a movie for DVD authoring and now have two files. A .ac3 file for the audio and a .m2v for the video. I want to make that into a DVD in iDVD, but it won't allow me to use those files. Says it doesn't recognise them. So what should I be doing to make a file for iDVD? It seems that since iDVD is no longer supported, it's now unclear how to do it because Final Cut no longer has "export to media browser". Hope someone can help. Thanks.
iMac, OS X Mountain Lion
iDVD doesn't work with elementary streams. Export a master file and you will be fine.
Russ
iDVD doesn't work with elementary streams. Export a master file and you will be fine.
Russ
Good suggestion, but I tried that and when I went to make the DVD, I got an error message and it didn't finish, so that didn't work. Also, the master file is huge! 10gb for an 18 minute movie. Does that make sense? But also, why does iDVD report an error?
Yes, that makes sense.
And the error message was???
As Russ H has stated exporting a master file is the right way to do this. I do it all of the time. What version of iDVD are you using? Also what are your iDVD presets, what is the error message that you get. This could be more of an iDVD question than FCPX.
Exporting a master, selecting the master file in iDVD ( or Toast ) has worked for me time and time again.
Also what is the source material that you are editing and what are the presets you edit under and then export with? For example, if you edit with proxy material, do you then change to origianl before export. Or are you using optimized materail ?
Tom, the error message was just something generic like, "encoding failed due to error". This came right at the end of the encoding.
Michigan, iDVD is version 7.1.2. The source material is video from my Lumix G3 SLR. It's 1280 x 720 HD. Codec is H.264. I believe I am editing proxy, but when I export, Final Cut would use the original materail to make the export, not the smaller proxy files, so not sure what that would mean. I'm not aware of changing to the original material before export. Is that something you do? If so, how? As I say, I wasn't aware that I had to do such a thing.
I like the templates I get in iDVD, which is why I use it, but if there is a more reliable authoring app to use which is as easy, I would like to know. I know there's Toast, but it's very basic in terms of menus and also, it doesn't create a normal disk image, which I need to do.
If you're editing in proxy you have to switch yo original/optimized before you export.
Export a ProRes master file. If the encoding falls, the problem is in iDVD not in the FCP file. You should make a disk image in iDVD and burn that using the Disk utility. It is more reliable than burning the disc directly. Make sure you have enough free space on your system drive for cache files. At least 10% of the drive free. Also watch for menu content, video and audio, that us too large for the application to handle.
Well, I learn things I didn't even know I had to learn. I thought proxy was used to make editing more efficient, but that FCP then used the original media when you export. I did export an HD version for my Apple TV and it looks great, so if it is proxy, wouldn't it look crappy? How do I know if I am using proxy or optomized or original? I can't actually remember what it was set at when I imported (I had been importing all three, but I think I may have changed that).
I was attempting to make a disk image in iDVD. It does the whole encoding and then fails right at the end. I have lots of HD space. Menu content is very basic. I just tried restarting my Mac and will try again and report back in case it has something to do with that.
Just to add that the error could be related to: the exported file, the iDVD app/settings, your burner, your media. If you are successful in making the disk image, as Tom recommended, that would imply the burner and/or the media is the problem. It's also helpful to have a RW DVD to burn from the img, and to use very short sections of the video to test the possible causes while minimizing time devoted to troubleshooting.
Russ
Oops. If saving to disk image failed, that probably takes the burner and media off the table.
Russ
BREAKING NEWS! I restarted my Mac and attempted to create the disk image and this time it worked. Aargh! I didn't expect that, so sorry to trouble you.
I am glad, however, to hear about this proxy thing from Tom. So I checked my pref settings and it was set to "use original or optimized media". I guess that means it was using the right media anyway, but I remain a little confused about this point, despite having read about this on another site.
I thought the purpose of proxy media was so that you could edit with less drag on your system, because it's using smaller files, but in so doing, the proxy media is still referring to the original so that when you output, it uses the original. Why would it ever want to output using only proxy? No one wants to use crappier material on purpose and if I want to output a smaller video file, I choose that output resolution to suit.
You are saying that if you use proxy to edit with, you have to go into prefs and change the settings to use original. This is very, very good to know, so thanks! If my settings are always on "use original", then when I import, I suppose there is no purpose in creating proxy at all, is there?
I know that optomized creates huge files which, for most non broadcast purposes, are unnecessary, as I understand, but I did think that the proxy was useful. I guess proxy is only needed if you have really limited processor power or HD space, but for me, not necessary (Imac with i7 and 16GB ram)
Thanks all. Appreciate the help.
Export from FCPX for iDVD
