How to burn a DVD from iPhoto

Export the slideshow from iPhoto, that makes a movie of it.

Do you want to use this DVD in a domestic DVD player? If so, then the disk will have to be 'authored' to make it the correct form for that. If you have iDVD then that's the app you use. However, iDVD is no longer developed or distributed by Apple. You may be able to get it on an old iLIfe install disk.

Other options:

Burn: http://macupdate.com/app/mac/21992/burn

Toast: http://macupdate.com/app/mac/6351/toast-titanium

But there are lots of others too. Search on the App Store or MacUpdate

You're welcome. Yes, you export as a moe file. That's what iPhoto does automatically. No you don't have to have iDVD, see above for other suggestions. No you can't burn a DVD that will play in an everyday DVD player without iDVD or one of the apps mentioned above, or a similar DVD authoring app.

Export the slideshow out of iPhoto as a QT movie file via the Export button in the lower toolbar. Select Size = Medium or Large.

Open iDVD, select a theme and drag the exported QT movie file into the open iDVD window being careful to avoid any drop zones.

Follow this workflow to help assure the best qualty video DVD:

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, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is 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.

If iDVD was not preinstalled on your Mac you'll have to obtain it by purchasing a copy of the iLife 09 disk from a 3rd party retailier like Amazon.com: ilife 09: Software or eBay.com. Why, because iDVD (and iWeb) was discontinued by Apple over a year ago.

Why iLife 09 instead of 11?

If you have to purchase an iLife disc in order to obtain the iDVD application remember that the iLife 11 disc only provides themes from iDVD 5-7. The Software Update no longer installs the earlier themes when starting from the iLIfe 11 disk nor do any of the iDVD 7 updaters available from the Apple Downloads website contain them.

Currently the only sure fire way to get all themes is to start with the iLife 09 disc:

This shows the iDVD contents in the iLife 09 disc via Pacifist:

You then can upgrade from iDVD 7.0.3 to iDVD 7.1.2 via the updaters at the Apple Downloads webpage.

OT

Hello, I know this is an old conversation but was hoping to get some advice. I am trying to burn a dvd iPhoto slideshow and I've tried every suggestion known. My mac doesn't have iDVD. I've tried Burn and Toast. The DVD burns but won't play in a DVD player...says invalid disc.

I've been at this for hours and hours as this is a senior class project. I've never had issues burning slideshows from my PC. Now with the mac I have been having such a hard time. I just got off the phone with Apple support for over an hour. They are stumped. HELP!!!!! This is so frustrating.

Have you tried a different DVD player?

How old is your DVD player? If you used DVD+R disks it may not play in DVD players earlier than 2001 or 2.

Did you follow this workflow:

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, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is 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.

If not describe your process. After you test the current disk in another player as TD suggested.

Yes, I have 2 in my house which work fine with other projects I did (not on my mac). I just came from a friends house who has a 2011 iMac (no iDVD though) and burned my project from her computer using a DVD burn program she has (which I used the same program on my computer) and brought the disk home and it does in fact play in my DVD player. It is definitely something Apple has changed in the newer versions. So frustrating!

When I burned a DVD with Toast, the Apple support rep was able to review the formatting with the computer sharing we enabled and he said it looked formatted perfectly, he is a bit stumped as to why it doesn't play in a DVD player.

I don't see File - save as disk file option when I click on file, "save as" is not an option. Do you mean right from iPhoto?

I have. It will play on any computer but not in a DVD player.

That option is in iDVD. It saves the iDVD project as a disk image for burning with Toast or Disk Utility. What media did you use, brand and type and what speed did you burn at?

I don't see File - save as disk file option when I click on file, "save as" is not an option. Do you mean right from iPhoto?

I would really encourage you to get iDVD. I own the alternatives mentioned above, they come nowhere near the power and ease of use of iDVD. iDVD is readily available, (because it is sold on disk) on Amazon as part of iLife 09 or iLife 11.