I prepared a slideshow in iPhoto and wanted to burn it to a DVD using iDVD. When I opened iDVD, it immediately began putting up messages that it could not find properties of an avi movie. The message is cycling through different movies that are in iPhoto, and I'm unable to get iDVD to do anything else. How can I get it to stop? None of the menus at the top are accessible. I'm using iDVD 7.1.2 in Mavericks.
Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)
If the movie is in iMovie 10 then export it out at 480p
via the File ➙ Share ➙ File menu.
Then drag the resulting movie file into the iDVD menu 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.
OT
My problem is that I the menu never opens. Immediately after opening iDVD, a small message comes on the screen that says "Searching for movie data in file 'XXXX.avi' " This message stays on the screen for a few seconds, disappears, then returns, following this same sequence over and over. This is all iDVD will do. I've used iDVD many times to burn slideshows from iPhoto to DVD, but have never used it in Mavericks.
Hi
Trash iMovie Preference file
Repair Permissions
and You are up and running again - I think
Yours Bengt W
Thanks, Bengt, but these instructions are above my pay grade! Where do I find iMovie Preference file? I find an iLife plist in preferences in the Library file. Is that the same? If my problem is with iDVD (iMovie works fine, but I'm trying to go from an iPhoto slideshow directly to iDVD, as I've done in the past without using iMovie), do I still need to trash the iMovie preferences? Do you repair permissions using the Disk Utility?
Try the following:
1 - delete the iMovie preference file, com.apple.iMovie.plist, that resides in your
User/Home/Library/ Preferences folder.
2 - delete the contents the following folder:
User/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovie
3 - reboot, launch iMovie and then iDVD.
NOTE: The Home/Library folder is invisible in Mavericks by default. However, for Mavericks, 10.9, go to your Home folder and use the View ➙ Show View Options menu to bring the this window:
where you can check the Show Library Folder checkbox. Then you can easily find the files to delete.
Thanks. I've deleted the files as suggested and rebooted, but the problem persists. I notice an iLife slideshow file in the containers folder. Would deleting the plist and Data files for that have any effect on the problem I'm having, or would such a deletion just cause other problems (like losing existing slideshows)? Also, i see an "old data" file in the iMovieApp folder. Should this also be deleted? The slideshow exported to iTunes and iMovie perfectly.
There is a simple way to find out if this is the problem
Create a new User account - if it now works - the problem is in preference, cash etc files.
Go up to the top left hand corner "Apple symbol"
Down this menu to System preferences
Here select Accounts
Here Create a new User
Then up to Apple menu again and last item in this - Log out as User xxxxx
Now log into as the new User
DO iDVD wok betternow ?
Yours Bengt W
Thanks, Bengt. I had already tried that and discovered that I could open iDVD in a new account with no problem, so I migrated all my slideshows to a new project in that account and successfully burned my DVD. I don't understand why deleting the files in my iMovie account didn't help and am puzzled as to why the files iDVD is searching for are only the avi files--jpg files don't seem to be a problem. All the files for which it is searching are in iPhoto (I've doublechecked). Any suggestions would be appreciated (iMovie seems to be working fine).
Since you can run iDVD OK in the other account the problem probably is a preference file in your account that's causing the problem. Here's how to test that:
Trouble Shooting Preferences
NOTE: In Lion and Mountain Lion the Home/Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and press the Return key - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.
If you're running Mavericks, 10.9, go to your Home folder and use the View ➙ Show View Options menu to bring the this window:
1 - close all applications.
2 - open your Home/Library folder and Option-drag (copy) the Preferences folder to the Desktop.
3 - select the contents of your Home/Library/Preferences folder and drag them into the Trash bin in the Dock. You will be asked to provide your Admin password.
4 - reboot. Be sure to know your account's username and password as you will be asked to log in with it.
5 - run the application again and determine if the problem(s) is fixed.
6 - If the problem is fixed:
A - open the working Home/Library/Preferences folder.
B - Open the Preferences folder on the Desktop, select all of the contents and drag them into the working Home/Library/Preferences folder.
C - When the Copy window pops up check the "Apply to All" check box and then click on the Don't Replace or Skip button.
D - reboot.
7 - If the problem is NOT fixed, drag the contents of the Preference folder on the Desktop into the Home/Library/Preference folder and replace the entire contents that were created by clicking on Replace.
8 - reboot and you're back as square one.
Note: keep the Preference folder on the desktop until you're sure all registration info for your apps are working. If not you can copy the required files from the desktop pref folder to the working one.
when i open iDVD, nothing works.
