Burning a photo slideshow to DVD

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Burning a photo slideshow to DVD

I've read some of the discussions regarding burning a slideshow to DVD and am getting more frustrated. I simply want to create photo DVDs that I can play in any player, as I could with my old mac.

I've installed iDVD '09 and have tried to make it work, but I only get errors when I try to burn the disc. If I simply select "burn to DVD" from the finder menu, I get a poor quality DVD and it will only work on a another mac.

I've tried making movies in iMovie, then exporting (poor quality, won't play in DVD player) and am now trying an app called fantashow (but the reviews don't look promising).

Anyone able to help? I am not too tech savvy, but I was able to get my old mac to work really well (with some help from this board). Was excited when I got the new one, but am starting to despise it.

I realize DVDs and CDs may be "old school", but it's the format I like. I'm not sure why my mac came with a DVD burner, but not iDVD or the ability (it seems) to burn a quality disc. If I simply wanted data backup, DVD wouldn't have been my choice.

Thanks for any wisdom!

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Feb 15, 2014 3:12 PM

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Answer 1

macybean Author

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Feb 15, 2014 7:24 PM in response to macybean

So it seems if I could get my slideshow from iPhoto into iMovie, I could then export it to the media player, then to iDVD, then burn. This is how I did it on my old mac, but the slideshow option wasn't available in iPhoto, so I had to make the slideshow in iMovie. The slideshow version in iPhoto is much, much easier to use (well, for me anyway). Is there any way to get a slideshow into iMovie from iPhoto? And why does this seem like a ridiculous number of steps?

I did try the fantashow app, was able to export the video into iDVD, but coud only play it, not burn it. Then tried burning it with wondershare DVD creator, which worked, but the quality was again poor.

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Answer 2

macybean Author

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Feb 15, 2014 7:30 PM in response to macybean

OK, next problem. I did the slideshow over again in iMovie. Exported to media browser, the into iDVD. Still getting an error message, Either it says drop zones are blank or there is a multiplexer error. Why is this so hard to accomplish? It seems like Apple not only thinks we shouldn't be using DVDs, but did their very best to make sure we couldn't make DVDs.

I tried burning a DVD with "burn" (the simplest app that should have been an easy fix) but all I got was another poor quality DVD that will (again) only play on another mac.

I did read on another forum to save the slideshow as a disc image by using file>save as disc image, but I don't find that option anywhere.

Someone help please! I'm losing my mind!

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Answer 3

macybean Author

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Feb 16, 2014 8:38 AM in response to macybean

OK, so no help yet as I'm apparently talking to myself (I did say I was losing my mind...), so I'll continue on.

I tried burn again, this time with video quality...which did make a better disc that plays on my mac, but still won't play on a DVD player. Tried changing the format to VCD and SVCD (from DVD-video), but it wouldn't burn.

Looked at Toast, but the reviews are pretty bad and hate to spend even more money for another thing that won't work.

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Answer 4

Old Toad

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Feb 16, 2014 8:57 AM in response to macybean

Determining if the problem is a missing drop zone is easy enough to determine but no so much with multiplexing errors. See Bengt Wärleby's post in this topic regarding multiplexing errors: Multiplexing Error: Apple Support Communities

What media type and brand are you using? What burn speed did you use?

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

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Answer 5

macybean Author

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Feb 16, 2014 9:04 AM in response to Old Toad

I read the post you linked...that's where I got really lost.

I'm using Sony DVD RW. Burn speed? I couldn't say...don't remember getting offered a choice.

I would love to try to workflow shown, but there is no option I can find under the file menu that says Save as Disk Image. I can't seem to find that option anywhere.

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Answer 6

Old Toad

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Feb 16, 2014 9:11 AM in response to macybean

The reason I linked you ot it is because that's stuff that is beyond my pay grade.

If you can pick up a Verbatim disc. Also save the project as a disk image and see if you can get it to play with DVD Player. If you can then the problme lies in the burn process.

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Answer 7

macybean Author

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Feb 16, 2014 9:14 AM in response to macybean

So I jsut tried miDVD and got a playable slideshow...the quality is not great, decent, but would like it better. Also find that I'm getting movement in my photos with the beat of the music. Not a lot, but enough that it's noticeable. Would slowing the burn speed help this? And if so, how on earth do I do that?

For clarity, I made a slideshow of photos in iPhoto, moved them to iMovie, the put the movie in miDVD.

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Answer 8

macybean Author

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Feb 16, 2014 9:16 AM in response to Old Toad

I'm still trying to figure out how to save as a disk image.

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Answer 9

macybean Author

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Feb 16, 2014 10:41 AM in response to macybean

OMG!!! I got it!

So the first mistake I made was saving the slideshow from iPhoto as a .m4v file, apparently I needed to click on "custom export" to save as a QT movie. After that issue was resolved I moved it into iDVD then clicked "save as a disk image" (found it in iDVD...I was looking in iPhoto, sigh), which fixed my second mistake. I still got an encoding error message when burning, but clicked "continue burning" and it worked. Finally!

Thanks....I had done some more searching and found another comment you had posted in May 2012 which helped tremendously! I'd link it here, but I don't know how (shocking, I know!).

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