iDVD encoding failure after OS X update to 10.10.5

Since Apple has discontinued support of iDVD for over 2 years it won't be their responsibility to fix. However, read Bengt Wärleby's post in this topic to get tips of what could be causing the encoding problem:

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.

A link to Bengt's useful post about multiplex errors might be handy! 😎

Oppppppps! 😊 Here it is: Multiplexing Error

Thanks for the backup Klaus.

Any time OT ! 😀

Well I also have a problem with 10.10.5 but it's associated with slideshows made with Aperture. When I go to create a disk image of an SS it gets to the pint where it has encoded the theme part, starts on the video, and then:

I've done this innumerable times over the years, the latest with OS 10.10.4 very recently, but with 10.10.5 it fails.

Standard process is to create the video of the slide show on aperture and export it as a standard 1280 x 720 H.264 file QT movie. I then open iDVD and add the movie and select the disk image option.

It never completes.

I can boot the machine into my 10.10.4 backup disk, open up the same project with iDVD, and it works fine.

I can also make valid disk images of other videos exported from FCP X and even from Photos. No problems. The disk images burn with disk utility and play normally

Absolutely can't make Aperture slide show disk images.

I've gone through the various solutions in the BW chronicles, none seem to solve the problem. I've also repaired permissions, done safe boot, tinkered with all kinds of file parameters, all to no avail.

I would be very interested hearing if anyone can successfully make a DVD of an Aperture slide show with 10.10.5.

Late 2012 iMac 27" 3.4 GHz Core i7, fusion drive with 500 GB spare

OS X 10.10.5 on iMac, OS X 10.10.4 on external USB 3 drive

Aperture 3.6

iDVD 7.1.2

Have you tried exporting at 480p and see if that will encode? (Don't have Apteture but 480p is what's recommended for creating standard video DVDs).

OT -

Appreciate the suggestion, have not tried that but certainly will and will report.

Have to say that I've made numerous DVDs using either 1080p or 720p with iDVD and have never had any trouble until OS X 10.10.5. I'm afraid things may have changed. And if so, I believe that's a bad sign for future functionality of iDVD under new versions of OS X.

It's just a guess but since 10.10.5 seems to be the culprit it might be wise to give it a try.

I may be preaching to the choir here but 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.

That is indeed my standard workflow, used successfully many, many times.

The issue with 10.10.5 has arisen in the step - File->Save as Disk Image. The encoding begins, it encodes the theme section fine, and then when it tries to encode the video part I get the encoding error, sometimes at the very beginning or at the end. The "Encoding Error" message pops up and I get no further.

When I went back to 10.10.4 with the same iDVD project file the encoding process went to completion and the disk image burned fine.

I'm away from my computer right now but when I get back later on I'll try the 480p suggestion - sure hope that works.

Did you read the info in Bengt Wärleby's post that I linked to? It might have something that may apply to your issue.

You did read the post by Bengt, right? That's about the extent of my encoding error knowledge.

OT -

I read through the BW suggestions from your link, but those seems be for problems with multiplexing and burning. I never get to that point, the error comes during encoding.

I did try exporting a 480p movie file of an Aperture Slideshow (via FFCP X) but iDVD still got the same encoding error.

Basically my experience is the same as Tim D. - it all works under 10.10.4 and the same project fails to encode totally consistently and repeatably under 10.10.5. Not sure where to go from here. Will file a bug report with Apple but the likelihood of another update to 10.10 is probably low.

Tim -

Well after much time trying various things I think I have it fixed for me, you might try this too. All of this with 10.10.5

I've discovered that iDVD can't seem to encode a movie file with no audio.

It will encode and finish properly a movie with audio, and then if I run that same movie through FCP X and remove the audio and try to create a disk image the encoding fails.

If I try to encode some other movie file with no audio to begin with it fails. If - FCP X - I add an audio track to that movie it now encodes properly and multiplexes and creates a disk image.

I'm going to do more tests but this has been repeatable so for.

As before, iDVD works fine with 10.10.4 with out having to diddle with audio.

I would be very interested to see how this might - or might not - work for you.

I've discovered that iDVD can't seem to encode a movie file with no audio.

If that's the case create a silent audio file and add it to the movie, scaling it (the audio track) to the length of the movie. See if iDVD will encode that.