Q: idvd frustration

See if this helps… http://www.techisky.com/how-to/burn-imovie-to-dvd.html

I still use iDVD since there is no equivalent replacement available creating professional looking  and eye popping themes, transitions, and menus. If you need to use iMovie, you can still get your movie to iDVD, albeit with a little workaround. First you need to export your movie as a "file" to your desktop. It'll be an mp4 file (if I remember correctly as I do not care for the latest iMovie version and use an earlier one) which may or may not be used in iDVD directly. It's been reported working for some - for me, it has not. So, I use MPEG streamclip to convert the file to a .mov file. You have multiple quality settings in the dialog for export to Quicktime. Once that is done, you can drag it into iDVD and continue with your project. It works.

http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html

Please read the notes re. MPEG2 Playback Component and download/follow instructions accordingly.

You don't need to convert the mp4 vid.  After sharing the movie to your desktop as an mp4,  in iDVD click on the + sign in the lower left, and then click on Add Movie in the drop down.  A drag box will emerge on screen, and you can drag the mp4 into it. 

I use MPEG streamclip to convert the file to a .mov file. You have multiple quality settings in the dialog for export to Quicktime.

Oooh, ouch.   You lose quality with each encode step.  Rich839 posts the best solution.  If you need to do this conversion in another context you can try the "save as" feature of Streamclip to save to Quicktime which basically re-parcels the mp4 audio and video components into a .mov container instead of .mp4.

I haven't seen any quality loss. But then, I don't use the latest versions of iMovie as I do not care for whatever export presets are the default (with few options to customize), but iMovie HD 06 which is the only version that processes the footage losslessly. I shoot in full HD, edit in iMovie HD 06, and then add themes/menus/transitions in iDVD (mostly from there, but also many put together in Final Cut).

If I do need MPEG Streamclip, the settings I use ensure that there is no quality loss. I occasionally have to use it when I first import the footage. I've had excellent results with these settings:

And, as I said, I do not use the newer iMovie versions; for one thing, they do not offer very precise editing features; I found them to be more for a quick (but unsatisfactory solution to me) way to work on footage. The end results are quite satisfactory (and stunning) on my large 4k HDTV.

@Rich839:

As I said, iDVD will not accept the mp4. I've added hundreds of movies there.

I haven't been doing any movie work, having only transitioned from a Tiger G4 to a Mavericks Late 2008 MacBook this week. However, I just opened iMovie HD 6.0.4 and dragged a AVC/AAC mp4 to it and it added without problem.

I haven't bothered copying my iDVD to this computer.  My TV plays HD MP4 natively through the USB port so it saves an immense amount of hassle.

I don't have a choice - a) my friends/family all want my "enhanced" end results on a DVD and b) I love being creative and do work in graphics/arts, so it's a natural for me to add some pizzazz (I've used some 4 - 5 layer video transitions created in Final Cut) - more fun to look at than just a movie.....

However, it still is strange that my iDVD simply does not like the mp4.

The iDVD version that I am using is 7.1.2.    Mp4's go in fine with no problem by using the +/Add Movie function on the lower left of the screen.

Do you have a different iDVD version, perhaps?   Or maybe a delete preferences/permission repair might solve it.   In the old days we did that

fairly often with iM6.  Haven't tried it with iDVD.  

Thanks for posting your H.264 settings.   I hadn't been checking Better Scaling or Frame Blending. 

My iDVD is also 7.1.2.  I don't mind running it through Streamclip - in some movies (old ones), it can actually repair some things if you go for the advanced options. Permissions repairs have been done away with in El Capitan.

Welcome.