Just want to burn a simple DVD and CD

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Hi. I am getting super frustrated with the mac, the good thing is I am on the computer less and less..

I want to do 2 things and I have watchted tutorials, searched this forum etc..

I have .avi file and i want to burn it to DVD? HOw do do it. idvd wont let me I have already converted it to an m4v whatever that is. How can I use IDVD without all the themes!

I thought mac would give me more control then windows!

I did download Burn and that is usesless, totally just freezes.
imovie does not seem to have a burn button or feature?

In windows I could have easily just burned the cd in the windows explorer...

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
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Depends on what kind of disc you are trying to burn - a data DVD or a video DVD...data DVD is as easy as dragging and dropping via the Finder; converting an AVI file into the proper format for creating a video DVD (to be played via a standard DVD player) is a bit more involved.
 
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Yes a Video DVD....
 
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You can do this with iDVD - I don't believe it allows you to choose "no theme" but you can select a basic one like Brushed Metal and then set things so that the movie plays automatically (and loops if you want) which would bypass a menu screen (unless you select "menu" from your DVD remote).

- Open iDVD and create a new project.
- Select simple theme.
- Add .avi file
- Click the "Show the DVD Map" button.
- Drag the avi over to the "Drag content here to automatically play..." area and select "Loop Movie" from the Advanced menu if you want.
- Burn.

If you want to eliminate the menu themes altogether you'll need to use another app, like Toast.

Hope this helps - good luck! :D
 
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You'll need an application to convert these files.

If, on the other hand, you just mean that you want to burn the AVI file to a disc to be played on a DIVX compatible DVD player etc. then just control (Or right) click on your desktop and select 'new burn folder', drag the file into it and burn away.
 
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Does the avi play OK in Quicktime?

If not then download Perian - that will extend the video codecs Quicktime uses. Once Quicktime can play the files then iDVD will be able to handle and burn the file as a regular DVD video disk
 
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HI thanks for the tips but I want to burn a dvd to give to a thai family to watch on their basic dvd.
And what if I wanted to burn an avi to a cd? can you watch that in vcd player?
Can I burn form imovie?
 
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OK and now i have a cd wiht an avi. I copied the avi to my hd. now I open imovie and I try to import it. now the movie shows in my even library but it is impossible to drag to create a new project. This is ridiculous that I can't figure out this program!! Do I have to add it as an even in I photo even if it is not a photo? Where is the simplicity in this ?

So so frustrated! I have watched tutorials, read help...

This is not fun!
 
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See my response in your other post. Your AVI's do NOT need to be in iPhoto. In fact, don't use iPhoto at ALL. Forget it exists.

Even though in iMovie it says "Drag media here to create a new project", you must first SELECT the portions you want to use from the Events Library pane. If you want to use an entire clip, right click on it and choose "Select All". Otherwise, you can just drag around whatever portion you want to use. Either way, make sure there is a yellow outline around the footage, then drag THAT up into the project pane.

If you're just trying to drag your media as is from the Events Library pane at the bottom without selecting it, it will not work. You must make a selection until there is a yellow outline around the footage, THEN drag that into the project.

Let us know how it goes.
 
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Easiest way to do this? Get Roxio Toast.
Cheapest way? Use another tool to convert the avi into an mpeg4 file and burn that with iMovie or iDVD.
 

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Your video turned out great. Thanks for posting that. Even I don't mess with iMovie all that much and had forgotten that part about selecting the footage. Thanks for helping. Hopefully it will help the OP also.
 
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Hey thanks. I figured it's easier to show than to tell because a lot of times with stuff like this, it ends up getting overexplained.

Plus I'm always looking for a reason to use iShowU, so if anyone else has a question I think I might be able to answer with a short video, I'll do another one. :) I'm hardly a geek and am only a year into using my Macbook pro, but I'll do my best!
 
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Oneironaut that video was great. very professional..ok it helped me with figuring out how to get the videos to the top..

I have narrowed down my problem. I go to an avi which plays fine in quicktime, and I go to import movie.. it starts the process but then it never makes the thumbnails. It is a rather large file.
Also how to import photos? I want to make a movie that is a combination of photos/movies.

Also my .mov are faded and are not an option for importing..

Oh feel like I am undertanding more..thanks for the post..
I would take a screen shot but cant seem to figure out where they go as they are not on my desk top.. i hear the click sound . but that is it.......

frustration!
 
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The absolute easiest and cheapest way to burn a video like this to DVD is a program called Burn. It is free, and it will, more than likely, convert the video for you. I have used it to Burn avi and even .flv files without having to convert them. And it is easy to use. Just choose the video tab, choose the dvd format, add the video file you want to burn and that is it. Your dvd will not have menus, it will simply play when you put it in a dvd player. I use this program on a regular basis and it works great. You can download Burn from their website:

Burn - Home

I hope this helps you!
 

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I tried some quite large AVI videos here (1gb or more) in iMovie 08 as a test. Got the same issue. They looked like they imported but did not show up in the thumbnails below.
 
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Expatgirl, I'm glad I was able to help, but you have to be more patient. I don't know what tutorials you were watching, but what I showed you in my video is also covered in these videos at apple.com. In fact, this is where I learned what I demonstrated for you in my video. I HIGHLY recommend watching them before going any further, they'll save you a lot more frustration:

Apple - iLife - Find out how to use iLife applications on the Mac.

There are 21 separate videos that explain each step of the process, so you can watch whichever ones apply to what you currently doing. Here's the one that shows you how to import photos:

Apple - iLife - Find out how to use iLife applications on the Mac.

Make sure you have the pictures you want in iPhoto, since you will add photos by clicking on the camera icon on the far right of the center tool bar in iMovie, and your iPhoto pictures and events will appear for you to choose.

As for the imported AVI, it may not appear right away if it's a large file as you say. But also make sure you have selected the appropriate Event from the Event Library on the bottom right AND make sure the project pane up on top says "Project Library", showing you all individual projects with their corresponding footage. If the title of the window says "Project - New Project" (or something other than what you titled your project), you need to click the "Project Library" button on the very top right. The footage might not be showing if you've selected the wrong event or project.

If the footage still doesn't appear, you should call the AppleCare center for your part of the world. You should still have complimentary phone support, but if not (you only get 3 months I think), you should buy an AppleCare Protection plan as soon as possible, which will expand your support service another two years. This will be especially important for you since there are no Apple Stores near you.

Again, PC proficiency won't always be of help to you, in fact, it can be a hindrance. I really urge you to take advantage of the video tutorials above, because they could have provided you with many of the the answers you needed a long time ago. It took me all of five or ten minutes to find some basic solutions, and I'd never used iMovie before in my life.

Just take a breath, take your time, and don't get ahead of yourself.
 
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Oh, you might also want to try converting your AVI's into some other format with Quicktime Pro, which should already be preinstalled on your computer. Just open up the movie in QTP, choose Edit>Select All, then choose File>Export, pick a format from the dropdown menu (try .mov first) then export it.

One more thing...

How are you trying to get screen shots, expatgirl? If you're using Grab, the picture will appear in its own window and from there you can choose File>Save As and save it wherever you want. There is also a Screenshot Plus widget you can add to your Dashboard.
 

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