iDVD burning fail: Says it burns but the disk is blank

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I an using the latest version of iDVD on my mid-2010 Core2 Duo MacMini to burn .mov video to Memorex DVD+R. It encodes and multiplexes, and then indicates that it has burned the disc and ejects it--then NADA. The disc is blank.

I've read lots of comments on forums stating this or that brand of DVD is no good, but I am skeptical. Should I try buying a more expensive brand, or is there another explanation?
 
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or is there another explanation?

Do you have another computer to test the external DVD writer?
CD/DVD drives are the least reliable computer "devices," because they have tight tolerances, yet are exposed to the outside world.
 

Slydude

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It's possible that iDVD is the problem, I like the themes and some of it's capabilities but that program has always been a problem for me. Often creating exactly the problem you describe. You might give Burn a try.

Burn a video DVD with it and see if it works. It may not have the same menus as iDVD but would give you an idea if it's media, hardware, or software causing the problem.
 
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iDVD problems

Thanks for the suggestions. I also have a MacBookPro where I can attempt the same burn; will also try open source BURN and see if it works. I really don't need fancy themes for what I need to do. This is just to share some footage from a documentary interview for the source to comment on and approve for publication.
 
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Mac has abandoned iDVD.... huh?

Forgive my ignorance, but when I went to download iDVD to put it on my MacBook, I discovered that in its infinite wisdom, Mac has abandoned DVD authoring and burning completely. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't like millions and millions of users still need to author and burn DVDs? Well, ok then, I'll vote with my feet -- right over to the Wondershare DVD Creator for Mac download page. I really am floored by this. What foolishness. ;D

Has anyone had a bad experience with Wondershare DVD Creator? Any potholes I need to know about? I burned a DVD today from .mov and it worked perfectly well.
 
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Wondershare is a money hogging, Advert Spamming business. They have a lot of sibling companies, and have never ever downloaded anything from them.
I agree with SlyDude and use Burn. Its free and works really well.
I dont understand "Mac has abandoned DVD authoring and burning completely." What do you mean by this.

Apple hasn't stopped anything, of the sorts. The most they have done, is remove the DVD Superdrive from some of the Portables and iMac, but they haven't in any way stopped us Burning DVD's at all. If its a iTunes Movie, then you will have trouble, but I have used iDVD only 2yrs ago, and worked beautifully for me, when I burnt it to a blank DVD.

EDIT : Just have a look at this Google Page if you want to know about Wondershare !! DANGER !!!! and DONT use your Credit Card with them, or you will start to see it being used to buy stuff you didn't !!!!!
 
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Wondershare spammer?

@TattooedMac
Wondershare is a spammer? I have used their video converter product countless times and did not have that experience. It worked very well. I would be interested to know what evilness you have experienced from them.

I don't have iDVD on my MacBook and can't get it in the app store. It is not available. Mac is no longer making it available, or shipping computers with it. AM I wrong? Did I miss something?

I tried Burn, but it did not work. Rather than go into a whole new two-week round of serial failures, as I have experienced with iDVD, I find that the Wondershare app "just works." I'm looking for a solution that won't turn into a part-time job and endless rounds of well-intentioned Forum advice that does not fix the problem. I followed every shred of advice I harvested from Forums on iDVD and it simply doesn't work. Doing work is what I use my computer for.
 
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I personally haven't used Wondershare, because we have had bad reviews in the Forums, and there is quite a few online, but if it works for you then let it be.

But there is a Burn Feature in OS X

If you go to Finder, and then in Movies Folder go to the MenuBar and choose Finder>File>New Burn Folder

Put the Movie in that Folder, then select Burn in the Black bar on the right (Making sure the blank DVD is in the DVD Drive) and OS X Will then burn the movie to Disc. This has been a option of OS X since as far back as Leopard from Memory.

As to WonderShare, use it if it works, but I hate paying for something when you can do it for free in OS X and I have read too many bad stories from people and their Credit Card being used after paying for something that has WonderShare in the Title . .

But try the above solution and see if OS X will burn it to Disc for you.
 

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Toast 11 from Roxio can build DVD menus in addition to burning a host of different types of discs (data, audio cd, Audio DVD, etc. It is not free though. I've use Toast 11 and like it overall. Unless the menus have improved though they are not as snazzy as iDVD.

There is a third recently released product from Roxio which is listed in the Mac App Store called Toast DVD. It's in the app store and looks like it has some of the features you are interested in using. I have not tried that version though. I think it is less than $20.00 though.
 

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