DVD Burning & Playing

Purchased a new Mac last week. I tried to make a movie & burn to a Sony DVD-R. Mac appeared to go through all the steps, but would not play back on DVD player. Message : This type media not supported. I would appreciate any help, Thanks

What format were the files you burned?

Cache -30.mov

This is why it won't play. DVD requires the codec to be MPEG2, so you will need to convert it.

Can you tell me how to convert it? This is new to me. Thanks.

Not too easy, but you will need software like ffmpegx (probably your best option actually).

ffmpegX a DVD, SVCD, VCD, CVD, VOB, DivX, XviD, H.264, PSP, iPod, MP4, MOV, FLV encoder for Mac OSX

Drag the .mov into the source tab, and then select the output format (and save location) in the output tab. Set the quality settings high, and then convert.
Depending on the file size it will take a while.
After it's done you can burn the mpeg2 file to dvd and it should play.

did you create the file in iMovie? if you did, share it to your iDVD program rather than exporting it as a quicktime movie, then burn it and you wont have to muck around converting it

Thanks for the help guys. The help on the mac said to send movie to idvd but that app is not listed. I went to dvd player to burn and thats where my problem is. I bought the mac last week because I thought apple was best way to learn about making and editing video. I thought the mac had it all!

Ah, there's the problem. You burned a data disc, not a movie DVD.

New Macs don't include iDVD because a) most people just upload to YouTube anymore (the wisdom of this is open to another discussion) and b) Apple just decided to get out of the movie-DVD burning business because people HATE how long it takes (with any program).

If you want to burn an iMovie project to a DVD, the correct procedure now is to export it to Export Movie (which produces an MP4 file) and then use either Roxio's Toast or the freeware Burn program to do the conversion and burning to a movie DVD.

Mac IS the best platform for video, but that's more along the lines of professional video. For consumer video, Macs are still pretty groovy for what people do with video these days (ie, edit and upload it), but not so much for burning a home movie DVD.

Thank you for the info Chas

Another vote for Roxio Toast if you want a full featured burning application.

That was going to be my next question, which is the better, Burn or Roxio Toast. Thanks again.

Toast if you have the $$ by far, but Burn is very good for a free program.

Agreed with Kevin, Toast all the way if you can afford it. Burn works and it's free.