QT movie is too large to burn on DVD

[Janey]

I use Roxio Toast 6.06. I edited a movie in Final Cut Pro and exported it as a Quick Time Movie. It is one hour and 50 minutes long, and the exported file is 1.25 GB.

 

Now, when I dragged the QT icon into Toast, the file was converted to 4.7 GB and thus was too large to burn onto my DVD+R disk.

 

I don't want to compress this movie file if at all possible. So any advice on how to get this movie onto one DVD?

 

Thanks,

 

~Janey

[tsantee]

In your situation I recommend that you go to the LaCie web site and buy the LaCie FastCoder. This is a cool device that does MPEG encoding in real time. You'll be able to set the encoding bit rate so the video fits. Also it is bundled with CaptyDVD which can author your video DVD (create the menus and such) along with encoding the audio in AC3 format. It works with 10.2.8 and later.

 

If the FastCoder makes the MPEG small enough to fit you can drag it to Toast and not bother with CaptyDVD. Or you can use CaptyDVD and use Toast to burn CaptyDVD's VIDEO_TS folder or disc image.

 

I do suggest downloading the latest Toast 6 update. You can keep Toast 6.06 as well. The update doesn't have to replace the older version in your applications folder.

[Janey]

Tsanee,

 

I am going to purchase the LaCie Encoder. I assume I can do this online ?

In this regard, do you know if using the LaCie Fast Encoder will seriously reduce the quality of the video?

Do you have a recommendation as to setting the bit rate?

 

Thanks again!

~Janey

[tsantee]

Tsanee,

 

I am going to purchase the LaCie Encoder. I assume I can do this online ?

In this regard, do you know if using the LaCie Fast Encoder will seriously reduce the quality of the video?

Do you have a recommendation as to setting the bit rate?

 

Thanks again!

~Janey

It will make a higher-quality MPEG than does Toast 6's software encoder. I'll check, but I think it has a 2-hour default setting that will meet your needs. It can only be ordered online from LaCie.

[Janey]

It will make a higher-quality MPEG than does Toast 6's software encoder. I'll check, but I think it has a 2-hour default setting that will meet your needs. It can only be ordered online from LaCie.

 

OK. Let me know if you find out anything. Meanwhile, i look online for the download.

Thanks, Tsanee!

~Janey

[tsantee]

I use Roxio Toast 6.06. I edited a movie in Final Cut Pro and exported it as a Quick Time Movie. It is one hour and 50 minutes long, and the exported file is 1.25 GB.

 

Now, when I dragged the QT icon into Toast, the file was converted to 4.7 GB and thus was too large to burn onto my DVD+R disk.

 

I don't want to compress this movie file if at all possible. So any advice on how to get this movie onto one DVD?

 

Thanks,

 

~Janey

Download the latest update to Toast 6. I think it supports burning to Dual-Layer media (presuming you have a dual-layer drive available).

 

If you have OS 10.4.8 your best option is to update to Toast 8. It will fit more than 2 hours of video to a single-layer DVD because it uses AC3 audio rather than space-hogging PCM audio. You can enable AC3 audio in Toast 6 if you buy Jam 6, but since all of Jam's features are in Toast 8 it would be better (and cheaper) to go to the top.

 

The last couple versions of iDVD will fit up to 2 hours of video to a single-layer disc. It also uses PCM audio so the video bit rate gets very low after 90 minutes. But it is an option.

[tsantee]

OK. Let me know if you find out anything. Meanwhile, i look online for the download.

Thanks, Tsanee!

~Janey

The FastCoder is a Firewire hardware device so it must be shipped to you, not downloaded.

 

The FastCoder window has no settings that tell you how much time will fit a DVD. So here is a table:

 

Choose 256 kbps MPEG audio

Fewer than 95 minutes per DVD: 6 mbps

95-103 minutes: 5.5 mbps

104-114 minutes: 5 mbps

115-126 minutes: 4.5 mbps

127-140 minutes: 4.0 mbps

 

I recommend choosing VBR (variable bit recording). Save as a program stream

 

Some DVD players will not play MPEG audio unless you change setting in the player's audio setup menu to output MPEG audio as PCM. If this of concern you can convert the MPEG audio to AC-3 (Dolby Digital) with the help of CaptyDVD. Let me know if you want to do that after your get the products and I'll explain the steps.

[Janey]

Download the latest update to Toast 6. I think it supports burning to Dual-Layer media (presuming you have a dual-layer drive available).

 

If you have OS 10.4.8 your best option is to update to Toast 8. It will fit more than 2 hours of video to a single-layer DVD because it uses AC3 audio rather than space-hogging PCM audio. You can enable AC3 audio in Toast 6 if you buy Jam 6, but since all of Jam's features are in Toast 8 it would be better (and cheaper) to go to the top.

 

The last couple versions of iDVD will fit up to 2 hours of video to a single-layer disc. It also uses PCM audio so the video bit rate gets very low after 90 minutes. But it is an option.

[Janey]

Thanks for your help Tsantee...

 

A I mentioned, I have Toast 6.06. Using this or another version of Toast, do you think I can reduce the QT file slightly in order to burn the entire movie in one layer and on one disk? I didn't see any options to do so in version 6.06, but wondered about a later version. (Please note, I have a Mac 0SX 10.2.8.) I do not have I-DVD, and I use an external R/RW dvd burner.

 

So the question basically is whether a later version of Toast will allow me to slightly alter the compression of the movie (perhaps using a slider knob) keeping in mind that I have Mac 10.2.8?

 

Thanks in advance, everyone, once again!

~Janey