Disc Image Taking Too Long

[Rodneyls]

Just got Roxio Toast 10 and I'm making a disc image of a 27 minute video shot in 720p. It was saved as a Quicktime file and the encoding is going on for 12 hours now and it is just over 40% complete. I have an older G5 PowerPC with OS X 10.5.8. Normally things run okay, so I'm asking if this is normal. I thought creating a disc image would make it faster when I go to burn a blu-ray HD compatible on a standard DVD. Any information would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Rod

[tsantee]

That does sound like a very long time. Toast 10.0.3 and later to work properly with OS 10.6.x caused some problems with PowerPC Macs. I don't know if this is one of those situations.

[Rodneyls]

That does sound like a very long time. Toast 10.0.3 and later to work properly with OS 10.6.x caused some problems with PowerPC Macs. I don't know if this is one of those situations.

 

Thanks DG. It is quiting with the error people have been complaining about (18771). Trying to figure how to get around it.

[tsantee]

If you bought Toast 10 as a download from Roxio then I suggest taking advantage of their 30-day refund policy. What you really need is Toast 9 with its different Blu-ray plug in. I think Roxio still sells it, too, but they sort of make it hard to get.

[Rodneyls]

If you bought Toast 10 as a download from Roxio then I suggest taking advantage of their 30-day refund policy. What you really need is Toast 9 with its different Blu-ray plug in. I think Roxio still sells it, too, but they sort of make it hard to get.

 

I bought a hard copy, and want to keep it when I upgrade computers.

 

I'm tweaking the knobs and trying to get it to go. I've burned short scenes, but not this 27 minute video from Final Cut Express exported as Quicktime. I might shorten it some to make things easier.

 

Is Toast 9 native to the Power PC G5?

 

Also, if I burn more than 1 copy, are the 2nd, 3rd copies, etc. faster since it shouldn't have to encode again? (Kind of like iDVD.)

 

Thanks for your help DG.

 

Rod

[tsantee]

I bought a hard copy, and want to keep it when I upgrade computers.

 

I'm tweaking the knobs and trying to get it to go. I've burned short scenes, but not this 27 minute video from Final Cut Express exported as Quicktime. I might shorten it some to make things easier.

 

Is Toast 9 native to the Power PC G5?

 

Also, if I burn more than 1 copy, are the 2nd, 3rd copies, etc. faster since it shouldn't have to encode again? (Kind of like iDVD.)

 

Thanks for your help DG.

 

Rod

When you want multiple copies choose Save as Disc Image. The select that .toast file using the Image File setting in the Copy window. They will burn as fast as the drive works with the media you are using.

 

You are in a tough spot regarding your Mac and Toast and Blu-ray. Toast 9 is better for your Mac than is Toast 10. However, Toast 10 fixed some Blu-ray issues in Toast 9. I don't know what to recommend. Check the Toast 9 forum to learn if there are any unsettled Blu-ray issues with that version.

[Rodneyls]

When you want multiple copies choose Save as Disc Image. The select that .toast file using the Image File setting in the Copy window. They will burn as fast as the drive works with the media you are using.

 

You are in a tough spot regarding your Mac and Toast and Blu-ray. Toast 9 is better for your Mac than is Toast 10. However, Toast 10 fixed some Blu-ray issues in Toast 9. I don't know what to recommend. Check the Toast 9 forum to learn if there are any unsettled Blu-ray issues with that version.

 

Thanks DG. I finally go it to work, but had to drop the bit rate to 6 Mbps - 10 Mbps. A 27 minute video took almost 30 hours to encode, but it looks good. I burned 18 copies and they took about 15 minutes each after burning the first one. My major complaint is the menu controls. I don't know how to add text to them and set things on the second menu that has the chapters. The manual isn't very helpful. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Rod

[tsantee]

There is no way to edit content in the scene (chapter) menus. I prefer to disable the scene menu so the only buttons available are for the individual titles.

[Rodneyls]

There is no way to edit content in the scene (chapter) menus. I prefer to disable the scene menu so the only buttons available are for the individual titles.

 

Thanks DG. I 'enabled' the menu scene when I burned this DVD. My top menu has a 'still' that I set by sliding the marker in my video and selecting 'Set Button Picture.' That looks fine. The chapter markers are set to automatic too on the same setup page. But the next level menu page with the chapters are all black and I have no titles. Also no title on the top menu. It almost seems that the text entry (where I enter the title) does nothing other than to remind you to mark the DVD after you finish. So to play my video, I hit 'enter' from the top menu, it takes me to the next menu (w/6 chapters), then I hit 'enter' again on the highlighted black box, and it plays. On a side note, the chapter markers do work and I can navigate to my chapters that I set in Final Cut Express, but nothing is labeled.

 

I'll try your suggestion to disable the scene menus. So, would I expect just one menu button without navigation?

 

Thanks again,

Rod

[tsantee]

Thanks DG. I 'enabled' the menu scene when I burned this DVD. My top menu has a 'still' that I set by sliding the marker in my video and selecting 'Set Button Picture.' That looks fine. The chapter markers are set to automatic too on the same setup page. But the next level menu page with the chapters are all black and I have no titles. Also no title on the top menu. It almost seems that the text entry (where I enter the title) does nothing other than to remind you to mark the DVD after you finish. So to play my video, I hit 'enter' from the top menu, it takes me to the next menu (w/6 chapters), then I hit 'enter' again on the highlighted black box, and it plays. On a side note, the chapter markers do work and I can navigate to my chapters that I set in Final Cut Express, but nothing is labeled.

 

I'll try your suggestion to disable the scene menus. So, would I expect just one menu button without navigation?

 

Thanks again,

Rod

What should be happening with the scene menu is you'll see a button that has an image from the point where the chapter begins. It seems your chapters must be beginning with some black frames which Toast then used for the button image. If you don't include the scene menu you only have the title menu. If you need more control of a scene menu than what Toast gives you you'll have to use a different application to author your DVD.

[Rodneyls]

What should be happening with the scene menu is you'll see a button that has an image from the point where the chapter begins. It seems your chapters must be beginning with some black frames which Toast then used for the button image. If you don't include the scene menu you only have the title menu. If you need more control of a scene menu than what Toast gives you you'll have to use a different application to author your DVD.

 

 

Thanks tsantee. Much appreciated. I'll have to experiment with it. Is there a way to make your own with Photoshop or something? And where are the templates located. (Sorry I was calling you DG thinking 'Digital Guru' was your nickname.)

 

Thanks again,

Rod

[tsantee]

Thanks tsantee. Much appreciated. I'll have to experiment with it. Is there a way to make your own with Photoshop or something? And where are the templates located. (Sorry I was calling you DG thinking 'Digital Guru' was your nickname.)

 

Thanks again,

Rod

The menus templates are Photoshop layered files located within the Toast package. You can access them by control-clicking on the Toast application and choosing Show Package Contents. It isn't easy to mess with them and still have a result that works.

 

There is an older DVD authoring application called CaptyDVD/VCD 2 that I've used which gives more control of scene menus. It isn't as easy to use as Toast and there is no trial version. You can find it at pixela-1.com.

[Rodneyls]

The menus templates are Photoshop layered files located within the Toast package. You can access them by control-clicking on the Toast application and choosing Show Package Contents. It isn't easy to mess with them and still have a result that works.

 

There is an older DVD authoring application called CaptyDVD/VCD 2 that I've used which gives more control of scene menus. It isn't as easy to use as Toast and there is no trial version. You can find it at pixela-1.com.

 

Thanks. When I have some time, I'll try accessing them with photoshop and see what I can do with it.

 

 

But I do have DVD Studio Pro 3. This is an old version. Can I use it for my menus? If so, how do you interface it to Roxio Toast? You seem to be able to use CaptyDVD/VCD for Toast.

 

Thanks,

Rod

[tsantee]

Thanks. When I have some time, I'll try accessing them with photoshop and see what I can do with it.

 

 

But I do have DVD Studio Pro 3. This is an old version. Can I use it for my menus? If so, how do you interface it to Roxio Toast? You seem to be able to use CaptyDVD/VCD for Toast.

 

Thanks,

Rod

If you have DVD SP author the VIDEO_TS folder then Toast can burn that in the Data window using the DVD-Rom (UDF) setting. Are you needing Toast to do the MPEG 2 encoding before adding to DVD SP? If so you can add the source video files to Toast and have it create a video DVD disc image. When that is done mount the disc image file (I use the Mount It contextual menu in the Finder), choose DVD with the top button of the Toast Media Browser and drag the videos you want from the Browser to the Toast window (I'd set Toast to Video Files in the Copy window). Go to the Roxio Converted Items folder and you'll find the videos with the extension .vob. Change that to .mpg and they should work fine with DVD SP.

 

Remember that quitting Toast automatically empties the converted items folder unless you change that in Toast Preferences.

[Rodneyls]

If you have DVD SP author the VIDEO_TS folder then Toast can burn that in the Data window using the DVD-Rom (UDF) setting. Are you needing Toast to do the MPEG 2 encoding before adding to DVD SP? If so you can add the source video files to Toast and have it create a video DVD disc image. When that is done mount the disc image file (I use the Mount It contextual menu in the Finder), choose DVD with the top button of the Toast Media Browser and drag the videos you want from the Browser to the Toast window (I'd set Toast to Video Files in the Copy window). Go to the Roxio Converted Items folder and you'll find the videos with the extension .vob. Change that to .mpg and they should work fine with DVD SP.

 

Remember that quitting Toast automatically empties the converted items folder unless you change that in Toast Preferences.

 

 

If you have DVD SP author the VIDEO_TS folder then Toast can burn that in the Data window using the DVD-Rom (UDF) setting.

Ok, I think I'm confused. If I burn in the data window using the DVD-Rom (UDF) setting, will it come out as a Blu-ray compatible HD movie?

 

 

 

Are you needing Toast to do the MPEG 2 encoding before adding to DVD SP? If so you can add the source video files to Toast and have it create a video DVD disc image. When that is done mount the disc image file (I use the Mount It contextual menu in the Finder), choose DVD with the top button of the Toast Media Browser and drag the videos you want from the Browser to the Toast window (I'd set Toast to Video Files in the Copy window). Go to the Roxio Converted Items folder and you'll find the videos with the extension .vob. Change that to .mpg and they should work fine with DVD SP.

 

I have the movie as a self contained Quicktime. Just wanting to add DVD SP if possible and keep it Blu ray compatible HD. I used this QT movie using the toast menu with a slow bit rate and it was fine. Just looking for a better menu interface. I having problems visualizing how this comes together.

 

Thanks for your help tsantee.

 

Rod

[tsantee]

Ok, I think I'm confused. If I burn in the data window using the DVD-Rom (UDF) setting, will it come out as a Blu-ray compatible HD movie?

I lost track that you were making a Blu-ray disc rather than a video DVD. When you brought up DVD SP I was assuming it was a video DVD. So discard my suggestion about using the Data window to burn the VIDEO_TS folder as that has nothing to do with Blu-ray. Reading your first post also reminds me that you need to use one of the Toast Automatic presets for quality rather than raising the average and maximum bit rates too high in the custom encoder settings. Toast will present error messages when the encoding settings are too high. Some other users have posted about this and have recommended maximum settings that are reliable. You should be able to find that info by searching the Toast 9 or Toast 10 forums.

 

I have the movie as a self contained Quicktime. Just wanting to add DVD SP if possible and keep it Blu ray compatible HD. I used this QT movie using the toast menu with a slow bit rate and it was fine. Just looking for a better menu interface. I having problems visualizing how this comes together.

 

Thanks for your help tsantee.

 

Rod

Blu-ray disc authoring is different from video DVD authoring so it doesn't seem to me that DVD SP will be any help. With Toast you can choose among selected menu styles, drop in a different background, limit the maximum number of titles that appear on a page and change some colors. In Photoshop you might be able to easily change the fonts but anything you change there may not appear as you intended it to look. That's the extent of what's available with Toast.

[Rodneyls]

I lost track that you were making a Blu-ray disc rather than a video DVD. When you brought up DVD SP I was assuming it was a video DVD. So discard my suggestion about using the Data window to burn the VIDEO_TS folder as that has nothing to do with Blu-ray. Reading your first post also reminds me that you need to use one of the Toast Automatic presets for quality rather than raising the average and maximum bit rates too high in the custom encoder settings. Toast will present error messages when the encoding settings are too high. Some other users have posted about this and have recommended maximum settings that are reliable. You should be able to find that info by searching the Toast 9 or Toast 10 forums.

 

 

Blu-ray disc authoring is different from video DVD authoring so it doesn't seem to me that DVD SP will be any help. With Toast you can choose among selected menu styles, drop in a different background, limit the maximum number of titles that appear on a page and change some colors. In Photoshop you might be able to easily change the fonts but anything you change there may not appear as you intended it to look. That's the extent of what's available with Toast.

 

Thanks tsantee. If I keep the bitrate down,I'm fine. (It just takes 28 hours.) But I haven't been able to get any text on my menu. I used the Warp (16x9), but nothing. I typed in a menu title, but it did not display. And I can add different backgrounds as you mentioned. I didn't even see the second menu level with chapter markers until after the burn was complete. On that menu level I was able to navigate to different chapters, but no labels or video still inserts like I did on the main menu page. After selecting the 'rdit' button for the video, the arrows to get to the second menu were grayed out when setting up for burning. For some reason it can't see the chapter markers until after the movie has been encoded (this is a self contained QT movie) 28 hours later.

 

Thanks again,

Rod

[tsantee]

Thanks tsantee. If I keep the bitrate down,I'm fine. (It just takes 28 hours.) But I haven't been able to get any text on my menu. I used the Warp (16x9), but nothing. I typed in a menu title, but it did not display. And I can add different backgrounds as you mentioned. I didn't even see the second menu level with chapter markers until after the burn was complete. On that menu level I was able to navigate to different chapters, but no labels or video still inserts like I did on the main menu page. After selecting the 'rdit' button for the video, the arrows to get to the second menu were grayed out when setting up for burning. For some reason it can't see the chapter markers until after the movie has been encoded (this is a self contained QT movie) 28 hours later.

 

Thanks again,

Rod

Everything you state is what I would expect. The text hasn't appeared in Toast 10 menus when using a PowerPC Mac since Toast 10.0.2. This problem happened when Roxio updated Toast to work with OS 10.6 on Intel Macs and they haven't fixed it. So the only solution for that right now is to use Toast 10.0.2 or 9.x or get an Intel Mac.

 

The scene menus cannot be previewed. They only are seen on the final result. There is no text with scene menus; only a thumbnail image from a frame where the scene begins. However, since you are using a text-only menu style I have no idea what Toast uses to mark the scene when there is no thumbnail.

 

I imagine this is getting beyond frustrating to extremely irritating for you. In one way you are using old technology (a PowerPC Mac) to try to do a process that requires a much more powerful and up-to-date Mac. On the other hand you are being stymied by an application that is supposed to work with your Mac but no longer does since it was updated to work with Snow Leopard. If you don't have access to Toast 10.0.2 ask Roxio for a link to it since they owe you a version that works on your Mac.

[Rodneyls]

Everything you state is what I would expect. The text hasn't appeared in Toast 10 menus when using a PowerPC Mac since Toast 10.0.2. This problem happened when Roxio updated Toast to work with OS 10.6 on Intel Macs and they haven't fixed it. So the only solution for that right now is to use Toast 10.0.2 or 9.x or get an Intel Mac.

 

The scene menus cannot be previewed. They only are seen on the final result. There is no text with scene menus; only a thumbnail image from a frame where the scene begins. However, since you are using a text-only menu style I have no idea what Toast uses to mark the scene when there is no thumbnail.

 

I imagine this is getting beyond frustrating to extremely irritating for you. In one way you are using old technology (a PowerPC Mac) to try to do a process that requires a much more powerful and up-to-date Mac. On the other hand you are being stymied by an application that is supposed to work with your Mac but no longer does since it was updated to work with Snow Leopard. If you don't have access to Toast 10.0.2 ask Roxio for a link to it since they owe you a version that works on your Mac.

 

I think you've said it all, my PowerPC is too old. That explains why I'm having the menu issues that I have been seeing. I think I will contact Roxio and see what they have to say.

 

I will also play around with the menus in Photoshop to see if I can make some custom Menus with text! If I get it, I'll post it on the Toast board for others with PowerPCs.

 

Thanks again for all your help.

 

Rod