Problems with iDVD
 

I´ve cut a 105 minutes movie in FCP 4 and I´m trying to make a DVD with iDVD. Previously I got a succesfull test with the same length but just one cut. The new version has plenty of cuts, transitions and color corrections.
I work with two powerbooks G4 (one for editing and the other for iDVD composing) and an external LaCie Hard Disk.
I´ve tried many times burning diferent versions of the movie but always have the same problem: sometimes after encoding the menu tells me "Error during rendering/encoding of menus/slideshows. Burning interrupted"
Or after encoding the video part of the movie just before encoding audio the burning is interrupted.
Any idea how to solve this problem, considering that it´s not a problem with the lenght?

quite possibly your file exceeds the DVDs capacity. when you add all of those other elements, transitions, cuts, effects, titles, etc., it grows the file substantially, to the point where your current system can't handle it. every one of those elements requires memory to carry out the command. your system sounds as if it is burning single-layer 4GB DVDs, when you probably need a double-layer 8 GB DVD to fit your project.

the idea of "length" really applies to film. there is no actual "length" to digital video, only greater or fewer memory-intensive commands. i have a 15-minute video which is so loaded up with effects that it requires a double-layer DVD to hold the contents.

I'm not sure what verision of iDVD you are running but try instead of burning go to file save as disc image. This will tell you exactly how much space you will need on the dvd. If it would fit on a DVD use Toast or LiquidCD to burn tht image to disc.

Just curious. Are you exporting out of FCP as a quicktime movie self contained? Not sure if it would make a difference but with all your media on an external it may not be transfering over fast enough for IDVD.

Hi Meryem, I´m sure it´s not a question of capacity, because I´ve fit a similar project before slightly bigger (22.6 GB) in a 4GB DVD. iDVD makes the compression.

Hi Nate, the version I´m running is the 5, and i´ve tried to do what you say with no success, and if I use Toast 6 I have to split the project in two parts.

Hi Lorne, I´ve exported it as quicktime movie self contained, and i´v tried transfering the project inside the hard disk and it´s the same.

Thank you all for the ideas

Go into iDVD preferences (under the "IDVD" menu") or hit command-comma. Click on the "Projects" icon and you will probably see the radio button for Best Performance selected (this also allows background encoding with the check box). Select Best Quality instead. You don't get background encoding, but you can make a 2 hour DVD instead of only a 1.25 hour DVD. I see by your 22GB movie that you have about 100 minutes to fit on the DVD.

Don't understand why this backgound encoding tradeoff is required. The iDVD Help is not much help. The only relevant reference I found was "If your project has more than 60-74 minutes of video, choose Best Quality." It should really tell you clearly about restrictions on movie length in relation to this setting.