Exporting Movies for DVD

Using the Create iDVD Project button is the easiest method of turning your movie into a DVD project, but it's not the only option. You can export QuickTime files that can be added to an iDVD project.

To export for DVD:

1. Choose Export from iMovie's File menu.

2. In the iMovie: Export dialog box, choose To QuickTime from the Export popup menu (Figure 16.6). Choosing To iDVD gives you no options.

   Figure 16.6. Choose the Full Quality DV option to export a movie that can be used with iDVD 2.

   

3. From the Formats popup menu, choose Full Quality DV.

4. Click the Export button to export the movie.

5. Name the movie file and choose a location, then click the Save button. iMovie saves it as a DV-formatted QuickTime movie.

Tip

• The file created by this operation is a self-contained QuickTime file, which means all the video and audio is present in the single file. That's the best method to use if you need to transport the movie file to another computer. However, if you're using iDVD on your own machine, it's easier to grab the QuickTime movie that's created in your project's folder in the Finder. Although that file is a reference movie, which points to the content in your Media folder, you can drag it into iDVD just as if it were a self-contained QuickTime movie.

Exporting for iDVD 2

My original PowerBook G4 had no SuperDrive, so I couldn't install iDVD on that machine. Instead, I exported my iMovie projects as QuickTime files using the steps on this page, then used the files to build a DVD on a friend's SuperDrive-equipped Mac. This technique also applies to SuperDrive owners using iDVD 2 who choose not to upgrade to iDVD 3. You lose the capability to set chapter markers, but it's cheaper than buying a new Mac or iDVD 3.