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Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD Apps
iDVD (by default) won't let you burn to a DVD-RW (at least with version 3. I don't have the new iLife -- maybe they changed this).

I read somewhere (I think it may have been in Rob's book, but I don't remember for sure) that you could burn to a DVD-RW in iDVD, but you had to start the process with a DVD-R, and eject it after it starts the multiplexing process and insert the RW disc, or something like that. Anyway, here's a simpler solution.

I accidentally discovered this workaround. Start with iDVD closed, and put in a blank DVD-RW, then click "ignore" when prompted as to what to do. Then open iDVD and click Burn, and it will burn your iDVD project to the RW disc without a hitch.
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Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD | 13 comments | Create New Account
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Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: Anonymous on Jul 02, '04 01:08:19PM

This is documentated here:

http://homepage.mac.com/bruce.mckenzie/iblog/C1703310809/E1517370515/index.html

I can confirm it works with iLife 04. Incidentally, iDVD (by default) won't burn widescreen (16:9) movies to DVD-R/RW either, but you can make it:

http://homepage.mac.com/bruce.mckenzie/iblog/C1703310809/E880959544/index.html

However, Apple's DVD player won't recognize them as widescreen (although consumer players I've tried cope fine). You can view your home made DVD in widescreen using this work-around:

http://homepage.mac.com/bruce.mckenzie/iblog/C1703310809/E848464254/index.html



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Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: wallybear on Jul 05, '04 05:22:40AM

Regarding the hint on page

http://homepage.mac.com/bruce.mckenzie/iblog/C1703310809/E880959544/index.html

I suggest to search for "00 00 01 B3 2D 02 40 23" instead of " 2D 02 40 23" only.
"00 00 01 B3" is the header that indentifies the beginning of a MPEG2 (and MPEG1) block, so adding that string to the search you can be sure you won't replace also parts of the encoded movie that present the same sequence.

-------------------------------------------------------
JAW Software - www.jaw.it
MPEG2Splitter and other fine MAc products.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: bluehz on Jul 02, '04 03:32:08PM

On a related note - there is a hack floating around that allows you to use iDVD with external burners and also to save from iDVD to a disk image (for burning on another machine, archiving, etc). I believe it will also allow burning to DVD-RW, if not you can certainly save to disk image and use Toast, or Disk Utility to burn to whatever you want. I have even burned miniDVD's onto CD media using the Disk Image technique.

The hack basically involves putting two files in your home directory - one named "Pfurz" and the other named "Hurz". The files are essentially empty - except the "Hurz" file contains an empty resource of type "AFRA" and the "Pfurz" file contains an empty resource of type "LISA". No harm can be done as the files are basically empty. No one seems to understand why this works - it has been suggested it is a programmers debug scheme - but who knows.

You can create the two files mentioned above, then open them in your favorite Resource Editor and add the appropriate (empty) resources if you desire. Or if you desire - the following shell script will create the files for you. It requires the Satimage Scripting Addition - available here http://www.satimage.fr/software/downloads/Satimage259.sit.


#!/bin/sh

# Script to create the two hidden files
# that will allow iDVD to burn to external
# DVD burners and save to disk image

echo <<EOF "============================================================
This script will create the two hidden files
that will allow iDVD to burn to external
DVD burners and save to disk images.
============================================================"
EOF

# check for Satimage Scripting Addition
if [ -d "$HOME/Library/ScriptingAdditions/Satimage.osax" ]; then
	echo "Satimage Scripting Addition installed, continuing..."
elif [ -d "/Library/ScriptingAdditions/Satimage.osax" ]; then
	echo "Satimage Scripting Addition installed, continuing..."
else
	echo "Satimage Scripting Addition is required for this script"
	echo "Get Satimage here: http://www.satimage.fr/software/downloads/Satimage259.sit"
	echo "Install it and then re-run this script"
	exit 1
fi

osascript <<EOF
set the_file to (((path to desktop) as string) & "Pfurz") as file specification
try
	open for access the_file with write permission
	close access the_file
on error
	try
		close access the_file
	end try
end try

set the_file to (((path to desktop) as string) & "Hurz") as file specification
try
	open for access the_file with write permission
	close access the_file
on error
	try
		close access the_file
	end try
end try

set thisQTresource to (((path to desktop) as string) & "Hurz")
put resource 0 to thisQTresource type "AFRA" index 1

set thisQTresource to (((path to desktop) as string) & "Pfurz")
put resource 0 to thisQTresource type "LISA" index 1
EOF

mv ~/Desktop/Hurz ~/Hurz
mv ~/Desktop/Pfurz ~/Pfurz
chmod 755 Pfurz Hurz

if [ -f "/Developer/Tools/SetFile" ]; then
	SetFile -a V ~/Hurz ~/Pfurz
else
	echo "Extra Credit: use your favorite file utility"
	echo "to make the two files ~/Pfurz and ~/Hurz invisible"
fi

echo <<EOF "============================================================
                 CONGRATULATIONS!
============================================================
The iDVD Hack has been successfully installed!

You may now launch iDVD and when you are ready to burn, hold
down the control key and then click the "Burn" button.
continue holding down the control key until a hidden dialog
appears that will allow you to choose to "Save to Disk Image"
or burn to an external DVD burner.
============================================================"
EOF


Please - no comments on my scripting style... I threw this together in about 5 mins.</code></pre>


[ Reply to This | # ]
Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: ecco on Jul 04, '04 05:06:26PM
LOL! pfurz and hurz are well-known in Germany:

hurz is a famous comedy song by Hape Kerkeling and
pfurz is the german word for fart
:-)

[ Reply to This | # ]

Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: miseenplas on Aug 11, '04 10:59:56AM

For give my complete ignorance..but exactly where is the "Home directory" folder in OSX? I'm running Panther...and am looking for a folder entitled "Home" but dont seem to find it.

Is this folder the home "applications" folder...the Library folder, the system library,etc? Please help...

Thanx,
Miseenplas

---
just because "we could" doesnt always mean "we should".......



[ Reply to This | # ]
Your user home directory
Authored by: jecwobble on Aug 11, '04 03:00:21PM

The folder in /Users/ with your user name. For instance my home folder is: /Users/john/



[ Reply to This | # ]
Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: jcoady on Aug 23, '04 01:33:55PM

Sorry to be obtuse, but where exactly is my "home directory".



[ Reply to This | # ]
Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: Steve P on Aug 24, '04 07:34:49AM

Thanks for the Hack. However I tried to run the script having downloaded the Satimage scripting addition with no success, craps out on the first line. Not the familair with applescript. any suggestions ?? Should the osax file show up in the applescript plugin preferences panel? If so I can't see it so must be doing something wrong. Any assistance appreciated



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Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: HouseSold on Nov 04, '04 12:39:12PM

We really need to burn (import DV) to an external hard drive and would like to implement this feature. I need some beginning tutoring step by step on what to open and where to paste etc. in OSX.3.5 on a Powerbook 1.33 to successfully utilize importing to the external drives.

We are using external HD's connected by FW800.

Thank you anyone willing to help/guide us.



[ Reply to This | # ]
Burn to DVD-RWs in iDVD
Authored by: Makosuke on Jul 06, '04 06:00:27PM

I've been doing this since I first started using iDVD last year, and it's a huge bonus to test a disc and make sure the finished product will look like what you want without wasting a DVD.

I just sort of tried it and it worked (in fact, I think the finder actually asks you if you want to open iDVD when you insert a blank DVD-RW), so it never occurred to me that this was some kind of a trick. I don't think you even have to have iDVD closed when you insert the disc, though I'd have to try it with iLife 04 to see if I'm remembering correctly.



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Thanks for this info!!
Authored by: amarlin on Jul 24, '04 03:46:22PM

All I wanted to do was to burn DVDs from iDVD. It doesn't sound like too much to ask for, does it? (APPLE!). After buying and returning a Sony and an Iomega DVD recorder, I decided to pay "full price" and order one off of Apple's website, thinking certainly theirs would be 100% OS X compatible. The only one they had available was a LaCie 8x Drive (we're talking external, here, as in for my PowerBook). After ordering, I began to wonder if even THAT would be 100% compatible. I called Apple, and they said that NO external DVD writer would be compatible with iDVD (or the Finder) and basically if I didn't buy the PowerBook with the DVD recorder built in, I was just "out of luck"! Needless to say, I cancelled my order.

Yesterday I went out and bought a 12x TDK External recorder (love those TDK's), thinking all hope was lost as far as iDVD was concerned. Then I stumbled across this page today...and it actually works! Why did Apple, the King (Queen?) of simplicity had to make this so difficult??

Thanks so much again you guys. You've really made my day!



[ Reply to This | # ]
Background info
Authored by: xauxau on Jul 28, '04 02:44:34AM
FYI: The Hurz and Pfurz files are from inside Apple, and as others have surmised, they were developed for in-house use and testing. Even while working at Apple we were discouraged from using them, because...

The reason iDVD is limited to work only with internal DVD burners is because of MPEG2 licencing issues. Apple would be more than happy for people to use iDVD to make DVDs, but then iDVD would have to ship with an MPEG2 licence, which costs real money. Since iDVD is free, and available for download, they had to come up with a solution.

Their solution was to ship a MPEG2 licence with the internal DVD burner, then limit iDVD to only work with internal DVDs. Since they charge for the burner, they can recover the licence cost that way. External DVD burners don't ship with MPEG2 licences.

So don't blame Apple :-) Blame the MPEG licencing org (and probably the MPAA, since we'd like to think they're at faul somehow).

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Background info
Authored by: sowhat on Aug 24, '04 04:03:37PM

good info but why not charge for a plugin like they do for quicktime mpeg2?

seems like a logical solution



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