Feed
 

Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar John Nicholas
I have a 17 minute mp4 video which plays ok (running OS El Capitan). I want to burn it onto a DVD to play in a “normal” DVD player. I do not want to pay for an App/Software.

Attempts to convert it on a particular free online site to Mpeg-2 (is this what I want?) result in it returning to me labelled as “damaged”, or not even being returned. Content material is entirely clean and inoffensive (instruction on how my wife should operate her newly acquired sewing machine.)

What simple Free way (me idiot, so idiot proof method please) should I go about this. So far I have found that trial versions of software seem to limit clips to 5 mins, or perhaps one third of the length of the clip.

I have spent much time googling and trying to assist my wife but it is beginning to "needle" me.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar John Nicholas
Have now got mpeg2 version ( if this is what I need ? ) on my desktop but what do I next do and what Application do I use to burn this onto a disc. Attempts so far seem to suggest disc capacity is too small. Can this really be so? I am using one of my usual disca, empty but DVD ready formatted DVD+RW.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar Mick Burrell
I assume the DVD player can handle that disc format and that you've tried burning using the Finder? If not, click on your desktop background so the word Finder appears in bold next to the black apple in the top left corner of the screen then click on File>New Burn Folder. This will create one on your desktop. (Change its name if you wish). Drag your file to it - it will create a link to the file so your file does not disappear inside the burn folder. Right click on the folder and choose Burn To Disc.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar John Nicholas
No. That didn't work. Having clicked "burn to Disc" , I was confronted with the same impasse I had encountered before.


A dialogue box saying:-


"To begin, insert a blank disc.

This disc will be burned with the contents of "xxxxxxx". You need a disc with a capacity of at least 74.7 MB."



But the disc is blank and is inserted in the slot. I have tried 3 blank discs all to no effect. Yet the drive recognises any disc with content.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar Euan Williams
Hi John. I rather think you want to 'convert' or 'format' your video (which already plays on your own Mac) so that you can watch it from your TV DVD slot or other DVD player device.

To do this you really need Apple's iDVD App (which they no longer sell, nor install) - presumably because "The DVD is Dead". It isn't, yet. It is entirely possible to use iDVD on your more recent El Capitan OSX, and it starts happily on El Capitan here (although I haven't done any conversions yet I doubt there will be any issues).

If you email me via Mick Burrell's official email address (see Contacts) we can get in touch and I will post the makings on Dropbox for you with the instructions and Apple's Manual. If you ever visit (Dorchester) WaMug I may be able to help you further.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar John Nicholas
Thank you Mick for your couple of suggestions when, inconveniently for you, we spoke on the phone.

Part of the problem does seem to be disc compatibility. If I use a DVD+RW disc straight out of the box, the Mac recognises it and burns onto it, but the Panasonic DVD player says the result is not compatible. If I reformat a brand new empty disc to suit the Panasonic DVD player and put it in the Mac it is not seen by the Mac.

Although MPeg2 is referred to on the cover of the DVD player instruction manual, elsewhere it refers to other disc types and data formats. Is this the minefield I am in ??

MP4 and MPeg2 transferred onto a flash drive work fine when inserted into the TV. But my wife is not computer / technology literate and this method confuses her even more at the mo rather than using the DVD particularly when she needs to change the signal source ( I have a BT PVR linked in as well as a DVD/VHS combo). Three devices and controls defeat her.

As perhaps I may need again to go the DVD route, and as Euan suggests he may have an answer to this conundrum, when it is convenient perhaps you would pass on to him my contact details. Sorry to be a nuisance.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar Euan Williams
For what it's worth (which may be nothing) I use DVD -R discs which work on both my Panasonic and Mac equipment. I don't think you can "reformat" DVDs at least in the sense we are discussing - your para 2. The important thing is that your DVD will have a bunch of hidden files which are the data bits and pieces that allow your TV or video player to sort the data on the disc into "edible" information it can use to play vision and sound, offer you previews, etc.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar Eric Jervis
I read years ago that -R was the preferred format and have always used it, with no problems. However I recently bought some -RW which were useless (but I did buy them from Tesco). I wanted to burn .pdf files on my G5 and then put the discs into my Mini and print them out. They burned and read perfectly on the G5 but were ejected by the Mini. I got my money back though.

Re: Converting MP4 video to play in household DVD

Avatar Eric Jervis
AHEM, silly me; they were CDs not DVDs.
 
Feed