MOV deterioration

I exported an fcp project to .mov and created an IDVD project with it. It worked fine for over a year, but for some reason it started causing errors so I created a new IDVD project, imported the .mov file into it and burned a DVD with no problem - EXCEPT! for some reason, the .mov file has become extremely pixelated?? Unfortunately I erased all of my clips from my harddrive so I can't just reexport the FCP project to a new .mov file.

Does anyone know why it would do this?

PS. The other strange thing is that I was able to go back to the old IDVD project and burn a correct dvd with no pixelation? Even stranger because doesn't it just use a path back to that same original .mov file?? I checked and there aren't two versions of the .mov file either?

Anyways.. I know this is long winded, but anyone who might be able to help?

Thanks.
Johnny

Have you already checked the QuickTime Movie on QuickTime Player and/or FCP? iDVD often does a poor job encoding (the same project file could encode fine one time, and then not the next) and you should make sure whether the problem is with the file or iDVD.

If the movie file plays fine in FCP, I suggest you re-import it into a new project file, render sound, and then re-export it into another QuickTime movie. Then try it with iDVD again.

iDVD: Not my favourite application.

Yes it is also pixelated in quicktime. I didn't realize I could import my .mov file into fcp. (i'm obviously very new at this) When I do that won't it import it with the same pixelation problem though?

Do you have any good suggestions of what to use instead of IDVD? I just use it cause it's what came with my powerbook.

<<<iDVD: Not my favourite application.>>>

No kidding.

Maybe it's a problem in the later versions, but iDVD3 uses a fixed compression of 8 which is excellent and a time limit of 60 minutes which is very conservative. We have never had troubles that weren't traceable back to bad videos--or bad media.

Who made the disks you're using? We use top quality Maxell stock and (almost) never have age or burn problems. We experimented with other makers and "no-name" brands and they were a disaster on carefully greased wheels.

Koz

I'm using maxell and they work great. The problem is with the source .mov file for sure- it's pixelated on quicktime and on the IDVD preview. The question is how is an older version of the IDVD project still burning it with no pixelation? If only one .mov file exists on my harddrive (and it's pixelated), how could it be pixelated on one project and not pixelated on the other?

> Yes it is also pixelated in quicktime. I didn't realize I could import my .mov file
> into fcp. (i'm obviously very new at this) When I do that won't it import it
> with the same pixelation problem though?

If it's pixellated on QuickTime Player as well as Final Cut, re-importing into FCP won't help -- it's become an intrinsic part of the data file. The suggestion was solely for if iDVD somehow doesn't like a certain QuickTime file -- "refreshing" it by re-importing and re-exporting can sometimes fix the problem. That doesn't sound like what you have.

Try some disk utilities on the disk it's on (First Aid, Norton Disk Doctor and DiskWarrior), see if that helps. If not, you may have to recapture the clips from tape and remake the movie file. Maybe that drive needs defragging.

Word of advice: If you're keeping a QuickTime movie file for a prolonged period (eg. a year), burn it onto a non-rewriteable medium (eg. data DVD, if it fits). That way if the file gets corrupted, all you have to do is copy it back from your backup disc.

Your old iDVD project probably works OK because the encoded files have already been created. If the problem does indeed arise from the QuickTime file, newer attempts at encoding will include the problem, while old encoded media files were probably made before the problem arose.

<<<Your old iDVD project probably works OK because the encoded files have already been created.>>>

Oh yes. Totally. You may also find that since the encoding step is missing, that the burn using this process is much shorter.

Koz

great advice about burning it to a disk - thank you.

Appreciate the help