Best Codec for Quicker iDVD

Have a question here. For about two years when burning a dvd using iDVD, I export as a quicktime file in the DV/DVCPro Codec in the highest quality. ......Then after converting to that codec, iDVD converts it to the codec that IT needs.....more waiting. Is there a quicker way to get this accomplished?? Is there a codec that has the quality of a quicktime that will be read immediately bu iDVD so I don't have to convert it twice?? It would literally save me hours.

It never really entered my mind that this was possible for whatever reason. Probably a no brainer for some, but I'm the type that doesn't fix it if it ain't broke.

Any insight would be appreciated.

-Jay

When you export out of FCP, just choose Quicktime Movie (not Quicktime conversion) and don't tick 'Make self contained'. This will make an exact copy of your timeline referencing the media already on your harddrive. It's quick and simple.

Personally I like to make a self contained copy, but this does take more time.

Now take this reference movie into IDVD and let it do its thing. You wil probably find that your quality will improve with this method too, because up till now you have essentailly been compressing the material twice.

Thanks A Million Jude!

You may not notice any speed increase in the actual process that iDVD uses to produce a disk, but the rest of the job will go quicker and with better quality.

iDVD uses internal encoding and burning and can't be shortcutted. Once you submit a movie, you go drink coffee.

In addition to Jude's excellent advice you understand that even if you upgrade to one of the other processes and programs that can produce a DVD, you're still stuck with the basics of MPEG2.

It's front loaded.

The object is for the studio (you) to spend a lot of time and effort in manufacture so that the audience can play the disk in real time perfectly and with excellent quality. Once you start shortcutting the manufacture stage, that means the audience is either going to have a harder and harder time to play the disk, or the quality of the disk will be very much lower.

It's something of a zero sum game.

For example, one of the tasks you get to tune if you go with a larger authoring program is multiple pass encoding. The encoding process is repeated several times instead of just once in order to get the best possible quality of picture and motion in the smallest possible space. That process can be very slow, but it can produce very good results.

Koz

"iDVD uses internal encoding and burning and can't be shortcutted. Once you submit a movie, you go drink coffee."

I wondered how do these guy's like Koz, Jude and Derek have so much time if they are so busy working to help out in the Cafe LA so much then this last quote hit me.
Render Time!
Thanks Guys!

<<<Render Time!>>>

Fortunately, I don't have anyting that needs rendering, but I do have occasional time holes--and I type really fats.

....fast.

Koz