iPhoto '11 Show - Burning a Slideshow to DVD

I published the first in a couple of shows about iLife '11 today, the first being all about iPhoto '11.

SCO0234 - iPhoto '11 Update - Show Link

It is a ScreenCastsOnline members show, so you need to be a member to see the full show. Details about becoming a member are here.

However, I've just had an email from a viewer with a fairly common request, and one I might have included in the show, so I'm going to repeat it here.

The question was:

How do I burn an iPhoto slideshow to DVD without using an iDVD theme?

There are two options in iPhoto '11 that allow you to burn photos to DVD but neither will allow you to play a slideshow automatically in a DVD player with the some times intrusive iDVD themes. The two options are:

• A direct export to iDVD, but it will force you into using one of the iDVD themes, when most people just want the slideshow to play when your insert the disc.

• There's also an option to just "Burn" the photo's but this creates an iPhoto library on the DVD, and is only readable by another copy of iPhoto '11

So this is how to create an auto running DVD with no iDVD theme that will just play when you insert it into a DVD player.

• Create a Slideshow using the option under the Create Button just like I demonstrated in the show.

• If you don't want to use any of the fancy iPhoto themes, just use the Classic theme for a plain presentation. You can change the order of the slides, add music, add movies, etc, all the features contained in iPhoto '11.

• Under Slideshow Settings select the iPod/TV (4:3) or HDTV (16:9) Aspect Ratio.

• Export the slideshow as a QuickTime movie file, again, just like I demonstrated in the show. I'd suggest going for the large size. Bare in mind that the final DVD will not display high resolution versions of the photos as the standard DVD resolution is only 720 x 480 (NTSC) or 720 x 576 (PAL), so your high res photos may not look as good as the originals!

• Once you've exported the movie, give it a quick check to make sure it plays exactly as you want using Quicktime player. If not, go back into iPhoto '11 and make any tweaks you want, then export it again overwriting the original movie

• Fire up iDVD

• Don't make any selections from the opening Dialog Box but go to File -> One Step DVD from Movie

• Navigate to your Quicktime Movie file (the default location is Pictures/iPhoto Slideshows) and select it

• Insert a blank recordable DVD in the drive and Click OK.

• iDVD will re-encode the QuickTime movie and burn it to the DVD.

• Once completed, you can insert the DVD in any DVD player and the slideshow will play, exactly as your original slideshow did in iPhoto, but with no iDVD themes.

Comments

[Todd A. Peperkorn]

You should be able to do the exact same thing pretty much in Toast Titanium 10 (or previous).

[Ann]

I just finished watching the iPhoto 11 Update Show, great show as always. I'll be picking up my copy today, I can't wait to play with it.

Sorry to hear the price is so much higher in the U.K., is that Apple's pricing or is there an import tax?

[bunga]

@Ann, different Countrys have their own Taxes and then there is the currency differences between countries.

@Todd, not everyone has Toast which iDVD comes free with every new Mac.

@Don, Good article :-)

[Beth]

Hi there, I have been trying to burn a slide show to make a DVD, using the instructions above I have not been successful in capturing the theme or transitions. Is there another step which I am missing? I'd be grateful for any tips.

[Peter Ewan]

Hi Don,

Can you tell me how to change the default .mov setting from NTSC to PAL. I've created a.mov file from a slideshow but it's been created as NTSC and I'm having to get Toast to re-encode it.

Many thanks

Peter (screencast online subscriber!)

[Don McAllister]

Sorry Peter,

Can't see a way to do that - one for the ScreenCastsOnline forums or Apple discussions groups I think.

Don

[bunga]

Peter

Set iMovie and or iDVD to Pal in their Preferences and when you relaunch either they should be defaulted as Pal from then on.

[Stephanie]

I am a complete novice when it comes to dong anything like this but I followed your instructions and it worked beautifully thank you so much.

[Ashley]

I often use DVD Photo Slideshow for burning slide shows. Simply the easiest to use DVD burning slideshow software and designed to be easy enough for anyone in the family to use.

[Terri]

Thanks for the information. It was very helpful!

[Marcus Robert]

Recently, most of the free dvd burning programs are already equipped with one click photo editing with default or customized themes.

[Amy]

After creating a slideshow in iPhoto '09 and sending it (via iPhoto) to iDVD, the finished result when playing the DVD is appalling. The actual quality of the photos is okay, but the Ken Burns effect movements and transitions between photos is very jerky and disappointing. from: burn m4v to dvd

[laurin]

how can I loop the slideshow? I'd like for it to play continuously once in the DVD.

[bunga]

@laurin, your DVD player should have a loop function

[Darren]

Idvd not available anymore!!! Not built into new I macs!

[bunga]

You would need to purchase the iLife package and iDVD is there. If your old Mac was inTel you can use the app from it if you can migrate it to the new iMac. I can't really say if you can drag just the app over as I'm not sure if there's extensions need installing into the System for it to work. But useing the Migration tool will bring over the neccesary files needed. Good luck ;)

[Ed Holzer]

HELP!!
I will be everlastingly grateful if someone can refer me to a simple...step-by-step procedure
for burning an Iphoto slide show to a DVD in such a manor that I can play it in my DVD player.

I've tried the instructions on the FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 AT 6:12PM issue of this blog and still cannot make it work. Can anyone help me...PLEASE?
ED HOLZER

[Rikki]

Thanks so much for the step-to-step guide. I was able to create a memorial slideshow for my grandmothers funeral and burn it to a dvd quickly. However, I did not realize my new iMac did not have idvd until I was ready to burn. Although, I found away around this glitch by moving the quick time movie file to my Macbook pro via airdrop where I was able to use idvd and get the job done.

I would appreciate any suggestions of affordable software or applications I can use on my iMac in the future if my laptop was not accessible. Thanks

[Andy]

Thanks a lot for writing this up! Worked for me a treat. Cheers!

[Vic]

There's also a way in which a DVD slide show can be created. That is, to use the DVD photo slide show for Mac.