How to make a PC made DVD movie play on a iMAC?

I thought a DVD was a DVD regardless of platform.

However, my client's iMac cannot play a DVD I made from Premiere on my PC.

any help?

thanks, Robert

also posting in PC forum
--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

In what format are the video files?

Robert Strom said:

I thought a DVD was a DVD regardless of platform.

However, my client's iMac cannot play a DVD I made from Premiere on
my PC.

Click to expand...

Does the DVD play in a DVD player? If so, it should play in an iMac.

The things that could stop it, is if the burner is dying and the discs you burn can be read by some things and not others - also the program might just have burned a data file to a DVD instead of making a "real" DVD.

--
---> Kendall
http://InsideAperture.com
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/user_home

Conchita said:

In what format are the video files?

Click to expand...

I use Adobe Premiere. To make a DVD I use the export> Movie> DVD to create an ISO file then burn the ISO to DVD with Alcohol 120%. ( since this is the MAC forum you probably are using iMOvie or Final cut pro.

If I were to create the DVD outside of Premiere, the format would be .AVI

But the DVD has the proper TS folders.

The DVD plays on my TV's DVD player.

Thanks, Robert

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

Robert Strom said:

I thought a DVD was a DVD regardless of platform.

However, my client's iMac cannot play a DVD I made from Premiere on
my PC.

Click to expand...

Does the DVD play in a DVD player? If so, it should play in an iMac.

Click to expand...

The DVD plays on my standalone DVD player.

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

The things that could stop it, is if the burner is dying and the
discs you burn can be read by some things and not others - also the
program might just have burned a data file to a DVD instead of making
a "real" DVD.

Click to expand...

The burner is a 2 month old Pioneer so I don't think burner age is the problem.

Thanks for your suggestions? Any more?

Is it possible that the client does not have the appropriate software? It is a corporation so maybe they only loaded the software needed for his job? I thought the basic operating system included a basic DVD player. I don't know much about MAC's.

Robert

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

--
---> Kendall
http://InsideAperture.com
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/user_home

Click to expand...

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

Just shotgunning ideas here....

Maybe you burned on DVD+R and their drive only reads -R? You didn't say the age of the iMac so that might be a possibility.

Apple's DVD player just happens to be one of the buggiest pieces of.... anyway.... I usually use VLC (Command-D). You could try that if it's DVD player that is causing the problem.

BUT, if they are just sticking it in and saying "nope, don't play" DVD player could be there, but the OS isn't set to auto play DVDs on insertion.

And if it isn't there, it is entirely possible that a business could have removed DVD player if they didn't want employees watching movies. It's easy enough to do, so if the sysadmin is a bit of a control freak...

But if I were to bet money, I'd bet on user error. They are just doing something wrong/not opening DVD player manually/etc. That's why I started sending clients video via YouTube. An interface every 8 year old knows how to use. So, it's only slightly over the heads of my clients.

mimyc said:

Just shotgunning ideas here....

Maybe you burned on DVD+R and their drive only reads -R? You didn't
say the age of the iMac so that might be a possibility.

Click to expand...

DVD-R discs. Tayo Uden premium media, burn at 4 to 8x only (not max) new Pioneer DVD burner.
Imac is the white model, so I guess it is last year's model

mimyc said:

Apple's DVD player just happens to be one of the buggiest pieces
of.... anyway.... I usually use VLC (Command-D). You could try that
if it's DVD player that is causing the problem.

Click to expand...

I will suggest it to them.

mimyc said:

BUT, if they are just sticking it in and saying "nope, don't play"
DVD player could be there, but the OS isn't set to auto play DVDs on
insertion.

Click to expand...

I'll have their IT guy check it out

mimyc said:

And if it isn't there, it is entirely possible that a business could
have removed DVD player if they didn't want employees watching
movies. It's easy enough to do, so if the sysadmin is a bit of a
control freak...

Click to expand...

It does have a DVD player because I send him image files on DVD and he can read them fine.

mimyc said:

But if I were to bet money, I'd bet on user error. They are just
doing something wrong/not opening DVD player manually/etc. That's
why I started sending clients video via YouTube. An interface every
8 year old knows how to use. So, it's only slightly over the heads
of my clients.

Click to expand...

I am betting it is user error too. He is not computer savvy. I also send clients youtube videos or upload 320x240 .MOV files to their FTP site for approval.

This is the first time I sent him a full res DVD. I expected him to play it at home on his set top DVD player.

Thanks for your suggestions,

Robert

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

Hmm, yeah, that should work. Do you know anything about the mac he is using for this?

Conchita said:

Hmm, yeah, that should work. Do you know anything about the mac he is
using for this?

Click to expand...

He is using the white one (I don't know the model number).

As it turns out, He had his IT guy check it out and said he didn't have any DVD movie playing software installed.

Figures. At least I know now, from the responses to my post that a DVD is a DVD, but you do need software installed to play it...

Robert

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

Robert Strom said:

Robert Strom said:

Hmm, yeah, that should work. Do you know anything about the mac he is
using for this?

Click to expand...

He is using the white one (I don't know the model number).

Click to expand...

The white iMac LCD has several versions, from the original PowerPC version 3 years ago to the recent Intel versions. All of them can read a DVD and most can also write a DVD.

Robert Strom said:

As it turns out, He had his IT guy check it out and said he didn't
have any DVD movie playing software installed.

Click to expand...

Find a new IT guy.

Every Mac that has a built in DVD reader has an application called "DVD Player" installed, unless it was removed (perhaps by the IT guy). It is located in the Applications folder, and it should auto-launch when a DVD is inserted. If for some reason it doesn't auto-launch, he can manually launch it. DVD Player can also play directly from a VIDEO_TS folder.

Maybe the IT guy removed DVD Player at some point in the past?

gaussian blur said:

Robert Strom said:

gaussian blur said:

Hmm, yeah, that should work. Do you know anything about the mac he is
using for this?

Click to expand...

He is using the white one (I don't know the model number).

Click to expand...

The white iMac LCD has several versions, from the original PowerPC
version 3 years ago to the recent Intel versions. All of them can
read a DVD and most can also write a DVD.

gaussian blur said:

As it turns out, He had his IT guy check it out and said he didn't
have any DVD movie playing software installed.

Click to expand...

Find a new IT guy.

Click to expand...

agreed. (smirk)

gaussian blur said:

Every Mac that has a built in DVD reader has an application called
"DVD Player" installed, unless it was removed (perhaps by the IT
guy). It is located in the Applications folder, and it should
auto-launch when a DVD is inserted. If for some reason it doesn't
auto-launch, he can manually launch it. DVD Player can also play
directly from a VIDEO_TS folder.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice I will ask my client to look for the app as you indicated.
He can see the VIDEO_TS folder so I know he is able to read the DVD.

Robert

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

Robert Strom said:

I thought a DVD was a DVD regardless of platform.

However, my client's iMac cannot play a DVD I made from Premiere on
my PC.

Click to expand...

Does the DVD play in a DVD player? If so, it should play in an iMac.

Click to expand...

Yes it plays on a set top DVD player.

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

The things that could stop it, is if the burner is dying and the
discs you burn can be read by some things and not others - also the
program might just have burned a data file to a DVD instead of making
a "real" DVD.

Click to expand...

No, it has the VIDEO_TS and other folders that my other commercial DVD's have

Robert

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com

People problem here. Can't rach this via forum, he nees to look at the help menu
or read the manual

--
Tom
Yorba Linda, California

yeah, i would try to download and install VLC player as well... sometimes works better than DVD and it can play windows media files when the actual windows media player can't in mac/pc

lotusgirl said:

yeah, i would try to download and install VLC player as well...
sometimes works better than DVD and it can play windows media files
when the actual windows media player can't in mac/pc

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I will relay to client, but I doubt he will (or can) install any software that the IT dept at the corp. does not install for him.

But good to know there is a MAC program that can read WMV files.

Robert

--
http://www.streamlinestudio.com