How to Convert Video Files to DVDs on a Mac

A video file can be quickly turned into a DVD on a Mac.

A Mac video file cannot just be put on a DVD and expected to work in a DVD player like a commercial DVD. You can convert a video file into the DVD-compatible format and burn it to a DVD using a DVD burning program. There are a number of free DVD burning programs for the Mac that maintain the intuitive interface that is common on commercial, paid-for programs. No expertise in video editing is needed in order to burn the DVD on the Mac.

Things You'll Need

• DVD burner
• Blank recordable DVD

Instructions

1. Download a DVD burning program to the desktop of your Mac; for example, the free BURN program, the free trial version of Toast or the free version of Imtoo DVD Creator For Mac (see the links in Resources). Double-click on the file when it has downloaded. Follow the menu commands to install the program onto the desktop.

2. Press the "Eject" key on the keyboard. Place the blank recordable DVD on the disc tray after it has ejected. Place the home video DVD on the disc tray. Press the "Eject" key to close the disc tray.

3. Double-click on the DVD burning program's icon to launch it. Drag the video file onto the icon of the DVD burning program that is in the Dock to the left or at the bottom of the screen.

4. Name the DVD that is going to be made in the "Name" column at the top of the DVD burning program's main screen.

5. Click on the "Options" button on the DVD burning program's main screen. Select "4X" from the "Speed" or "DVD burn" drop-down menu on the new window that appears. Close the window by clicking the "OK" button.

6. Select the DVD drive from the "Devices" or "Destination" drop-down menu on the DVD burning program's main screen.

7. Click the "Start" or "Burn" button on the DVD burning program's main screen. Wait as a dialogue box counts up from zero to 100 or a progress bar fills up from left to right.

8. Quit the DVD burning program once the dialogue box or progress bar disappears.

9. Press the "Eject" key on the keyboard. Remove the DVD from the ejected disc tray. Press the "Eject" key to close the disc tray.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the capacity gauge of the DVD burning program to make sure you don't try to burn a larger video than the capacity of the DVD can handle.

• Don't run other graphic-intensive programs while burning the DVD.

References

• Burn: Burn Home: Videos: Burning a Video_TS Folder

Resources

• Burn: sourceforge: BURN
• imtoo: ImTOO DVD Creator For Mac
• Roxio: Toast