Best Way (Tool) to Make a DVD These Days? - Beginner Question

As a FCPX beginner, I've mostly done short projects up to 5 minutes. These are easy to share via email if you compress them, and of course easy to upload to the various video sharing sites. I'd like to tackle a couple of longer projects, 60 minutes or so, concerts that I recorded of my friends, and their children performing. I've been playing around with chapter markers in FCPX and did a 10 min DVD using just FCPX. I have compressor too, and can see you can make simple DVDs in that as well.

I have last version of iDVD too, which I have started looking at closely.

I'd appreciate advice from forum members on the best way to create a decent quality DVD from FCPX footage. If I need to buy another DVD program, I am OK with that.

Part of the reason I am asking for advice is that the files created through FCPX for my 10 minute trail are 580MB, so I was worried about a 60 minute DVD fitting on a DVD disk.

Th size of the master file is not relevant, only the length. Whether you use FCPX or iDVD, your video will be heavily compressed to standard definition to the format specified for DVD.

as for me , I think it's better to make your videos to VOB files , which is the original format of commercial DVD, then use your iDVD

iDVD won't accept VOB files.

SFA2013 wrote: … on the best way to create a decent quality DVD from FCPX footage...

'best' in terms of 'good, cheap, fast' is indeed iDVD!
Still the most convenient disk-maker ever; using just 'drag'n drop' allows you to customize your disks with a snap of your fingers :lol:

A few hundreds years ago I made a website with some 'dirty tricks': sites.google.com/site/idvdmodding/
(gosh "last changes 2009" ... :woohoo: )

some simple tricks:
• your Mac supports proRes (so iDVD does either) - just export a Master File from within FCPX, iDVD will 'eat' it; this avoids useless transcodings&inbetweens
• DVD is SD/720x480. Full stop. No workarounds. (okay, there're those 'AVCHDdisks/miniBluRay'-thingies... naw, forget it)
• not size, length matters (as Tom already told you); a single-layer DVD-r fits up to 60 (excellence) to 120min (acceptable quality) of content - keep in mind: this equation includes menu-items!
• stay under 60min, and iDVD delivers in 'max quality standards allows'. Again: don't fell disappointed in outcome, esp. when watching DVDs 'scaled'=blown up on fullHD or even higher res displays!

... when you dig deeper into iDVDs options, you can do a lot of cool stuff: auto-play disks, animated backgrounds, animated buttons, hidden easter-eggs, complex menus structures ... iDVD was an awesome tool, much more than just a 'burner'!

... <sigh> what a pity, Apple never released an iBluRay of same nature .... :lol:

(I'm making 'disks' just once year... for Grandma & Grandpa .......... )