This seems like a dumb question, but I can’t figure this out. Can’t I just burn it onto a dvd (because it’s too big for a CD - 1.5 G) to give my Mac user friend so she can watch my slideshow on her Mac? When I put a new DVD in the drive, it doesn’t show up in Finder for simple drag/drop. And when I right-click on the .app file in Finder and click the Burn option, I get a message I don’t understand:
“To begin, insert a blank disc.
This disc will be burned with the contend of “Untitled Disc.fpbf”. You need a disc with a capacity of at least 1.48 GB.”
The only option available in this message box is a Cancel button. Huh?
Help! I am having the worst time trying to figure out how to share this large (20 minute) slideshow with the 40 people who are in it and who would like to watch it on their own computers. Can someone please tell me what I’m missing? Thanks very much in advance.
In order to create a DVD that can be played on every PC or DVD player you have to create a video DVD which can’t be done with Finder alone. You will need another application like iDVD or Toast.
However you can create a data DVD with a QuickTime movie on it which only can be played back by Macs and PCs.
- You have to use the “QuickTime” export sharing option in FotoMagico to export a MPEG4 movie file.
- locate the movie file in Finder
- insert a blank DVD, a DVD symbol should appear in any Finder window on the left
- drag and drop the movie file onto this DVD icon. This will tell Finder that you want to have this file on this DVD (you can check this by double clicking on the DVD symbol to see the content)
- click the burn symbol next to the DVD icon, you will be prompted by Finder to enter a name for the DVD.
Hi, Achim –
I don’t want to step on toes, but I’m not sure you answered carolinecotto’s question. It sounds like she has a “standalone” FotoMagico presentation on her computer and she just wants to burn it to DVD. It had nothing to do with playing back on Mac’s AND PC’s (which would require a QT movie, as you described) – just on a friend’s Mac. So a standalone file should work.
I believe burning the standalone FM file to a DVD should work. It’s just like burning any data file to a disk. I don’t have an immediate answer to the problem, but it sounds more like a problem with the computer, or not knowing how to burn a disc correctly, than having anything to do with FotoMagico. I could be mistaken, though.
You have both helped me a lot. I want to give copies of this church girls camp slideshow to each girl who is in it. Some have Macs, some PCs. If I am understanding you both correctly, I should be able to burn the standalone version to a DVD for each person who has a Mac. For those with PC’s, I will need to use Achim’s steps above.
Stantastic, you are right about my not knowing what I was doing in trying to burn to a DVD last night-what I thought was a DVD was actually a CD (I had both on my desk and they look nearly identical). I haven’t tried burning the standalone to a DVD yet (still tweaking the slideshow a few more times), but I’m thinking it will go smoothly to drag and drop in Finder. I’ll be back here pleading for help again if it doesn’t. 
Thanks very much, both of you!
Caroline
So now I have tried to burn the standalone slideshow onto two blank DVD’s and a thumb drive. In all three cases, when I finish burning the .app file, it runs with only the audio. Black screen, no slides. Did I skip some steps? If this isn’t the way to share a slideshow with another Mac user, how is it supposed to be done?
Just found the FAQ about this (sorry!) and zipped the standalone file before burning it. It worked! Problem solved.
Hi, carolinecotto –
Glad you finally got “something” working 
Strange you’d have to zip it first, though. I haven’t read the FAQ – then again, we haven’t burned our slideshows to DVD to send off to others, either.
Yes, standalone slideshows work ONLY on the Mac. If you want to send the show to a PC owner, you’ll have to follow Achim’s instructions – and create a QT movie.
You should be able to burn a single disk that works on both Mac’s and PC’s as well – you’d include both the standalone file for Mac users, and the QT file for PC users. Mac users could also use the QT file – but why, when the standalone file uses the maximum resolution of the screen and looks excellent?
Great idea to include both versions on the DVD! Easier for me making all the copies. You’ve been a huge help. Thank you so much!!