# Converting video files to DVD **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694 "2009-11-23T21:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/1 "2009-11-23T21:08:12Z")
I have a couple of video files on my Mac; one is a .iso, and one a .mkv. I’d dearly love to be able to burn a DVD, playable on a DVD player. Apparently this involves more than just dragging & dropping the file onto the DVD (tried that…) What does it take? Running Leopard, if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/2 "2009-11-23T21:14:45Z")
I doubt that the .iso file is a video file - sounds like a disk image to me. Can you play either of these files? You may need to transcode them into something that Quicktime can play, and then use iDVD to make a DVD. Roxio Toast can also do this. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/3 "2009-11-23T21:21:07Z")
I can view both of them, but I had to get special viewer software (VLC) to do it. So it sounds like if an .mp4 version had been available, this would be simple? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/4 "2009-11-23T21:37:45Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I can view both of them, but I had to get special viewer software (VLC) to do it. > > So it sounds like if an .mp4 version had been available, this would be simple? Yes. But, VLC is supposed to be able to transcode (although I have had poor luck trying it), so you might want to see if it will work for you. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/5 "2009-11-23T22:13:23Z")
On PC you would use something like ConvertXtoDVD which converts most formats and burns to the DVD with one click. Is there equivalent software for Mac? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/6 "2009-11-23T23:57:23Z")
.iso is a disc image. You should be able to simply burn it to a DVD with any burning program, like Nero. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/7 "2009-11-24T12:57:08Z")
My DVD player can play DivX files straight from the disc. I find this to be most convenient indeed. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/8 "2009-11-24T14:39:29Z")
Burning the .iso file directly to disk resulted in something that my DVD player couldn’t read. But I’m getting closer. The VLC transcoder works…once I correctly determine the right audio and video format I need. My first attempt created an .mp4 file with no audio track. My second attempt created a .mpg (probably with an audio track) but QuickTime can’t play it and iDVD can’t burn it. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/9 "2009-11-24T14:46:48Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Burning the .iso file directly to disk resulted in something that my DVD player couldn’t read. > > But I’m getting closer. The VLC transcoder works…once I correctly determine the right audio and video format I need. My first attempt created an .mp4 file with no audio track. My second attempt created a .mpg (probably with an audio track) but QuickTime can’t play it and iDVD can’t burn it. You might find this to be a useful tool: [MPEG Streamclip](http://www.squared5.com/) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/10 "2009-11-24T15:25:37Z")
[Here](http://www.imediacreator.com/iso/burn-iso-to-dvd-disc-on-mac.html) are instructions for ISO files. For MKV files, see [this](http://www.moviesmac.com/tutorial/free-mkv-to-dvd-burner-mac.html). ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-video-files-to-dvd/518694/11 "2009-11-24T16:04:33Z")
This seems wonderfully helpful. I’ll try it out as soon as I get home. Thanks!