iDVD "Multiplexer error during muxing prep"

[mtbdudex]

I use iDVD to make family home movies.
Pretty basic stuff; Every 2-3 months download the MiniDV tape into iMovie and add chapter markers in iMovie, transfer to iDVD.
In iDVD I usually add 5-6 slide shows on their own separate page, about 30-40 slides per slide show.
No avi movies in the slide shows, just slide shows.
I do add the avi clips I took with the digital camera into iMovie.

Never had problem before, now I'm getting this iDVD "Multiplexer error during muxing prep" and can't finish/burn to DVD.
Same blank DVD's used (DVD-R single sided).

What should I do?
Latest OSX 10.5.7 and latest iDVD 7.0.4
Plenty of free Hard drive space, no apps running besides iDVD, 4GB RAM.

I tried deleting the encoded assets and re-doing, same error pops up.
This is my project info settings.

 

[mtbdudex]

additional info:
This happened after I upgraded to iLife 09, no problem with iLife 08.

 

[upinflames900]

I have had problems like this before...you need to first delete the caches for idvd. To do this under your user name click library and then caches. Then look for com.apple.idvd (a folder) and delete it. Then back under Library go to Preferences. Under that delete com.apple.iDVD.plist. Then you need to restart your computer. Create a new project (do not open the old one...trash it) and try again to see if that will work. If you are still having problems you have have to reinstall idvd. Best of luck

 

[mtbdudex]

I have had problems like this before...you need to first delete the caches for idvd. To do this under your user name click library and then caches. Then look for com.apple.idvd (a folder) and delete it. Then back under Library go to Preferences. Under that delete com.apple.iDVD.plist. Then you need to restart your computer. Create a new project (do not open the old one...trash it) and try again to see if that will work. If you are still having problems you have have to reinstall idvd. Best of luck

I really appreciate your help, deleted the files/etc and still got same error.
Guess I'm re-loading iLife09 this weekend

What is so ironic is 4 weeks ago I talked my 73 year old father into ditching his 4 year old WinTel set-up for a brand new24" iMac.
Told him "no more having to mess with stuff at the system level, Mac's OS are so much easier than MS OS".
Guess I jinxed myself on that statement.

 

[mtbdudex]

Tried to install iDVD 09 via the iLife install disc, it would not let me select it.

I'm trying now via deleting the current iDVD 09 application.

 

[mtbdudex]

I got busy with "life", kids starting school, etc.

I still can't get iDVD to work and get this error still.

I've not upgraded to 10.6 yet, any chance there is a bug fix in there that will help solve my issue??

 

[mtbdudex]

I'm up at 3am trying different things to get this to work.
To rule out "bad DVD media", DVD burn times (1x, 2x, 4x, 8x), I'm burning to disc image.
Still get same error message.
Doing different variations of my iMovie file.

Now, trying w/o any converted avi's.
I've had 0 problems with avi's in the past.

1 other thing, I'm gonna try same file in my MacBook, just for fun, to see if the hardware in my iMac is somehow responsible....

For others, there are 2 threads at Apple - support with many good suggestions:
Topic : Multiplexer Error - Can't Burn DVD

Topic : Multiplexer error when burning from IDVD

 

[mtbdudex]

well;
I woke uo this morning and success!!
I eliminated all the chapter markers and it worked, so somehow there is a problem in my chapter markers.

Now;
I'tt try re-inserting them differently and see if it works again.

 

[mtbdudex]

Still trying to get the iDVD to work, somehow my chapter markers function/programming is corrupt?

Summary (2.5 hrs or more between each try):
My chapter markers are simple "add chapter marker", no transations/etc, no title intro, no animation effects, very basic iMovie/iDVD project
-with no chapter markers encoding works fine
-I tried all chapter markers, get multiplexer error
-I selectively removed chapter markers that were within 60 seconds of beginning/end of the project, get multiplexer error
-Now, trying with just 1 chapter marker that's about 4 1/2 minutes in the project

 

[mtbdudex]

wasting way too much time.....
This is so un Mac like for me, I'm a life long mac user (1984+) and NEVER have had this much frickin problems.

I did a search for iDVD, deleting all files that are not project (over 14,000 files!!) , then re-install from i-Life '09.

 

[mtbdudex]

Ok, it's taking 1.5 hrs to delete 14,000-ish files, and I've turned off Time Machine......seems overly slow too me....

 

[mtbdudex]

still 850-ish files deleting, slowwww.....

 

[mtbdudex]

I'm ready to give a big Charlie Brown Ughhh!!!

After fixing disk permissions, deleting all iDVD stuff, re-installing iDVD.
Going back to original MiniDV download into iMovie, and making a few chapter markers No good!!
I just got this error message again.

Here are my project info settings.

I tell ya, my faith in iDVD via iLife 09 is gone.
I'm seeing if I can re-install iDVD from iLife 08.
Never had this problem in iLife 08, a few months back.

 

[mattashton]

Possible solution?

I'd been seeing this error a number of times. Becomes quite frustrating when I'd never had problems burning DVDs on Windows!

After searching on the Internet and not finding solutions; but many helpful hints, I did the following in iDVD:

Advanced -> Encode in Background (so that it becomes UNCHECKED).

Advanced -> Delete Encoded Assets (forget the warnings that come with it - just delete them!).

I then clicked burn and no more errors! Takes a little longer to process as it is no longer encoding in the background; but at least it actually works (for me anyway)!

I'd also changed the following settings based on other tips I found on the Internet:
* Disable screen saver
* Changed video format in iDVD to PAL (as I'm in Aus)
* Disabled automatic chapter menus in iDVD
* Had no other applications (not even iMovie) running while burning

I'll try change these above settings in the future and see if it still works. I'm fairly sure it is to do with the background encoding.

Hope this helps! Very frustrating error with very little documentation...

 

[alohaminty]

Thank you.

To the poster of this last post- unchecking the encoding thingy and deleting the other stuff...

You may have just saved my entire career, and that's no joke.

Thank you thank you thank you.

 

[Joe Damenski]

Thanks for such a detailed answer!

I'd been seeing this error a number of times. Becomes quite frustrating when I'd never had problems burning DVDs on Windows!

After searching on the Internet and not finding solutions; but many helpful hints, I did the following in iDVD:

Advanced -> Encode in Background (so that it becomes UNCHECKED).

Advanced -> Delete Encoded Assets (forget the warnings that come with it - just delete them!).

I then clicked burn and no more errors! Takes a little longer to process as it is no longer encoding in the background; but at least it actually works (for me anyway)!

I'd also changed the following settings based on other tips I found on the Internet:
* Disable screen saver
* Changed video format in iDVD to PAL (as I'm in Aus)
* Disabled automatic chapter menus in iDVD
* Had no other applications (not even iMovie) running while burning

I'll try change these above settings in the future and see if it still works. I'm fairly sure it is to do with the background encoding.

Hope this helps! Very frustrating error with very little documentation...

Thanks for this detailed answer. I've been going nuts with the multiplexer error. I'd been exporting the iMovie file to Quicktime format (.mov) then opening the .mov file in Sony Vegas Movie Studio, and then burning the DVD from there because iDVD would not work.

My daughter was in tears over trying to use iMovie and iDVD, and naturally she had a "wait 'til the last minute" project due so I was up all night trying to get around the multiplexer error. Apple needs to have more detailed documentation and better error information.

 

[elieharriett]

That did it. Thanks

I was directed to this post from a Google search for this problem. Thank you Matt. You solved it!!

 

[mcmlxix]

I'm glad I found this tread

There's nothing more frustrating than compiling a project from iMovie > iDVD for 2 hours, and then processing a project in iDVD for up to 4 hours, and at the end of the process getting the multiplexing error.

To resolve this I:

as suggested by upinflames900:
deleted library/caches/com.apple.idvd (folder)
deleted library/preferences/com.apple.iDVD.plist.

and as suggested by mattashton:
Advanced > delete Encoded Assets
Advanced > Encode in Background (was grayed out, so I didn't need to turn off)

Processing the project in iDVD then took 6 hours, so I went to bed. When I woke up I had success.

Come on Apple step up your game.

 

[ubcome]

problem solved by advanced>delete encoded assests

Had same problem. Advanced>delete encoded assets solved it.
Thanks.

 

[ckonrady]

Savior

Thanks a ton! I was making a last minute slide show for the family. Thanks!

 

[Nuclear]

Trying the "uncheck" solution now...

Trying mattashton's solution... I've tried everthing else!
Let you know in about 3 hours...

 

[Dave Braine]

Thanks for all the above. Could prove useful.

 

[Mooster4]

Thank you SO much for this advice. It saved me from losing my mind. Thank you!!!

 

[cuznwayne]

Handbrake files not working

My handbrake files still dont work but will try again. Is it the file that converts out of Handbrake that doesn't allow IDVD to burn a disk properly.

Other media formats are working but on shorter videos. Usually if a handbrake video is long it wont burn the last few chapters.

Anyone know if I should give up burning handbrake files or long files in IDVD...

 

[gbicz]

Works for me now

I was having the same issues until I changed the photos in the dropzone for the menu to be a lower resolution because I was using high res images before.

I also created a new project and all is okay.
Hope that helps.