First off was the data rate experiment. I halved the data throughput in the Toast setup dialogue, but to no avail. All I got was a more obviously compressed DVD that still skipped.

I tried going directly from AE to Toast, as opposed to constructing a project in Final Cut Express HD. I made a movie from an AE project, DVD'd it, and to no avail.

I tried messing with iDVD, but it seems to lack options I want, like widescreen, should I decide I wanna give prospective clients/employers a choice of either 16:9 or 4:3 letterbox.

I do not know how I can be sure that those receiving my DVD will see it play properly. And I need this to be the case. Playing back the disc in their presence on a personal player is one thing. But unless they use my web site, they'll require a disc that they can look at before they decide that they wanna call me in for an interview.

I do not want to spend money on a new burner or any new software, like DVD Studio Pro. That's a hell of an investment that would really sting should it not work.

I thought of sending a VHS cassette as a backup, but that's a pain, what with all the bulky cassettes and all the labels I'll have to create.

I suppose I could give my movie project to a service bureau of some kind, but I have a feeling that such places would consider a job as small as mine a bother. (Not to mention that there's no guarantee I'd be able to get DVDs out in a hurry, should a prospective client need one immediately, as I will have to get to one that's opened late and can knock one out for me on the fly. I could make bunches of copies, but there's a gamble there, as my work evolves over unpredictable time frames.)

In short, I may just have to continue to make DVDs that may not play well and just hope for the best.

Keith