# Win 7-64 bit: Export to DVD?



## rhynetc (Oct 14, 2010)

I would like to export directly to DVD for archival purposes, but I cannot do so with my current system. I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit running Lightroom 3.2 in 64-bit mode in a dual-processor PC with 4 GB ram. I have searched this forum unsuccessfully for info on this topic, so I am resorting to asking for help. 

OK, I accept that 64-bit Lr in Win 7 cannot export to DVD-- I know that Victoria states in her book (p. 37') that "there are no suitable drivers for the 64-bit versions of Windows" but is there any hope of removing this limitation in the near future? Surely this is a shortcoming that needs remedying and that would be welcomed by many users.

If the answer is "No" then what is the recommended workflow for efficiently exporting to DVD?


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## Jim Wilde (Oct 14, 2010)

I don't quite understand the problem....I am running Win7 Professional 64bit, same version of LR as you, and have just quite easily exported a couple of files to a DVD-R which are then readable on another computer.

Granted this isn't a normal workflow for me, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work.


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## rhynetc (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks for the reply, Jim.

I can't find the export option among those in the drop-down list for export. (See screen shot)


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## Jim Wilde (Oct 14, 2010)

Tom, I agree the DVD drive doesn't show up in the drop-down "Export to" box, so I simply left it at Hard Drive, then in the "Export Location" panel I chose 'Specific Folder', then clicked on the Choose button below....that brings up the file browser dialog which let's be select ANY of the system entities, including my DVD drive. See my screenshot. If there is no DVD in the drive, when I select the drive I get requested to Insert a Disc.....

Give it a go...


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## ukbrown (Oct 14, 2010)

TNG, Good work I had never thought of that. It does make me wonder why there is even an option to burn to CD on the 32 bit versions.


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## rhynetc (Oct 17, 2010)

Wish I could get the result you report, Jim, but I cannot get any files written to dvd or cd from Lr 3.2 running in 64-bit mode on Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Even though I can select the dvd drive in the manner you suggest, I eventually get the error message each time that it cannot write to the disk. :(


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## Jim Wilde (Oct 17, 2010)

Tom, sorry to hear that. As I said, this isn't a part of my normal workflow so I haven't done any kind of exhaustive testing in the past. However, I have just repeated the exercise (successfully) using both a CD and a DVD. A couple of points to maybe note:

1. In both cases I was using a blank, unformatted disc of the "-R" type, i.e. CD-R and DVD-R.
2. When the disc is first inserted the Autoplay options box pops up, which I simply close.
3. When in Lightroom I choose my files for export, click on the Export button, then setup the Export dialog as per my previous screenshot, i.e. using "Specific Folder" and selecting "Choose" to bring up the File Browser.
4. As soon as I click on the cd/dvd drive, Win7 pops into play and asks me how I want the disc formatted (options are 'Live File System' or 'Mastered')....I chose 'Live File System' (like USB Flash Drive), as 'Mastered' won't work within Lightroom.
5. Win7 then formats the disc and then returns me to the File Browser dialog box.
6. One slight aberration here (at least on my system) is that on return to the File Browser dialog box the 'selected' drive is moved down one in the device list, and I have to re-click on the correct drive.
7. So after ensuring that the correct drive is now selected, I click OK and am returned to the Export dialog from where I can make the rest of my option selections, click Ok and the export completes successfully.

After the export finishes I can open Windows Explorer and read the files on the CD/DVD....and can continue to copy more files onto the drive using Explorer.

As I said, it all works quite easily, so am at a loss to explain why it doesn't for you. Have you actually tried writing to the disc outside Lightroom, i.e. using Windows Explorer? It would be worth trying this to ensure that the disc you are using is OK.


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## shihanbob (Dec 14, 2010)

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and need some help with exporting to dvd. I to am running Win 7 64 bit with Lightroom 64 bit and although I have exported slideshows to a dvd disc, they are only viewable on computers and I would like to view them with a standard dvd player on the tv. Is this possible? 

Thanks,
Bob


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## clee01l (Dec 14, 2010)

Hi, Bob,  Welcome to the forum.  What you are looking for to play on a 'standard DVD player' is a video movie  On the LR Slideshow menu is an option to create a PDF, JPEG or Video Slideshow.   If you choose Video Slideshow you can create a file in MP4 format.  If your "Standard DVD Player" can read MP4 files, then this is all you need to do. 
Some HDTVs offer a Slideshow mode where they will read JPEGs off a data disk, USB or Network HD and generate the Slideshow from a folder of JPEG images.  This is not the same as a Video Movie but utilizes the computer intelligence built into the TV to run a simple program that will show JPEGs on the monitor, perhapw with fade in and out and other visual effects.  Without knowing more about your Entertainment system it is difficult to determine really which approach is best or even possible.


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## eschurr (Dec 22, 2010)

TNG said:


> Tom, sorry to hear that. As I said, this isn't a part of my normal workflow so I haven't done any kind of exhaustive testing in the past. However, I have just repeated the exercise (successfully) using both a CD and a DVD. A couple of points to maybe note ...
> 
> As I said, it all works quite easily, so am at a loss to explain why it doesn't for you. Have you actually tried writing to the disc outside Lightroom, i.e. using Windows Explorer? It would be worth trying this to ensure that the disc you are using is OK.



I am having a similar problem.  when i select "specific folder" and choose my CD/DVD drive, i get a message saying "this specific folder is not writable."  however, if i export the photos to a folder, i can copy it to my CD/DVD drive and burn it.  

I don't even get any presets for exporting to CD/DVD in my export dialog

??


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## Victoria Bampton (Dec 22, 2010)

Eric, CD/DVD writing within LR isn't available for Windows 64-bit.  Something to do with the drivers not being updated.


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## Jim Wilde (Dec 22, 2010)

Just to satisfy myself that the instructions that I posted back in October (post #7 in this thread) are still working, I have just repeated them on BOTH of my Win7 64bit (Professional) systems and I can confirm that on BOTH systems the procedure worked successfully. 

Eric, when you tried it was the CD/DVD drive empty, or did you already have a disc inserted? If the latter, what format disc were you using? In all tests that I have run I have always used '-R' format (both CD and DVD).


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## eschurr (Dec 22, 2010)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Eric, CD/DVD writing within LR isn't available for Windows 64-bit.  Something to do with the drivers not being updated.



Frankly, if this were true, it would be a reason to not buy the product.  How can you use something that cant' write to a CD/DVD?  how do you give photos to someone else?  Offline storage?  create slides shows?


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## eschurr (Dec 22, 2010)

TNG said:


> Just to satisfy myself that the instructions that I posted back in October (post #7 in this thread) are still working, I have just repeated them on BOTH of my Win7 64bit (Professional) systems and I can confirm that on BOTH systems the procedure worked successfully.
> 
> Eric, when you tried it was the CD/DVD drive empty, or did you already have a disc inserted? If the latter, what format disc were you using? In all tests that I have run I have always used '-R' format (both CD and DVD).



Jim, thanks.  I already had a disk inserted into the CD/DVD drive.  It was a "-R" format.  I confirmed that my PC can burn such a disk because i exported the photos to a folder on my desktop and then burned those files to the CD.  While that works, it's clumsy and makes it hard to burn a set of files that require more than one CD (even "old fashioned" PSE organizer could do that!)

Honestly, i'm stunned at this.


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## Victoria Bampton (Dec 22, 2010)

Ooooh, I hadn't remembered that post Jim.  That was a great workaround.

Eric, the CD/DVD writing (i.e. the presets) was for convenience on those systems that could use the drivers built in to LR, but the OS burning should work for all systems.  

Out of interest, is there any particular reason you're using CD's instead of DVDs?


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## eschurr (Dec 22, 2010)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Ooooh, I hadn't remembered that post Jim.  That was a great workaround.
> 
> Eric, the CD/DVD writing (i.e. the presets) was for convenience on those systems that could use the drivers built in to LR, but the OS burning should work for all systems.
> 
> Out of interest, is there any particular reason you're using CD's instead of DVDs?



Victoria,  
no real reason for using CD other than its what i had handy.  I agree that using a DVD would solve many problems when multiple files won't fit on a CD, but it won't solve the problem of backing up to removable media if your photo collection is very large.  Also, because i can't get LR to burn to any removable media (even using Jim's workaround) i have to export to my desktop and then burn.  That can work for many scenarios, but it would consume a lot of disk space (double) if I was to use it to back up my catalog.


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## Victoria Bampton (Dec 22, 2010)

To be honest Eric, considering the cost of hard drives now, I'd consider switching your backups primarily to hard drives now, and only backing up originals to optical media.


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## eschurr (Dec 22, 2010)

Victoria,
actually, i agree with you.  I backup my files to two hard drives and an offsite remote backup system (www.mozy.com).  i was only using those examples as illustrations.  the fact that i can't burn directly from LR makes me concerned about things like creating a slide show (i haven't tried that yet...)


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