How to Convert MP4 to DVD on Windows & Mac with Ease: A Complete Guide

Digital video is everywhere these days, but sometimes it’s still nice to have a physical DVD. Just like when you read a book, a physical book gives a different touch than an e-book. Whether you want to preserve your family memories, create a DVD for your wedding or birthday party, or just want to watch MP4 files on a regular DVD player, converting MP4 to DVD is a great option.

However, if you’re not good at computers, the whole process may seem little daunting. But don’t worry! This simple step-by-step guide is here for beginners and will take you through everything you need to burn MP4 to DVD on Windows and Mac.

By the end of this guide, you’ll get information about:

• Why you need to convert MP4 to DVD
• The best MP4 to DVD converter tools for Windows & Mac
• A simple step-by-step method to burn MP4 to DVD
• Tips to ensure 100% compatibility with DVD players

MP4 to DVD: The Basic Information You Need

What You Need to Convert MP4 to DVD?

Before starting the conversion, make sure you have the following:

1. A Blank DVD: You’ll need a DVD-R or DVD+R disc that can store your videos. If you want them in DVD video format, make sure to have a Hard Drive (external hard drive) with large disk space.
2. A Computer with a DVD Burner: Many modern laptops no longer come with DVD drives, so to burn to blanks, you may need an external DVD burner.
3. DVD Burning Software: A program that can convert MP4 to DVD video format and burn it onto a disc.

Choosing the Best MP4 to DVD Converter for Windows & Mac

MP4 to DVD Converters for Windows

• DVDFab DVD Creator (Paid): Compatible with various video sources with built-in menu template.
• DVDStyler (Free): Open-source DVD authoring software with custom menu support.
• DVD Flick (Free): Provide the basic features needed to easily convert MP4 to DVD with menu, suitable for personal use.
• Wondershare DVD Creator (Paid): Professional tool with advanced menu templates.
• Freemake Video Converter (Paid): Free trial available but adds a watermark in the unpaid version.

MP4 to DVD Converters for Mac

• Burn (Free): A lightweight and easy-to-use tool for DVD burning for macOS.
• DVDFab DVD Creator (Paid): Good at converting videos to DVD Player compatible format.
• Wondershare DVD Creator (Paid): Can provide high-quality output.

How to Convert MP4 to DVD on Windows (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Download and Install the DVD Flick on your computer.

Step 2: We will start by creating a new project:

Use the “Add title” option to browse for the MP4 files you want to convert to DVD format, use the Move up/down option to adjust the order of the titles to make them play in the order you like.

And in the lower area on the right panel, you can see some basic information of the files, including duration times, number of the titles, average bitrate, and the needed disk space.

Step 3: Select a DVD menu template from this DVD Menu Creator. DVD Flick provides the basic menu feature. It doesn’t allow you to customize, but it is enough for quick use.

Step 4: Go open the Project settings window:

1. Rename the title, choose DVD (4.3 GB) or DVD DL (7.9 GB) for output size depending on the blank DVD you want to burn to;
2. Move forward to the Video tab to set the format to PAL or NTSC, and to the Audio tab to increase the volume if needed.
3. Under the Playback tab, set what you want the player to do after a title finishes playing.
4. As for the Burning part, you can choose to create an ISO image or burn the project to a blank disc directly. Change the disc label if needed.
5. Finally, after you have done the settings, click the Accept button to save them.

Step 5: Simply click on the Create DVD button on the tool bar to burn the MP4 videos to DVD. Insert a blank DVD media based on the size you choose to initiate the process.

How to Burn MP4 to DVD on Mac (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Download and Install DVDFab DVD Creator for Mac.

Step 2: Open it and choose DVD Creator, and then add the MP4 video source. You can also drag and drop the MP4 files to the rectangle square in DVDFab.

Step 3: Add the MP4 files you want to convert and burn to DVD Video format. Import external subtitles (*.srt/*.smi/*.ass/*.ssa) to the videos if needed.

Step 4: Open the Advanced Settings window, change the output volume label, set the output to DVD5 or DVD9, and adjust the video quality. While the source video is larger, you can use the Fit to Disc option to make sure it can be converted and compressed to the size that a DVD5/DVD9 disc can hold. However, smaller sizes may result in impaired quality.

Choose a TV standard (NTSC/PAL) and aspect ratio (16:9/4:3), and choose how you want the DVD to play, start from menu or start from the first title.

Step 5: If you want a menu for the DVD, open the Menu Settings window, select one from the available menu templates. Add texts and change the background image per your preference. Click OK to confirm the changes.

Step 6: Insert a blank DVD into the burner, and then choose your burner in the SAVE TO field in DVDFab. Click Start.

You will notice that the interface switches to the Processing section, where you can see the status of the converting process. If you do not want to standby your Mac, set it to Shut Down when tasks are done.

FAQs

Why Can’t MP4 Files Play Directly on a DVD Player?

MP4 is a digital video format commonly used to play videos on computers, smartphones, tablets, and streaming platforms. However, most standalone DVD players, especially those older modules, cannot read MP4 files directly because these players use a different video structure (DVD-Video format). We will need to do a bit more to make it compatible.

To play an MP4 file on a standard DVD player, you need to:

1. Convert the MP4 file into a compatible DVD format (DVD-Video format).
2. Burn it onto a DVD disc using dedicated DVD-burning software.

How to Ensure Your Burned DVD Plays on Any Player?

1. Choose the Right Format: NTSC vs. PAL
2. Optimize Video Settings: 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL), bitrate 5,000–8,000 kbps
3. Use High-Quality Discs: Always use branded DVD-R or DVD+R discs. Rewritable DVD might sometimes cause burning or playing issues.

Conclusion

Converting MP4 to DVD may seem complicated at first, but as this guide shows, anyone can do it, even without technical expertise!

Let’s quickly review it:

Use DVD Flick/DVDStyler (Windows) or Burn (Mac) for free solutions. Select the correct video format (NTSC or PAL) and optimize settings to make the burned DVD compatible with different players.

Choose high-quality DVD discs and burn at a lower speed (but not too low, 4x is recommended) for the best results. You can also consider backing up your DVDs on an external hard drive, a NAS, or cloud storage options.