I am under a severe deadline, have never used avid dvd before.  However I now have Toolkit 5.7 with my new Media Composer 2.8.

I've been struggling for about 20 hours.  I was able to send a qt ref, settings set to sorenson squeeze, and got a great looking mpv file.  In Avid DVD I set chapter marks, and it looked terrific.  I also checked simulation.

This project is 90 minutes, and I'm using dual layer.  After going through the long long wait of squeeze, and then a long wait in Avid DVD I keep getting error codes.  I took the rate down to 6700, did some other tweaks I find on the forums.  No joy.

I've successfully used DVD Architect before, but on the forums I've heard that you can take the qt ref straight to Avid DVD and have it encode.

Well I'm on my third pass with that method.  First, how in the world do you get to use the qt ref while in Avid DVD.  Trying to scrub the timeline was impossiblly slow.  After waiting a very long time, don't know what it was doing, I was able to barely set 2 chapter marks, since moving through the timeline was chaotic, slow, difficult/impossible to use accurately.  Unlike when I used it with the sorenson encoded file.

So now I'm on my third pass with the qt ref file trying to get Avid DVD to encode it.  First time, my own fault, 2.5 hours later, i get the error, and find I forgot to check the dual layer box.  I thought that setting DVD9, 8.5gb would do it.  But the second time, I still got an error code.  Same with the third, after lowering bit rate to 6700.  CBR.

Many have complained, and using the forums to find an answer has not worked for me.  Nor has the very nice tutorial by alex a, nor any other avid help, nor especially the manual.  So I ask help, and continue to wonder why Avid can't do a credible job of making DVD's.  Of course many may not be doing long form.

If someone knows a procedure that works, with all details, Avid DVD 5.7, MC 2.8, 90 minutes, dual layer DVD, please respond.  It's now almost 6pm in Santa Monica, I've got to get a DVD by noon tomorrow.  At this rate, no way.  After dinner I'll try and make DVD Architect work.  Rather make this setup do the job.

Great thanks to anyone who can help.

Well After all of the help you've consulted, I don't know how much more I can offer but one thing I noticed is that you say you brought the data rate down to 6700. That's way too high if it's just the video rate you're talking about. If it's the combined video and audio you SHOULD be fine. However, if that's video only, you need to be down around 5500 so that, combined with the audio bit rate, you land no higher than 7000.

 Thanks for the quick response.  I believe my total bit rate is 7200 so I'll bring that down another 300 and see what happens.

Meanwhile, back to it.....

 I did make my deadline, using Sony DVD Architect 4.5.

After, I now have finally been able to make DVD's with Avid DVD.  When I figure out just what procedure works best for me I'll post here.

So far, I've used Sorenson Squeeze into Avid DVD for best results.

However, one of my original questions remains:  I'd like to use QT Ref directly into Avid DVD and let it transcode and burn.  This is possible.  But very dodgy because it is almost impossible to scrub through the timeline and place chapter marks with any accuracy, or indeed at all.  Also, you cannot simply play the track.  The playback is intermittent and radically choppy.  You can, however, burn this way.  It's possible a short form project wouldn't have this problem.

And finally, Architect seems to take the same Sorenson file and produce a more saturated look, Avid DVD is slightly washed out.