I edited a film in Imovie and it is in MPEG-4 file. I burned it on a blank disc, it can be played on my laptop but not on the DVD player.
Is it because it's in MPEG-4? Do I have to re-convert this?
How can I do this so that the film can be played on many devices?
This is because the player can't read mp4. Many can do that. If it is important create a film DVD with a burning program, e.g. Toast.
Not all dvd players can play any format. You should have burned the DVD in .ts format.
Good burning programs offer this as a burning option. Put an original dvd in the pc. Look at the format. Select this in the burning program.