I am trying to follow the recommended procedures

[seantshen8219]

I have encountered the following errors:

1. If I choose to capture AVI, it does not let me choose detailed properties. When I click Capture Options, it only allows me to choose if want to capture into library. I cannot choose things like fps, bit rate, etc. Is there a different place I can enter these selections?

2. If I choose to capture MPEG2 directly, as soon as I start to capture, it gives me this error

"P012: Invalid ac3 encoder interface Cannot set MPEG parameters error"

Please help. Thanks a bunch. My video has been stuck in my tape forever, unable to be rendered so far. WHat should do? Buy a different software?

I am using VS 9, I have PC with 2.8Ghz processor and 500MB RAM. Windows XP professional.

THanks
Sean

[PeterMilliken]

Assuming you are capturing via firewire then you don't want to fiddle with any of the capture settings such as bit rate etc - all you want is to select whether it is DV or MPEG2.

ac3 is a reference to dolby, so this error has something to do with that.

I would suggest just capturing in DV format - it is recommended to capture in DV Type 1. You'll end up with about 13G Byte of file for each 1 hour of video, but the general consensus is that it is preferable to edit in avi format rather than mpeg2 (just for starters you loss all the shooting date/time references if you capture in mpeg2).

Peter

[seantshen8219]

Assuming you are capturing via firewire then you don't want to fiddle with any of the capture settings such as bit rate etc - all you want is to select whether it is DV or MPEG2.

OK, in the recommended procedure, it says
" If you capture to Mpeg2 format, the whole video editing process to DVD burn will be faster and simpler. "
OK, I will try capturing DV first.

ac3 is a reference to dolby, so this error has something to do with that.

Maybe I should avoid specifying Dolby Stereo when I am doing MPEG2

I would suggest just capturing in DV format - it is recommended to capture in DV Type 1. You'll end up with about 13G Byte of file for each 1 hour of video, but the general consensus is that it is preferable to edit in avi format rather than mpeg2 (just for starters you loss all the shooting date/time references if you capture in mpeg2).

Peter

One of my biggest issue is capture and rendering speed. It takes a LONG LONG time to do each step. Even during DVD burning stage.

[seantshen8219]

Thanks for the tip. Let's see how it goes....

[PeterMilliken]

Sorry I couldn't be of more help Sean - perhaps try capturing in mpeg2 and avoid specifying Dolby in the capture (as you suggest) - although if your camera doesn't store the sound in dolby format then that might be the problem!

I can understand the reluctance to use avi format - rendering time is significant, but in the initial stages (as it sounds like you are) perhaps it might be better to stick with avi and accept the time cost during the rendering phase - then once you are comfortable that you have sorted out any issues with producing a DVD venture back into attempting to capture in mpeg2?

Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than myself will recognise that error message and help you sort it out. But in the meantime o avoid the frustration just try the DV capture

Peter

[seantshen8219]

Sorry I couldn't be of more help Sean - perhaps try capturing in mpeg2 and avoid specifying Dolby in the capture (as you suggest) - although if your camera doesn't store the sound in dolby format then that might be the problem!

I can understand the reluctance to use avi format - rendering time is significant, but in the initial stages (as it sounds like you are) perhaps it might be better to stick with avi and accept the time cost during the rendering phase - then once you are comfortable that you have sorted out any issues with producing a DVD venture back into attempting to capture in mpeg2?

Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than myself will recognise that error message and help you sort it out. But in the meantime o avoid the frustration just try the DV capture

Peter

I had an old post where I received some help and advise. And in looking at the recommendations in the sticky, I was lead to the path of doing MPEG2 capture. I also realize that once I do that, I lose the capability to automatically split scenes. I really want to do that.

Your advise worked though. I avoided using Dolby and the error I encounter went away. Another bug of Ulead??

In any case, I will now go back to AVI capture and see what happens.

Thanks

BTW, my old post is this

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... highlight=

[Ken Berry]

Also be aware that if your version of VS9 has SE after it, then it will not be able to handle Dolby. Only the full (i.e. non-SE) version can do that AFAIK. And VS10 has introduced a capacity to handle 5.1 surround sound Dolby.

[seantshen8219]

Also be aware that if your version of VS9 has SE after it, then it will not be able to handle Dolby. Only the full (i.e. non-SE) version can do that AFAIK. And VS10 has introduced a capacity to handle 5.1 surround sound Dolby.

How do I know which version I am having?

Back to my real question though....so directly capturing into MPEG2 is not recommended?

[jchunter]

Sean,
All of my mpeg2 captures from digital camcorders defaulted to Dolby audio and worked like a charm. Is it possible that you have a conflict with some other ac3 codec?

Look in your Device Manager/Sound, video and game controllers/Audio Codecs/Properties and you should see a list of sound codecs. I have AC-3 ACM Decompressor listed that would affect Dolby (there are 15 others). Interesting - I wonder where my AC-3 compressor is... Torsten do you know?

Anyway, your digital camcorder should have encoded the sound in DV, which would have to be decompressed with the DVacm.acm ulead codec, which I see listed also, and then compressed with an AC-3 compressor.

Are these codecs listed in your system?

Edit: I skimmed your previous post and - yes - there are two workflows: (1) Capture mpeg2 DVD-compliant video, edit Mpeg2, and smart-render a video file and (2) Capture DV format, edit that, transcode DV to mpeg2, and Burn. Both work well and the first one is faster and uses less disk space. Your computer should be able to handle either one, although 512 MB memory doesn't leave you much headroom.

[Ken Berry]

Did you buy the program (in which case it would most likely be the full version) or did you get it free because it came with some piece of hardware you bought (in which case it would be SE)? Do you have a case? -- that would tell you which version it is. Or you can click on the ? up in the top corner of the program and select About and it should tell you there.

As for capturing direct to mpeg-2, many people do it and succeed. They will usually have a more powerful computer which can handle direct capture, or else will be using some sort of capture device with an onboard chip which does all the hard work instead of the computer.

If you care capturing from a digital device, the native format of a mini-DV camera is DV/AVI and it makes more sense to 'capture' (really 'transfer' as you are simply transferring/copying the video in the same format to your computer) in DV. DV is also readily editable without degradation. Editing mpeg-2 is of course possible, as long as you keep it fairly simple or use a specific mpeg editor like ReDo or Womble. But once you start getting fancy with mpeg editing in VS, the possibility for errors starts creeping in, and there is also the risk, when you produce a final mpeg for burning to DVD or worse, go directly from the project in the timeline to burn the disc, that your video and audio will get out of sync. This does not seem to happen if you first capture to DV format, do all your edits in that format, then Share Create File > DVD to produce a DVD-compatible mpeg-2. Only then do you open the burning engine, insert your new mpeg-2 and burn it.

In some cases, you will simply not have a choice as to the capture format, and often it may simply have to be mpeg-2 e.g. most analogue capture devices do not allow capture in DV format (though some may allow huge, uncompressed AVI clips to be captured). Mini-DVD cameras also produce a disc with a DVD structure of VOB files, which are mpeg-2 in 'burned' form.

[seantshen8219]

Sean,
All of my mpeg2 captures from digital camcorders defaulted to Dolby audio and worked like a charm. Is it possible that you have a conflict with some other ac3 codec?

Look in your Device Manager/Sound, video and game controllers/Audio Codecs/Properties and you should see a list of sound codecs. I have AC-3 ACM Decompressor listed that would affect Dolby (there are 15 others). Interesting - I wonder where my AC-3 compressor is... Torsten do you know?

Anyway, your digital camcorder should have encoded the sound in DV, which would have to be decompressed with the DVacm.acm ulead codec, which I see listed also, and then compressed with an AC-3 compressor.

Are these codecs listed in your system?

No, not there. Maybe that is the problem.

[jchunter]

What audio codecs are listed?

[seantshen8219]

Since I seem to have trouble with Dolby Stereo, should I use LPCM audio when creating the video file then? Or MPEG Audio?

Will my decision either way cause my video file to be not compatible with DVD, and therefore, resulting in long rendering time?

=====
To answer earlier questions, yes, my VS is a purchased copy (actually an upgrade from VS8, which I got along with my hardware, but the upgrade is actually purchased). And in looking at Help About, I do see my version does not carry an SE in the name.
=====

[seantshen8219]

Since I seem to have trouble with Dolby Stereo, should I use LPCM audio when creating the video file then? Or MPEG Audio?

Will my decision either way cause my video file to be not compatible with DVD, and therefore, resulting in long rendering time?

=====
To answer earlier questions, yes, my VS is a purchased copy (actually an upgrade from VS8, which I got along with my hardware, but the upgrade is actually purchased). And in looking at Help About, I do see my version does not carry an SE in the name.
=====

To answer another question from another person, my codec listed are

imaadp32, msadp32, msg711, msgsm32, tssoft32, msg723, Windows Media Audio Codec, Sipro Lab Telecom Audio Codec, Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec, Indeo Audio Software, MPEGAcm.Acm, Ulead ACM MP3 Codec, Microsoft PCM Converter

I may have some typo there....

[PeterMilliken]

I'll leave others to comment on your list of codecs

Do you have trouble with Dolby when creating a DVD? Your original post indicated the error was in capturing mpeg2 - perhaps you will be able to create a video file/DVD using Dolby?

Whether you use LPCM or Dolby won't affect your rendering time. Using Dolby will reduce the size of file generated though - that is the major advantage to generating a DVD with Dolby sound, you can fit a bit more video onto the same size DVD . If you use LPCM then the result will be "compatible" with DVD.

Things that will affect your render time are the obvious i.e. speed of your CPU, the amount of RAM, the FSB of your RAM etc etc i.e. my 2.16 Ghz notebook renders at least twice as fast as my 2Ghz desktop - this is because the notebook is dual-core, it contains twice as much RAM (2G versus 1G) and the RAM in the notebook has an FSB of 667MHz (the desktop is 400MHz FSB).

Peter