DMF 4 crashes PC when importing DVD-VR titles

[SciFiFan]

I'm sure I'm not the first one to see this and I've searched but didn't find this topic.

When I try and import a DVD-VR title off a DVD created on my Sony RDR-GX7, DMF 4 hangs and locks up the WHOLE PC. I can't use Task Manager to shut down the processes, or do ANY other action on the PC other than a hard power off. The hang is occuring just after I click on Import and DMF is reading the DVD to display the titles to import.

I CAN import DVD-video titles recorded on the same recorder. I was able to import DVD-VRs using DMF 3 with patches.

My setup:
PC with Asus motherboard, P4, 3.2GHz, 512 MB memory,
240 GBytes disk space.
Plextor PX-708A DVD burner,

The DVD is recoded on my SONY RDR-GX7, in LP (3 hour) mode, as a DVD-VR DVD in NTSC format.

I started with DMF3 and then bought the DMF 4.0 upgrade, and it has never worked correctly for me. I've completely uninstalled all Ulead products, the hard way. Removed appropriate, I believe, entries in the registry. Deleted all Ulead files including the common DLLs. Reinstalled base DMF 3 so the upgrade would install. I've installed the latest patches.

I notice here that many in this forum have moved on to DMF5, but I've had enough idosyncrocies on DMF 3 and 4 that I won't go there until I figure out what's happening with DMF 4. DMF 4 has never really worked for me, and I'm finally having time to doing something about it.

Any help is appreciated.

[maddrummer3301]

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[SciFiFan]

Did all that maddrummer suggested and more. NOTHING helps.

Did all the full uninstall, including removing appropriate Registry entries. and reinstalled from scratch. Installed ALL patch updates. Took defaults on ALL full install options, just to make sure there wasn't an unknown dependency. (There are several components that I don't care about).

I click on the Import DVD icon, select the DVD_RTAV directory. The pop-up progress bar appears and gets about 1/4 across and then hangs. At this point if I bring up Task Manager, I can select DMF to End Task which appears to succeed. but now All windows on the system are hung. the Task manager can be moved but it leaves behind a trial of windows. At this point I can't select the task bar or ANY command and no mouse buttons are recognized. The only thing I can do is a hard power off.

NOTHING seems to work around this. I've never seen an application crash Win XP this way. When I try to shut down, it appears that Ulead Data-Add may be involved because I get a popup saying the process is not responding. Shutdown can't kill this process.

I'm at a dead end.....

Next stop, calling Ulead and HOPE I get a sharp tech.

[maddrummer3301]

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[SciFiFan]

It was my impression that the Data-Add program was required for -VR operations, including importing into DMF. Maybe I'm wrong, I'll look further. I'm not doing any on disk editiing either on the Sony or in DMF. I'm just trying to import them. I'm using -VR mode because the imported MPEG is one fileinstead of the two that usually occurs when you record an hour show in LP mode. That way I don't have to join the two and have the issue of getting the splice to be nice.

I'm aware that the inCD or DLA type programs can cause all kinds of havoc for just the reasons you state. That's why I'm very adamant about keeping those things off my system or at least disabled. I have yet to find one that behaves nicely with other DVD/CD writing apps.

I've also had that issue where DVD-RWs become unusable in the my Sony DVD Recorder. Usually it happens when I create a DVD on my pc and then try to reformat it for reuse in the Sony. I've tried both reformatting on the Sony OR on the PC, still can't get the disks to work in the Sony again.

I'm having sneaking suspicisions that the Sony is not playing nice in some way. Because once these unusable DVD are created on my PC again, they CAN be played in my other older Pioneer DVD player. I've even used DVDInfoPro to wipe the disc and it STILL won't be recognized by the Sony. I get 'Disk is Dirty' 'Can't play this disk' There something on the disk unaccessable to me or DVDInfoPro and the like that the Sony is seeing/and or writing that's causing problems. I've beat on Sony about this but hit a wall there, too. There response is ".. Don't do that'.....

I've also seen that as soon as I try to read the DVD in DMF the DVD drive goes into write-mode (also with DMF 3, when I COULD read the DVD-VR disks). I have no idea what is being written. Plextor or Ulead can't/won't help me.

Would you do an experiment for me, since you have the same recorder, could you create a DVD-VR LP mode disk and try and import a title into DMF 4.0? If you also have the problem, that would be a very good data point.

Thanks,

[maddrummer3301]

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[etech6355]

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[SciFiFan]

man?? dvd moviefactory crashes with everything not only with importing a dvd ,yust dont buy a ulead product anymore ..

That's fast becoming my motto... I sure won't go to DVDMF 5 until I get a definitive answer that this type of failure is addressed.

For me, Time to start looking for alternatives.

[SciFiFan]

Sure, no problem, tonight I have free time. (What's free time?). I'll record from the standard TV as source.
Need to know how long and how many recordings you want to test if that matters.
LP mode is 4 Hrs correct? The length could be a factor if the file is over 2 gig's. Some file systems can't work with over 2 gigs, depends.
For some people recording over a 2 gig file on the dvd can be a problem.

My method to fix the DVD+RW dvd or the DVD-RW dvd's is to perform a "Complete erase", Not a quick erase. This takes about 10 times longer than quick erase. You don't want to re-format the dvd's to reuse in the dvd recorder, just a full erase. That's been working for me.
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Thanks a bunch. It'll help get a handle on if this is a bigger problem than just my setup.

I'm recording 3 - 1 hour shows, but I don't think it matters how long the show is. For me, LP mode is three hours/DVD. I'll try shorter recordings, just in case it's a too large VOB problem.

Yes, I'm actually doing the full erase with DVDInfoPro. After it's done, the DVD appears as blank to Roxio and other DVD apps, but not to the Sony. I get the 'Dirty Disk' message when trying to load it.

[DVDDoug]

For me, Time to start looking for alternatives.

If you can find a better DVD import program please let us know! When it works, Movie Factory (or Video Studio) is one of the best DVD import tools around.... when it works with your particualarr DVD...

A few months ago, I downloaded all of the "DVD to MPEG" trial programs that I could find. All of them re-coded the MPEG (which degrades the quality). Some of them would import the VOB files one a time but couldn't make one continuous MPEG file. (If you splice them together manually, you get a glitch.)

I ended-up using one program to re-configure the DVD file structure with one big VOB file. (I don't remember what program I used... maybe DVD Decrypter) Then, I used SUPER to recode the VOB to an MPEG-2.

man?? dvd moviefactory crashes with everything not only with importing a dvd...

Of course that's not true. But SiFiFan, I will warn you about one more thing that Ulead sometimes has trouble with: Editing MPEGs. Not everyone has this problem, but if you are planning on much editing you may need to transcode the files to AVI/DV before editing. Or, if you may want to get a special purpose MPEG editor. (Ulead is not very good with DivX either... which may be why Dreamworks is so bitter.)

yust dont buy a ulead product anymore ..

Better yet, take advantage of the free trial to make sure it works for your situation before you buy!

[maddrummer3301]

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[SciFiFan]

Don't know what DVD-RW's your using in the Sony Recorder.
They should be Dvd-rw Version 1.1 / 2X with CPRM
Mine are FujiFilm Version 1.1 / 2X with CPRM

I'm using Memorex 1x-2x DVD-RW disks. Details from DVDInfoPro:

Media code/Manufacturer ID: TDK502sakuM3
UDF Format Type: V1.02
UDF Volume Name: SONY_DVD_RECORDER_VOLUME
UDF Application id: None
UDF Implementation id: SONY_DVD_RECORDER
UDF Recording Date/Time (mm/dd/yyyy): 1/ 3/2006 22:45:18
Format Capacity: 4.38GB(4.71GB)
Book Type: DVD-RW
Media Type: DVD-RW
Manufacturer Rated Speed: 2.0x 2770KBps

I have reinstalled (AGAIN) this time without Data-Add. Now at least the app doesn't crash the PC. But still can't import DVD-RW VR mode.

Now the symtoms are:
- Click [Import DVD] and after selecting the DVD-RTAV folder, the progress bar hangs for about 5 minutes, CPU shows 10% (must be doing something)
- Finally get the Import DVD window and I select the 1st title. ANOTHER 5 minutes goes by and an error occurs:
Failed to initialize VIO VIDDATA in import DVD preview module. Report ID: 0x80040959(2393).
- When I click he 'Import' button, nothing happens. The 'Stop Import' is active, and 'Import' button is inactive.

Then 5 minutes later this message appears: Unspecified error, Report ID: 0x80041468(5224).

Import DVD-VR is still broken for me..

Since it's apparent that this is a localized problem, (someone please tell my I'm not crazy...) I'm going to have to try a different tack. I'm going to try some DVD+RW disks. Maybe it IS my Sony's behavior. I just wish I could prove what is happening......

[SciFiFan]

I just installed the trial version of DMF 5, an have the EXACT SAME SYMPOMS. So, I'll not be going to DMF 5 till this is resolved...

[maddrummer3301]

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[htchien]

Don't know what DVD-RW's your using in the Sony Recorder.
They should be Dvd-rw Version 1.1 / 2X with CPRM
Mine are FujiFilm Version 1.1 / 2X with CPRM

I'm using Memorex 1x-2x DVD-RW disks. Details from DVDInfoPro:

Media code/Manufacturer ID: TDK502sakuM3
UDF Format Type: V1.02
UDF Volume Name: SONY_DVD_RECORDER_VOLUME
UDF Application id: None
UDF Implementation id: SONY_DVD_RECORDER
UDF Recording Date/Time (mm/dd/yyyy): 1/ 3/2006 22:45:18
Format Capacity: 4.38GB(4.71GB)
Book Type: DVD-RW
Media Type: DVD-RW
Manufacturer Rated Speed: 2.0x 2770KBps

I just wonder why it's UDF1.02, not UDF 2.0. For normal VR disk, the UDF Format Type should be V2.0.

Have you checked the firmware of your DVD recorder?

Ulead Data-Add is a not only a packet writing driver but also a UDF 1.02/1.5/2.0/2.01/2.5/2.6 driver (2.5/2.6 is only supported in DVDMF5 version). Through Data-Add Ulead products can read VR disk and HD/BD DVDs (BD uses UDF 2.5 and HD DVD uses UDF 2.6).

Since MD and SciFiFan have the same recorder and MD can do the VR import successfully, maybe you guys can check the firmware versions on your recorders to see if there is any difference?

Regards,
H.T.