Chapters Question and testimony to recommended procedure

bdweav · Post by **bdweav** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:13 am

Thanks to jchunter and others that contributed to the recommended procedure located as 'sticky' on top of board. Of course, I tried to follow the user's guide, burn to DVD with different settings than project, etc. I just could not believe that a product would be released that required such a prescribed method. The software definitely needs mistake proofing (especially since the same problem seems to have persisted from v9 to v10+). I undoubtedly failed and wasted a lot of time (failure=multiple crashes, computer restarts, etc). Once I followed the x step program, it worked like a charm.

I do have a question about chapters created during project, however.

Nature of the problem

Chapters created in timeline do not survive the 'create video file' procedure.

My solution was to go back into project and handwrite the times of each chapter. Then in the 'create disc' procedure, I used the "add chapter" feature and just typed in times. I found this much easier than trying to create chapter points in the "add chapter". The timeline feature has the advantage here.

If there is a way to allow the chapters to survive the 'create video file', I would like to know.

Properties of your source files (format, file size, where did you get it?)

All videos and still shots were shot from my new Sony SR100 harddrive camcorder. I just copied the mpegs to my computer via USB. I really like not having the discs and tapes to worry about. I also get Dolby 5.1.

My projects consisted of two titles per DVD. One title was a slide show created from still shots. The details of my video files and project:

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 7000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 3/2(L,C,R,SL,SR)

For the still shot slide show, the Audio was just stereo.

What devices are involved and their mode of connection?

Sony SR100 to Computer via USB
Pentium 4, 3 GHz, 1GB RAM,

Project Settings

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 7000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 3/2(L,C,R,SL,SR)

Output format (file, DVD, VCD, SVCD)

DVD

PAL or NTSC

NTSC

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:31 am

So, just when you thought it was safe to go into the water...!

You ask about the chapter function in VS10+. It is in fact new so most of us are still coming to terms with it.

The short answer to your question is that, yes, there is a way to keep chapter points inserted in the timeline in your final burn. The longer answer is that you may not want to use it. As you have now realised, the program is based, by its programmers, upon certain assumptions about the work flow which many people in practice have found not to work, or to work erratically, or to lead to one problem or another. And that is why the Recommended Procedures were developed in the first place to suggest a work flow which most of us finds works most of the time!

And no, I haven't forgotten about chapters.

The problem is that if you insert your chapters in the timeline, the ONLY way of carrying them over automatically into the final burn is to ignore our Recommended Procedure of not using the project file (.VSP) in the burning engine. The only way we have found of using chapter points successfully is in fact to finish your editing, including insertion of chapter points, and then to jump the step of first creating a DVD-compatible mpeg-2 file, and go straight to Share > Create Disc > DVD, and have the project file automatically included in the burning list. Now that *does* work for some people. But the downside is that it once again potentially opens up the can of worms which seem to occur with boring regularity when people ignore the Recommended Procedures and get their whole project rendered during the burning stage.

All I can say is to try it and see for yourself. But if you had trouble using the program the 'instinctive' way Ulead invites you to, (and you say you have), then you might have to forget the chapter points in the timeline method altogether, and stick with the process you have adopted of inserting them manually in the burning module...

bdweav · Post by **bdweav** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:22 am

Your right. I already tried going from timeline direct to create disc. Yes, the chapters did convert over correctly. Even then, the chapter titles I used in timeline did not transfer to the create disc. All of this was for naught, however, since I could not burn without crashing.

I went from a $30 Roxio program to Video Studio 10+. VS is an order of magnitude better when it comes to editing. Roxio had the same rendering while burning problem too. Maybe this is a nut that no one has cracked.