MovieFactory Locks Up At Finishing Screen

Dave O · Post by **Dave O** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:43 pm

Please bear with me. This is my first post to a technical forum and I am nervous as heck.

I have an HP a1250N desk top (dual core AMD processor) with a HP DVD Write 740b burner. Running Windows Media Center with 1 Gig ram. When using MovieFactory 4.2 (imbedded in MSP8), clicking the "next" button after the preview screen (to go to what I would call the finishing screen) the program locks up. I can still move the cursor, pull up task manager, etc... but I cannot get the program to move forward or to shut down. In fact I can't shut the computer down normally, I need to "turn it off".

I have other Ulead DVD authoring software that I got with an older version of Studio Quartet (earlier version of DVD MF and DVD WS) that do essentially the same thing.

I have isolated the computer from the internet and removed all protections (anti virus, etc). I have un-installed and re-installed. I have found and loaded a firmware update for the HP burner. I have run a registry cleaner. The machine is running pretty good except for this problem.

I was going to download the burner patch from ULEAD, but I had done that before with the earlier versions with no joy, and don't think it is needed with MF 4.2, which is what I have after installing the SP1 for MSP8.

I need help. Could it be that the DVD HP740b is the problem? Could there be a problem with Media Center? Please give me some ideas- I have driven all my friends absolutely mad with all my questions. They don't have anymore ideas for me.

Oh by the way- Don't know if this would make a difference, but Pinnacle Studio is loaded on the machine too.

Thanks for your patience

Dave

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:11 pm

Welcome to the forum, Dave.

It sounds like a bad video file. It can be hard to tell, because sometimes a corrupt file will play back OK, but cause trouble when it's re-coded or re-multiplexed.

What is the file format, and where did it come from? The Read This First... post at the top of the forum tells you what we need to know in order to help you. If you have a .AVI file, we need to know the details. AVI is a "wrapper" or 'container" format, and it can contain DV, MPEG, DivX, etc.

AVI/DV files from a digital video camera are virtually trouble-free. MPEG-2 files occasionally cause trouble (especially if they are edited), and highly compressed files like DivX cause lots of trouble!

Could it be that the DVD HP740b is the problem?

It could be the burner. Do you have any other burning software you can try? (Pinnacle?)

And, some "packet burning" (drag & drop burning) software can conflict with the Ulead burning engine... Here's something you can try:

- When you get to the "burn" step, check the box that says Create DVD folders and un-check Create Disc. If that works, you'll get the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders on your hard drive, instead of on a DVD. And if that works, you have a problem during the actual burning step. If the problem is caused by conflicting software, you can use that software to copy the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS forlder to an actual DVD.

Dave O · Post by **Dave O** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:53 pm

Oh boy- I have tried all kinds of files, MPEGs made in Pinnacle, DV files straight from a video camera with no post editing, AVI- Open DML files built in COOL 3D, some AVI files built in MSP 7 and MSP 8.

The project preferences in MF when it stops responding are the default settings. I have never fooled with them, but they default to:

VCD compliant
Anti-flicker filter
Always show relink message
Max 30 MB menues

are checked.
Resample quality = BEST
TV System = NTSC
Audio fade in/out duration = 3 sec

Nothing is checked on the "advanced tab"

Project settings are the default as well:

In the MPEG Files window
24 bits, 720 x480, 29.97 fps
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video Data Rate: Variable (Max 7000 kbps)
Audio Data Rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Display aspect ratio is 4:3

Do not convert compliant MPEG files
Auto repeat when disc playback ends

...are checked. No other boxes are checked.

Regarding the burner working with other software- yep. It works with Pinnacle, though I don't like the outcome. I can't remember if I have used any of the software that came bundled with the media center. But it did work with Pinnacle 9 and 10. By the way, I have removed all Pinnacle products to see if they were getting in the way.

I can't do the burning to files idea, because I don't quite get to the screen where that option is available. The program "sticks" on the preview screen after I click the next button, and it stops responding. I don't get any error messages other than the not responding banner at the top of the window.

It stops responding pretty good to. I can't get it to go away then without shutting down the computer. And even that I can't do with out the power button.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:57 pm

I see 2 possible problems...

1. You are running an AMD Duo Core, and you are using Windows MCE..

Do you have any problems with just editing your video in MSP or VS? If not then it could be that the crimpled version of DMF4, packed with MSP can not handle the Duo core, and especiallly WMCE..

DVDMF4 System Requirements wrote:System Requirements: Intel® Pentium® III 800-Mhz Processor or above, 128MB of RAM (512 MB recommended),
Hard disk with 950 MB available disk space (5GB recommended), CD-ROM, CD-R/RW or DVD ROM, DVD-R/ +R/ -R/ RW drive, 1024 x 768 Display or above, DirectX® 9.0, Windows Media Format 9, Macromedia Flash Player 7, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or above, Operating System Windows® 98SE, Me, 2000 (Service Pack 2 or higher) or XP.

Dave O · Post by **Dave O** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 6:27 pm

I haven't had any real trouble editing with MSP 7 or MSP 8, other than being a novice that is trying to figure out how to use the software. I suppose there could be problems ahead, as I get more familiar with what Iam doing...

I didn't think the version of MF imbedded in MSP8 was a light, or reduced version. Besides, I thought one of the advantages of MSP8 was it was more compatibale with duo core processors. Unless the problem is with AMD rather than Intel.

I thought media center was basically XP home with a few add ons. I have gone into MSCONFIG and shut everything down. No joy...

Any other ideas- sure would like to use this software....

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 7:56 pm

The DVDMF4 that comes with MSP8 is not the big version, which is MovieFactory 4 Disc Creator. Ulead may have put drivers in the MSP8 bundled version to run on MCE or Dual Core support, however I doubt it.

I had both since I purchased MSP8. I had purchased DMF4 DC a couple of years ago. Neither one that I can find, supports MCE, or dual core.

Also for those versions that do support dual core, it seems by the posts, there are some issues with AMD's.