Suddenly Getting Grainy/LowRes Reproduction

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:19 pm

This isn't necessarily a VideoStudio question, but here goes....

I have an MPEG "slide show movie" that I made almost a year ago, comprised of photos of our many children that I share with friends and family alike.

I composed the "slide show movie", integrating sound and photos, using VisualStudio, and I use MovieFactory to burn the disk.

I have burned well over a hundred DVDs using this same MPEG source file.

Today I burned a DVD with MovieFactory, as usual, but the playback was hideously grainy. All the fine resolution was GONE!

I can't for the life of me figure what happened.

When I play the raw MPEG file in PowerDVD or Windows Media Player, I get the same lousy resolution!

This same MPEG file used to play sharp and clear.

The only thing that's new in my system is Windows Media Player updated itself from V10 to V11.

Is it possible that the Windows Media Player V11 has screwed up the codecs for my system?

Athlon K8 3200+
Asus A7N8X Motherboard
nVidia Chipset
1G Memory
Benq 1620 DL DVD burner

Software is OEM VideoStudio 7 and OEM MovieFactory that came with my Benq DVD 1620.

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Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:26 pm

A Microsoft update screwing something up? Can't be.

Do you have PowerDVD or Nero or some other DVD player software?

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:55 pm

Black Lab wrote:A Microsoft update screwing something up? Can't be.

Oh, no-o-o-o. Can't be!

Black Lab wrote: Do you have PowerDVD or Nero or some other DVD player software?

Yes I have both PowerDVD standard version and the full Nero 6.0 suite.

Is there "bad blood" between Windows Media Player and the others?

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Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:08 pm

No, there's no bad blood of which I am aware! Moreover, WMP does not, as far as I know, install any codecs on your computer. Microsoft installs the mpeg-1 codec when originally set up, and no mpeg-2 codec at all. But WMP uses codecs installed by other programs. In my own case, it uses a Cyberlink mpeg-2 codec which comes as part of the installation of PowerDVD. Indeed, Microsoft's Video Decoder Checkup Utility rates this as the only codec on my system which is rated to work with both WMP and Windows Media Center Edition. It is, in fact, rated as the preferred mpeg-2 codec on my computer. Others, will of course, have different codecs.

Ulead uses a MainConcept mpeg-2 codec which is not compatible with WMP. But unless you happen to have uninstalled whatever codec is the rated one to work with WMP, this is unlikely to cause your sudden degradation in quality as PowerDVD uses its own and as far as I am aware, WMP uses PowerDVD's codec. (You might, however, want to reinstall Power DVD to see if this improves the situation.)

I also have WMP11 installed and it made no difference at all to playback quality of videos.

Have you noticed any other videos play back in worse quality, other than this particular slideshow movie? I am just wondering whether something might either be conflicting with your current graphics card driver, or else that driver might need updating since the installation of WMP11....?

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:51 pm

Thanks , Ken.

Before I continue, let me say that this is one of the most HELPFUL and FRIENDLY forums I've ever encountered! Even when a user is frustrated to distraction, the members helping him keep cool heads and stick to the technical issues. Good stuff.

I did re-install PowerDVD, but the quality did not improve.

We ran a store-bought movie DVD the other night and did not notice any degradation in output.

I'm wondering what could have happened, especially since this "slide show movie" used to look great.

I'll report back after I play around a little more ...

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:04 pm

If it were a new DVD of the slideshow which was not displaying correctly -- rather than the original mpeg-2 file, as you say -- I would have been tempted to suggest that maybe the settings you used for the burn might have changed and VS was re-rendering it using different properties and thus also causing some degradation in quality (since mpeg-2 is a lossy format). Or it could have been something as 'simple' as DVD brand or variety that your burner does not like. Or even that you burned it too quickly -- we normally recommend you don't burn at above 4x, regardless of how fast your blank disc might be rated at.

But it is the raw file itself which also plays back grainy...! That stumps me, I am afraid.

Does the new disc you burned with MF play back grainy only on the computer or also on your stand-alone DVD player?

Can you right click on the file within VS, please, and copy down its Properties here...?

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:11 pm

Nope, the original MPEG-2 file is reproduced grainy, now. It's as if the resolution was at least halved.

That's what's got me thinking that some graphics setting has changed, but I don't see video degradation anywhere else.

I'm using Sony DVDs rated at 8x. I have been using these for about a year with no problems.

I can't get the VS settings right now, as I am not at home, but I will do so as soon as I get there. I will also test the newly burned DVD on the standalone DVD player connected to the TV.

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WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:15 pm

By the way, Ken, while I was here at the office with a nice T1 connection, I took the liberty to download VS10+ trial version onto my laptop to give it a spin.

But when I try to get help, all I get is a message box that says, "Cannot find the help file"

Does the trial version not have a help file?

And what I was trying to do was to add random transition effects between clips. This was very easy to do in VS7, but I can't determine how to do it with VS10.

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WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:16 pm

Oh, one more thing.

The original MPEG file of the slide show looks fine on my laptop.

I don't have the newly burned DVD handy, so that experiment will have to wait ...

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:32 pm

With your info that the file plays fine on your laptop, I am inclining more to the view that your graphics drivers need either reinstalling or upgrading...

As for the Help file, it does not come with the trial version for space reasons. However you can download the VS10 manual, which contains all the same information, from http://www.ulead.com/vs/documents.htm

As for random transitions, it is much the same as in VS7: File > Preferences > General. Check the box for 'Use Default Transition' and then in the drop down menu which becomes active immediately under that, Random is the very first choice.

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:47 am

OK, I've done some experimenting.

The DVD I burned this morning looks just fine on a standalone DVD player connected to a TV.

However, on my system, no DVDs look good anymore, not even store-bought movies. They all look like the resolution is down around 352x240.

Not only that, but the motion is jerky and very uneven.

I remember now that my system bluescreened a couple of days ago.

I was using Nero to burn an Audio CD. The burn completed successfully, and when the disk ejected, I inserted it again to test it. Shortly after the disk went in again, the system bluescreened.

I believe that is when this trouble started.

I looked into the system event log, and here is what I found.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
The AVerMedia 61051 MPEG Encoder service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
The AVerMedia MPEG Video Capture (EZMaker) service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
The AVerMedia, MPEG Crossbar (88x), Service service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
The AVerMedia MPEG Audio Capture service failed to start due to the following error:
The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
The Human Interface Device Access service terminated with the following error:
The specified module could not be found.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
he NAVAPEL service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

12/20/2006 7:19:33 AM Error
Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for the WINS Client service to connect.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

These hard errors were preceded by a number of machine check informational events concerning the AverMedia card I installed for converting video tapes to MPEG. I haven't needed this anymore, since I hae a standalone unit that does this.

I will remove the AverMedia PCI card and re-install my video driver to see if that helps.

That's going to take more time than I have right now, so it will probably have to wait until after Christmas.

I will report back any new info ...

Oh, and have a VERY happy Christmas and a GREAT new year.

.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:22 am

One quick way of checking would be in fact to reinstall the Avermedia software. You can always remove it and the card after Christmas, but reinstalling should only take an minute or two and at least you will be able to see whether everything is working properly again...

The other thing you could also try would be a System Restore to before the blue screen event on 20 December. That might take 5 minutes...

Anyway, glad it is not 'serious' i.e. not affecting final burned quality of your DVDs.

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:30 pm

See my reply on WMP in the DVDMF forum:

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 5522#95522

And BTW, although Ulead MPEG.Now codec pack is been recognized by Microsoft tool as not compatible with WMP, WMP can still use Ulead MPEG.Now codec pack to play MPEG-2 files.

H.T.

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:14 pm

Thank you, htchien.

Here are the steps I have taken with NO success.

. Cleaned up all the errors in my event logger so that I do not see errors in my event loger anymore.

. Went to the ATI website and downloaded the latest catalyst suite for my Radeon 9550, 6-12_xp_dd_ccc_wdm_enu_38463.exe

. Un-installed ALL my ATI software, drivers, control panel, everything.

. Installed the catalyst 6-12_xp_dd_ccc_wdm_enu_38463.exe suite, which installed the new ATI Radeon 9550 driver is V 8.321.0.0 dated 11/21/2006

. Downloaded an installed the latest DirectX, 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

All image reproduction has excellent resolution, EXCEPT the video! All video, whether I run it in Windows Media Player or PowerDVD, appears very low resolution, grainy, with aliasing and with lines when objects move. I have tried many interlace settings.

The Catalyst 3d test looks GREAT!

How can this be?

Another very curious thing is that, if I insert a DVD and select Window Media Player as the playback program, I can hear the sound, but the WMP screen is black!!

What is going on?

htchien wrote:See my reply on WMP in the DVDMF forum:

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 5522#95522

And BTW, although Ulead MPEG.Now codec pack is been recognized by Microsoft tool as not compatible with WMP, WMP can still use Ulead MPEG.Now codec pack to play MPEG-2 files.

H.T.

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:27 pm

Oh, and a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, and may God bless and keep you all in the coming year!

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