Major Editing Problems

lefty78312 · Post by **lefty78312** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 2:35 am

I'm using Movie Factory 3, and the instructions in the users guide for trimming a video DO NOT WORK. I just want to take 24 seconds off the start of a movie and about 10 seconds off the end, but no matter which method I try as described in the PDF included with Movie Factory, it will not trim even one millisecond from the video. I've tried trimming a video, multi-trimming a video and on-disc editing; carefully following the vague instructions as closely as possible for the past hour-and-a-half, with absolutely nothing to show for it. Obviously, there's some step(s) I'm missing that aren't covered in the users guide. I'm convinced there should be a special place in hell for the authors of instruction manuals and user guides.

What do I have to do to trim this video using Movie Factory so I can burn it?

lefty78312

Liv1NgD34Dg1rl · Post by **Liv1NgD34Dg1rl** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 4:01 am

lefty:
I just used that feature for the first time last night. I only trimmed off the end of the video and it worked fine. Here's what I did.

1. Captured video from tv tuner with DMF in DVD compliant mpeg2 format.
2. Set Mark In (first arrow pointing towards the left) at point I want video to begin being saved at.
3. Used jog bar to go to the position near the end of the video I wanted it to stop at and clicked the Set Mark Out (other arrow pointing towards the right)

Then I authored a dvd folder. I just checked it and it's perfect.

I didn't cut off any at the front but could have set the mark in / mark outs at any place in the video as far as I recall.

Hope this helps.

lefty78312 · Post by **lefty78312** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 4:31 pm

Thanks, Liv1NgD34Dg1rl.

Captured video from tv tuner with DMF in DVD compliant mpeg2 format.

What does that mean? I've tried importing from the DVD itself and from a folder on my hard drive that I copied it to, so it's still in VOB format. Despite diligently following the instructions over and over and over, the same things you did, it doesn't trim anything. The instructions in the users manual don't work on VOBs - PERIOD. I've been following them every night for the past 4 days now and have yet to trim even one millisecond from it. I'd be happy if I could trim anything from the video using MF 3, because then I'd know I had discovered the "trick". There's got to be step missing from the instructions that's obvious to everyone else but me, because IT DOESN'T WORK.

I WAS able to trim it with VideoReDo, which turns them into mpgs. The Video Joiner in VideoReDo doesn't work, so after trimming, I had to join the clips together with MF 3. But when I try to burn the output, the file is almost twice as big as the original, and way too big to fit on a single DVD.

Can anyone help me trim just a few seconds off my video.

Thanks,

lefty78312

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 5:58 pm

Maybe you can try the DVDMF tutorials written by Jerry Jones.

Jerry Jones Tutorials - Ulead DVD MovieFactory - How to use the multi-trim video feature:
http://www.jonesgroup.net/media/id193.htm

Jerry Jones Tutorials - Ulead DVD MovieFactory - More on how to use the multi-trim video feature:
http://www.jonesgroup.net/media/id214.htm

You can find more Ulead tutorials in Jerry's website.

Hope this helps.

H.T.

phd · Post by **phd** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:53 pm

lefty78312 wrote:I WAS able to trim it with VideoReDo, which turns them into mpgs. The Video Joiner in VideoReDo doesn't work, so after trimming, I had to join the clips together with MF 3. But when I try to burn the output, the file is almost twice as big as the original, and way too big to fit on a single DVD.
lefty78312

The joiner in VideoReDo works very well. How did you try to use it?
Here's the process:
1. Start VideoReDo
2. Load and edit first file
3. Select from menu: Joiner/Add current project to Joiner list
4. Load and edit second file
5. Select from menu: Joiner/Add current project to Joiner list
6. Select from menu: Joiner/Create video from Joiner list

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 1:08 am

Lefty,

> I've tried importing from the DVD itself and from a folder on my hard drive
>that I copied it to, so it's still in VOB format.

No, that's not correct. If you import the dvd the files will be copied into a
temp folder under your "Working Folder" that you assigned (F6).
The folder might even be named "Import". I think it is.
When you import the video then they are in mpg format.

Are you sure your not directly opening a vob file and not importing the
file from the VIDEO_TS folder?
Use the Import Icon not the open video icon. You probably know that.

You can trim the video right on the timeline. The main screen.
Use those big arrows to mark the timein and timeout of the video.
Put the slider at the end of the video that you do not want and click on
the right arrow icon. You should see the bar change also.

If that doesn't work buy a dvd recorder .
Sometimes computers simply suck.

Hope this helps,

MD

Liv1NgD34Dg1rl · Post by **Liv1NgD34Dg1rl** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 2:31 am

Lefty: I assumed you were editting MPEG (or even AVI) files.

* In my example, I am capturing from TV and trimming mpeg (dvd compliant format) file, then authoring.
* Sounds like you are trying to trim a VOB (dvd authored) file from a already authored DVD. Not the same thing at all.

I think you are confused on some of the basics. As others suggested, get a beverage of your choice, get cozy and read the Ulead FAQ. I've read everything I can get my hands on for 3 months and I still get confused.

In closing, if you post "exactly" what you are trying to do in the future with more detail than you think is needed, it helps avoid confusion and get your answers correct and faster.

lefty78312 · Post by **lefty78312** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 5:51 am

Thanks to everyone. I'm still having a couple of major problems making any sense out of this manual.

phd wrote:

The joiner in VideoReDo works very well. How did you try to use it?

Here's the process:
1. Start VideoReDo
2. Load and edit first file
etc.

I hadn't been doing it that way, but I tried it, and it still doesn't work. I still have 4 mpgs. If it's combining them into one big one, I don't know where it's located. As I had said, I CAN combine them using MF 3, and I've done it twice. The problem is, my 3.45 MB of mpgs turns into 6.51 MB. My DVDs don't hold that much, so I can't burn it. I have a nice-looking movie I can watch on my computer.

maddrummer wrote:

Are you sure your not directly opening a vob file and not importing the file from the VIDEO_TS folder? Use the Import Icon not the open video icon. You probably know that.

100% sure. I'm using the Import button, and I'm following the instructions to the absolute letter. I'm not adding any steps or leaving any out.

If that doesn't work buy a dvd recorder .

I HAVE a DVD recorder. I'm trying to trim the excess and the commercials from the movies I've recorded from TV; mostly from Turner Classic Movies.

Liv1NgD34Dg1r wrote:

Lefty: I assumed you were editting MPEG (or even AVI) files.

Why would you think that? I'm trying to follow the users guide, and the first place that mpgs are mentioned in the users guide is on page 44.

In closing, if you post "exactly" what you are trying to do in the future with more detail than you think is needed, it helps avoid confusion and get your answers correct and faster.

Plain and simple; I'm trying to trim a little excess from the movies I've recorded from TV to my DVD recorder using the exact instructions in the users guide for MF 3 Disc Creator. I'm positive the sloppy instructions in the users guide are a major part of the problem I'm having.

So when I import the files from a DVD, it saves them as mpg's in the Import folder? And THOSE are what I have to edit? It doesn't say anything like that in the users guide. But that may be one of the key pieces of information I've been lacking.

I have read the Jones tutorials, and as well-written and informative as they are, I couldn't follow them because they are misleading. For example, you can't directly add VOB files, although their tutorial clearly shows a file format of NTSC DVD. When I open an mpg file, the file format is mpeg-2. So right off the bat I'm going down the wrong path. Also, according the the Jones tutorials (page 13)

After clicking the Mark-Out button, you will observe two thumbnails as shown in the following screen shot.

First off, there are about 12 thumbnails to start with; not one, but there are no new ones after clicking mark out. As nearly as I can determine, nothing has been deleted. I play the videos and the deleted scenes are still there. And when I click "Next", they're still in the movie to be burned.

It's really frustrating because nothing about trimming/editing/authoring is clear, and in fact a lot of the way MF 3 works is counter-intuitive. I just want to trim a few seconds here and there from my recorded DVDs, combine them into one file and author a DVD I can pop in my DVD player and watch. I'm spending a lot of money for nothing. I buy programs that have poor instructions and don't work the way the say they will. I defy anyone in the world to use MF 3 exactly as per the instructions in the users guide to successfully trim a DVD.

Thanks to everyone for your assistance,

lefty78312

Liv1NgD34Dg1rl · Post by **Liv1NgD34Dg1rl** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 6:36 am

I can see you are really frustrated. I never cracked open the manual

I'll see if I can work out the steps on something I'm doing now.
Hang in there.

Sounds like it's time for a manual burning party

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 7:15 pm

My question now is, have you applied any update packs and patches for DVDMF3??

There are some fixes in the patches about the DVD size problem after trimming, do you check them already??

Ulead DVD MovieFactory - Support Info:
http://www.ulead.com/tech/dmf/dmf.htm

Hope this helps.

H.T.

lefty78312 · Post by **lefty78312** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:18 am

htchien wrote:

My question now is, have you applied any update packs and patches for DVDMF3??

Even though I purchased the full boxed version of MF 3 Disc Creator, MF 4 was announced the day the package arrived via FedEx, so I haven't opened it yet. When I try to apply the updates, I get a message telling me that MF 3 is not installed on my machine. I've tried running the updates both with MF 3 running and with it not running. I'm still using the trial version, and that may be why the update patches won't apply.

Liv1NgD34Dg1rl wrote:

I can see you are really frustrated. I never cracked open the manual

I am super P.O.'d, and some of it's coming through in my posts. I hope everyone understands that I'm very appreciative of their help. I'm used to programs not being straightforward or intuitive, but if I spend enough time with the instruction manual or users guide, I can usually figure them out. That's not the case with MF 3. I could spend eternity with the users guide, and if I follow it and only it literally, I'll never be able to trim even one second from anything I've recorded.

I have a friend from my church who owns a video editing company, but his only advice was "buy a Mac". He did tell me that's there's nothing straightforward about video editing.

I will probably get more ambitious later about video editing/authoring, but for the time being, all I want to do is trim the stuff I've recorded on my DVD recorder and author it so I can burn it to a regular DVD-R.

Thanks,

lefty78312

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:02 am

lefty78312 wrote:htchien wrote:

My question now is, have you applied any update packs and patches for DVDMF3??
Even though I purchased the full boxed version of MF 3 Disc Creator, MF 4 was announced the day the package arrived via FedEx, so I haven't opened it yet. When I try to apply the updates, I get a message telling me that MF 3 is not installed on my machine. I've tried running the updates both with MF 3 running and with it not running. I'm still using the trial version, and that may be why the update patches won't apply.

I think this explains why you have the problem. Yes, those update packs cannot be installed when you use a trial version.

Maybe you can refund DVDMF 3 and get DVDMF 4 instead, for DVDMF 4 is much stable.

If you do not want to refund, you can install DVDMF 3 full version and then apply those update packs to have the problem solved.

lefty78312 wrote:I have a friend from my church who owns a video editing company, but his only advice was "buy a Mac". He did tell me that's there's nothing straightforward about video editing.

Buy a Mac is an option, but is not the only option. In today's IT industry PC is now growing in the video editing/DVD authoring market. Some of my friends use video editors in PC to create many impressive videos. However, Mac does have some goods because it's all made by Apple and will have less problems on hardware/software combinations.

lefty78312 wrote:I will probably get more ambitious later about video editing/authoring, but for the time being, all I want to do is trim the stuff I've recorded on my DVD recorder and author it so I can burn it to a regular DVD-R.

Just try the full version with update packs. I think it should solve your problem.

Hope this helps.

H.T.

phd · Post by **phd** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:12 am

Also, if you are in the New York Metro area, there are plenty of PC user groups you could join to get some live help as well as they have demos, tutorials and SIGs (Special Interest Groups) that could help.

There are also local video editing groups as well.

Regarding the MAC and video editing. Its not necessarily straightforward on that platform either.

Also I guess your friend didn't tell you that editing a DVD on a MAC is not easy nor cheap. Macs are made to capture DV and convert to DVD. Also if your DVD recorder uses AC3 audio, good luck on a MAC. Tell me what the final bill is for the extra software to do that. If you think this is difficult, the process on the MAC will be rather convoluted.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:11 am

This may help, I certainly hope so.
Maybe not with the recording you just made but future recordings:
If you have a dvd recorder does it record in the -VR mode format?
That would use a dvd-rw or a dvd-ram disk?
(Depends on the make recorder).

If it does you can create a playlist on the recorder then import the
playllist. It's easier to do it on the recorder.

In the recorders manual this would be called -VR mode.
The disk you would use would be a DVD-RW formatted in the -VR mode.

If it's a DVD-RAM disk you only have to format it to start off with.

If the dvd recorder is a +VR then you can't edit the actual video.
Only the menu's and chapters(scenes).

If you can do this then you import the "Playlist".

Hope this helps,

MD

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