Create Disc VS11 Problem

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:07 pm

Hi

I've edited a whole project that runs about 51 minutes long. All media on the time line is sourced from my Casio S770 which is DivX format (ie mpeg4).

When I click on Create Disk, the DVD Authoring window fires up and I'm preseneted with Add Media (4 Icons: file, project, DVD, Mobile Device). Below that is Add/Edit Chapter... Icon, and a tick box for Create Menu. On the right is what looks like a media player for cutting clips out of the time line to use in the menus (I think).

At the botttom is an area where the media files are held. My one project file is displayed there. I was under the impression that if I selected the project file, then I would be able to use the media player area to view it.

If I click next (with create menu selected), I get the menu options as I think it should. If I click next again, I get the option of preview. When I click the play button, it looks like its rendering something, but then displays nothing, so I don't think anything is working.

Anyone got any ideas or experiencing the same?

Thanks

Tim

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:24 pm

Never had that problem, but, from experince, I ALWAYS burn a copy directlty to the hard drive, then just copy that to a dvd. Burps happen, and this always results in a great dvd. I have a LOT of PC horsepower, but, never trusted Windows in direct burning..

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:30 pm

Hi

Thanks for the reply.

I've just opened up the Sample-PAL project off the content pack, this is made by Ulead so there shouldn't be any problems with it.

Well Create Disc has the same happening, preview doesn't work and I'm unable to do a lot. So, because the project is only small (1min 2sec), I decided to burn to image file (iso). Conversion took 7+ minutes (wmv to mpg, still very slow), and the image was created.

I mounted the image using Daemon Tools, auto play kicked in, and I chose to play with Media Player. Nothing happens, as I kind of thought.

So it wouldn't appear to be my source files, just a problem in general.

Any ideas?

Tim

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:36 pm

Having said that,

I just tried playing the ISO in VLAN Client and it worked like it should, so it maybe worth trying a burn. Still can't understand why preview is showing up blank though.

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:38 pm

may be a vista problem.. LOL, I won't use Vista till it is almost retired.. Just double check your hardware. 99% of the time it is a video card issue..

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat May 05, 2007 8:17 pm

Your problem is that your source files are MPEG4 and are a very highly compressed format. Try converting them beforehand to MPEG2.
A simple Google Search will provide you with several converters.

Regarding the second test you did, the time taken is what I would expect converting from WMV to MPEG2. The lack of playback on Windows Media Player is no doubt because you do not have a suitable codec in Windows Media Player.

Try installing a software DVD player such as WindDVD, Power DVD or Nero Showtime. You will then find that Windows Media Player should play the DVD you have created.

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sat May 05, 2007 10:06 pm

sjj1805 wrote:Your problem is that your source files are MPEG4 and are a very highly compressed format. Try converting them beforehand to MPEG2.
A simple Google Search will provide you with several converters.

Regarding the second test you did, the time taken is what I would expect converting from WMV to MPEG2. The lack of playback on Windows Media Player is no doubt because you do not have a suitable codec in Windows Media Player.

Try installing a software DVD player such as WindDVD, Power DVD or Nero Showtime. You will then find that Windows Media Player should play the DVD you have created.

Hi

I have tried the same just using mpeg1/2 files and the preview problems are the same. Nero Showtime is installed, also Vista Ultimate supports DVD playback without additional software.

VLAN Client is very forgiving when ifo/bup/vob files are pickled and I think that is why it played them with little fuss.

I also use imTOO mpeg decoder, and it is significantly faster at converting wmv to mpeg2.

The reason I use mpeg4 recording (and I'm fully aware of its highly compressed format) is that I wanted a consolidated video camera and stills. Mjpeg is good quality, but it eats memory cards. Mpeg1 is just nasty, so there aren't really any alternatives to mpeg4 video.

Before I bought my Casio S770, I made sure there were several editors that could handle it, which there are. I found bugs in Premiere Elements, mainly memory problems, and the other options were severely limited editors. Ulead VideoStudio is perfect though, but I had to wait with baited breath for VS11 to support my new laptop with Vista.

Basically, Ulead VS11 says it supports mpeg4 in and out so I expect it to work. Its early VS11 days though, and I do expect to have the odd problem, as long as it is recognised and someone's out there trying to fix it. I'm just trying to find out if anyone out there is suffering the same problems, and if so have they fixed it.

So, if anyone out there running VS11 on Vista could tell me what they are doing to get the previewing working in the DVD authoring section (Create Disc), please get in touch.

Thanks for all the responses so far.

Tim

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat May 05, 2007 10:51 pm

If you are asking whether VS11+ allows a preview in the burning module generally, then yes it does. I have it operating on a computer running Vista Home Premium, and have so far only done a project using DVD-compliant mpeg-2 rendered in VS10+. And when I make the menus and go to preview, it plays perfectly and quickly.

But if you are asking whether preview is available when you are not only not using DVD-compliant mpeg-2, but using a more difficult, highly compressed format which has yet to be rendered into mpeg-2, then I cannot comment since I have not tried it. Indeed would not. I would always seek to convert it to mpeg-2 beforehand.

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sat May 05, 2007 10:55 pm

Thanks,

That makes a little more sense, I'll try a few things with DVD-compliant mpeg-2 files.

I'm concerned about workflow though, and I don't want to add extra steps. I want to be able to edit on the time line, throw it into DVD authoring, preview, convert and then burn.

If it means I can switch the preview and convert steps in the workflow, that is not so much a problem.

I'll get back to you soon.

Thanks all again.

Tim

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat May 05, 2007 11:19 pm

You currently edit, then open the burning module, build your menus, preview and burn, and the burning process includes the conversion.

But if you think about it, editing, then converting, then opening the burning module, inserting the converted video, building your menu, previewing, then burning (but without conversion), takes exactly the same time, whichever way you look at it. The conversion does not occur any faster when you do it with your current workflow, and in addition it appears to cause difficulties in your case.

Try it the other way and see if those problems are avoided... and in future you will at least be saving the time it is currently taking to try to resolve the problems!!

Another way would be to follow's Steve suggestion of using a third party program to convert your mpeg-4 or .wmv video to DVD-compatible before you even open VS. That way you could, after that conversion, follow your original workflow, only no conversion would occur in the burning module.

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sat May 05, 2007 11:25 pm

Hi

I just tried ripping a DVD (non-commercial, hence no macrovision etc), which therefore leaves me with dvd-compliant mpeg-2 source. Same thing, preview doesn't work and the DVD authoring section appears to misbehave. Things like right clicking and file properties don't show anything on the media.

I still think there is some form of bug. Even the help file shows one of the sample clips that is a wmv selected in the DVD authoring window being able to scrub through the selected video. I get none of this.

It really just doesn't work and I'd like it to.

Tim

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat May 05, 2007 11:47 pm

Just to see what might be happening, I essentially did what you have described. First, I dragged sample clips V15 and V16, both of them WMVs, into the editor timeline. Then I went straight to Share > Create Disc. As expected, my project appeared in the burning timeline. I selected a menu template at random. Then selected Preview. And the preview played with no problem, both the menu template and both clips. No bug.

Then I ripped a couple of VOBs from a non-copy protected DVD, which inserted into the Editor timeline as DVD-compliant mpeg-2s. Did the same as above. Again, the preview played perfectly and instantly. No bug.

So I am afraid I have no real idea why mine should be working and yours, not. But to be a bug, a problem has to be at least replicable.

For the sake of system comparison, I am running Vista Home Premium and VS11+ on a HP Pavilion 9000 17" laptop, with an Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, an NVidia Go7600 graphics card with 512 MB memory, and 2 x 120 GB 5400 hard disks. This was the system as I bought it.

Maybe it has something to do with the graphics card? Have you upgraded to the latest driver for your ATI? Or did Vista come preloaded on the machineas mine did?

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Sun May 06, 2007 2:15 am

Thanks for the replies again Ken

I did notice before that my upgrade to VS11 left VS10 on my machine. I decided that I'd uninstall both VS10 and VS11, reboot, reinstall VS11 and reboot again. I'm still in the same situation.

I opened up added video V01 (wmv of female on a laptop), create disk, and I'm unable to manipulate anything in the burn timeline. Went back, converted to DVD 16:9, put that clip on the timeline, create disk, same thing.

So something is definately screwy. I'm just downloading the most recent graphics driver for my systme HP Compaq nc8430 with ATI Radeon X1600 Mobility. It's only 2 months more recent, but it is worth a shot.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Tim

JS · Post by JS » Sun May 06, 2007 2:59 pm

Tim,

I had the exact same problem with Vista and VS 11+ and I fixed it by updating Direct X. (I have a thread about this out there somewhere...) Just go to "www.microsoft.com/directx" and click on "Get the latest Direct X here". I then followed a link to download the Direct X Redist (the file name is "directx_feb2007_redist.exe") because the system requirements show Vista as being supported. This may not have been necessary, but I felt more comfortable seeing that Vista is supported. I verified in another Microsft forum that installing the Direct X update will not overwrite any of the Direct X files that came with Vista. It just fills in the "stuff" that's missing.

Anyway, it worked for me and I'm a happy VS 11+ and Vista user.

Good luck...

timiano2 · Post by **timiano2** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:47 pm

JS

I'll try that out in the next hour. It sounds very promising though. Thanks a lot!

Tim