VideoStudio 11 Worthless Buggy Software

[PaulMD]

I was using VideoStudio 10 on my Vista machine for the past three months. I noticed that a new "better" version of the software had just been released. I paid my $60 for the upgrade and installed it. Much to my amazement, this new release is one of the buggiest pieces of software I have ever installed on any system. I don't know what the release manager was thinking at the time, but there are likely some people that should be fired over what amounts to a useless piece of video editing software. If this was beta tested then prove it.

The multi-trim video editor, which I consider to be the most valuable part of any video editing software, cannot edit much beyond one scene. Among other things, it freezes unexpectedly, the 32x seems more like 8x, the sound is annoying at 8x and above, and the various controls fail in their function. Even the preview videos don't represent the actual scene on the screen.

VideoStudio 10 worked. This release DOESN'T. Pure trash. Sorry for being blunt - but it does not work and should be removed from the market.

[railroadguy]

Did you write up all the problems you are having and submit them to Corel or are you just venting here?

[Ken Berry]

And I hate to tell you there are some people out here -- like me -- who have done a clean install of VS11 on a new Vista Home Premium computer, who are not having any problems with it.

I have kept VS10+ on a machine running XP Pro SP2... No problems there either, I agree...

And I suspect you will find a number of people on this Forum were involved in the beta testing of VS11 (though not me in this case...)

[PaulMD]

So I am using a Vista Ultimate system. I took a recorded TV show from Media Center (filetype dvr-ms) and inserted it into the timeline. VS 11 should convert it. So the first issue that appears is the green progress bar. It is at 100% ... a few minutes later it goes suddenly to 0%, then again up to 100%. It never shows the correct progress. The 1:03 hr show finally converts after about 10 minutes or so and appears in the timeline with 1:03 length showing.

I then go to multi-trim. When I attempt to scroll at 32x the multi-trim pop-up freezes and the whole app freezes requiring closing the app (ending the process) from the Task Manager. When I restart the program, I am asked if I want to recover. I say ok, and what I now see in the timeline is a file that is only 6 min 38 seconds long rather than 1 hr 3 min.

So I go into the Ulead folder in My Documents and delete the two files there and start again, importing the file. I try multitrim again and find the same issue happening only this time I hit a point where the preview strip shows the same frame no matter how far I scroll. If I press the Play button in mutitrim, the show plays but the film strip shows the same frame ad infinitum, making it impossible to edit.

No such problem with VS 10. Not sure if the dvr-ms converter is broke or what.

[DVDDoug]

VideoStudio 10 worked. This release DOESN'T.... I took a recorded TV show from Media Center (filetype dvr-ms)... No such problem with VS 10. Not sure if the dvr-ms converter is broke or what.

I have no clue why VS11 is worse than VS10, but these highly-compressed formats have always caused trouble for lots of users. (I've even had occasional trouble with MPEG-2 files.) When I saw the title of your post, I suspected that you might be using one of the troublesome formats. (I was thinking maybe Divx.) Did you try this exact same file on VS10?

Sorry for being blunt - but it does not work and should be removed from the market.

No problem. As long as you are not rude or crude, you are free to share your honest experiences and opinions of the product.

[etech6355]

No such problem with VS 10. Not sure if the dvr-ms converter is broke or what.

It sounds it. I would test some other files in this same format.
As soon as you mention that you cannot move fast withing the file (seek) then VS is having a problem reading the file, seeking and going to the calculated frame. Same as having a corrupted mpeg2 file. But if VS10+ doesn't have a problem with the file & VS11+ does then I would certainly look at VS11+ having the problem.

I would check the operation of VS11+ by using good mpeg2 files that are in the 'Program Stream' format. Also try capturing from DV tape and all.
I have found one issue with VS11+ and on my system it's related to TS (transport stream ) mpeg files.
The program is brand new. It's very possible you are having problems with that format. I would test VS11+ on your machine by working with some standard DV, convert it to mpeg2 and all.
So far I haven't had problems capturing analog mpeg, dv or hdv. Working on the videos and exporting them.
Actually very stable so far on this 2.8Ghz Computer.

[etech6355]

I have no clue why VS11 is worse than VS10,

Actually Doug, VS11+ has not crashed once since I've installed it.
I've only encountered problems working with TS stream video (a new addition in VS11+ by the way, previous versions only worked with the PS format). My problem doesn't affect the average user that uses the PS format.

So far for HighDef Cams that record in the hd-mpeg2 format usually to dv tape this version is far superior to VS10+. Full motion real-time capture preview, special mpeg rendering.

Just my opinion but this version for me is all around better than VS10+.
I was at the end of editing a HDV project and lost power. Thanks to the auto-save when I restarted VS11+ it asked me to restore and all. The complete project came back from the auto-save feature.

[Vincej]

Gentlemen - I would really like to make a success out of VS 11 as I can not download VS10 even if I had wanted to - it is withdrawn.

Documenting my issues and send them to Corel is pointless - I have tried that and either they do not respond at all or alternatively they offer the most mundane suggestions I wonder if they even have digested the question.

I am in the s/w development business and so no novice when it comes to systems. But I can not make even this simplest of features of VS 11 work to any acceptable standard at all. Simple things like:

> find my Camera in less than 5 minutes
> find my camera without crashing
> capture more than 30 seconds without crashing
> build chapters without crashing
> add video file without crashing

The only insight I can give readers is that my PC Disc seems to thrash and thrash around for an age at even the simplest request - like a pull down menue. I have asked Tech friends of mine and no one has an inkling why VS11 is behaving the way it is.


If any one can please post a "how to build a clean reliable VS11 instance on a modern well spec-ed Dell PC" I would be exceptionally greatfull as clearly VS11 is a winner for those who have accomplished it.

For me all I have done is naively hit the "install button"


Thanks Vince

[etech6355]

Going by the minimum amount of information you have posted about your computer system, your camcorder, how you connect it to the computer (firewire or usb), whether your using XP-SP2 or not, the type of video file you were trying to create chapters from that's giving you a problem, your Current Project Settings, the type of video file you are trying to load that keeps crashing, whether not your using the ESD purchased version or the trial version, other ulead products installed or is this a lone installation.
Any other special video editing software or dvd copying software that can conflict with video editing applications.

You said "Find My Camera" is less than 5 Minutes"
Camera? You mean camcorder correct? Connected via a firewire cable?

You can get advice here if you post more information that could help someone to understand what could be happening on your computer.

[Vincej]

Oops - good advice .. ok here goes:


I have been with VS since VS7 AND so far things have worked out ... not so far with VS11 though.

Current system:

> Dell 9150, 2.8 ghz, 1 GB RAM 165GB free space. XP Pro

Q:Find my camera:
> Hi8 sony video camera going through a Canopus ADC55 A>D converter on a 1384 firewire:

Capturing Problem:
> Capturing Pal DV.AVI coming off the ADVC55 into VS11

Alternately I can capture into WinDV with *no probelms* then:
> I convert the Pal DV.avi to NTSC Mpeg using the Procorder Express conversion tool.> I convert using Canopus because VS is very poor at converting Pal to NTSC.

> Chapters Crash when loading the NTSC Mpeg

Many thanks Vince

[etech6355]

Vince,

Current system: Dell 9150, 2.8 ghz, 1 GB RAM 165GB free space. XP Pro

Do you have XP-SP2 (Service Pack 2 ) installed? You really have to have SP2 installed to update XP, many advancements & changes. If not installed this is usually a major problem.
Programs can work, but not correctly.

Q:Find my camera: Hi8 sony video camera going through a Canopus ADC55 A>D converter on a 1394 firewire: Capturing Problem: Capturing Pal DV.AVI coming off the ADVC55 into VS11

That converter isn't a camera, also has problems with other software. Under "Preferences" I would go to the "Capture TAB" and uncheck "Stop DV tape when capturing stops" and check ON "Press OK to capture". VS11+ is using a different capturing method (It seems). It sends commands to sync with a tape unit and read the current frame position, after reading the current frame performs a sync then puts the cam in pause mode. Maybe if you feed video into the converter before going into the capture module it will pick up the signal and sync with the device. If it does sync up then hit the Capture Button and a box will pop-up saying hit OK to capture. Rewind you tape on the HI-8 and start playback then when you want to capture hit the OK. I would think Tech Support should be able to give you settings to put in a config file that may work. Only following logic here though, I don't have that device any more, last resort is use WinDV to capture DV if it works.

Alternately I can capture into WinDV with *no problems* then:
I convert the Pal DV.avi to NTSC Mpeg using the Procorder Express conversion tool.> I convert using Canopus because VS is very poor at converting Pal to NTSC. > Chapters Crash when loading the NTSC Mpeg

I think VS11 cannot read the mpeg file correctly, Same as a corrupt mpeg2 file. Could be the conversion creates a non-editable mpeg2 video file. If it was my project I would use VS9 or VS10 and insert the Pal DV.avi video you recorded, then export about a 15 minute clip to the PAL format and load this into VS11+. This way you know it's a good mpeg2 file. Then insert this mpeg2 file into VS11+ and see if it seeks properly. When you convert the file from PAL to NTSC are you setting a low GOP count and using Closed GOP's so the mpeg is editable?
But, if it was my project I would import the DV.avi Pal format file into VS, perform the editing, export to a new dv.avi file. Then use the other software for the PAL to NTSC Conversion.
Maybe someone else has a better suggestion for frame conversions. I haven't done many but it sounds like the other software is creating a non-editable video file.

Going back to the top do you have SP2 installed?

[stelch]

Hi
For me VS11+ works 100%. I had problems with VS10 (crashing) but with this version it never crashed so far and I have created form DV more than 30 DVDs.

Stelios

[Vincej]

Hi etech6355 - Thanks very much for your valued feedback. It's people like you who give up their knowledge that stops people like me from giving up - Thanks. At this stage in the game I would accept that I was a complete Ninny if it helped getting my system working in any sense at all.

Confirm I have SP2 installed.

Your'e suggestions on capture have worked - VS11 now see's the ADVC55 within about 30 seconds and and captures without crashing - thank you.

Further experiments to get a 2 min of captured PAL DV.AVI converted into NTSC Mpeg have also had sucess. Although the VS11 effort produced a very noticeable loss of picture quality over the Canopus Express effort which is 98% the original.

Both VS11 Mpeg and Canopus Mpeg will not allow the creation of chapters > VS11 crashes in both cases.

Curiously - in both VS11 and Canopus produced MPEG's, VS11 will not display the video clip properties.

GOP control:
1) When using Canopus Express the defaults are: "use strict GOP bit rate control" - ON
2) Use closed GOP - OFF


thanks Vince

[etech6355]

I would try the Closed GOP =ON, leave the other on also.

I could only suggest a workflow where you capture your dv.avi in PAL format.
Then do all your editing in DV.avi format. Export out to a new PAL DV.avi video file.
Then use this new PAL DV.avi as the source for the Canopus software conversion to NTSC format. This way the mpeg is the last step.
Requires more disk space editing and creating a new dv.avi Pal video but dv.avi is the reliable method.

[Vincej]

Etch - thanks

Your proposed work flow is as I do it now. For clarity I take the following steps:

1) capture PAL DV.avi using the ADVC55 A>D converter
2) Edit in PAL DV
3) NTSC and Mpeg conversion with Canopus in 1 hit.
4) Create disc / chapters with VS

I did try the GOP settings change as suggested and step 4 is where when I create chapters VS11 still crashes.

Many thanks Vince