Video Studio 11 Crashes Repeatedly

[gomactrading]

I capture video using either WinDV or DVIO. When I use the .avi files in Ulead to render to DVD the program crashes each and every time. There is no exception whatsoever in crashing. Does anyone have similar problems? Using Intel Quad, 4Gb RAM and WinXP SP2.

[Ken Berry]

Given that WinDV only captures DV format, can you tell us what you do after capture. For instance, do you import it into VS and edit it in any way? After editing, do your first convert it (as we recommend) to DVD compatible mpeg-2: Share > Create Video File > DVD? Or do you jump over that step and go straight to the burning module : Share > Create Disc?

If you do the latter, it opens a range of possibilities for the process to fall over since you are asking your computer, powerful as it may be, to do a number of complex tasks, including converting the DV to mpeg-2, all together on the fly.

It is better to do the conversion to mpeg-2 as a separate step as described above. You don't lose any time since it has to be converted one way or the other.

Once you have your mpeg-2, save your project, then open a new one. Don't worry about a name for it -- the objective is just to clear the timeline. Then you can go to Share > Create Disc, insert your new mpeg-2 into the burning timeline, make your menu and burn. Also, make sure 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked in the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen.

[Ken Berry]

Sorry -- it double posted.

[gomactrading]

Thank you for your response. I do trimming as necessary and then proceed to creating DVD. I did that with all versions prior to 11 (from 7 to 10) and never (as I recall) having a problem. It only started in version 11. By the way, if I convert the file using Ulead and output to a dv format, I do not have this problem. However, it is an extra step. I do not convert to mpeg2 because it seems that Ulead re encodes one more time when I create the DVD. Am I wrong when I say that?

[gomactrading]

Perhaps equally important is to mention that if I do the capture directly in Ulead, trim the footage and proceed directly to produce the DVD, I do not have a problem. Therefore, there must be some difference between the Ulead capture versus WinDV/DVIO. There is a number of reasons why I use WinDV/DVIO instead of Ulead which is another subject for another time.

[Ken Berry]

As for your first question, no there is not a second encode during the burning phase if you follow my instruction:

Also, make sure 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked in the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen.

This means that the burning module will see that the mpeg-2 produced in the separate preceding step is already DVD-compliant and thus does not need re-encoding.

Once you have done that, built your menu and pressed the Burn button, all that should happen is that the burning module will convert the menu to video, then multiplex the audio and video of your mpeg-2, and burn. Normally, for a one hour project, I find that this whole process takes not much more than half an hour to 40 minutes, burning a single layer DVD at 4x speed.

As for WinDV, I also use that on a very regular basis. (I have never used DVIO.) The only factor which springs to mind is that, unless you change it, WinDV usually captures using Type 2 DV Encoder. Many people find, however, that VS does not seem to like Type 2 DV -- though as far as I can tell, that seems to be caused by computer architecture, rather than the VS software itself. When people have trouble capturing DV using VS, for instance, we usually recommend that they use Type 1 Encoder. So that might be at least part of the reason for the problems you have experienced too...

[gomactrading]

Thank you for your information. Regarding WinDV/DVIO, indeed I use Type 2 DV but I did not seem to have problems with previous versions of Ulead. I will definitely try to capture Type 1 DV and see if it makes a difference. Again, I appreciate your input.