Help Pleeeease!

MikeB51 · Post by **MikeB51** » Wed May 07, 2008 8:11 am

I created a video of a wedding and reception tried burning to duel layer and it wouldn't play. The general opinion of the Forum was to use single layer only. So I deleted the wedding from the video and saved the reception and burned it. All OK. Then I opened the original full length video, deleted the reception and saved just the wedding with a new name. Trouble is, every time I try to share it it uses the whole of the video, wedding and reception, even though I only have the wedding opened. I've tried saving it to several different names but is doesn't do any good.
Thanks for any suggestions.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed May 07, 2008 8:33 am

You need, with each half of the project, first to render it as a separate, new DVD-compatible mpeg-2 (Share > Create Video File > DVD). As it is, you appear to be burning project file straight from the editing module (Share > Create Disc > DVD).

Note also that after you produce your new mpeg-2, you go to File > New Project. Don't worry about giving your new project a name. The objective is just to clear the timeline of your current project so that the full project file is not automatically inserted into the burning module timeline (which is what I think has been happeneing).

Once that is done, you can select Share > Create Disc > DVD. The burning module will open. Use the Add Media button at the top to insert your new mpeg-2 in the burning timeline. Then go to the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen. There is a little box beside the words 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files'. Make sure that box is ticked (it usually is by default). That way, your already compliant mpeg file will not be re-encoded. Then build your menus and burn.

MikeB51 · Post by **MikeB51** » Wed May 07, 2008 9:08 am

Thanks once again Ken. I won't pretend I understand what you just got me to do, but it worked. Thank you.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed May 07, 2008 10:31 am

A longer explanation would probably not help all that much. Suffice it to say that some people can go from editing straight to burning a DVD with no problems. Some can do it some of the time, and others always have trouble doing it. So we here have devised a sort of fail-safe workflow for the latter two categories of users -- those who always, or only sometimes, have problems. We are not sure what distinguishes the various groups, though certainly computer resources and the general architecture of the computer and software on individual computers, plays a probably significant role. Our recommended workflow, of which I gave you a shorthand account, is designed to be step by step, and place less 'stress' on a computer.

The other factor in your own case is the fact that having a general project file, based on one or more original video clips, that you cut up etc, in effect is only "virtual" editing. The original video clip or clips remain uncut, unedited etc. There are ways around this, but the danger is that with 'virtual' videos, which you think have been cut down in size, if they manage to get into the burning module, will often be the original unedited or at least, in this case, uncut versions. This is yet another reason for taking it step by step to ensure you are doing everything correctly.

By actually producing a new and final version of each half of your original project using our suggested workflow, you will know without any shadow of doubt that you have only the first half in one mpeg-2 and the second half of the wedding in the second mpeg-2. Period. Doing it your original way, you only find that things haven't worked out when you have wasted a disc!!!