Video Studio crashes at beginning of burn

[eclipse]

I have VS 9 DE DVD. When trying to create video files from edited DV video, the program inevitably crashes shortly (within several seconds) after I hit "burn." This occurs regardless of whether I'm creating video files, an ISO image, or burning an actual disc. Sometimes the program will disappear from the screen; other times I get the "VS has encountered a problem and needs to close" message. When the latter occurred, I looked at the error and saw a reference to ntdll.dll. I've looked at the boards here, but haven't found anything on this particular problem. Is there a solution or workaround to this? I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the program to no avail.

[Ken Berry]

Older versions of VS, like the one you have, sometimes had this problem, but only for some users. The solution is NOT to use DV/AVI files in the burning module as you apparently are doing. Instead, you first convert your DV project into DVD-compatible mpeg-2 in the Editing module (Share > Create Video File > DVD) before you even think about opening the burning module.

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.

Once that is done, you 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.

[eclipse]

Thanks for the simple, elegant solution! It appears to have done the trick. A more general issue: what I am trying to accomplish is to convert my Hi8 home movies into DVDs in the highest possible quality, with a minimum of editing. I am capturing them to DV using the Canopus ADVC-110. Since I am aiming for the best quality possible, I am compressing tp MPEG-2 at 2-pass VBR at 100% on the speed-quality slider, at a video bitrate of 8000. However, in doing research, I have read that there are better alternatives to the Mainconcept encoder, on which the Ulead mpeg.now encoder apparently is based. Does the encoder used really matter at such high settings? Would it matter at a lower bitrate that would allow me to get 2 hours on a DVD, or would lowering the rate to make 2 hours fit visibly degrade the video regardless of the encoder used? Perhaps I am overanalyzing this, but I am intent on preserving the video in DVD form in as close to its DV quality as possible.

[Ken Berry]

I too am a perfectionist when it comes to my old analogue 8mm video collection. In fact, I bought a Sony DVR-TRV480 Digital 8 camera to serve the save purpose as your Canopus device i.e. because I could put my 8mm analogue tapes in to the camera itself, and capture from that via Firewire into DV format. I do my edits then produce the DVD-compatible mpeg-2.

But at this point, opinions differ a little. I usually have projects that are under an hour, or tend to limit what I burn to a single layer DVD to about an hour, so I can use the highest quality settings, like you, with a bitrate of 8000 kbps. I have been more than pleased by the result. It is, I figure, about the best you can get from non-digital source material. And of course I use the codec which comes with VS.

But there are many out there who say that, although capturing to DV, which gives excellent quality, the fact remains that source material is analogue, and thus the incoming quality can only at best be that of excellent quality VHS tape. And as such, there is no point using a bitrate over 6000 kbps because beyond that point, there will be no improvement in quality simply because of the nature of the source material. In fact, some say 4500 kbps is sufficient.

I have tested this out, and have to say that, with my eyes at least, those who say 6000 kbps is probably sufficient may have a point. I could see no different between a final product using that bitrate over the same video rendered at 8000 kbps. It may be that my eyes are no longer sensitive, but boy I looked and looked, trying to detect differences in quality. On the other hand, when I dropped down to 4500, the quality difference was noticeable.

So all I can suggest is that you experiment for yourself and see what pleases you.

[eclipse]

Thanks. I will do that, although my guess is I will stay with 8000 since the original tapes are 2 hours, and it's just easier to keep things in 1-hour segments. In addition, I am archiving the captured DV files in their DV form because I have a feeling that by the time the kids grow up and want their own copies of our videos, there will be something other than MPEG-2 to put in on.