Problem in video rendered to mpeg-2 with transitions!

[me]

I am a long-time Ulead VS user, now trying out Corel VS X3.

Here is the situation, that I had a problem with:

Input video--AVCHD Lite (1280x720), from Panasonic ZS3 camera. Progressive, not interlaced. Wide screen, 16:9 AR.

No problem importing the video, and creating my project, with multiple imported clips (all exactly the same resolution, bit rate, audio, etc., from the same camera), and transitions between them.

My destination--make into a DVD. Well, I first tried the step to burn to DVD, but quickly gave up on that, when I found out, as has been reported here elsewhere, that there is no way in DVDMF10 to author a simple DVD without menus. (Just adding my two cents about that. Incredible! Much earlier versions of DVDMF could do that, why was it removed in 10?)

Back on topic. I decided to save to file instead, so I could author with a different program. I chose DVD compliant MPEG-2. I kept all the defaults--8000kb bit rate VBR, lower field first interlacing, 720x480 res, 16:9 AR, etc. l left the checkboxes checked (in options), as they were by default---smartrender on, and enable non-square pixels. (BTW, I don't understand the non-square pixel thing, if anyone would like to explain it, or point me towards an explanation.)

The video seemed to render fine. On starting to play it back (not in VS, but using a separate media player), it played fine, looked great.

Until---I came to a transition. Right after the transition, the video froze, while the audio kept going.

I tried rendering again several times, altering the settings in one way or other each time. For instance, I unchecked the smartrender and non-square, one at a time, and with both unchecked. I tried changing the bitrate to CBR instead of VBR. I changed the bit rate to 6000. I must have made about 10 versions with different settings, but all freeze when I come to the transition.

I tried playing back the files with different media players, to rule that out, but with all, the video freezes right after the transition.

What is going on? Can't VS X3 render to MPEG-2 with transitions?

I don't know what to do. After all the work on the project, I don't want to scrap it, and start over again in another app. Should I try perhaps, to render to a completely different kind of file, like back to AVCHD, and then try rendering that file, if it plays OK, to MPEG-2?

But I really shouldn't have to do that. The program should be able to render to DVD-compliant MPEG-2, without choking on the transitions. What's going on? If it's a bug, will it be fixed soon?

[Kingston]

Which transition?
And did you have smart proxy turned on?

[me]

Which transition?
And did you have smart proxy turned on?

I used multiple transitions in the project, and the video freezes after each one.

I'm not sure if I had SmartProxy on or off. Why would that make a difference? It doesn't affect the final rendering, does it?

If SP could cause problems like I mentioned, is it better to have it on or off to avoid such problems?

[Ken Berry]

SmartProxy is only relevant for high-def to high-def edting when your computer is not particularly powerful. It has no relevance for High-def-to-SD DVD...

Similarly, if kingston mean to refer to SmartRender and not SmartProxy, again it has no relevance as SmartRender only refers to renders in exactly the same format. In your case you are going from high def to SD, so SmartRender would not operate anyway...

[mitchell65]

Which transition?
And did you have smart proxy turned on?

I used multiple transitions in the project, and the video freezes after each one.

I'm not sure if I had SmartProxy on or off. Why would that make a difference? It doesn't affect the final rendering, does it?

If SP could cause problems like I mentioned, is it better to have it on or off to avoid such problems?

Have you downloaded and installed the latest Directx from the sticky thread at the top of this Forum? It does need to be downloadeed and installed manually!

[me]

Have you downloaded and installed the latest Directx from the sticky thread at the top of this Forum? It does need to be downloadeed and installed manually!

Yes, I have the latest DirectX.

Has anyone else had such a problem, in encoding HD footage (in my case 720p) with transitions added, to DVD-compliant MPEG-2?

I forgot if I mentioned this yet, but now I have tried upper field first, and had the same problem.

(I'm still curious regarding the following question though, although it doesn't seem to solve this problem--If the original video is progressive, non-interlaced, when encoded to MPEG-2 for DVD, should it be set to upper field first? Or does it not matter which field is first, since the original footage is not interlaced?)

[mitchell65]

Yes, I have the latest DirectX.

Sorry to labour the point but did you actually download from the above thread and manually install the DirectX. Also could you complete your "System" so we know what your PC spec is and what OS you have