Cannot access "Output" (step 3) in MF7SE

[sjl44779]

Greetings, everyone!

There was a similar post to this with no conclusion because of the lack of given information, so I'm starting another thread with my specific situation.

A month ago, I upgraded my software from Ulead 11 to Corel VideoStudio Pro X3. It is fully registered and works fine, as far as I can tell. Per Corel's message prompts a few days ago, I successfully installed DVD MovieFactory 7 SE as the substitute for DVD Factory Pro 2010, which was, in fact, crashing each time I attempted to open it. MF7SE will allow me to go through the menu-editing process and preview the DVD, but it will not continue to Step 3 (Output). I can click the "Next" button a hundred times, but nothing will happen. Sometimes, the hourglass-mouse graphic will appear, as if it's trying to go to the next step, but it never actually does anything. I have re-installed the program twice with this same issue coming up each time.

The video file I am trying to burn is an .avi file I edited in VSPX3, which rendered successfully and is only 700MB. The project format is the standard DVD-Video for NTSC.

I am still using the same computer for VSPX3 as I was with Ulead 11, no major software changes as far as my Windows goes, nor any changes to my sound/video cards or DVD burner (HP DVD Writer 640c). I am unfamiliar with using MovieFactory, as Ulead 11 still had DVD burning capabilities embedded within itself, but the software is very similar to how Ulead 11's DVD burning software looked, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Black Lab]

Well, you can't burn an AVI file to a DVD-Video disc. (Maybe you can, but it won't play) Your video file needs to be a DVD-compliant MPEG-2 file.

[Ken Berry]

I am assuming that your .avi file -- since you say it is 700 MB -- is in fact a movie in DivX/Xvid format. However, it would be useful if you could confirm this. I would assume also that you have the DivX/XVid codec on your computer...

If so, then even if MF 7 succeeded in converting the format to DVD-compatible mpeg-2 and burning it as a video DVD, then you would have to expect some (considerable?) loss in quality in the end DVD...

A better bet IMHO would be simply to burn the DivX/XVid as a data file to a CD and put it into your stand-alone DVD player since most these days are rated to detect and play DivX movies. And you don't need MF to burn such a data disc. I use Nero but you can use any other program that will burn data files to either CD or DVD. And if you are burning to a DVD, which as you know can hold 4.4 GB of data, you could then fit 6 DivX movies of similar length onto one DVD...

[sjl44779]

Okay, I went back and created an MPEG2 with the original .avi file I had -- the reason I had it as .avi in the first place is being my camera (Canon PowerShot) outputs movie files as .avi. Anyway, I go through the same process of creating the DVD menu with this new file, and it still does not allow me to continue to Step 3 for Output. I am forever stuck editing the menu.

Whether or not the output will play in a DVD player or not doesn't really explain why I can't even burn the DVD. If MF7SE does not allow for .avi to DVD burning, then they shouldn't put it as an option of files you can open to create DVDs with. Either way, MF7SE is not allowing me to move past Step 2.

New thoughts?

[sjl44779]

If no one knows the solution to this issue, is there a free DVD authoring program anyone can recommend?

[Black Lab]

Some time ago, with another version of VS, I had a similar problem where I couldn't go past the Preview screen to the Burn Module. Only after updating my DirectX and reinstalling VS did it fix my problem.

[sjl44779]

YES. That was it. Thank you so much, Jeff!

[Black Lab]

[metmot]

I found that when burning a DVD I could not get past step 3 unless I checked the box in menu creation for "motion menu" while using a couple of text menu templates.. If I unchecked that box the program would halt with an "unspecified error" every single time at step three. Once I got past that the burn module worked but.............the dvd I created would not play down at the funeral chapel on the same dvd player we always use. It kept saying disc error. I came back and recreated it and burnt it with VSx2 and no problems. Like Jeff said, use what works. I for one am all done with MF7. It appears to be a buggy POS with which I have run out of patience. If I have to have two programs installed to create a working DVD one of them might just as well be VSx2 instead of MF7. How's that saying go? Fool me once twice etc.

[Black Lab]

I'm with you John. I quickly went back to X2 for authoring.