VS X4 create disc

[Heesenproductions]

First time use of create disc feature and VS X4 crashed. X4 either crashed on close (going back to editor), crashed with "back" step after previewing or crashed with "saving project" process after close. Eventually I succeeded in finishing the project and rendering to disc ISO was successful. I will test playback later.
Files used: mpeg-2 video files previously rendered by X4. Some of them vbr 9100, some of them vbr 8000 and others vbr 7500. In order to fit all onto 4.7 DVD.
Settings used: maximum vbr 8000. Rest of settings the same as input video.
4 main menus, but no chapter menus. Each main menu contains own background video. Template used was one of the smart menus with almost everything hidden, because I only needed to display the video clip's titles on the main menu. The menus wasn't a problem with rendering to DVD.
It's a riddle what caused the crashes.

[Ken Berry]

Did you by any cchance disable either the menu background music and/or the motion menu?

Also, when you started the "burn" process, did you get a message "converting title"? I wonder about this since you say you had videos which used three different frame rates (all of them DVD compatible), but used the standard 8000 kbps so that everything fitted on to a single layer DVD. In doing the latter, did you untick the box "Do not convert compliant MPEG files" in the Options icon in the bottom left of the burning screen? That would be the only way of enforcing a uniform burn at 8000 kbps.

[Heesenproductions]

Did you by any cchance disable either the menu background music and/or the motion menu?

I replaced the background music for all pages with one of my own, in the same format as the video audio: Dolby Digital surround 448bits. I didn't disable the motion menu, because I wanted the effects of the clip titles to motion.

Also, when you started the "burn" process, did you get a message "converting title"? I wonder about this since you say you had videos which used three different frame rates (all of them DVD compatible), but used the standard 8000 kbps so that everything fitted on to a single layer DVD. In doing the latter, did you untick the box "Do not convert compliant MPEG files" in the Options icon in the bottom left of the burning screen? That would be the only way of enforcing a uniform burn at 8000 kbps.

The "Do not convert compliant MPEG files" box was ticked, therefor no "converting titles" message. X4 did convert the menu videos. And I checked now in the DMF Temp folder and saw that the smartmenu thumbnail playback was also included in the menu videos. The thumbnail playback is hidden on the edited template. I don't think it was a wise choice to select a smartmenu template. Should have selected a text menu to edit. However, the thumbnail playback didn't interfere with the final result. And the leftovers of the original smartmenu made a good effect. Could it be the smartmenu thumbnails causing the crashes?

[Ken Berry]

Why were you checking anything in the DMF folder if you were using the new/old burning module in X4? Or had you set the DMF folder as your working folder???

Having the 'Do not convert' box ticked means that your selected bitrate would NOT have been applied to the videos with 9100 or 7500 since they were compliant mpeg-2 files and so would not have been converted during the burning process. How long was the combined duration of all the videos you were trying to burn? Or rather, how big were all the combined videos? If more than 4.3 GB, then the burning module may have been choking.

[Heesenproductions]

The working folder is: C:\Users\...\Documents\Corel VideoStudio Pro\14.0. Corel saves the files in the DMF TEMP folder there. The converted titles, if there is, is in a folder named CvtedTitle. Therefore I know to check the DMF folder.
I know everything don't convert to the selected bitrate, but it works. The DVD playback is good. Most of the videofiles were formerly converted to max 8000vbr in X4, except for a few. The combined size were less than 4.3 (playback length 1h 14min 41 sec). The rendered result was successfull, the crashes was during editing in the burning module.
My second disc (the project contains 2 phases of an event) is also crashing although all the videos is using a bitrate of max 7500vbr. It crashes in DVD MovieFactory 7 too, but in MF 7 it crash during the burning build process. In MF 7 I used a text menu and customize it to the same look as the smartmenu I used with the first disc project. Before I used MF 7 for the 2nd disc project, I build it in the burning module of X4 and "unticked" the "Do not convert MPEG complaint files", since my video's of 8000vbr (all of them the same bitrate), still did not fit into the 4.3GB space. X4 successfully converted all the videos to max 7500vbr, but crashed with the building of the menus. That's when I decided to rebuild in MF7. I copied the converted titles, renamed them as needed and inserted it in my new MF 7 project. Rebuild all the menus, choosing a text menu template this time. Saved all the customizing as a new template for future use. Then the burning process crash, also with menu building. Maybe my background videos cause it? Will check on the bitrate and modify if necessary. I'll report back.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

There seems to be a lot going on here, a lot of problems anyway.

You say you managed to create an Iso file, did it play correctly?
And can you say how big the file was?

If the crashes are associated with a corrupt video file then it would probably show when playing the iso.
But then you are having crashes with MF7, again I think corrupt file.

Your total video sizes appear to be very much on the limit, add a menu and you could well be over.
I would render the video files to 6000 constant, then try a burn again, first using the ISO or DVD Folder route.

Can you also try using the library samples to create a disc, if you still get crashes then we can rule out a corrupt file.

By the way what type of discs are you using RW type discs or R types?

and do you experiance crashes using the main program

[Heesenproductions]

You say you managed to create an Iso file, did it play correctly?
And can you say how big the file was?

The ISO playback is correct. The file size of the ISO is 4,135,808kb (3.94GB)

If the crashes are associated with a corrupt video file then it would probably show when playing the iso.
But then you are having crashes with MF7, again I think corrupt file.

Don't think it is a corrupted file. The trial with MF7 was with the second set of videos, which has to go on a second disc (Disc 2).

Your total video sizes appear to be very much on the limit, add a menu and you could well be over.
I would render the video files to 6000 constant, then try a burn again, first using the ISO or DVD Folder route.

The DVD project was under 4.3GB with the menus, but without a chapter menu which I didn't need anyway. I'd never before use constant bitrate, didn't know it was mpeg2 standard. Wouldn't 6000 bring down too much quality?

I can check if I have problems rendering sample videos, but at the moment I'm buy batch convert all the videos to make sure they're all the same bitrate.

I don't use X4 to burn to disc. I use Alcohol 120% to burn. I use DVD-R for more compatibility with my customers' players.

I had only one crash with the main edit program when I choose all the videos simultaneously to batch convert. The program handle it better when choosing 5 videos a time for the batch convert. During original editing of the project videos I did have a crash on one of two of the projects, but I rebuild that projects before rendering.

[Heesenproductions]

Okay, having batch convert every video to 6000vbr, I started a new project and used the same text menu template I used before after modifying it. Settings also 6000vbr speed 100%. Started burn to ISO and X4 crashed, stopping at building menu transition for the 006 menu. Luckily I saved the project before the burn process, so I started it again and disable all the menu transitions which were default. Kept the rest as it was. Menu filter on the root menus Lensflare 1. Kept motion menu. Kept all the chapter menus. Just no transitions on any menu. Started burning iso again. Everything successfully finished.
Since there was no conflicting settings, I think the problem was the menu transitions. Anyone having problems with menu transitions on large projects? The menu size in this case was 222mb and the setting for "Max 30mb menus for set-top DVD+VR recorder" unchecked.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

I have just created an Iso,
I changed the Fade In and Out options from the defaults.
Everything worked ok till I closed the program.
Then I got the unspecified error and a message about the dump files.
Had to use Task Manager to close the program.

Mmmmmmmmm……..

[Heesenproductions]

And I can still not succeed in using DVD Moviefactory 7 SE to finish a project build with X4-rendered video's. I wonder what can be the cause? The program don't crash like X4 with disabled transitions with the same project setup like I used with X4, but stopped with an error box: "convert has some problems"

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

I have tried in vain to reproduce the failure again, so cannot duplicate the problem. but will keep looking.

There seems to be two issues here, the burning crash in X4 related to the menu transition and the fail in MF7.
as its a convert problems is the process converting the “titles” if so the settings or video properties are wrong?

What are the properties of the video file you are using in MF7?

[Heesenproductions]

Many users have by now complain about X4's burning module. And MF 7 SE is also struggling with converting when I use the same modified menu templates formerly saved to favorites by X4.

So what is the options we have to future DVD authorizing? It's not always that I need to modify menu templates, only when I use a background video to replace the overall look of the menu. Is there anyone who can help tutor me how to to use Ulead PhotoImpact to draw up a template I can use for X4? I just want a template with which I can use with background video. I do not want to hide a lot of items on a template before I can use it for the background video. X4 is saving modified templates in the Corel VideoStudio/14.0/Favorites folder in My documents. There is for every template an .ufo file as well as an .ini file which contains the configuration settings. I've never before used PhotoImpact to design a template and as far as I know PhotoImpact don't safe an .ini file with it.

[Heesenproductions]

Hi

I have tried in vain to reproduce the failure again, so cannot duplicate the problem. but will keep looking.

There seems to be two issues here, the burning crash in X4 related to the menu transition and the fail in MF7.
as its a convert problems is the process converting the “titles” if so the settings or video properties are wrong?

What are the properties of the video file you are using in MF7?

Properties: MPEG2 6000VBR, Dolby Digital 5.1 with Audio bit rate 448. The menu template was modified in X4 and stored in X4's favorites folder. I copied it to MF 7's favorite folder to use it in MF 7. I don't know, maybe it was the menu template causing the misery in MF7.

I've succeeded in getting my 2 ISO's in X4. I just did not preview before burning. And without any menu transitions. And I could not save the final modified project, because VS X4 crash with closing the burning module after successful burning. Another thing, VS kept forgetting the thumbnail view I've set for my chapter menus in those rare cases I could succeed in closing the burning module in order to save the project. So I proceed to burning without previewing and after setting the thumbnail's view in the chapter's menu.