duping vsp files to DVD

[denniskull]

I am using Corel Video Studio 4. I just finished editing a video just under 55 min. in length. It took 5 1/2 hours to render to DVD-R. There doesn't seem to be any way to copy the DVD-R. My Windows 7 operating system can't read the rendered copy, and if I have to wait 5 1/2 hours for each copy, I won't have enough done for Christmas. Is there any way I can get the finished show from Video Studio 4 into some other format that is able to be copied in normal 16x disc speed?

Dennis Kull

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

You don't tell us anything about your computer. Rendering time mostly relates to how powerful the computer is. Still, 5 hrs 30 mins for a 55 min video seems overly long. What was the original format of the video that went into it?

Can you also confirm whether you did your editing and then went straight to Share > Create Disc > DVD? Or did you first produce a new DVD-compliant mpeg-2 of your project (Share > Create Video File > DVD) and only then go to Share > Create Disc? If you didn't do the latter, I would suggest you try it. When you have the new mpeg-2, close the existing project and start a new one, though don't bother with a name. The objective is merely to clear the editing timeline. Then select Share > Create Disc > DVD. The burning module should open with an empty timeline. Then insert your new mpeg-2 and proceed from there. There should be no further rendering during the burning process and this should also be much faster. Note also that on the final page you can specify how many copies you want.

I did not fully understand what you had to say about your first disc you were trying to copy. Did it play in a DVD player? Have you tried any other program like Nero to copy it?

[canuck]

I am using Corel Video Studio 4. I just finished editing a video just under 55 min. in length. It took 5 1/2 hours to render to DVD-R. There doesn't seem to be any way to copy the DVD-R. My Windows 7 operating system can't read the rendered copy, and if I have to wait 5 1/2 hours for each copy, I won't have enough done for Christmas. Is there any way I can get the finished show from Video Studio 4 into some other format that is able to be copied in normal 16x disc speed?

Dennis Kull

Like Ken, I am not quite clear on what you are doing or what is happening. You will have to tell us exactly how you created the DVD. If all you did was render the video and then copy the rendered video to DVD then of course you do not have a video disc but just a data disc. I don't understand what you mean by "Windows 7 operating system can't read the rendered copy".

Also if you want to make multiple copies of your video project, you should create a iso image file or folder set which can then be burned to many DVDs without rendering again and again. 5 1/2 hours to render 55 minutes is a really long time unless you are rendering to some BlueRay or other HiDef video.
Also do not burn at the maximum burn speed. It might take a few minutes longer but it is safer (and fewer coaster) to burn at lower speeds. High burn speeds are mostly a marketing comeon.

[denniskull]

Thanks for the quick response. I'm using an HP processor. 32 bit. But beyond that all I know is that there was enough capacity to install and operate the Corel Video Studio 4 program. I tried going to the site that is supposed to provide the other capacity details that was suggested, but they were only interested in selling me products that I don't need. I bought the Corel program because I was assured that I wouldn't need to be a software engineer to operate it.

Since I'm an experienced (35 years) film and video editor, it didn't take me too long to learn enough to do the edit on my project, though there are major areas of the program that I haven't figured out yet. The manual has minimal information outside the pre-structured "movie" that they assume most amateurs want to make, but little of that translates into my professional experience. After finishing the edit on my project, I managed through trial and error to get through the hoops in the SHARE section to "render" the show. The 5 1/2 hours it took to render the show onto a DVD-R blank disk did give a good result that is playable on an outside DVD player, but when I tried to load the show from the disk back into my computer so I could burn copies, the disk drive in the computer could not read it. I was thinking that rendering was one thing, but I'd surely be able to duplicate the disk once the rendering was done. The computer cannot read the finished product that produced it.

The original was produced on a small digital video camera with internal hard drive. After several failed attempts to download it to the computer, we finally found a USB connector that I assume was the "1394 firewire" that allowed the edit program to accept what we'd recorded. Since it was not labeled as the "1394 firewire" connection and there were no schematics in the user guide identifying what it looked like it was trial and error. Corel "help" could not provide any schematics or other description on where to locate the connector, so it was just plugging in and hoping I wasn't frying any circuits until we found one.

The first attempt at rendering the show resulted in video stuttering, slipping edits and slipping sound tracks, but it only took 3 1/2 hours to render. I went back and "saved" at each cut and transition as well as each re-white balancing and color correction which took me a couple of days, but the finished product was without slippage. (This was when I learned that just performing an edit function with this Corel Video Studio 4 does not mean it is automatically saved or locked in sync.) I assume all those bloody "saves" added to the rendering time. I chose not to do the show in Hi-Def or stereo because of the extended time that would be involved in rendering the show. It is a family project that teaches those who I'll soon leave behind how to make the annual Christmas coffee cake they've become used to, so its not like the world will come to an end if the project fails, but I have put quite a bit of effort into it.

I did go straight from the edit to Share, Create Disk and DVD which lead me to take the rendering route. I didn't know there was any other option. I was not able to figure out how to convert my edited show to a mpeg 2 format.
I'm not familiar with Nero or other software for translating/copying from hard drive to usuable disk. Likewise, if there is some other off-market manual that was designed for editors who already know how to edit, or some online tutorials that walk you through the functions step by step, that would be a big help. Frankly, the instructional samples that come with the program are confusing and incomplete. I've spent my life doing instructional film and video and whoever green lighted this stuff should be fired.

Thanks again for listening,

DRK

[Ken Berry]

Can you tell us the exact brand and model of your video camera, please? I ask because it sounds strange to me. You say it has an internal hard drive, but you used Firewire/ieee1394 to download the video to your computer. I am not aware of such a beast. Most (all?) camcorders that use Firewire for capturing using small mini DV tapes (both standard definition DV/AVI format and high def HDV format).

You also said:

I tried going to the site that is supposed to provide the other capacity details that was suggested, but they were only interested in selling me products that I don't need.

That suggested site in our registration process is Belarc Adviser. I have just looked again at my version of that program, and there are no advertisements or anything else commercial about it, just lots (and lots) of information about one's computer. The Belarc wesite, including the download page, also don't appear to contain and ads for other products: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html We genuinely try to avoid recommending sites that contain spam.

Anyway, try the suggested route of first preparing a new DVD-compliant mpeg-2 from your project and then burning that to disc. And let us know how that worked.

[denniskull]

I went to Belarc and lifted the following regarding my computer. Since it went on for pages, I'm hoping this info is enough to let you know the limitations (if any) I'm working with. See question at end.

Operating System new – server roles System Model
Windows 7 Home Premium (x64) Service Pack 1 (build 7601)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: English (United States)
Installed: 12/8/2010 2:14:04 PM Hewlett-Packard s5610f
System Serial Number: MXX0350W1H
Asset Tag: MXX0350W1H
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
3.00 gigahertz AMD Athlon II X2 250
256 kilobyte primary memory cache
2048 kilobyte secondary memory cache
64-bit ready
Multi-core (2 total)
Not hyper-threaded Board: FOXCONN 2AB7 1.00
Bus Clock: 200 megahertz
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 6.01 07/02/2010
new USB Storage Use in past 30 Days (mouse over last used for details) new Hosted Virtual Machines (mouse over name for details)
Last Used
Multi Flash Reader -- drive 1, s/n 058F63666471, rev 1.00 11/17/2012 1:10:18 AM
None discovered
Drives new – drive encryption Memory Modules c,d
640.03 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
497.03 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

hp DVD-RAM GH60L SATA CdRom Device [Optical drive]

Hitachi HDS721064CLA332 [Hard drive] (640.13 GB) -- drive 0, s/n JP2640HP0B6KHH, rev JPGOA3GC, SMART Status: Healthy
Multi Flash Reader USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 1 2816 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM3' has 1024 MB (serial number D9D91178)
Slot 'DIMM4' has 2048 MB (serial number 895D2929)
Local Drive Volumes new – volume encryption

c: (NTFS on drive 0) * 627.08 GB 495.44 GB free
d: (NTFS on drive 0) 12.95 GB 1.58 GB free



* Operating System is installed on c:

Question: I have attempted to convert my edited show to JPEG format, but I have failed at all the attempts I've made. The conversion of a 54 minute video to JPEG (not high def), just straight, took 10 hours to render. I finally gave up. I still have a show in the program that I want to dupe to DVD for Christmas presents, but I can't figure out how to do it in less than 5 1/2 hours each copy... and then, it will only run on a dvd player and not on the computer. Since most of people recieving it have lap tops, that doesn't work. I have one "master" copy, but my computer is unable to read it let alone dupe it. I can't believe they would develop an editing program as sophisticated as this, and then have no other way of copying it but rendering. I can find nothing in tutorials or the handbook that tells me step-by-step how to make a readable copy of my show. Once again. It is straight digital video, hot HD or 3-D. I'm not even looking for good quality, just something that can be duplicated and played back from a DVD. Help.

Dennis Kull

[Ken Berry]

First, can you clarify what format you are rendering to. You said JPEG twice, but JPEG is not a video format, but a still photographic format. There is a movie JPEG format called MJPEG but while it gave good quality, it is now superseded.

Or did you mean MPEG? If you tell us what you are trying to produce e.g. a video DVD, that will help. If it is in fact a DVD, then you should be rendering any project to DVD-compatible mpeg-2. To do that, after you finish editing your project, you select Share > Create Video File > DVD, if the project is less than one hour's duration. Or if it is longer, then you select Custom, and go into the Options button on the dialogue box which appears (making sure the format is still mpeg) and reduce the bitrate to a lower level than the 8000 kbps which is there by default. If you project is around 90 minutes, then use a bitrate of 6000 kbps or if its 2 hrs, then lower it to around 4000 kbps.

But it would also be useful to know the format of your original video. Please right click on one of the clips in the timeline and copy ALL its Properties here...

Anyway, once you have the new DVD-compatible mpeg-2, you clear the editing timeline by starting a New Project (File > New Project). Don't bother with a name for the new project -- the objective is just to clear the timeline. Then select Share > Create Disc > DVD. The burning module should open and its timeline should also be empty. If it isn't, then delete anything that appears there. Then select Add Media up in the top left of the burning screen. Browse to where your new mpeg-2 is stored and add it to the burning timeline. Then build your menu and burn.

If you want to make many copies, then you can set the number of copies on the final burning page. However, many of us here prefer to create either an ISO file or DVD folder on that final page instead of burning an actual disc. That gives us a chance to see if the final product is the way we want. If it is, then we use a third party program like Nero, Roxio or Ashampoo Burning Studio, or a freeware program like ImgBurn, to burn the ISO or DVD Folder to a disc, and you can thus also make as many copies as you want.

[jkm]

If you want to make many copies, then you can set the number of copies on the final burning page. However, many of us here prefer to create either an ISO file or DVD folder on that final page instead of burning an actual disc. That gives us a chance to see if the final product is the way we want. If it is, then we use a third party program like Nero, Roxio or Ashampoo Burning Studio, or a freeware program like ImgBurn, to burn the ISO or DVD Folder to a disc, and you can thus also make as many copies as you want.

Just this weekend, I had to use my wife's laptop to burn some DVDs, and I discovered that Windows 7 comes with the Windows Disc Image Burner program. Right-click on the .iso file, select "Open With" and choose Windows Disc Image Burner. The "Open With" submenu may also show other programs that can write .iso images to disk.

John Miller

[jkm]

... and then, it will only run on a dvd player and not on the computer. Since most of people recieving it have lap tops, that doesn't work. I have one "master" copy, but my computer is unable to read it let alone dupe it. I can't believe they would develop an editing program as sophisticated as this, and then have no other way of copying it but rendering.
Dennis Kull

You should not have a problem viewing a DVD on a computer. If the computer has an DVD or Blu-ray optical drive, it probably came bundled with DVD playing software. If not, many media players can play DVDs: Windows Media Player (comes with Windows) and VLC (download for free from videolan.org; available for Windows, Mac OS X, Android (I think), etc.) are two examples.

If the computer does not have a DVD drive, use a flash drive or other means to copy the DVD to the drive. If using VLC, you have a choice of copying the DVD image as an .iso file or by copying the entire "VIDEO_TS" folder from the DVD. VLC's "Open File..." menu item can open the .iso file and recognize it as a DVD image. VLC's "Open Folder..." allows you to select the copied "VIDEO_TS" folder, and VLC will recognize and play the DVD.

If your computer is unable to read the disk that it has just created, then something is very wrong, and you would have to supply more information (including any error messages that occur during burning or when trying to read the disc).

John Miller

[denniskull]

Ken Berry

Thank you for all the time and effort you've put forth trying to answer my questions about duplication, but following your detailed suggestions just leads to a dead end. I cannot convert the vsp file I've edited to mpeg-2 with this Videostudio Pro X4 edition. When I select SHARE>CREATE DISK>DVD, all that happens is the screen that is designed to let you burn a copy comes up, but it will not let you access or load the file. I did manage to produce one DVD copy that I rendered (5 1/2 hours), which will play back on my Sony DVD player, but will not play back on my computer DVD drive. At this point, I have no idea what format the copy I made is in or whether it is possible to make duplicates from it. Three weeks of editing tied up in a 54 minute show and its locked inside the Videostudio program. Is there any way that I can find out the likely format of the DVD and from there find someone I can send it to who can make duplicates for me? What's worse, is there doesn't seem to be any help available from Corel? Major Frustration.

Dennis Kull

[BrianCee]

You do NOT use the DVD option to create an mpeg2 file.

With your .vsp open in VideoStudio go to "Share >> Create Video File" (NOT DISC) - now choose DVD and then DVD Video - this will make a DVD compliant mpg video which ANY DVD burning programme will burn to DVD.


What happens when you try to burn a DVD - you say you cannot import your video to the timeline - if your project was in the main timeline when you went to Create disc then it should already be there - but if it is not because you are looking to burn a new mpeg2 to disc what happens when you click on the import icons in the top right corner - just saying it does not allow you to access or load the file does not help us to help you - do you get an error message - do you get anything when you click on one of those icons.

What happens when you click one of these ?

PS - - PLEASE do not keep starting a new topic when continuing a discussion - I have now merged all your topics to this one - please use the 'Post Reply' button to continue with this problem - only use the 'New topic' button when you wish to start a new discussion about a different problem.

[denniskull]

I followed your directions to "Create video file (NOT DISC)" and the process started. Four and a half hours later, (rendering seems the only way this program can duplicate anything) the program said the process was finished. I then went to the next step to create a disk. Several attempts resulted in nothing happening because there seems to be a combination of check marks along the left side of the box that will allow you to move to NEXT which I eventually, randomly, stumbled across. This, after info messages of "Unable to open file" and "Unable to find file" (yet I could clearly pull up what I assume was the MPEG file, though I couldn't move it). Trying other combinations finally allowed me to activate the BURN button. 4 and a half hours after that, the process ended with a note "Unspecified error 5.0". Whatever I did, it didn't end up on disc. Despite the time spent, there was nothing that I could playback either on my computer or separate DVD. In answer to your question (with illustration - helpful) "What happens when you click one of these?" Nothing. Each "button" stops the forward process of the SHARE function. If one of them is pushed, it keeps NEXT from coming up at the bottom of the screen. All I seem to be accomplishing is the filling up of my hard drive with copies of digital information that I can't get out.

Your question about the original video format: It was shot on a Canon HDC HS900 camera with AVCHD output. The program accepted it in the Library, and I was able to edit about 5 hours of material into a finished 54 minute show which I can only play back through Corel VideoStudio Pro x4 or from the one five-and-a-half-hour rendering to disc on my Sony DVD player only. The disc will not play back on my computer E. drive.

The transfer from .VSP to VIDEO FILE was another long rendering process, but has left me with internal copies of a file the editing program can neither read nor access. Since I have only one copy of the show that can be read on my Sony DVD reader, do you have any suggestions as to how I can send that off somewhere to have it duplicated in time for Christmas? I'm running out of time. Thank You.

Dennis Kull

[denniskull]

Is there any after-market manual for Videostudio x4 that might have been put together by an editor instead of a computer tech? I know from experience that I am what is called a "visual" learner, and if there is anything out there that shows a schematic or operational diagram that takes you through the options line by line, perhaps I could sort out why things are coming out the way they are? Most major manufacturers have these after-market manuals, or is this a case where there are too few of them in the marketplace to warrant reinterpretation?

Dennis Kull

[BrianCee]

First of all there are numerous tutorial written by users and links to tutorial made by users in our own forums here :-

http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewforum.php?f=27

There are also numerous tutorial books and videos around written for ordinary users like you - do a Google search for "VideoStudio tutorials" or "VideoStudio books" and you will get a lot of hits. here is a link to one I found very quickly :-

http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Yourself- ... 1435457269

I do not know of any places where you could take a .vsp and have it converted to a DVD - except maybe a friend with a computer and VideoStudio - .vsp is unique to VideoStudio - so wherever you go needs VS. A .vsp on it's own is not enough though you must also take the original video and any extras you added.

I do not know about in your part of the world but here in the UK there are quite a few companies where you can take/send your original video direct from the camera and they will add titles, menus etc. and burn as many DVDs as you want - some will even edit for you, one of our UK members runs such a company. If you have already made one DVD then again there are plenty of places in the UK that will duplicate it - I'm sure there are many near you - Google or Yellow Pages will find them

[lata]

Hi Dennis

There seems to be some confusion regarding the Mpeg2 DVD Video File and the VSP—Video Studio Project file.

You said “I followed your directions to "Create video file (NOT DISC)"
This took 4 hours to create a Mpeg2 file, you need to locate this file on your hard drive.

A thumbnail will be placed in the video library, identify this thumbnail, right click and select properties, the file format should show as NTSC DVD, Close this window

You will be able to play the video from the library, if it’s the correct file, right click and select Locate On Computer.
Make a note of this location, you need to find it again from the Create Disc stage.

Start a new project—File New Project—the name at the top left will show as Corel VideoStudio Pro-Untitled.
Now do Share Create disc-DVD this opens the burner module, nothing in the timeline.
Top Left Add Media—left icon—Add Video File

Browse your hard drive to find the Mpeg2 video file.
This will show in the timeline, the Green bar will show the duration/size of that video file, it must be green, NO yellow or Red.

This is a typical workflow you should follow.

1 / Insert video to timeline and edit creating your movie. You are working with a project a VSP
2 / Render the project to your output format, Share Create Video File--for you NTSC DVD, this creates a MPEG2 video file, it took 4 hour
3 / Start a new project—nothing in the timeline
4 / Share Create disc—opens the burner module
5 / Add Media—Add Video File you add your video file created in 2 above, top left icon
6/ Create your menu
7 / Final window to burn the disc—should take approx 30 minutes.