DVD creation time

[zarchy]

As I've probably mentioned in other threads, I was an experienced user of earlier versions of Video Studio and Movie Factory, then upgraded to Video Studio X7 when I got a new computer a couple of years ago. I struggled with relearning everything all over again, seemingly from scratch, but I am now comfortable with the video editing process in the new environment. Recently I assembled some video clips with the intent of making a DVD to share with some friends. I managed to hack my way through the creation of chapter breaks and menus and was ready to burn a test copy of the DVD. After setting that in motion, I noticed that it was taking an inordinately long time. I let it run overnight. The next day when I checked it, it had been running for 12 hours and was only about 30% done. I canceled it and tried again, this time outputing to an .iso file instead of a disc. It seemed it was running about the same slow rate as the previous time, so I canceled it again.

What could be wrong? I am not at home right now so I can't check the project settings, but I left everything at the default setting.

When I used to do this with my old software and ancient computer, it would take something like 40 minutes or so to do this.

[Ken Berry]

I'd hazard the guess that you put your completed project into the burning module without first producing a DVD-compatible mpeg-2 from the project while still in the Editing module. But could you confirm please?

If that was indeed your workflow, it is certainly meant to work. But for whatever reason, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the format of the video in the project causes difficulties -- maybe only one clip; maybe more. Sometimes it is a difficult combination of filters. Sometimes it is just a motion menu. Whatever the case, a number of us here have consistently followed a slightly different workflow over many versions of Video Studio.

After finishing your editing, instead of going to Share > DVD (using a disc format), go to Share > MPEG-2. If your project is less than one hour to 70 minutes long, the default properties there will produce a DVD-compatible mpeg-2. If the project is longer, then edit the Properties by lowering the bitrate from the default 8000 kbps. (As a general guide, 6000 kbps will allow you to render a 90 minute or a little longer file which will fit on a single layer DVD; and 4000 a two hour video...)

When finished, you can if you like first play the new file in a software player to see if everything went OK. Then, still in the Editing module, create a new project. Don't worry about a name -- the objective is just to clear the timeline of your existing project. Then go to Share > DVD (in the disc options). The burning module will then open and its timeline should be empty. If there is anything there, delete it. Then go to Add Media in the top left of the burning screen and select the first option: Add Video Files. Navigate to your new DVD-compatible mpeg-2 and insert it in the burning timeline. Then build your menu and burn. This time it will hopefully burn without further rendering (apart from the menu which has to be converted to mpeg-2 as well).

If, while creating the new mpeg-2 in the editing module, you experience similar delays to what you have already seen, then clearly something else is wrong within the project. Then we would require further information about the format(s) of the video in the project; what editing you have done; what filters you have applied etc.

[zarchy]

I'd hazard the guess that you put your completed project into the burning module without first producing a DVD-compatible mpeg-2 from the project while still in the Editing module.
....
.

I'd say your guess was right. That certainly seemed like the logical thing to do.

[Ken Berry]

It's certainly logical, and usually works. But when it doesn't, it's useful to have an alternative workflow which is more step-by-step and involves the majority of rendering occurring in the Editing module, rather than lumping it in with all the other complicated aspects of burning a disc...

[Curious]

If that was indeed your workflow, it is certainly meant to work. But for whatever reason, sometimes it doesn't.

I agree with Ken here. The alternate workflow he proposed leads to successful dvd creation most of the time (create intermediate mpeg2 video of the project on the timeline the same expected bitrate of what the dvd creation would use without recompressing the intermediate mpeg2 file used as a source at dvvd creation time of a new timeline blank project), no matter what is the complexity of the project and filter used.

Unfortunatly, the expected workflow where the project on the timeline is directly output to dvd could fail much more often with crash and so on at dvd creation step (so you would loose precious rendering time if you restart this process multiple time).

So i follow the alternate workflow myself most of the time

[Terfyn]

It's certainly logical, and usually works. But when it doesn't, it's useful to have an alternative workflow which is more step-by-step and involves the majority of rendering occurring in the Editing module, rather than lumping it in with all the other complicated aspects of burning a disc...

PLUS you have a file copy which can be archived (I use SD cards) and used over again.

[zarchy]

Thanks for the info! I will try this workflow tonight and see what happens.

[zarchy]

Haven't been able to get back to this project for awhile but I'm still having trouble.

Some background information - there are about a dozen clips all taken on an iPad. Total duration is about 45 minutes.

Here are the properties of a representative clip:

File:

File format: Quick Time Movie Files
Movie size: 1920 x 1080
Duration: 241.870 seconds
Track counts: video track(s); 1 sound track(s)

Video Track 1:

Compression: H.264
Attributes: 24 bits; 1920 x 1280
Total frames: 7,252 frames
Frame rate: 29.983 frames/sec
Duration: 241.870 seconds
Start at: 0.000 seconds


Sound Track 1:

Compression: MPEG 4 low complexity AAC
Attributes: 44.100 kHz, 16 bits, Mono
Total samples: 10,669,056 samples
Duration: 241.929 seconds
Start at: 0.000 seconds

I started the rendering process to create an MPEG-2 file. After 2 hours of rendering, it is only 25% complete.

[zarchy]

Hmmm, I think I may have figured out my problem. It seems my computer goes into sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity. I thought it was just a screen saver, but after checking the settings, I saw that the sleep mode kicks in after 10 minutes. I changed this setting to 4 hours. I don't know if it's always been this way, or just something that happened after I upgraded to Windows 10. I expect it will be done when I wake up tomorrow.

[canuck]

Hmmm, I think I may have figured out my problem. It seems my computer goes into sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity. I thought it was just a screen saver, but after checking the settings, I saw that the sleep mode kicks in after 10 minutes. I changed this setting to 4 hours. I don't know if it's always been this way, or just something that happened after I upgraded to Windows 10. I expect it will be done when I wake up tomorrow.

How could it have done 2 hours of rendering if the computer went to sleep after 10 minutes?

[Ken Berry]

I suspect he meant that when he looked after two hours it had done only 25% but he then found out about the computer going to sleep. In other words, the 25% had probably reached after 10 minutes, at which point sleep intervened...

[canuck]

You are right Ken. A while after I posted, it occured to methat is what happened.

So basically there is no promlem with the DVD creation time