Can I Create a disc image and then create the movie on a USB stick?

[Jan1954]

Is it recommended to create a disc image before creating the movie on a USB stick? I want to place the disc image on an external hard drive for safe keeping. Then I want to create the movie on a USB stick.

[RobertOZ]

That's the way most of us do it Jan

[Jan1954]

But it wants me to insert a DVD, so I don't know what to do.

[canuck]

Are you trying to create a movie (with menus etc) on the USB stick to be playable like a DVD on a DVD player? If yes, that is not possible
All you can do is create a "movie" file (without menus) and copy that to a USB and your Smart TV should be able to play that

[RobertOZ]

As well as canucks advice, do you mean you want to create a "Smart Package", which is a folder that contains all the media used in your project which you can save to any location for future use

[Jan1954]

I do want to create a smart package, just in case I want to do some editing later. I don't remember off hand how that is done.

I also want to "store" a copy of the movie that I put on the USB stick. I want to store it on the external hard drive. Once I create the movie on a USB stick, do I just copy that USB stick file to the external hard drive?

[RobertOZ]

Place project in timeline
Open File/Smart Package
Save Current Project - YES
Pack as Folder or Zip file
Select destination for Folder Path
Give a Project Folder name and Project File name
Select whether or not you want unused tracks included
Press OK
Smart Package Folder will now be in your selected destination location

[rwernyei]

I think we're getting lost in semantics here. You'll want to use the Smart Package feature for any possible future editing and that's what should be copied to your external drive. This will also suffice for archiving measures. Regarding USB stick, you can output to a variety of formats that your Smart TV will recognize and play using it's built-in media player.

[Jan1954]

In a previous conversation in the Forum, I decided it was best to just use the USB stick for the movie. No DVD's, and no chapters anymore. I totally forgot about creating the "Smart Package" for possible later editing. Thank you for the instructions for creating the "Smart Package."

It sounds like I don't need to mess with creating a disc image. After I create the "Smart Package," I will create the movie on the USB stick. I will put a copy of the movie (that I put on the USB stick) on the external hard drive along with the "Smart Package." That way, I have a copy in case the USB stick goes kaput, and I will have the entire package in case I ever want to edit my "final" version of the movie. I doubt that will happen, but you never know!

Thank you RobertOZ for the Smart Package instructions.

[canuck]

There is of course no guarantee that 5 years from now VS will still be around to be able to open a Smart Package. Thus you will also have to make sure that you save the version of VS used to create the Smart Package.

[rwernyei]

@Canuck: Best answer!

In addition to Canuck's great advice, one would also have to have a copy of the OS too! Windows Compatibility Mode doesn't always work. I was running Ulead Media Studio Pro 7 via virtual machine to squeeze as much I could before I moved to VideoStudio Pro. Now, I no longer use VSP either.

[Jan1954]

WOW! I think I started out with VS-5??

I did not realize that the "Smart Package" created was tied to the version of VS and also the operating system it was created with. OK. No "Smart Package" either. So that means the only way you can "re-edit" a movie (without Smart Package), is to have all the original files and start from scratch. NO WAY. I don't have the time for that.

I'll create the movie today and make a copy. I guess I won't bother with the "Smart Package." Thank you all for the great feedback.

[RobertOZ]

Jan, don't get too carried away, with thinking Smart Package is not suitable for long term use.
Smart Package contains all the content of your project, that will always remain available
As a matter of interest I have just opened a Smart Package folder created in VSX8 in 2016 and it opened in VS2023 correctly

Edit.
Just ascertained that that VSX8 Smart Package was created in my old HP desktop which had a Win 7 OS, that computer was not replaced until July 2017 when I moved to Win 10

[Jan1954]

OK. I will create the "Smart Package" and store on the external hard drive with the movie. Years ago, I think I debated whether I needed to create the "Smart Package" for potential future editing. That said, I have two movies that I wished I had the "Smart Package" to do more cutting! I always hated cutting more of my husband's video, but I have gotten over that hang up.

By the way, this is the movie that had bad quality video at the beginning. I cut a lot of that out after asking this Forum about a filter to fix the problem. We looked at the movie last night and the quality of the video looks so much better than what I saw on the computer. I guess I cut enough of the poor quality video that it's not noticeable in the movie.