Edit Media options greyed out on trial of MF 4

carchiba · Post by **carchiba** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 9:33 am

I am trying to use MF 4 (trial) to create custom menus on dvds burned from tv. I have multiple tv programs recorded as one large video track onto the same DVD (I cannot change this) and want to be able to select break-points in the video for the main menu. It seems like the "join/separate" or the "multi-trim" functions are what I need but these options are greyed out when I use one of my recorded dvds.

I do not think this is a limitation of the trial version and cannot find any other reference to this problem in the forum. Do not want to upgrade to full version until I know that this can be solved (pointless otherwise).

Any ideas?

jcc · Post by **jcc** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:04 am

Please describe the process by which you get your video into MF4?

carchiba · Post by **carchiba** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:19 am

The video is recorded onto the DVD by my DVD recorder connected to TV. It automatically puts on a standard "menu" with one track (all the video).

I put the recorded DVD in my PC drive and start MF 4. Click on Edit DVD. Click on Edit Video DVD. Point it to the drive with the DVD in it, then it goes and initialises it and brings in the video (this takes a few mins). It recognises all the chapters in the video but when I try and access the advanced options to get the join/split and multi-trim, these are all greyed out. So it seems like I can edit chapters within the one track (add or delete) but cannot split my one track into multiple tracks each with their own chapters.

Hope this helps and appreciate any advice that may fix problem.

jcc · Post by **jcc** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:05 pm

Have you tried the scissors to the bottom right of the preview window to split the video.

jcc · Post by **jcc** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:20 pm

Don't know why Multi-trim is greyed.

Join/Separate is only available once a clip has been split with the scissors. To join split clips, simultaneously select the clips to be joined, then click on Join.

carchiba · Post by **carchiba** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:57 pm

The scissors is greyed out too. I can change the mark in and mark out but only for one piece of video. I cannot use the scissors to cut into two tracks.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 2:29 pm

Your DVD is probably recorded in the +VR mode and is not editable.

Read the docs on your recorder and try to record in the -VR mode.
That is an editable mode.

You can also start MF from the regular screen and import the contents of the +VR disk to the harddisk. Then import that video onto the timeline and edit it. That should be the original mpeg2 file. You should then be able to edit the mpeg2 file and create a new dvd.

The only thing editable on a +VR mode disk is the menu structuring. Not the video itself.

Hope this helps,

MD

carchiba · Post by **carchiba** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 3:03 pm

I think you are right. That would explain it. It won't support the other mode so I'm stuck with it. Shame, but not life-threatening ...