Updating VideoStudio 9.0

[sverhage]

(sorry if my English is bad !)
Hi, I bought VideoStudio 9.0 this August. I ordered it on the internet, but with the software on CD too ! I installed it on my laptop (compaq presario R3000) and it worked perfectly (after installing the updates and everyting ) Now, a few days ago, I re-installed the program (I was kind of cleaning up my computer...) And it does not work like it has to. When I'm burning on DVD (or converting, whatever you call it), the program freezes. So I installed the Burn DVD/CD update (THIS ONE WORKED !). butt now it STILL freezes when converting!
When I tried to install the update: Ulead VideoStudio 9 Update Pack (Release Date: 2005/08/12 ) it said "Setup cannot find Ulead VideoStudio 9.0 installed on your system" !!! I saw more people had this problem, but no one had a solution ? I dont have any SE version or something, or a trial version... I just installed the software from the CD... I already tried re-installing again, and it still says its not able to find the program !
Can somebody help me ? Because I really wanted to put this home video on DVD before Sunday !
Greetings, Sabrina

[PeterMilliken]

Hi Sabrina,

You don't mentioned whether you are following the "recommended procedure" (see the top Sticky Post on the board) or not with respect to "burning" i.e. it recommends that you NOT burn directly to DVD but rather burn to DVD Folders and/or Image - then use either the ULead supplied "VCD DVD Disc Image Recorder" application or something like Nero to burn the resulting files to the DVD.

If you are not following this recommendation then I recommend (:-)) you try this approach first.

As for the installation of the patch and the error message - I don't think anyone has an answer for this - I certainly haven't seen one.

Peter

[Ken Berry]

Hi Peter. I really don't like intruding on this one but feel I should in this case lest Sabrina or others get confused. In point of fact, the recommended procedures in the top sticky post say nothing at all about burning to a DVD Folder (Video_TS) or Image file (.ISO). They do, however, recommend against avoiding the step of creating a video file before burning, but this is a different animal. In other words, the recommended procedure is to capture, do your editing, then go Share > Create Video File and in most cases then choose DVD as the format. This will then produce a dvd-compatible mpeg-2. You then clear your timeline and go to Share > Create Disc > DVD, and insert your mpeg-2 into the burning module, build your menus etc, and then actually burn to disc.

That being said, though, it is not clear to me whether Sabrina is actually following this (real ) recommended procedure!

Plus, of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to 'burn' a Video_TS folder or .ISO image file, which will contain your menus etc., instead of actually burning to disc. And in fact it is downright handy to do so if you intend to burn many copies of your DVD; or when you are not certain that VS 8 or 9 will successfully burn the disc and you thus intend to use another program (e.g. Nero) to actually burn the disc from your Video_TS folder or .ISO file.

[PeterMilliken]

No problems Ken - good catch

Somewhere along the line the recommended procedure must have changed then (unless my memory has failed me! ). It used to be very, very explicit about not ever, EVER burning directly to disc - I know that John is very much in favour of using mpeg2 files - perhaps that is where it slipped in (especially since he wrote the recommended procedure! ).

Of course this was in the VS8 days - it could always have been written this way and I just never noticed because I have never explicitly read the words of that section - having picked up my "work flow" from those turbulent days I never saw the need to verify what was written - just assumed it was as I had learnt through various postings . So I have been most likely preaching the recommended procedure as it was before it became engraved in tablet

The difference between my workflow and the "recommended workflow" is that I don't create the mpeg 2 file from the project - I create a project (with all the original .avi files) and then I save it. I then create a new project that "adds" that project during the Share phase - obviously I then write to Image file, but if you want to preview it on your computer you could write to DVD Folder as well. My process never writes using the "Burn to Disc" option - which seems to be where everybody reporting these problems have their issues.

Peter

[sverhage]

Well guys thanks a lot !
I confess I did not chek the recommended procedure, so I am going to try that now ! Butt it's still strange to me, because it worked normal before : )

[2Dogs]

The difference between my workflow and the "recommended workflow" is that I don't create the mpeg 2 file from the project - I create a project (with all the original .avi files) and then I save it. I then create a new project that "adds" that project during the Share phase - obviously I then write to Image file, but if you want to preview it on your computer you could write to DVD Folder as well. My process never writes using the "Burn to Disc" option - which seems to be where everybody reporting these problems have their issues.

Interesting to read this, Peter! I used to do direct to MPEG-2 capture and burn to an ISO file with VS8, usually without problems - although SmartRender never worked. I could never get inserted projects to burn though. I must have just got lucky with macropixels, but then most of my transitions were cross fades which probably masked them.

I then loaded the VS9 trial and burned to ISO with avi clips on the timeline, without any problems.

I've since followed the RP, but will now give your workflow a shot. Inserting projects always sounded like the best idea to me. Has it worked for you with multiple projects?

Sounds like the RP may need an update.

[PeterMilliken]

Hi 2Dogs,

I don't think that an update to the RP would be appropriate - although I do prefer my method! Replacing it would not be "right" - since the current procedure appears to work and writing it up as an alternative is more likely to confuse people than help.

I have never used mpeg-2 capture - my computer is not quite fast enough. Also there have been enough posts on this forum to indicate that people experience less problems by editing avi files rather than mpeg-2. John has performed his tests etc and obviously prefers leaving everything in mpeg-2 - so I guess each to his own . Previous posts here have mentioned some small advantages to capturing and editing in avi i.e. one that comes to mind directly is the option to see the timecode in the preview window - this is not available if you captured or converted to mpeg-2. So I personally believe that the disadvantage of using lots of disk space with large avi files is offset by having a more stable and feature driven environment.

My version of the burn phase of the RP has never failed me - but I must admit to being a fairly intermittant VS user! So I can't claim to have processed many projects at all - but not one has failed using this technique. Certainly my version conforms with my memory of the recommended workflow that grew out of using VS8 - unfortunately those posts are on the "old" board and are no longer available to check my story - I hope my memory is not faulty

I believe it will work for you - I believe it is slightly more straightforward than the steps in the RP as well

Peter

[Ken Berry]

Just another clarification here -- though John can certainly stand up for himself if he has a mind to!! He certainly has his own views about editing mpeg-2 and the degree of degradation that occurs. But the recommended procedures do NOT favour capture of mpeg-2 over DV. The recommendation is to capture to DV particularly if you do not have a powerful computer. And I quote from the RC:

"Capture to Mpeg2 ONLY if you have a fast computer (>2.5 GHz, 1GB RAM, disk with > 20 GB of available unfragmented space) because the whole video editing process to DVD burn will be faster and simpler.
If your computer CPU is slower than 2 GHZ, capture to AVI (DV) Type 1".

Anyway, I guess all of us develop our own work flows which are inevitably geared to what the computer can handle and our own degree of patience or lack thereof!!!