VideoStudio9 burning DVD problem

[jchunter]

Tony,
Your capture device (ADS Instant VideoXpress) will not work for DVD Quality video no matter what the settings are.

You can read about it here: http://www.adstech.com/media/mediafiles/PR-191.htm

BTW, it is a USB device and can not work with firewire.
His HandyCam is Hi8, which is an analog format.

BTW, in my earlier post I said that you need MORE bitrate - not less. But your capture box can't do it.

John

[Ken Berry]

Tony -- the jury is still out on your last question. My own personal opinion, FWIW, is that you are adding a needless complication by capturing first to uncompressed AVI format and then converting it to mpeg-2 with high quality settings. First, as you have found, the AVI files are huge (1 hour of video takes up around 65 GB). But while Hi8 was a high quality format in its day, it could still only produce a very good VHS quality image. You are now capturing it via RCA cables, which degrade the quality to average (or possibly good) quality VHS. Capturing to uncompressed AVI should in theory preserve that average quality but at the cost of using up a lot of your hard disk space.

Capturing direct to mpeg-2, IMHO, will probably produce around the same level of quality and the files will be much smaller -- and your computer is certainly up to the task of direct mpeg-2 capture (which can stress less powerful machines). But given that it is a VHS source you are capturing from (and moreover from RCA connections), capturing does not need to be done at the top bitrate you have set in your Project Properties viz. 8000 kbps. As someone else said in an earlier response to your, though not in these exact words, you cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear. I think most people agree that if you capture analogue video direct to mpeg-2, then the maximum quality that you are ever going to achieve with it can be obtained by using a maximum bitrate of 6000 kbps -- and in fact, some would say that 4000 kbps is enough. (I personally use 6000 kbps for my direct mpeg-2 captures from analogue video via a Winfast DV2000 capture card.)

There is also a sometimes heated debate as to whether mpeg-2 is an editable format or not, with the majority apparently saying it is not, but a vocal minority producing empirical evidence to say it is. I personally support the latter view (though I confess my successful results may be a combination of a good computer and luck! ) Anyway, I have had no difficulties cutting up my mpeg-2 analogue captures, adding transitions, titles, background music and voice-overs, and then using Share > Create Video File to produce a fully DVD-compliant mpeg-2 which I can then burn successfully using Share > Create Disc.

Others, however, will tell you that you are doing the right thing by first capturing in AVI, doing your edits in that format, and only then producing your DVD-compliant mpeg-2.

But I am afraid the simple answer to this conundrum is that there is no simple answer! The proof really is in the pudding. In other words, you need to do a bit of experimentation. Try 'my' method on a small amount of capture, do your edits and produce the DVD-compliant file then separately burn it to disc. Use an RW disc so you don't waste blanks. And make sure that you check the box in the Options icon in the bottom left of the burning module screen which says 'Do Not Convert Compliant MPEG Files'. That's an important one, which avoids re-rendering an already rendered mpeg-2 file.

[sjj1805]

Tony,

Capturing and then editing MPEG is a bit hit and miss. I have captured and edited MPEG files with transitions and have had no problems, but on other occaisions have suffered out of synch problems even though I had captured in exactly the same way. It appears that the source file has a bearing. I found I had better results if I recorded live TV broadcasts as opposed to recording from VHS tapes. Both were captured to my Hard Drive via my Hauppauge PVR TV Card which has a built in MPEG encoder.

If you go for the MPEG Option there is a possible get out of jail free card in the form of Womble MPEG Editor. http://www.womble.com/
You could edit your video with womble (30 day trial available) and then use Video Studio or one of the other ulead programs to produce your menu driven DVD.

I tend to use MSP8 and VS9 to edit AVI files from my camcorder, Womble for any recorded TV programs then create a DVd with DVD Workshop 2.

This is not a golden rule though as there have been a few odd occaisions when I have included some TV footage into my own Camcorder recordings - on those occaisions I would stick to the ulead products.

[TonyD]

why do you create a DVd with DVD Workshop 2 instead of using the
create disc of VS ? I would assume it gives you something more than what create disc gives you from VS. I was thinking about trying a trial verison of DVD Workshop or Burn.now to see if that would make a diffrence with my
problem of burning DVDs.

thanks
TonyD

[sjj1805]

why do you create a DVd with DVD Workshop 2 instead of using the
create disc of VS ? I would assume it gives you something more than what create disc gives you from VS. I was thinking about trying a trial verison of DVD Workshop or Burn.now to see if that would make a diffrence with my
problem of burning DVDs.

thanks
TonyD

Its like saying why eat a beefburger when youve got steak!!

[smsycpa]

I am sorry you are having this problem but I am glad I am not alone. I have the same problem. I also have hi8 analog video. So far tech support have not resolved the issue. I ran the rendering stuff overnight, by morning I checked & saw an error message. I have 140GB free but it makes no difference. It makes a difference when the file size drops to under 3.0GB, then it will save it to the HD but will not burn it. In my case it would not even find the burner. Ulead MF2.0 however will find the burner but I was never able to burn the video there either.

I also tried the fit to size option. This one ran all night and resulted in filling over 100GB data for what used to be under 4.0 GB video clips. I had to erase all files from the HD (I have dedicated HD video) and also reinstalled uvs9. So far I have not yet used this software successfully. I am still working with tech support without success. This has been going on for approx a month. I will give a few more weeks then I will junk it.

[jchunter]

Gentlemen,
Once again, IMHO, a new user is being treated to extended dissertations on advanced topics that do not bear directly on his specific problem. Some of these well meaning suggestions are controversial even among experienced users.

As most of us have learned, using incorrect procedure (or work flow) in Video Studio, all too often, opens a Pandora's Box of strange bugs.

In this case, the OP has captured video at 1485 kbps (other properties are also probably incorrect) and is asking VS to convert it to DVD quality, which is failing.

The point that needs to be emphasized is that even if the burn had succeeded, the result would have been completely unacceptable quality.

We need to get him on the right track at step 1. His analog capture box is only capable of Mpeg1 quality. Any effort to continue with captured video of this quality will result in either failure or dissatisfaction.

I have mentioned the ADS Instant DVD2. Other users like the Canopus devices better. Digital camcorders can also serve as analog capture devices.

Tony, you need a new capture device.

[TonyD]

I understand that I can use an better capture device as you stated
but when I bought the VideoXpress it came with VS8 SE and it worked
with no problems, so I decided to try something with more bells and
whistles and bought VS9 and I can capture and create my movie
with no problem, I can even burn the created VS9 movie with another
program with no problem, I just can't burn with VS9.. or are suggesting that the VideoXpress I have does not work well with VS9 but works with VS8 SE ? but if there is a problem with my capture why does the DVD burn under another program other than VS. I'll play with it some more to see if I can get a DVD to burn, I might try a trial download version of MF-4 to see if that will work..

thanks
TonyD

[jchunter]

Tony,
You captured video will not produce acceptable quality DVD results with any video editor.

If you burn a DVD with Mpeg1 quality video, when you view it through a DVD player, on any good quality TV set, it will look blurry, indistinct, blocky, etc.

[Ken Berry]

FWIW, I think I have just resolved a few concerns I have had in capturing my own large collection of analogue travel videos. Previously, I have been using a WinFast DV2000 TV/capture card with an analogue video camera connected to it via RCA cables (the camera does not have S-video out). I must say I was generally happy with the results, but had had no great expectations of the end quality to start with. I was getting only average VHS quality in my final DVDs, but I figured that was better than nothing and at least I had saved my travel videos in a format which I could access readily.

However, a couple of days ago I took the somewhat radical step of lashing out and buying old technology: a Sony DCR-TRV480E Digital 8 camera. This model was only released at the beginning of the year, and has all the bells and whistles of equivalent cost mini DV vidcams, but it uses larger 8mm tapes and so is much bulkier than 'modern' cameras: it's about twice the size of my Canon 630i, for example. BUT (and it's a big 'but') it has the capacity to play my analogue 8mm tapes which I can capture directly from the camera via Firewire in DV format. While it has the standard anti-shake stability control for new videos, it also has what I call a 'tremble' control for old videos and appears to eradicate about 80% of the telephoto and other tremble you got from analogue cameras back in the days before stability control was invented.

And overall, I am -- to put it mildly -- stunned by the results. To my eyes at least, the captured DV appears just about equal to the quality I obtain in captures from my digital video camera -- and this is even more amazing since a lot of my analogue collection was filmed using long play (LP) rather than standard SP, and so was of a relatively lower quality to start with. The captured audio is also both louder and far clearer than with my previous capture method. So far I have experimented with creating DVD compatible mpeg-2s using VBR max 8000 kbps and 6000 kbps, and both LPCM and AC-3 audio (and of course, Lower Field First). I have burned both to DVD-RW and have difficulty telling any difference in the (excellent) quality between the 8000 and 6000 kbps examples. I am in heaven!!!

Guess I know what I will be doing over Christmas: re-capturing each and every one of my analogue tapes which I have already converted to DVD!

Oh, and VS9 saw the camera immediately and has no problems at all capturing from it. I might also note that, according to the camera's manual, it can also play (and allow capture of) Hi8 analogue tapes.

A word of warning, though: there are other Sony digital 8 cameras, but not all of them can transmit analogue 8mm via Firewire. You need to carefully check the specifications to ensure it has this capacity.

[TonyD]

Thanks, jchunter i have priced a instant DVD 2.0 for $125 so I'll be looking to upgrade my capture device, but I dont have an issue with
the quality unitl I can get this program to acutally burn me a DVD. I'm thinking about trying a trial version of MF 4 Disc creator and or putting
VS8 SE back on, is there any issues with having all of these programs loaded on the pc at the same time..

thanks
TonyD

[sjj1805]

Ken

Sounds like your "new"- Old Camcorder works like mine
Sony DCR - TRV255E does everything you said yours does.

I opted to purchase this particular one for similar reasons, lots of Hi-8 tapes, Also I have a few friends with Hi-8 and now Digital 8 Camcorders and so need to have one capable of playing their tapes in my machine.

Guess who does everyones holiday video's !!

[TonyD]

well after banging my head and doing what Ulead support told me to
do (reinstalling adding patches) etc.. they finally came back with this:

Are you using an WinXP Media center Edition operating system in your PC?

Im afraid, VideoStudio programs don't support this OS.

just so happens that I am using WinXP Media Center Edition, has anyone
else had a problem with this ? The program does do everything but
burn the DVD ...

thanks
TonyD

[TonyD]

VS8 SE wich worked at first does the same thing, everything but burn
a DVD.. somy guess is that there is a program that is interferring with
VS9 and VS8 SE, any idea which programs that I will need to disable
so I can use VS..

thanks
TonyD