Trouble creating a video file

Haittian · Post by **Haittian** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 6:52 pm

I'm a new user to Video Studio 8. Have captured something from a VHS tape and have edit it how I want it, but when i go to save it as a video file before I burn it, it ends up crashing Video Studio. I have followed the guide lines layed out in the sticky, and can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Please help!

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:27 pm

You need to give us a lot more information: how exactly did you capture the VHS -- was it from an analog video camera or from a VCR? What was the capture device you used and how was it connected to your computer? What are the properties of the file you captured (in VS8, right click on the file and select 'Properties')? What were the project properties you used? What sort of final file were you trying to produce? And what sort of computer do you have: what are its specifications and operating system?

Haittian · Post by **Haittian** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:10 am

I captured the video using a analog VCR attached to an ADS capture device attached to my computer through a 2.0 USB port. My computer has windows 2000 pro with a P4 processor with 560 Ram. I used the default capture settings for capturing DVD quality mpeg2 quality. Once i captured I edited out the commercials then tried to create a video file using the same properties as the project. When I go to do this the program freezes. If I capture the video and then burn the project write away without editing it, it burns fine. It just if i edit the show it gives me problems.

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:04 am

Hi Haittian,

you'll probably have to give us more details! Go to your "Profile" and fill in all the "System" info with your pc spec. That way you won't have to keep repeating it in other posts.

From what you've said so far, however, it sounds like your system should be able to run the program OK.

You say you have 560 (Mb?) of RAM, which is an odd sort of figure, but anything from 256Mb and up should do.

If your P4 is on the slow side, it's going to be more important for you to minimise the number of programs and services that are running when you run Video Studio.

For a start, make sure that you turn off your screen saver, and set the power profile to "always on" - you don't want the pc trying to shut down the hard drive whilst VS is rendering, or some flying toasters to take over.

Turn off the anti virus program too, along with any firewall software (ZoneAlarm, etc) you might also use. (and disconnect your phone line when you do this, so as not to leave yourself vulnerable!)

Start "Task Manager" and see how many processes are running. On my own pc, I can get down to just 12, including Video Studio and Task Manager itself.

I think Win 2000 has "Event Viewer". In the Event Viewer log files, particularly the "Application" log, you might be able to pick up some clues as to what's causing the crash.

Good luck!

Haittian · Post by **Haittian** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:38 pm

I'm sorry my ram is 512. as far as properties for the file that was captured:
mpeg-2 Video, Upper Field First
24 Bit, 720 x 480 4:3
29.970 Frames 1 sec
Variable bit rate (max 2499 kbps)

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:19 pm

Hi Haittian,

no need to apologise for your RAM! It's sufficient, anyway.

Your video file properties look OK. The Max Variable Bitrate of 2499kbps is a little odd - it would often be 2500, rather than some "exact" number, but it should not matter. For captured VHS footage, it seems to be in the right field. I've read of other posters suggesting anything up to 4000kbps for captured VHS footage, but I very much doubt that the bitrate is the cause of your troubles.

Did you look in the Event Viewer logs?

Have you made sure you've disabled your screen saver, antivirus program and so on? How many processes are running?

One thing you might try, although you may already have done so is to save your project, then reboot, without your capture device connected to the pc. Then open VS8 and try creating the video file.

It sounds like there might be a problem with your VS8 encoding MPEG-2.

You said that you can successfully burn the project without editing the ads. Are you able to create a video file first, before editing out the ads? If the answer to that is "yes", is the preview screen black when you do so? That would indicate that "Smart Render" is working, and effectively VS8 is just writing the file and not doing any re-encoding.

As a test of that, you should also try creating a video file from just a small part of your project - say a sample 20 seconds or so. If that works with "Smart Render" enabled, try repeating it with Smart Render disabled. This time, if it works, you'll see your video footage on the preview screen as it renders.

If that works, it blows my VS8 MPEG-2 encoding problem out of the water.

What version of VS8 do you have? Do you have a retail version with 2 CD's, or was it a downloaded version? If it is the boxed retail version, you should be able to "repair" your installation as an option when you run the first install disk again.

There have been a few patches for VS8, so make sure that you have downloaded and applied these too.