Please help me! (long)

Chris in CO wrote on 10/18/2005, 6:30 AM
Hi all!

I just switched from VideoStudio 8 to Sony Movie Studio + DVD, so far so good and I am happy with the change, well, if I could get some help with the following :).

I put together picture-videos for my daughters riding team. I set them to musice recapping the previous year. First year I used Camtasia, yuck, last year VideoStudio 8, it was OK, this year it's Sonys turn.

I use different segments, the first segment is introducing the team, then team building pictures, competition rides...and so on. I save each of them as an .avi file and they are each perfect.

For practice (since I am new to Sony) I burned a DVD with two of the segments. I used Nero to burn the DVD.

When I played the DVD, the music changed and wasn't set to the pictures like I had saved it prior??? The first song ended too fast and the next song started right afterwards, but was too early (I have music set to each picture). ANY ideas why it did this and how can I fix it? Why would it do this? The music is perfect timing to the pictures, but when burned, it's stupid and doesn't match?

OK, that was first question...second question is because Nero didn't work, I installed DVD Architect Studio. When I go to burn the DVD, it won't give me the option to tell it where the DVD burner is? I click Make Movie, burn DVD and it renders it. It sends me to the Architect Studio (I've tried to just start there too, doesn't work) to proceed, I open the file and the next window is all grey, the only option I can change is the one that says eject disc when done. It doesn't know my external DVD burner but it won't let me use the browse button or anything...it's just grey and nothing? My burner is plugged in and running.

ANY help would be great!! Thank you so much!!! you can post here or email me directly at avalanchefanz@msn.com.

Chris in CO

Comments

filmy wrote on 10/18/2005, 6:57 AM
A few things that may help some of the issues - first if your DVD burner doesn't show up it may be because it isn't supported. Check the knowledge base for DVD-A and see what comes up...there used to be a list of supported burners around somewhere, probably still is.

(EDIT - ok, there isn't a list here it seems but at one time there was a list somewhere.)

Audio issues could be a few things - i am not sure what your work flow is but from what you posted it sounds like you first saved as an AVI and then used another program to encode. If that is the case right there is part of the problem. I know Nero burns DVD's fine - but I also never use Nero to encode.

Keeping in mind that you have Sony Movie Studio + DVD and not Vegas I am not sure what the exact steps are but in Vegas they would be, and this is basic, to edit the project and render it out using one of the DVD templates. Now doing this shopuld give you video only. For audio render as AC3. Open up your DVD authoring program and imort the video and the AC3 for audio. There should be no need to re-encode so if there is any option make sure it is turned off. make your menus, save your project and asemble your DVD. From there you can use Nero if you want - just open up a new DVD video project and drag over the DVD folder where you saved your project to Nero...and make sure you do not recode the stuff.

*EDIT - did a search and here is what the knowledge base says:



Here are a few things to try:



   1.   Make sure that you have the latest firmware installed for the drive, as provided

 by the manufacturer. Here are links to some manufacturer's websites for firmware

 updates:

          * Sony Storage Support

          * Pioneer Electronics

          * Plextor America

          * Hewlett-Packard

   2.  Go into the Options menu in DVD Architect and select Preferences. On the

 General tab, place a check next to "Skip drive database, autodetect drive

 capabilities". Then press Apply and OK at the bottom of that window.

   3.  For IDE drives, make sure that drive is jumpered as the Master.  If plugged in

 via USB or Firewire, try switching to the other connection type and make sure it is

 not running through a hub.

   4.  Install the latest updated version of DVD Architect which is available from this

 page.

Chris in CO wrote on 10/18/2005, 8:42 AM
OK, trying to do what you said, first of all, I thought I did have Vegas...the box says Vegas Movie Studio + DVD.

I got it all saved as a DVD, but now Nero won't let me just burn it, when I go through the process, the first thing Nero does is start "creating menus & Transcoding Streams". There is no button, no extras that I can find to have it not do that??? I just went to the Nero web site and updated everything and still it won't work!

Dang, am I frustrated!!!! I just want to burn the darn movie!

Do you have any other suggestions? I am even willing to purchase another DVD burner software of some sort if it would not jack up the music!

Why do things like this, that should be soooooo easy, drive me nuts?

Thanks again for your help!
Chris
Rogueone wrote on 10/18/2005, 8:49 AM
What version of Nero are you using? You should just be able to make a DVD Video, and then drag the files into the VIDEO_TS folder. (AUDIO_TS is always blank)

I still use version 5 of Nero, didn't really care for the 'extra' stuff 6 included.
Chris in CO wrote on 10/18/2005, 9:36 AM
OMG......thank you thank you thank you.....

I'm not sure exactly how I got there, but followed the instructions posted here AND IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!

Smooth tranisitions, music perfect, crisp clean picture....omg, thank you thank you thank you!!


Chris
Chienworks wrote on 10/18/2005, 9:42 AM
Nero 5? I was using that, but couldn't find any DVD options of any type. I thought one had to upgrade to 6 to be able to burn DVDs. Under version 6 there's a whole new menu system for creating various types of DVDs. This menu doesn't seem to exist at all under 5.
filmy wrote on 10/18/2005, 9:49 AM
>>> OK, trying to do what you said, first of all, I thought I did have Vegas...the box says Vegas Movie Studio + DVD.<<<

Vegas Movie Studio is sort of an "LE" version of Vegas as far as I know. That is why I said I am not sure how limited it is as far as Mpeg output goes.

>>>the first thing Nero does is start "creating menus & Transcoding Streams".<<<

That should not be going on.

When you finish your DVD project (talking about the fianl project with menus you make in your authoring program) you should end up with a folder named whatever you named it. Inside that folder there will be two folders "AUDIO_TS" and "VIDEO_TS".

Now in Nero you open it and select "DVD" for the disk type and "DVD VIdeo" for the type of disk you are maing. Now you should see the two folders with the same names in the Nero window project window. What you want to do it take the contents of *your* folders and put them *inside* the same named folders. Chances aree that your "AUDIO_TS" folder is empty so don't worry about that. But everything in *your* "VIDEO_TS" should be placed into the Nero "VIDEO_TS" folder. You should not be getting any sort of "creating menus & Transcoding Streams" message at all.

Are you sure you are using Nero and not Nero Recode?

*EDIT - I was walking through the steps with Nero open to make sure I was being clear - by the time I posted I see you got it working. But I am leaving my reply anyway.
Former user wrote on 10/18/2005, 9:53 AM
The final build of Nero version 5 will burn DVDs. I think it is 5.5

Dave T2
Steve Mann wrote on 10/18/2005, 12:15 PM
Vegas Studio is the same software that we use in the pro version, but with a number of restrictions and one significant difference.

You can compare the products here: http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/products/showproduct.asp?PID=983&FeatureID=8363

If all you do are home and family movies, then the Studio product is more than sufficient. The major differences are that Studio is limited to four tracks and many of the pro features (like 5.1 sound) are missing.

One thing that you will get from Vegas that you won't find anywhere else is the absolutely best in user groups.

The significant difference is (if I recall correctly) that the Studio product uses the Microsoft DV CODEC instead of the Main Concept DV CODEC that is in the pro version*. By using the Windows CODEC, the licensing of the Main Concept product is not passed to the buyer. Same reason that you don't have 5.1 audio or AC3 in the studio version - licensing fees.

Steve

* Yes, I know that it is the Sony DV CODEC, but since it's derived from the Main Concept CODEC, there's still the licensing issue.
Chienworks wrote on 10/18/2005, 12:24 PM
Slight misconception there. Vegas and Vegas Movie Studio both use the SONY DV codec which Sonic Foundry created from scratch. The MainConcept codec they use is for MPEG, not for DV.
Steve Mann wrote on 10/18/2005, 12:34 PM
You're right - brain fart here.