I had already used the search feature and did not find the solution to my problem. Do you have another idea? Thanks

I'm only guessing, but, I bet you are trying to print from the timeline, yes?
I have experienced the problem, but only when printing from the timeline. I've stopped using that feature because it won't work on my system, and there have been no helpful responses to my posts regarding this problem from users/SF on this board.

My "solution", is to render to avi, as you have. Then open SF's "capture" program, Vidcap30 I think they call it. To get there from timeline view, in the row of icons to the lower left of the timeline, click on the third from the left (a little camcorder icon, cute). The capture screen will appear. At the top are three tabs (going from memory here, my Vegas is busy so I can't look at that screen) capture, advance capture, and print (or whatever). You want to click that third tab, on the right.

The screen behind that tab will have a large box on the right with a little file icon at its top that you can click which will expose your directory structure. Navigate through that structure to find your newly rendered avi file. Click (or double click) to make it appear in the box (you could click a succession of files to print a batch of them in one print to tape session if you wanted to).

Then, look in the center of your screen for the print to tape icon (it's the farthest of four icons to the right). Click it and follow the prompts (I forget exactly what they are, a warning, I think, about printing to tape being destructive (of the valuable stuff you might already have on the destination tape), etc.

Anyhow, that's how I print to tape.

Not earth shattering to thousands who use that facility, but, might help you if printing from the timeline is causing you problems. In the pre-VV30 days, I used to resort to Pinnacle's Studio DV to do my printing, but VV30's vidcap30 has proven to be very reliable and glitch free (more reliable, even, than Studio DV which I don't even keep on my computer anymore).

Printing from the timeline in VV30 worked for me initially, but no longer. I either get that missing message error (I think the message the program is looking for is that countdown screen), or I get past the countdown screen, my destination device fires up, the dark lead-in screen appears, and VV freezes (great way to blank a new tape, I guess, LOL).

I've posted about this problem a couple of times, but, as I mentioned earlier, what few responses I received have not been helpful. I guess there aren't enough posters experiencing the problem to make it important.

The good news is that SF gives us a couple of print to tape routes. The second one described above works all the time for me.

Sorry to be so lengthy, and sorry if I've explained stuff you already know.

Good luck.

Caruso

Caruso: Thanks for the good explanation. I will give it a try. Last night it got to where everytime I opened up Vegas it would quit responding. Maybe, I don't have enough RAM (only 128 - more is ordered). Thanks again.
Mike

I managed to get it to print to tape although I don't think that it was the proper method. When I tell it to preview on the device it starts sending a signal to the camcorder and I can record it. None of the proper methods seem to work. But, I did get this project finished which is the main consideration right now. Thanks for the help.
Mike

For what it's worth, MEP, my system works just fine with 128 mb of RAM. I'd like to have more, but I'm just too lazy to tear apart my system and install it. Seems like everytime I make one of those minor (major) changes, I end up having to rebuild my system from scratch. Just got my VV30 installation fully rendered (MPEG2 was telling me "too many registrations"), and just plain do not feel like opening my box right now.

Anyhow, she works fine on 128mb.

Recording, as you did, by simply playing the time line works as long as you don't have FX which need rendering on the fly. Those will get herky jerky (I suppose folks with mega systems and plenty of ram wouldn't be bothered by that). Also, I find that my system simply can't keep up for any lengthy projects and inevitably hiccups somewhere along the way.

Were you able to at least attempt print to tape from Vidcap30?

Just curious.

Caruso

I've rendered my file but when I go to print to DV tape and work through the set-up process I get the message "An error occurred while creating the media file Error 0x800705aa (message missing).
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Print to DV tape option is something you use without needing to render first, it renders sections as needed, then does the bars and countdown, and then we hope tape. A rendered AVI DV file (via the File Menu) is not needed (or used) by Vegas during print to tape. That is unless you you loaded that rendered project AVI back into Vegas 3 timeline. The audio would be rendered into a Wav 64 file with this option.
I'm thinking your system is starved for memeory after you have done a render via files menu option, then go to do a print to tape from timeline. Background programs running? No screen saver or wall paper ?
I'm also running 128MB, but with Ver 2 of Vegas. The beta of VV3 did print to timeline fine on my system. I'll be upgrading in a few days. I've got 70MB available at Win. ME startup. Vegas wiil use 40MB or ram and 80MB of VM with a blank project.
Setting your virt. memory to a fixed amount will keep windows from slowing it down.
I run 1 gig.
Hope something here helps.
BTW, if you only have the demo of VV3, print to tape doesn't work.

Craig H.

HPV: 'Print to DV tape option is something you use without needing to render first,'

Very true, however, Print to Tape from Timeline should work fine if you drag a pre-rendered avi to the timeline, VV just won't have to do any rendering first.

I found the bars, tone, etc setup quite convenient as well. While I take no issue with any of your troubleshooting suggestions for MEP, I can confirm that when I start a print to tape operation, my system is not starved for memory. I am running WinXPPro on a 900 mhz Athlon with 128 meg RAM, plenty of disk space available. I routinely run EndItAll to eliminate background aps.

Timeline printing worked when I first installed VV30 out of the box. Something has gone wrong during a system rebuild (I have no idea what it might be), that has caused this problem. I couldn't tell you if the glitch occurred as a result of an XP re-install or as a result of a VV30 re-install, but, clearly somethin' ain't right.

Fortunately, for me, it's one of those nagging little problems I go back and tinker with every once in a while, but it's not critical since I can get the same work accomplished via VidCap30.

I am surprised that so few besides me have experienced this problem, however. Except for MEP, I don't recall anyone besides myself posting in this forum that they've experienced it. We can't be that unique.

Thanks for your response. I'll keep tinkering.

Caruso

How I managed to get my project to tape was this. I opened Vidcap and then went to the print to tape tab, then I opened up the rendered project. When I hit play it did not show on my camcorder, however, when I hit "preview on external device" my camcorder started getting the project. So, that is how I recorded the project using the external device in the Video Capture program. I did not have the color bars or ending black with this project. And I did shut down all other programs.

The preview quality and working isn't too bad using only 128MB but it should be a lot better adding more RAM.

I am also having problems getting my camera to show up in the video capture program. I'm using a Canon GL1 but I have no device control. This may be a feature of the Pyro capture card or VV3 but I have not been able to figure it out. I can capture video manually, without the preview feature on. If I turn on the preview feature the program just balks at me. I captured 45 minutes with no frames dropped by using the manual method but would like to use the program the way it supposed to be used.

I emailed SF support but they have only gotten back to me asking for more info regarding my system. Maybe they will offer a solution.

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to try to print to tape from a none render project and see what happens.

Good luck, MEP. I think you'll find SF responsive. I always have, even though I tend to be impatient.

I suppose playing an already rendered project (from timeline or from Vidcap) is almost as good as printing using Vidcap or Timeline printing. Since no rendering is going on, if it looks good on the screen, it should be ok on your tape, even though that's not the way the program is supposed to work.

I'd love someone (from SF or another user) to comment on what, if any, difference there is between finished DV tapes, one made using VV30's print to tape function and another made by manually recording the 'preview on external monitor' signal.

Caruso