Main Concept (Build 49) Error rendering MPEG2

MikeBflo3 wrote on 3/3/2002, 8:25 AM
I'm so so close from a nervous breakdown. After having many problems with the Main Concept MPEG2 locking up while rendering, I was told to update to VV3(a), which I just did. (which updated the MPEG2 encoder as well.) Now the system doesn't freeze, it just gives my a very useless message. "An error occurred whild creating the media file Vacation.mpg. The reason for the error could not be determined." Boy, that's a big help after 5 hours of rendering then getting that little ditty. If I retry to render, it stops at the same frame! The video plays fine on VV3. If I move the time cursors around, it will do the problem frame OK, and then hang up somewhere else new. The problem frame never has several elements to it, it is just raw DV video from a Sony DCR-TRV120 D8 camcorder via firewire, using the updated (as of 2/27) Vegas Video Capture utility. (It will render a difficult section, with lots of titles and music overlays without a hitch, then crash on a simple segment) I'm running a PIII 800mhz, 640 Ram, 2 7200rpm 40GB drives (one soley for DV). I was able to render a small 30 min project with out any addition elements OK. This new 61 min project keeps getting the error. I've got plenty of mem, and plenty of disc space.
HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP

Comments

MikeBflo3 wrote on 3/3/2002, 8:44 AM
Hey folks, I've been reading all sorts of things to help with the above problem. The program WILL convert to a DV.avi file no problem. (that tells me the video is OK) I think I will use "tmpgenc" to encode to MPEG, as suggested by many people. However, WHAT THE HECK IS TMPGENC???? I'm assuming it's made by a different software company.
PeterMac wrote on 3/3/2002, 10:54 AM
Tsunami MPG ENCoder
- --- ---

It's a home brewed mpeg encoder, Japanese, which has been free until recently. There's now a small charge (enforced on the programmer by the owners of the mpeg2 algorithms, I think). Usually, it is offered as a thirty day trial, but gets updated to a new [beta] trial before the previous trial expires ;-)

It is very slow, but reckoned by many to have the best quality.

It used to be hard to set the 'best' parameters for a task - and trial and error is a pain when there's a huge delay between trials - but now comes with templates and a wizard.

You can find this software at http://www.tmpgenc.net/

-Pete
VidJockey wrote on 3/3/2002, 8:27 PM
I also had the same problem with Main Concept. My problem arrived when I tried to render a SVCD NTSC clip of some JPEG Still Images. When I used the default SVCD setting which uses a Variable Bit Rate, I would get these awful jumping pixels. So I tried rendering it with a CUSTOM setting with a Constant Bit Rate of 2600KBS. Everytime I would get to 62%, it would give me the "undetermined error" you are speaking of. I then dropped down to 2375 KBS and it worked fine?!?!?! Go figure. I was wondering if you were using a customized setting or not? It's really annoying to have to depend on yet another 3rd party software package to get your finished product, especially when people shell out the money like SF wants for Vegas. My gosh test the darn thing before you sell it to the public.... (Good advice for Microsoft as well) a lot of these common little bugs surely could have been caught before release.

Thanks for letting me put my two cents in (Vegas is still my favorite, bugs and all, by the way)
VidJockey
SonyEPM wrote on 3/4/2002, 8:45 AM
Please send the problem project and your EXACT mpeg render settings to sonicepm@sonicfoundry.com. Once we get your project file we'll try to repro here.

As far as testing goes, before releasing the update we rendered many 2-hour MPEG test clips, no errors.
sqblz wrote on 3/4/2002, 9:41 AM
I am bringing this upfront because I am very interested on making it alive.
TMPGenc is nice, but what I really want to learn is making VV3 MPEG work flawlessly.
It cost extra money, so it better be good.
gbohn wrote on 3/6/2002, 3:44 PM
>I'm so so close from a nervous breakdown. After having many problems with the Main >Concept MPEG2 locking up while rendering, I was told to update to VV3(a), which I >just did. (which updated the MPEG2 encoder as well.) Now the system doesn't freeze, >it just gives my a very useless message. "An error occurred whild creating the >media file Vacation.mpg.

I have a very similar problem when rendering DV to MPEG-2 at a constant Bit rate. If I select DVD NTSC with a CBR of 6,000,000, I used to get an application hang. With 3.0a I get the 'The reason for the error could not be determined' message.

Strangely, using a CBR of 8,600,000 doesn't seem to cause the problem... I was hoping 3.0a was going to fix the problem, but I guess not (I previously reported this to SF and they said they had repro'd the problem).

-Greg Bohn
SonyEPM wrote on 3/6/2002, 5:07 PM
can you please email the problem project file, and the exact render settings you are using, to Sonicepm@sonicfoundry.com?
gbohn wrote on 3/6/2002, 9:53 PM
> can you please email the problem project file, and the exact render settings you
> are using, to Sonicepm@sonicfoundry.com?

Done.

Thanks;

-Greg Bohn
wvg wrote on 3/6/2002, 10:38 PM
Hmmm... I've made several videos with the 3.0a version of VV and the MC encoder, both at constant and variable bitrates, WITHOUT any problems. Most of my projects are complex, with loads of filters applied, over a hundred events, volume envelopes, typically run 20-40 minutes, etc.. Maybe a hardware issue? I'm using a AMD 1200Mhz, DDR memory super fast hard drives. Soon moving up to a AMD XP... I hope. Where's my IRS refund check? <wink>
gbohn wrote on 3/7/2002, 8:18 AM
>Hmmm... I've made several videos with the 3.0a version of VV
>and the MC encoder, both at constant and variable bitrates,
>WITHOUT any problems. Most of my projects are complex, with
> loads of filters applied, over a hundred events, volume envelopes,
> typically run 20-40 minutes, etc.. Maybe a hardware issue? I'm
> using a AMD 1200Mhz, DDR memory super fast hard drives. Soon
> moving up to a AMD XP... I hope. Where's my IRS refund check? <wink>

I don't think this is a hardware issue. That wouldn't seem to explain
why it works at a higher bitrate in VV, and why Premiere LSX-MPEG LE works
without a problem, as well as tmpgenc on the exact same video source
on the exact same machine...

-Greg Bohn
MikeBflo3 wrote on 3/11/2002, 6:48 AM
I found a workaround!!
It seems the CBR settings (default) are corrupt on some video files. If I change the settings to VBR, and set the min. bit rate to 8,000,000 and the max to 8,500,000 and the average to 8,250,000, everything words fine!! Go figure. By using these settings, I'm sort of telling VV3 to use a CBR of 8,250,000!

Hope this helps other folks out.