DVD MovieFactory 2 "freeze-like" problem

[brvid]

I recently installed DVD MovieFactory 2 on
my Windows 2000 system with an external
Pioneer Drive and my video files on an external
SCSI drive.

After I've done all the clip and menu creation
work, and tell it to start, all seems to go well
through the creating of VOB files, ect.

If I check the "test burner" drive, it appears to
go through the entire test (red line-wise), the
red line maxs out at the end of the right bar,
but the % area indicatet seems to indicate theres
about 10% more test that needs to take place,
and the program apparently stops. The computer
isn't frozen, I can do other things, but the software
seems to stop working.

I tried again, not asking it to do a drive test,
and it appears to go though the burning/writing
phase, to about 10% or so, and again, just
hangs...won't complete.

Any suggestions?

[FOO]

DVD MF2 is very bad at actually burning DVDs.
Just let it create the files and burn them with something else.

[brvid]

Do you have any suggestions on what to "actually burn with" if not
DVD MF2?

Thanks.

[mmmbeer]

My own experience with MF2 would say not to let MF2 create the files rather encode with TMPG then use MF2 to burn the finalized files. MF2's encoder really isn't that great for any application IMHO. If that doesn't work, maybe uninstall/reinstall?

[FOO]

The conventional wisdom is that MF2 should only be used to
"Author" a DVD. Which means that you encode your videos
yourself, let MF2 Author the DVD, and then burn it yourself..

I have an A03 and MF2 could not deal with it at all until Ulead
published a burning update. It may work now but I don't trust it.

What came with your burner ? Use that. I got PrimoDVD with mine.
Maybe Nero.

[Specialist]

Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 works very well if you properly prepare your SOURCE MPEGs.

I disagree with the negative comments made about the program in this thread because I have used the program very successfully.

It all boils down to one's skill in using the program.

Rule #1

Never import videos with mixed attributes.

Rule #2

Only import DVD compliant video.

Rule #3

Always adjust the Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 project settings to precisely match the attributes of the SOURCE MPEG files.

For example, when I import high quality MPEGs recorded by my Panasonic VDR-M30 DVD disc camcorder, I observe that these SOURCE MPEGs have the following properties:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 Bits, 704 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order B
(DVD-NTSC), 4 : 3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8800 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
MPEG audio layer 2, 48 KHz, Stereo

Consequently, I adjust my Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 project settings to match.

One can also successfully convert and burn DV .avi files.

For DV .avi files with the following attributes...

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order A
DV Video Encoder -- type 1
DV Audio -- NTSC, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

...Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 will successfully convert to MPEG-2, according to the project settings one chooses.

In the case of DV .avi files, I often choose the following project settings:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order A
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: 8000 kbps (CONSTANT)
LPCM Audio, 48 KHz, Stereo

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Specialist]

By the way...

You can access FIELD ORDER options by activating the ADVANCE MPEG
encoding options in Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2.

On my Windows 2000 computer...

1. I clicked MY COMPUTER;

2. I clicked my C: drive;

3. I clicked the DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS folder;

4. I clicked the ALL USERS folder;

5. I clicked TOOLS > FOLDER OPTIONS and then clicked the VIEW tab to
make sure Windows would show HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS;

6. I clicked the APPLICATION DATA folder;

7. I clicked the ULEAD SYSTEMS folder;

8. I clicked the ULEAD DVD MOVIEFACTORY folder;

9. I clicked the 2.01 folder;

10. I clicked the DVDMF i-n-i file and then typed ADVANCE=1 under the
[VIODRIVER] heading;

11. I saved the i-n-i file;

12. Then I closed Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 and re-opened the program.

Now when I enter the project settings, I see a new ADVANCE button
under the COMPRESSION tab.

When the ADVANCE menu pop-up appears, click the BASIC settings tab.

You'll note a drop-down list that allows you to choose...

1. NO FIELDS
2. UPPER FIELD FIRST
3. LOWER FIELD FIRST

Hope this helps,

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[FOO]

Do you burn the DVD with MF2 ?

Do you think the M.C. encoder in MF2 is as good as CCE or TMPGEnc ?

What sort of skill does it take to put evenly spaced chapters in IVTC
Mpeg2 files with MF2 ? I don't seem to have it.

I think MF2 is a very good simple Authoring program. I use it all the time.

[brvid]

I appreciate all the feedback.

I've started over again. I'm using .AVI files captured with my
Canopus DV REX professional NLE system, which is the same unit
on which DVDM2 is operating.

I've changed all the "saving" options so that the work is being
saved to the attached SCSI drive.

During "Preview" everything seems to play great.

I started the entire authoring/burning process again with DVDM2 and
every worked great until the very end. When it got to the WRITING
process it proceeded to 100%, but the time elapse indicated there was
another 5 minutes or so to go. At that point, the CANCEL button whites
out and everything stops. The computer doesn't FREEZE, but the software
stops doing anything visable.

Given these circumstances, does everybody think I still have some sort
of a video compatibility problem?

Someone here suggested I use DVDM2 to so the authoring (I guess to
create the VOBs and such) and then BURN with something else.

What are my options in terms of BURNING with something else?

The software that came with my DVD-R is:

DVDM2 SE
Nero Express
Power DVD

I'm open to finding another BURNER software...freeware or something
I have to buy...just so i can get this working.

Any more suggestions? Thanks.

[FOO]

See if you can burn with Nero.
That eliminates buggy MF2 burning function.
When I first got MF2 it would crash every time I tried to burn with it.

You have to figure out whether Nero wants an ISO image or VIDEO_TS folder

[MachineMan]

Have you dowloaded the update patches for Movie factory2 from Ulead.com? I use MF2 and have never had any serious problems with authoring and burning. Although I have locked it up on occaision.

[brvid]

**** PARTIAL SUCCESS!!!

I went to Ulead System Support Center for DVD Movie Factory and
found three "update" patches:

DVD MF 1.0 Hitachi bundle version patch
CD/DVD Burning Patch
MPEG VIO Driver Update patch

I installed all of them on my system (probably just should have loaded
the "Burning" Patch, but I was trying to cover all my bases. Hope I didn't
screw anything up by adding the DVD 1.0 patch to my 2.0 software.

In any event, I went through the entire menu/burning process, and again,
the software "seemed" to freeze after readhing 100% writing at the end
of the process and it indicated there was about 5 more minutes of
burn time.

I walked away from the system for about 20 minutes and when I came
back the disc was finished, ejected from the DVD burner and done according to the software display.

I popped the dvd-r disc into my DVD player and it worked mostly OK.

The only problem I have now is that anywhere there is motion in my
video (which is almost everywhere), there is a stagger/after image-type
effect.

Any idea what might be causing this and how to get rid of it?
This staggering problem is definetly NOT part of the AVI file from which
the DVD video is created.

Again, many thanks for all your help folks! I appreciate it.
Great bulletin board!!!!!

[FOO]

You may have the field order reversed.
DV comes in Bottom Field First.
Your TV needs Top field first.

Note Specialists post. When he does MPEGs he has
"Field order B" when he does DV he has "Field order A"

The question is... how does A/B relate to Top/Bottom
Well you may not believe this but I think Ulead has it backwards.
"B" is "Top" When you have your video in MF2, Double click and get
properties or click the "i" icon. It should say Field order B to work
correctly. I did millions of MPEG movies OK and then I did a DV
and it came out wrong. It said "A" for the DV.

You can fix this in your encoder settings or get "Restream" which will
allow you to change it quickly.

[brvid]

I've executed the instructions SPECIALIST has suggested in order to
enable the ADVANCED MPEG options.

I've run three tests since doing so (i.e. using NO FIELDS, UPPER FIELD FIRST, and LOWER FIELD FIRST).

In all cases, I STILL get staggering on motion shots in my video.

I've been making the modifications to my existing project, where I've
already imported the AVI video file into DVD M2 and created my menu's ect.

Is it necessary to start from scratch, and re-import the same AVI source
file into a new project? Alot of work, but I'll do it if that's what you folks
think is my problem.

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

[brvid]

Oh, and in regard to the earlier freezing problem,...

I'm obviously now finishing and burning discs.

However, I've noticed that in every case, the red line indicator reads
100% complete, while the clock above generally indicates there is still
another several minutes of burning time necessary, but the clock stops
ticking at that point and never restarts.

Then, while the program "appears" frozen, the DVD burner is still
operating and exactly 20 minutes later, the disc ejects "finished" and
the software screen changes to show complete.

So, perhaps the red line indicator portion of the software is just a bit wacky, which i guess is something i can live with as long as I know I have
to just ignore it and wait another 20 minutes.

[MachineMan]

Do your authored discs play fine on your PC? I had some freezing issues on my Stand alone and it turned out that my stand alone DVD player had problems with the media.

[brvid]

When playing the authored disc on my PC, I don't get "staggering"
exactly...instead it's a "combing" effect wherever there is motion
(i.e. horizonal lines at the edges of the motion....in exactly the same
places I'm getting staggering" on the TV...so there is definetly something
going on with the authoring process.

Any ideas?

[MachineMan]

Field order? Are you keeping it interlaced? Are you running other programs on your PC while its encoding and burning?

Im out of Ideas

[Chris Hill]

I'm not having a freezing problem, but I have had the problem of shudder (or jitter) in any motion. I'm using Canopus DV Codec AVIs too. I've tried each field order and deinterlacing with no field order in DVDMF2. Nothing I tried made a difference.

So I deinterlaced with Virtualdub (free download from http://www.virtualdub.org ) (I blended both fields) and then burned with No Field order using DVDMF2. That got rid of the motion shudder. It doesn't make sense, but it worked. I'm hoping someone has a better method.

[FOO]

What this means is that is WAS wrong field order
all the time and previous methods didn't fix it.
Once it's progressive.. the player controls the display
order.

[brvid]

CHRIS--

I took your suggestion and downloaded Virtual Dub, deinterlaced
my video (blending both fields), then burnt it with DVD MF2 with
No Field order.

It looks ALOT better, but still not completely "staggerless".
This is as close as I've come to getting it to look right, but on certain
action/movement, the staggering is still present (i.e. a wipe from one
side of the screen to the other, or graphics flying across the screen).

The blurring on actual motion within the video (i.e. people dancing or
cars racing) seems to be pretty much eliminated, but I've still got the
problems identified above.

Thanks for getting me this far! I'm open to any suggestions on how to
eliminate this last bit of trouble!

Thanks again...to all!

[Chris Hill]

Problem solved! For those using Canopus editors at any rate.

I contacted someone who sells Canopus products and got a copy of SoftMPEG which is a plug-in for Canopus editing software. I created an MPEG2 from the timeline (it didn't take long) and then used Ulead's MF2 for authoring and burning, checking the box to not convert compliant MPEGs, making sure the bitrate was the same as in SoftMPEG and selecting Lower Field Order without any deinterlacing. I used a constant bit rate. It worked like a charm and was much quicker than anything else I tried. BTW, I'm in PAL country.

[brvid]

SUCCESS! SUCCESS! SUCCESS!

Chris, THAT WAS IT....the softMPEG plug in for my Canopus DVREX pro
system!

All is well in the world again!
And all it it took to figure it out was about $150 in test DVD-R discs that
will make a very nice "coaster" collection!

Thanks much Chris...and to all here...the advise has been genuinely
appreciatd!!!!