ulead movie factory 2 chapter problems with dvd-ram

[bluey61]

Has anyone out there experienced this?
I have transfered a couple of disc's (dvd ram) onto pc
and edited to include chapters that have worked ok.

I recorded a videotape onto dvdram via pan e30 (this was about 56mins)
my intention was to have no chapter points on the ram disc.
When it was imported to movie factory 2 it was imported as one file. I then proceeded to add chapter points and record it onto dvd-r. The quality was great.
I did this again with another project which included three different segments also recorded on ram, this time which three chapter points.
(this total about 45mins) this too worked to plan.

Now THIS IS WHAT I CANNOT WORK OUT!
I tried another project and recorded it as one segment (40mins) the same way as the first time. When I proceeded to import through movie factory 2
somehow the process AUTOMATICALLY installed chapters (about three) and at different points the first at 12.41min, the second 35.05min and the third 38.10min. Movie Factory display showed it as 3 thumbnails NOT one as intended.
Using a process of ellimination (I thought there may have been a problem with the ram disc as the first two were done using a different disc so I re-recorded the same footage on another disc, imported it onto MF2 and
again it included automatic chapters in the same places!!!
I read a comment somewhere that MF2 may detect a scene change in the footage and automatically insert a chapter. I had a closer look at the footage and can say there isn't any great difference at the chapter marker.
The first video I did had more scene changes and that still recorded it as one.


I just cannot understand why this is happening? I have gone back over what I have done and I haven't changed anything.

Has anyone else had this problem?

I would greatly a ppreciate any help.
Thanks

[Bob W]

I suspect you just missed the fact that your fist discs you made had chapter marks. You see the E30 automatically puts them in and it can't be turned off as far as I know.

[bluey61]

Hi Bob,
Thanks for your response. Yes you are quite right. The panny e30 does add chapters automatically on dvd-r's but as I understand it this shouldn't happen with dvd-ram disc's.

Maybe I am wrong.... if anyone can help.

Regards
BLUEY

[Specialist]

Frankly, I haven't worked with the Panasonic player/recorder units enough to know whether they automatically insert chapters in connection with DVD-RAM discs or not.

If you're certain *you* didn't accidently insert the chapters using the player/recorder, then it's possible the machine does this for whatever reason.

Nevertheless, the solution would be simple for me here in my studio.

I would use Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7.0...

http://www.ulead.com/msp/runme.htm

...to 'Smart Render' the MPEG into a single file.

Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7 supports AC-3 audio and only requires you to carefully *match* project settings to the attributes of the recorded Panasonic MPEG video material to activate Smart Render, which means quality of the original MPEG is preserved by not re-rendering the video... the video is merely joined.

So if your material has the following attributes...

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. 9556 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
AC-3 Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

...you would only need to adjust Ulead MediaStudio Pro's project settings to match.

Separate MPEGs could be easily joined - without re-encoding the video.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[bluey61]

Hi Jerry,
Thanks for your input. The panasonic e30 records dvd-r's with chapters after you finalise it. They are normally 6mins apart.
dvd-ram doesn't do this. If you record,say a videotape to the ram disc and record it as one it should have no chapters. This is what I did successfully on the first two projects I did. I did actually check the dvd-ram disc after this happened on the panasonic just to make sure and it was only one file (no chapters)

I did not save it as a folder on the hardrive I copied it direct from disc.
Actually I have been very impressed with this programme (ulead movie factory2 ) as people intially told me to stay clear of it. As it came with my pioneer a06 burner I thought I would give it a try and apart from this happening I highly recommend it.

The fact that it creates chapters on its own isn't so much of a problem if I could somehow just remove the chapters after importing and have it as one file again so I can edit in the chapters at my own discretion. Thats pretty much what I want to do.

The reason I have both (panasonic and pc) more or less happened by accident. I figure that by capturing with the panasonic then adding additional things like menus and chapters and eventually titles on home movies etc on the pc I am keeping everything in a digital forum ratherthen rely on capturing devices.

Iam also tempted to give TMPgenc DVD Author a go although I would probably try to presist with the ulead products first.


Thanks again for your help and I will look into your suggestion.

Regards
Bluey

[Specialist]

I should add that I have the Panasonic VDR-M30 DVD disc camcorder.

When I use the IMPORT DVD VIDEO command in ULEAD DVD MovieFactory 2, I note that the imported video is split according to where I start and stop the camcorder - according to scene, in other words.

This behavior is different from the behavior of the video recorded onto DVD-RAM by the Panasonic player/recorders.

I've noted the properties of the files are different, too.

Panasonic VDR-M30:

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

Panasonic DMR-E50:

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. 9558 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
AC-3 Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Since the camcorder uses MPEG audio (or LPCM with a certain setting), one can use Ulead VideoStudio...

http://www.ulead.com/vs/runme.htm

...to join the MPEGs into one.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[elkfir]

I've been experimenting with importing DVD-RAM vro files into MF2 over the last weekend, and have to say that it worked like a charm everytime. I have a Panasonic DMR-HS2 and the only time MF2 broke up the import was when I had actually made separate dubbings on the DVD-RAM (1 vro file, but separate dubbings) MF2 would create separate thumbnails for each dubbing, but would still import everything fine.

(Importing from a finalized DVD-R is another story though. MF2 creates a separate mpg file for EACH chapter that the HS2 made. What a mess that is!)

I realize I'm not being much help here, but I had to agree with Bluey61 that you should not get chapters when importing DVD-RAM from a Panasonic settop to MF2.

[jzaman]

I have been using TmpGenc DVD Author or Ulead MF2 to import DVD-RAM VRO files from my Pan e60 and Pan e80h (Hybrid VBR Resolution=fixed). I then edit and write from Ulead DVD Workshop 1.3 AC3 for a DVD Compliant disk with zero audio/video sync problems every time. I don't bother with DVD-R at all since it is trickier to edit or reconstitute. Besides I can play the DVD-RAM as is in my Pan standalones (Pan s35 goes for $79 at Circuit City after a $20 mail in rebate) if I don't want to have a permanent edited copy. The whole process (importation,editing, writing) takes from 45 minutes-1 hour in Workshop with 4x media. I guess that Ulead MF2 can do this but I like the features of workshop more and I'm also more comfortable with it. Also I tend to chop stuff off at an I-frame which is usually easier with Workshop. Don't know if that improves my sync situation but I have been taught to do that to decrease choppiness.

I'd bet that the upcoming Ulead DVD Workshop 2 will import VRO files directly so I can work exclusively in Workshop and forgo the other software. However, whatever tool you use, I believe that DVD-RAM is the way to go.