Ulead DVD Moviefactory doesn't work properly

[Skoeld]

I just installed the trial and treid to run the DVD Authoring section, but it keeps telling me, that the authoring components aren't installed properly and that I should re-install. I've done that a few times, repaired the installation and even uninstalled and reinstalled everything (restartin.g the PC every time). Still same message.
The capture video and burn cd section work fine, but the section I need most, authoring, doesn't like me.
What should I do?
I also have problems with spruceup. When I try to simulate, the program ends with some error in a dll. So not even choosing a different software helped me.
I'm running WinME on a AMD Athlon 800 with 512MB Ram and am using Premiere 6, Tmpgenc and Nero5 so far.
Any ideas, what I can do?

Kristian

[Dragonsf]

What's your problem with authoring? Doesn't recognize your mpeg or crashes when selecting/creating a chapter or what?

[Skoeld]

When I open the MovieFactory and choose 'Author menu', first I have to confirm the trialmode, and then I get a message that says 'The DVD/VCD authoring components ae not properly installed. Please re-install and try again.' After I click on OK, the programm is just shut down.
As with spruceup: I can author without any problem. But when I go to the simulate mode and click on one of the chapters to run one of the clips, I always get this message 'Spruceup caused an error in GPI.dll. Spruceup wil be closed.'(translated from german) And thats it, I tried with different.
so, whats wrong?
What other software is there to author miniDVDs?

Kristian

[Lyverbe]

I really like the interface and features of MovieFactory. Unfortunately, my Panasonic RV31 standalone player doesn't seem to like the CDs made with it. I can read the VCDs with VCDPlay on my PC, but the RV31 player will just end up with "This CD is not compatible with the player".

I'm still trying to find the best authoring software. I hear TVSC is great, but I don't know XML and don't know if I have to know it in order to use it. It seems very complicated.

[Vorlon]

I have used TSVC and although it can seem complicated, it really most excellent! You have fast forward, rewind, the goto button works, the NEXT and PREV chapter buttons work - just like DVDs!

It is very flexible.

And no, I did not have to do any XML coding to use it.

What is the biggest and I mean biggest problem is that there is no help or manual, etc that I can find.

So either you use someone else's template or experiment until you feel you are blind, confused, sick and worried.

- except that at the end - it works!

The road is just really bumpy.

The movie factory is not bad for the money, but it lacks in some necessary features.

My biggest complaint that if you don't want to do it ULead template's way, you can't do it.

What I think is humorous, is that the commerical programs to edit, encode, author, and burn are very much SUBSTANDARD
to the FREE programs. You actually get a much, much better programs from the free programs and if you want to pay some money, you have to downgrade to a poorer program.

Even the $4000 encoder (name not mentioned) is poorer in the user interface, help screen, and is definitely not user friendly nor intuitive in its use. And here you have TMPGENC - a beta version that runs rings around it in everyway except encoding speed. Encoding quality difference is, in my opinion, imperceptible.

I think that after you do a couple of the authoring with TSCV, it won't seem to be that complicated.

[Lyverbe]

Thanks for the tip. If I don't need to do any XML, I will give TVSC a try.

[Lyverbe]

I have tried TVSC and it doesn't work. Could it be because I'm using 700mb CDs (80 mins.)? I cannot believe that all applications fail. There has to be something wrong I'm doing here.

[Vorlon]

If you are trying to use the menu generator portion - well, I haven't tried it. I found a post somewhere that it was buggy, but would be fixed soon.

I create a bitmap, sometimes with a background, to place other smaller bitmaps on.

One this background I past a 100x100 white or light color block at places I want to place my images at - I use 2 or 4 images per background usually, except for the last image if it happens to be an orphan.

You can capture a still from each area of chapters that you want and resize it using a photo editor (not paintbrush) - I like to use 96x96 size. I open it in paintbrush and select all and copy. I then paste it onto the larger background within the white blocks - this allows a white border (or colored border if you wish) and helps define the image. Underneath I type the chapter heading that will be displayed, prefixed by the number I want to be able to select to choose the chapter.

After I am done, and have Placed a title and an instruction line at the bottom, such as:

Press number to select chapter
Press >>| for next menu or |<< for prev menu

If you want music, I select a wav file for between 20-30 secs.

Using TMPGENC, I enter the finished bitmap and the wav file and encode it to SVCD.

This is your menu.

In TVSC, add this as your menu, add your SVCD MPG2 file
When you select the mpg, click on the chapter button on the top. On that page you can insert the entrypoint for your chapter, such as 2:38 min or 158 sec, etc, depending on which entry box you have. You may have to play around with the entrypoint time to get exactly what you want.

Please forgive me, but I am doing this from memory - I am not at home where I can open TVSC.

On the right, there is a properties-type list and allows you to associate the menues and chapter entrypoints to the buttons, etc that are pressed on the DVD remote control.

BTW, on the 2nd page (tab), I think I uncheck the Windows Media player to placed ..(I don't remember) - there are three check boxes vertical to one another and I uncheck the top one and leave the other checked.

Remember TVSC needs to be in the same directory as VCDImager 7 for it to work.

Create a cue sheet (after setting all pertinent directory locations) and then burn the CD (might want to simulate it first, though).

If you make the menu loop forever until something is pressed, it will play the menu over and over again. (Hint, your music clip should be something quieter, etc or it could drive you bonkers after a couple of loops.)

You will need to play around on the properties-type menu on the right of the chapters to get what you want the next, prev, default, etc. section will be. For instance you can loop two or more menues together, inserting menu1 for the the next menu after menu0.

It is a little buggy, sometimes when entering info, it forgets what you previously had entered for the first menu or uses the info for the last menu for the first menu, thereby losing your first menu selection.

Overall, it does want you want, Jump to chapter, Jump to prev chapter, fast forward, rewind, etc. Goto function also works.

Hope this helps

[Vorlon]

Sorry I meant you can link two or more menues together. I guess you could loop them together, but it would look a little silly.

[Vorlon]

One other thing, there is a post on this site that points you to an URL that has a step-by-step approach. I just substitute my menu creation for it.

Good luck.

[Speedpuppy]

Ulead dvd movie factory says XP compliant on box. even tech supp claims it is to.

yet after installation none of other mpeg playbacks would work
1. windows media player (8.0)
2. dazzles moviestar
3. pinnacles studio version 7.0
4. mplayer2
5. mgi's video wave..

error was in MPL loader a .dll file.......microsoft help me track the file down to ULeads program
upon uninstalling dvd movie factory (which i really like and worked under 9 all the above worked
normally.......so i told ulead about it and they still claim its not their problem.

if anybody finds a work around i would appreciate it...
thanks

[up]

Ulead DVD MovieFactory blocks out the capture preview in my Dazzle Movie Star. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Vidbox]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-11-14 04:11:27, Skoeld wrote:
When I open the MovieFactory and choose 'Author menu', first I have to confirm the trialmode, and then I get a message that says 'The DVD/VCD authoring components ae not properly installed. Please re-install and try again.' After I click on OK, the programm is just shut down.
As with spruceup: I can author without any problem. But when I go to the simulate mode and click on one of the chapters to run one of the clips, I always get this message 'Spruceup caused an error in GPI.dll. Spruceup wil be closed.'(translated from german) And thats it, I tried with different.
so, whats wrong?
What other software is there to author miniDVDs?

Kristian
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm using a AMD TBird 1200c w/ATI Radeon AIW and had the same problem...
...solution, I re-installed Win98 (only DVD factory seem to object to my setup) and DVD Moviefactory operated just fine afterwards. Go figure, it's proberly Windows objecting to DVD Moviefactory and not the other way around.