Ulead MF2 problems.

[Empress_X]

For some reason I am unable to use VCDEasy 1.1.5. CDRDAO always crashes when it loads and anytime I try to scan a movie to create bin/cue the analyze crashes with a memory access error, so it is out.

MF2 works ok but I have encountered 2 issues.

1. It often hangs near the end of converting/burning the movie. There is no way I have found of starting from where it left off (at least not having to convert the movies again would save time but I have to completely start over each time).

2. Though the movie quality is excellent, every minute or so the video jumps. Is that a conversion issue or the way I am authoring/burning? I use TMPGEnc to save the audio and video then to mux them. I have tried CBR 2550 bitrate and it does very well (may be a waste of space though, still a major newbie at this). I then use Ulead MF2 to burn. So far I haven't experimented with menus. I just want to get 1 solid movie that plays sharp the whole way through before I add anything else to the mix.

Anyone have any ideas about the problems I am having and/or software recommendations over MF2, preferably something that has a downloadable demo?

[Empress_X]

I downloaded NTI CD Burner 6.0 Platinum and am giving it a trial run.

For the long term, anyone know of any problems with this software? Also, anyone know why it takes MF2 over 4 hours to burn a smaller clip than it take NTI to burn a 49 minute tv show?

Also, I can fit a much larger movie on 1 CD with NTI than I can with MF2. Any ideas why that is?

MF2 goes through a long conversion process whereas NTI apparently does not. Might I run into problems trying to do something as I gain experience if I choose NTI over MF2?

I have verified an SVCD from each software will play in my DVD player.

[Specialist]

To succeed with ULEAD DVD MovieFactory 2, one needs to make certain that all SOURCE clips precisely *match* one's output project settings.

So if you are authoring an NTSC VideoCD, for example, you need to make certain that the input video is 352 x 240, Frame-Based, 29.97fps, 44100hz, etc.

Some helpful tutorials are located here:

http://www.ulead.com/learning/dmf.htm

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Empress_X]

Any software you would recommend instead of MF2?

Thanks!

[Specialist]

Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 is the best sub-$50 product on the market currently because of its feature set:

http://www.ulead.com/dmf/compare3.htm

I prefer to use Ulead DVD WORKSHOP AC-3.

The program is more expensive due to the presence of more professional features:

http://www.ulead.com/dws/compare.htm

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Empress_X]

Thanks for your help!

One last question. Any idea why the burning time is so different between NTI and MF2?

I am talking several hours difference. Burning the same TMPGenc generated mpeg2 file takes several hours with MF2 while it takes way under an hour with NTI. Any idea why?

I will watch several samples to see what the quality of each looks like. Just seems strange to be that much difference.

[Specialist]

The reason Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 is converting your source file could be due to detection of a difference between the attributes of the file and the project settings that you have chosen.

It's also important to check the "do not convert compliant MPEG files" check box (located by clicking on the 2nd button marked by a CHECK SYMBOL in the lower left hand corner).

The logic behind the software's rendering is explained in an interesting article written by Mark Dileo.

The article is about the Ulead MediaStudio Pro product.

But if you go to this page...

http://www.matroxusers.com/mreviews.php?op=showcontent&id=6

...and scroll down to the bottom...

...you'll see a drop down list that lets you select SMART RENDER IN DEPTH.

Jump to that section and read it.

It has a lot of good info about Ulead DVD Workshop (and some of the information applies to Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2).

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Specialist]

What many users of DVD MovieFactory 2 overlook is that you can enable ADVANCED encoding options that give professionals significant new encoding power.

To enable these options on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP computer, simply click MY COMPUTER>C: DRIVE>DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS>ALL USERS>APPLICATION DATA>ULEAD SYSTEMS FOLDER>ULEAD DVD MOVIEFACTORY FOLDER>2.01 FOLDER>DVDMF (INI FILE).

Then add ADVANCE=1 under the [VIODRIVER] heading.

Save the change.

Then reboot.

When you open Ulead DVD MovieFactory afterward, you will be able to enter the DISC TEMPLATE OPTIONS and click a new ADVANCED button that appears under the COMPRESSION tab to access a new array of custom encoding parameter choices.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Xoanon]

What many users of DVD MovieFactory 2 overlook is that you can enable ADVANCED encoding options that give professionals significant new encoding power.

To enable these options on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP computer, simply click MY COMPUTER>C: DRIVE>DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS>ALL USERS>APPLICATION DATA>ULEAD SYSTEMS FOLDER>ULEAD DVD MOVIEFACTORY FOLDER>2.01 FOLDER>DVDMF (INI FILE).

Then add ADVANCE=1 under the [VIODRIVER] heading.

Save the change.

Then reboot.

When you open Ulead DVD MovieFactory afterward, you will be able to enter the DISC TEMPLATE OPTIONS and click a new ADVANCED button that appears under the COMPRESSION tab to access a new array of custom encoding parameter choices.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

This does not work. There is only one line of txt in my INI file about capture settings.

[Specialist]

GAV,

Did you click on the folders I mentioned?

It's necessary to click on the ALL USERS folder.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Xoanon]

Ah sorry, I was in the wrong folder.

Thanks!

[Xoanon]

Actually, theres no advanced setting anywhere I can find. I import my XVCD MPEG file, which it says is too big, and I then go into the disc template manager but theres nothing there.

[Specialist]

The Ulead software is designed to support official disc standards.

So you may be out of luck where the so-called XVCD is concerned.

However, the ADVANCED settings can be found as follows, assuming you entered the ADVANCE=1 string per the prior instructions:

1. Open Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2

2. Click on the button in the lower left hand corner of the interface;

3. Choose DISC TEMPLATE MANAGER;

4. Choose whichever disc format you wish and then click the EDIT button;

5. Click the COMPRESSION tab;

6. Click the ADVANCED button.

Now all manner of new settings should appear.

The instructions that explain these settings are located here in a zipped PDF file obtained from MainConcept:

http://digitalvideo.8m.net/mc-adv-doc.zip

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[MaximumIce]

I got a question about MF2...

I ripped a DVD using CladDVD.Net and Frameserved with the included DVD2AVI. So far so good.

Converted with TMPEGEnc - all good

When I add the video clip in MF2, the file size is 1013 MB!! The file is only 701 MB big when I click on properties - verified with Vdub-file information.

So question is:
1) Why is MF2 showing a different file size than actual? How do I fix it?

I noticed when I converted with TMPEGEnc that the audio was really quiet and a lot of background noise. So, in 'other settings' I clicked on the audio tab, resampled the audio to 48000Khz and normalized, this solved that problem. Could this be why MF2 is reading the file as larger than it is?

2) If so, how can I keep the audio at 41000khz, but have normal volume audio with the movie, without the background noise?

If you guys could help me out, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

-ICE

[Specialist]

DVD MovieFactory 2 is designed to work primarily with .avi files that have been captured from consumer and prosumer camcorders.

The video that many individuals are instead using is 'ripped' from commercial DVD discs.

This is personal opinion:

I believe the 'ripping' process often CHANGES these types of files in ways that confound DVD authoring software.

This is why DVD authoring software such as Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 never gives me any problems with DV .avi files from my DV camcorder.

But if one observes posts to forums like this, there are two types of SOURCE VIDEO that seem to generate the most problems:

1. video ripped from commercial DVD discs

2. video captured from proprietary hardware MPEG boards

I plan to download and work with some of these ripping utilities and then analyze the video they yield.

Should be interesting.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[painkiller]

(I was just considering hunting through the forums when I saw this recent topic. TIming is everything.)

I recently am trying to use MF2 to take 2hrs off a VHS via Canopus ADVC-100. After which, edit out portions and burn the results onto DVD.

Problem is, after the capture is complete, wanted clips defined the process to finish the rendering and burn always fails after 3hrs+. There is a small error dialog (don't have the number written down [yet]) and no completion of the job.

Any hints? So far, the patches I see in the Ulead site don't appear to be related to any such issues, so I am not sure that applying these patches would be beneficial. I have yet to scour the site to see if anyone else has/had such difficulties.

Appreciate any response.

[Specialist]

I recommend the following workflow:

1. Capture to DV .avi file format using OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 controller;

2. Edit the DV .avi file in a video editor (such as VideoStudio);

3. Encode the edited DV .avi file to MPEG & write down the MPEG properties chosen for the conversion.

4. Import the edited, converted MPEG file into DVD MovieFactory 2 for menus and recording to disc using a template with properties that match those of the converted MPEG file.

I have found shortcuts to these steps can result in hit/miss success, especially when working with HUGE files.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[painkiller]

Thank you, Specialist.

Although I can't help but notice you do advise editing the resulting DV capture in another app.

(Not that I can't, but I find it possibly surprising. I will try this approach and see what difference this makes with regard to possible success if I do manage to bring that file back into MF2 and make it complete the DVD authoring process.)

[jim]

I have been convertong home vhs movies to dvd over the past few weeks.After some trial and error I have found a way to do this.
I firstly digitise it by recording it on my dv camcorder,via input (if your camera has it).
Then I capture it using movie factory 1 ,using cd quality sound,via firewire card.
I am left with a large avi file.
Then I use movie factory 2
and use vbr 8000 settings with mpeg audio not lcm .
Iauthor it and create chapters etc.Iconvert it to vob files and
after 9 hrs (only have p3 1000) its ready,and then use nero and burn using udf mode.
I tried capturing with movie factory 2 but wasnt happy with the result.
If the file is too big I use dvd2one to reduce it.
I hope this helps.
Ido not need any capture cards etc

[painkiller]

I would like to add, in being more specific - that my workflow was in attempting to use only and entirely MF2 from beginning to end.
My DV capture was done using MF2 via the advc-100. The resulting 25Gb+ dv-avi file was stored/placed on an 80G data drive.

Attempting to edit the entire finished capture was with MF2. I found it surprising that it uses the markin/out to SAVE those portions, rather than delete them. But anyway seemed fine when I saw how that was implemented.

After getting past that point, I did discover that my first attempt was trying to encode/burn at a bitrate that would result in larger than the DVDRW would hold. When I found and seemed to adjust those settings so that the resulting size appeared to fall well under the dvd capacity, I let it go again.

Same error and halt after 3hr+.

Just thought I'd see if that tells you, or anyone else, something that perhaps I am doing wrong.

[MaximumIce]

Anyone have any input on my problem...

-ICE

[pistiti]

What many users of DVD MovieFactory 2 overlook is that you can enable ADVANCED encoding options that give professionals significant new encoding power.

To enable these options on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP computer, simply click MY COMPUTER>C: DRIVE>DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS>ALL USERS>APPLICATION DATA>ULEAD SYSTEMS FOLDER>ULEAD DVD MOVIEFACTORY FOLDER>2.01 FOLDER>DVDMF (INI FILE).

Then add ADVANCE=1 under the [VIODRIVER] heading.

Save the change.

Then reboot.

When you open Ulead DVD MovieFactory afterward, you will be able to enter the DISC TEMPLATE OPTIONS and click a new ADVANCED button that appears under the COMPRESSION tab to access a new array of custom encoding parameter choices.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Hi:

where do i pute the advance=1 header ?

what i´ve got on my dvdmf (ini file ) is this:

[ReShowMSG]
AskConvertConsumeTime4Finish=1
[CAPTURE_SETTING]
DVD-VR ImportPath=™-™qÍ«ºÜ

thanks!

[Specialist]

where do i pute the advance=1 header ?

Type ADVANCE=1 under the [VIO DRIVER] heading.

That will enable the advanced MPEG encoding options.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net