converting video formats (For Hasbro's VideoNow) I know the

[LoLo]

Has anyone tried VNAlbum?

I put most of my kids Pokemon cards on a VNCD.

Don't know why but he seems mesmerized by it...

Go figure.



LoLo

[Landowlakes]

-mastersmurfie thanks for the reply. I start videothen via the winbat file and it loads fine. I then follow the steps to inport my video .avi file created by virtualdub, select the output .wav file and chose start render. Then I get nothin, a file is created but WMP says its not a valid file to burn. This is what comes in the dos box.

C:\Documents and Settings\My name\My Documents\VideoThen1b>java -classpath
videothen.jar com.alcorgrp.videothen.VideoThen
tmpPath=C:\Documents and Settings\my name\My Documents\VideoThen1b\VideoTh
en\tester.avi
x=81
tmpPath2=C:\Documents and Settings\my name\My Documents\VideoThen1b\VideoT
hen\tester.wav
tmpFile2=C:\Documents and Settings\my name\My Documents\VideoThen1b\VideoT
hen\tester.wav
C:\Documents and Settings\my name\My Documents\VideoThen1b\VideoThen\teste
r.wavjava.lang.NoSuchFieldError: BLACK
at com.alcorgrp.videothen.VideoThen.paintFrame(VideoT hen.java:449)
at com.alcorgrp.videothen.VideoThen.timer1OnTime(Vide oThen.java:276)
at com.alcorgrp.videothen.VideoThen.access$000(VideoT hen.java:28)
at com.alcorgrp.videothen.VideoThen$10.onTime(VideoTh en.java:427)
at org.netbeans.examples.lib.timerbean.Timer.fireTime rEvent(Timer.java:1
28)
at org.netbeans.examples.lib.timerbean.Timer.access$1 00(Timer.java:29)
at org.netbeans.examples.lib.timerbean.Timer$TimerThr ead.run(Timer.java:
139)

[mastersmurfie]

Landowlakes,

I have the same problem with WMP-I just can't get it to do anything with the files. Your output from videothen looks pretty much like all of mine have so far. Try this: http://mmdx.nexploitation.com/Tutorial.doc It's transient's tutorial, and helped me a LOT!! After that, start at page 5 https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=177545&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=160 of this thread, and see if you can get it to work.

Poster Tazmania8332 was able to get WMP to work, later on, and has some instructions later on.

Hope this helps!

mastersmurfie

[mastersmurfie]

@ LoLo:

this is the cue sheet that I receive when converting with your videonow app:

FILE 0.BIN BINARY
TRACK 01 AUDIO
INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE 1.BIN BINARY
TRACK 02 AUDIO
PREGAP 00:02:00
INDEX 01 00:00:00

I haven't changed anything (in this one)...does this look right? CDRWIN gives the "cue sheet" error every time...any suggestions?

Thanks,

mastersmurfie

[LoLo]

Hi MasterSmurfie,

YOUR CUE SHEET IS PERFECT!

The is a fairly common problem with that model DVR. I looked
around a bit but still haven’t found a fool proof answer for you.
You could try updating your flash ROM:

http://pioneerdvd.rpc1.org/

Here are a few more links discussing the problem:

http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8335#top

http://forum.firmware-flash.com/printview.php?t=9405&start=0

I read somewhere that Instant Copy will work with your recorder.
You could try that:

http://members.eunet.at/seeau/

Sorry to hear it's giving your problems.

LoLo

[prybar]

hey fellas, just my 2 cents

i have a pioneer DVR-105 and i get the exact same error message when i use cdrwin. I use nero to burn the image, which works great for me, but i have never burned a VNCD using these, cuz spare time has become impossible for me to find lately (building a house is more of a headache than i ever imagined)

Good luck all, hopefully i can be burning and contributing more soon

pry

[Landowlakes]

Has anyone else been getting an error msg from WMP? I finally got java working, thus videothen working. My question is my output .wav file will not play or record using WMP. I am using the guide that came with the latest version of videothen1b, virualdub 1.5.7 for my conversion. any advice?

[mastersmurfie]

Landowlakes...try the links I posted to you above...they should help...

LoLo...I have had my drive on version 1.33 firmware since I first heard about it...have tried ASPI 4.7xx and then reverted back to 4.6...still no luck...

like prybar, NERO will burn, but not to the minicdr ("not enough space on the cd"), only to a cdrw (or cdr) with enough space...
I tried fireburner too...no luck (trial version will only burn in "test" mode...)
burnatonce says that the "CUE/BIN must exist in the same folder and have the same name"...
have done countless searches, and came up with essentially the same info that you provided...(thanks for looking!) seems that everyone with my drive has this problem, but no one has been very able to fix it...

Thanks for all the help...will research some more over the weekend, and see what I can come up with...

mastersmurfie

[prybar]

Hi All

Mastersmurfie, although i'm sure you tried it, I will ask anyways. Have you tried using the overburn feature in Nero (simply by enabling it in the "expert" section of preferences?)


I gotta get some mini cd-rs soon, i'm going crazy with all this stuff ready to go, and nothing to burn it to.

good luck

pry

[LoLo]

To all,

Probably my final post.

Last bit of info:

If you crop the images at the VirtualDub grayscale filter to a multiple of 80 you will get the best quality picture.

Whenever possible I crop the image at 240X240 before it is resized and the quality is excellent.

Good luck and it was nice chatting with all of you.

Maybe we will meet again when the color model comes out...

LoLo

[prybar]

Lolo

I'm sure I speak for most everyone when I say it's sad to hear you're no longer going to be posting. Has anyone offended you in any way, causing this suddenly? Your help has been excellent, our programs are great, and I think we're just scratching the surface of this. If i had any programming skills, I would contribute more, but i think an "all-in-one" program isn't far off, simply load your videos, it'll convert and burn for you. (perhaps a AVI2DVD type thing, where it calls the programs as it uses them.)

Longwinded, I know, but I hope your leaving doesn't deflate the wind in this project

best regards

pry

[LoLo]

Hi Prybar,

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound that way.

No everyone has been great - it's just that my wife
thinks I spend too much time on the computer so I
need to cut down on that a bit. An all-in-one solution
would require us to dump VirtualDub as a preprocessor
and do our own preprocessing. For me that would be a
lot of work and mostly time. Sorry, but I'd probably end
up divorced if I spent that much time on this. Also, it
would be painfully slow if I wrote it. Maybe Greg would
be willing to do it?

I'll still check the forum and respond if someone has
questions or needs help. Not a problem.

Anyway, no worries!

Have a great weekend!

LoLo

[mastersmurfie]

LoLo,

Just wanted to say, Thanks! Your time and effort have been much appreciated, and like prybar, if I could to the programming thing, I'd jump right on it...I have a bit of spare time (having already gone through the big "D"-and I don't mean Dallas)-so maybe I'll learn myself some new skills. Your apps (including the newest one) will stay at www.geocities.com/mastersmurfie until you (or Yahoo) tell me otherwise.

Pop in from time to time-I'm sure this won't go away for quite a while.

Thanks again,

mastersmurfie

[mastersmurfie]

Hi All

Mastersmurfie, although i'm sure you tried it, I will ask anyways. Have you tried using the overburn feature in Nero (simply by enabling it in the "expert" section of preferences?)


I gotta get some mini cd-rs soon, i'm going crazy with all this stuff ready to go, and nothing to burn it to.

good luck

pry

prybar...

Thanks! No, I hadn't even remembered about that! Alas, no luck still...Nero still says that there's not enough space-can't change the "maximum CD length" to anything lower than 74 min...

Any more suggestions?

[Landowlakes]

hey master thanks for the last post but I seem to still be having trouble.
WMP gives me this:
Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there may be a problem with your sound or video device. Try installing a new device driver
I checked my drivers are all updated.
Virtualdub, and videothen both finish acording to the guide supplied with videothen1b. So far I have been working with a 10mb .mpg sample to test and convert with. I also tried using VNconvert2 that changed the smae 10mb file to 267mb or there abouts. Any ideas my son is counting on me.

[LoLo]

Hi MasterSmurfie,

I just burned a disc using Nero.

You have to go to menu item Files then select Preferences

Click on the Expert Features tab and select Enable overburn

When you burn the disc you'll get all kinds of warnings and
at about 275mb Nero will give you an error. It's OK

The disc will boot in the VideoNow player.

VideoNow could care less about the file structure, cda files, WAV headers or anything else.

It reads data directly from the disc.

Good luck!

LoLo

[LoLo]

Hi Landowlakes,

If you want to use VNConvert do the following

First convert your video according to the doc file contained with the ZIP file.

Then put the VNConvert.exe file in a directory.

All the converted BMP files along with the AUDIO.WAV file should be in a subdirectory named FILES.

Something like this:

C:\VNConvert\VNConvert.exe

C:\VNConvert\Files\(all your BMPs and the Audio.wav file)

Now double click on VNConvert.exe and press Convert



The button should start indicating the frames processed then start counting backward as it process the BIN file.

If your just going to do one file for a test then after the 10mb file is finished you get a message indicating how many MB of Video you have so far (around 10mb).

Start VNConvert again and press Finalize Disc.

This will create the CUE sheet and a large file. The large file is a PADDED file that will trick the VideoThen into thinking that the disc is larger than it really is (This is probably the big file you mentioned earlier).

Go to either Nero or CDRWIN and record according to the DOC files which are included in the VNConvert2.zip.

Good luck and feel free to get back to me with other questions.

I'll get back to you when I can.

LoLo

[LoLo]

Here are the complete instructions for VNConvert.

NOTE: VideoThen uses a different procedure so please
don't use these instructions with VideoThen:


Record a Bootable VideoNow Mini-Disc

Step 1: Convert your video to a conforming VNConvert format:

Use VirtualDub: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/virtualdub/VirtualDub-1.5.10.zip?download

1. Start VirtualDub

2. File > Load processing settings > Locate VideoNow.vcf file and double click.

3. File > Open video file > Locate video file to be converted and double click.

Note: For best quality go to Video > Filters
Then press on grayscale and select the Cropping... option.
Crop the image so that it is square (or even better a multiple of 80).
You will have to use some basic math skills here

4. File > Save WAV > Locate \VNConvert\Files directory > Type Audio.WAV and press OK (This creates the AUDIO track)

5. File > Save image sequence > Change to BMP file format > Change directory to \VNConvert\Files Directory and press OK (This converts each frame of your video to small BMP images 19KB in size)

Note: At this point you should have a directory with VNConvert.exe in it, a sub directory named Files with all your converted BMP files and an Audio.wav file. The BMP files should be named as follows:
e.g. 0.bmp, 1.bmp, 2.bmp, etc... NO FILE PREFIX

6. Exit VirtualDub and Execute VNConvert.EXE

Double click on VNConvert.exe and press Convert



Note: The Convert button should start indicating the frames processed then start counting backward as it process the BIN file.
As it processes each track it will tell you how many MB you have so far.

Note: Remember to clear your files directory between tracks.

7. Keep converting video files (steps 1-6) until you have all the tracks you want. I have yet to test the upper limit but I have recorded up to 247mb of video on a 210mb disc. I’m not sure how much higher you can go by overburning (Nero gives an error around 275 but the disc still boots in the VideoNow player).

8. When your finished converting video you need to decide if your going to use a PREGAP between the tracks. If it is a continuous video split into 5min sections you will want to leave the PREGAP OFF. If you have a series of music videos or something like that then leave the PREGAP ON. To create the PREGAP check the box labled Include 2 second pregap? otherwise leave it unchecked.

9. Now press Finalize Disc and then exit the program.

Note: This button creates a file that when added to the other tracks should give a total file size between 300-305 MB. It also creates the CUE sheet which will be used next to overburn the disc.

Step 2: Burn VideoNow BIN files to mini-disc using CDRWIN:

10. Load CDRWIN (http://www.goldenhawk.com) and select the Record Disc option (upper left ICON). Click on Load Cuesheet and select the VNCD.cue file located in the \VNConvert\ directory.

11. Now press Record Disc and wait.

LoLo

[mojoe1959]

I can not get Videothen to work.. I download Java, download Videothen.
I followed the direction with Videothen. I Loaded the old AVI, Save Wav file and start the Render. It done in one second. It never renders

[mastersmurfie]

I can not get Videothen to work.. I download Java, download Videothen.
I followed the direction with Videothen. I Loaded the old AVI, Save Wav file and start the Render. It done in one second. It never renders

mojoe1959...what version of VirtualDub are you using?

[mojoe1959]

VideoDub 1.5.10

[mojoe1959]

Sorry VirtualDub 1.5.10 Its seems to work fine. It creates the Old AVI with no errors

[mastersmurfie]

Sorry VirtualDub 1.5.10 Its seems to work fine. It creates the Old AVI with no errors

mojoe1959...try this...go to http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=9649 and get version 1.5.3 this seems to be more compatible. The new versions seem to be the culprit. Try it, and see if that works any better.

mastersmurfie

[Mr.Radar]

The problem isn't with the new VirtualDub versions, the problem is with VideoThen and old VDub versions. Old versions of VDub write the wrong stream type (dc (compressed dib) instead of db (uncompressed dib)) and VideoThen is looking for the wrong type. It shouldn't be too hard of a problem to correct (you could just have VT ignore the stream types).

BTW, I'm back and I just got a huge new book on programming (you can probably expect a beta version of PVDTools by the end of Febuary, probably).

EDIT: With current versions of VideoThen you still have to use old (broken) versions of VDub. This is just to clear up any confusion.

[mastersmurfie]

Welcome back Mr.Radar!

Thanks for correcting me. I was using info from a very early post in this thread about the different versions of VirtualDub.
I use version 1.5.3, and have 100% success in creating the wav file with videothen (and if it ain't broke, why fix it ).

Anyways...I for one look forward to your PVDTools. Keep us posted!

mastersmurfie

[mojoe1959]

Sorry VirtualDub 1.5.10 Its seems to work fine. It creates the Old AVI with no errors

mojoe1959...try this...go to http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=9649 and get version 1.5.3 this seems to be more compatible. The new versions seem to be the culprit. Try it, and see if that works any better.

mastersmurfie

Thanks little better.. Not as it renders I get error EOF.. and Stops.

[Landowlakes]

LOLO thanks for the walkthrough. I have been able to complete 2 disc with VNconvert2. I bought the wrong disc from circuit city though, memorex pocket cd-r 185mb. Now that I can complete the process I am going to get the right disc so that my complete file fits. Thanks again to all of the users putting in there time and effort to help me out.

[mastersmurfie]

Thanks little better.. Not as it renders I get error EOF.. and Stops.

mojoe1959...I too sometimes get that error...mine seem to happen (most of the time) only when I try to "cut" my original video file into pieces with the videonow template already loaded into VirtualDub. A few times, I have gotten that error almost at the end of the videothen conversion-and the resulting wav works just fine...

what's your original source?

[LoLo]

Landowlakes and all,

I know I wasn't going to post any more but I can't help it.

Besides my wife is tired of me already

Anyway, I'm almost finished with an upgrade on VNConvert.

This version will process large files and divide them into Chapters
so they play like a DVD.

It also creates the PADDED file and CUE sheet.

I'm almost done with another tool that will take a file created by VideoThen and divide it into chapters, create the padded file, and CUE sheet. I call this one VN Movie Maker.

Yes, they are both fairly slow but functional.

It should streamline the process a bit more.

Maybe Greg will write it into his program if we get a good response from the forum.

LoLo

[zimzam]

hey guys-

i've been watching this thread on and off for a few weeks now, and i decided to get some small cd's and try it this weekend. my results were very successful (only 2 coasters), although my methods are a little unorthodox. here's what i did:

1. downloaded VideoThen, VNConvert, and VirtualDub.
2. captured the avi
3. opened the avi in VirtualDub
4. selected Load processing settings in VirtualDub and select videonow.vcf that comes with VideoThen.
note: for better video quality, 1) select Video->Filters 2) select the resize filter and click Configure 3) set Filter mode to Precise bilinear or Precise bicubic (A=-1.00)
5. selected portions of video and clicked File->Save Old Format AVI
6. converted the file with VideoThen

OPTIONAL
7. ripped 1st and last tracks (as audio) from original videonow cd, works when you have a laptop cdrom because you can place the cd right on the spindle. i do not think this would work with regulard cdroms. the files will have a .wav extension, but they can simply be renamed to .bin. this step only needs to be done once, you can use the files for other cd's too.
8. created a bitmap image in paintbrush. the image attributes were 80x80 and color.
9. saved the bitmap as menu.bmp and ran a script to create 1000 copies of it, naming files in numerical order, 0.bmp, 1.bmp, etc.
10. copied all .bmp of menu to files subdirectory of VNConvert
11. ran modified VNConvert.exe to create .bin file with menu. the modified VNconvert ignores the fact that there is no audio.wav file. otherwise i think creating/copying any wave file in this directory will work.

12. now i had the ripped intro renamed 0.BIN, the menu file from VNConvert named 1.BIN, the converted avi from VideoThen simply renamed 2.BIN, and the ripped ending renamed 3.BIN. i ran VNConvert and selected Finalize Disc.
13. ran Nero, and under Expert Features, selected Enable overburn...
14. opened the .cue file with Nero and burned to disc

i have a Cendyne DVR-105, and like others i could not get it to overburn with any software. fortunately, i have a couple of cd burners laying around, and one of the others worked fine.

i should note that i actually created many small avi's around 4-5 minutes in length as recommended by others. i just left it out of the steps for simplicity. my actually directory contains 0.BIN, 1.BIN,..., 8.BIN, 9.BIN, 10.BIN where 8.BIN is my last avi, 9.BIN is the ripped ending, and 10.BIN is the pad file created by VNConvert.

now i have custom videonow discs with the standard beginning, a custom menu, and the standard ending.

thanks alot to LoLo and Greg for the great software, and thanks to everyone for the information!