DVD WORKSHOP PROBLEM - YES, ANOTHER ONE!!!

[Intuit]

I'm getting really fed up with this program. How can a company sell a program that has so many things wrong with it? I tried once again to author a dvd last night. The source file was a 640 x 288 NTSC file. I made a generic menu with chapters and linked the text with my thumbnails. My preview worked great. But when I was finished burning, my copy produced sound, but only a black screen. I used DVD+RW media and a TEAC DV-w58E burner. This is so frustrating...please someone help!!!! I have not used DVDWS successfully even once.

[thecoalman]

I understand your frustration but I don't think it's DVDWS, I use it constantly I have no trouble with it. As I'm typing this I'm burning a DVD complete with motion menu and just about every other option you can think of....

Here's another suggestion for you, see if your DVD writers firmware is up to date. How about if you play the video on your computer, does that work?

[Intuit]

NOt sure about the firmware, but I did try and play the video on my cpu with no luck.

[Intuit]

Firmware is up to date, no new firmware has be released

[solarfox]

I assure you, it is possible to use DVD Workshop successfully; I've done dozens of projects with it.

A possibility which comes to mind:

The previews in DVDWS will always work, because at that point DVDWS hasn't actually converted or compiled anything; it's just displaying the raw video files straight from the hard drive.

However -- 640x288 isn't even close to being a valid DVD resolution. Since (if I recall correctly) DVDWS uses the Windows Media Player engine to display the preview windows, WMP will display it without complaint, since WMP doesn't really care, but your DVD player won't like it one bit.

Did you, by any chance, have the "Do not convert compliant files" option checked when you burned the project? And if so, do you recall whether DVDWS actually reencoded the file or not? That might be the issue -- I'm not sure whether DVDWS uses the frame size as part of its criteria in deciding whether a file is "compliant", or just assumes that any MPEG-2 file with an acceptable audio layer is OK.

Try re-burning the project and making sure the "Do not convert compliant files" option is un-checked, which should make DVDWS re-encode the video to match your selected template. Or, alternatively, use TMPGenc or something like it to convert the file to a properly-compliant DVD resolution/bit rate and then re-author the project with the converted file.

[Intuit]

I assure you, it is possible to use DVD Workshop successfully; I've done dozens of projects with it.

A possibility which comes to mind:

The previews in DVDWS will always work, because at that point DVDWS hasn't actually converted or compiled anything; it's just displaying the raw video files straight from the hard drive.

However -- 640x288 isn't even close to being a valid DVD resolution. Since (if I recall correctly) DVDWS uses the Windows Media Player engine to display the preview windows, WMP will display it without complaint, since WMP doesn't really care, but your DVD player won't like it one bit.

Did you, by any chance, have the "Do not convert compliant files" option checked when you burned the project? And if so, do you recall whether DVDWS actually reencoded the file or not? That might be the issue -- I'm not sure whether DVDWS uses the frame size as part of its criteria in deciding whether a file is "compliant", or just assumes that any MPEG-2 file with an acceptable audio layer is OK.

Try re-burning the project and making sure the "Do not convert compliant files" option is un-checked, which should make DVDWS re-encode the video to match your selected template. Or, alternatively, use TMPGenc or something like it to convert the file to a properly-compliant DVD resolution/bit rate and then re-author the project with the converted file.

Solarfox and Coalman, thanks alot for the great ideas and inspiration. However, me being a noob at this, means I don't even know how to properly convert a 640 x 288 resolution video to one that can be used with DVDWS...hell, I don't even know what the proper resolution should be! I have TEMPGENC Plus, but am not sure how to use it right...lol. Please excuse my ignorance.

[thecoalman]

Where's your original source coming from? How are you capturing it? I see 640x288 is an option in DVDWS as a capture setting but it should convert even if the "do not convert compliant file" checkbox is checked. Maybe it's a bug, uncheck it as solarfox suggested if it is.

Look under DVD under the "what is" section to the left. It will tell you the specs for DVD. When your encoding the video from your editor there should be templates select one of those or use custom settings that meet the specs listed under DVD.

[Intuit]

I have looked and do not see anything that says "Do not convert compliant files". I am using DVDWS ver 2

[thecoalman]

I have 1.3 but it should be the same or very similar. It's on the final options screen right after you click burn to disc. A dialog box pops up for your burn options, on the lower right should be a selection for it.

Here's a step by step tutorial, if you follow you should have no problems whatsover. http://www.jonesgroup.net/media/dvdworkshoptwostepone.htm

DVDWS is fairly easy to use and is a very good app because of all the options it has. It has many more than the average apps that most people start out with. I think this may be why your having issues with it.