How do i get my questions answered on these forums

[dogguy]

I think we all just need to hug and help each other out as much as we can

[xtreemkareem]

Something like this is much needed I believe. if you are serious about video encoding as a hobby, you're gonna have to strive and persevere. One year ago I got on this forum, not knowing the difference between a vcd or dvd, thinking you could copy a dvd with only a cd burner using special pirate software on the internet. I have downloaded installed and uninstalled over 50 different encoders. If I have a problem and post it sometimes it isn't answered so you have to simply use logical deduction as a computer user to try a bunch of logical troubleshooting techniques. Uninstalling software and reinstalling, uninstalling the latest software on your machine, playing around with "Options-->Settings" one at a time.... eventually you get the hang of all these problems. I admit... this site has gotten HUGE over the past year... but the best way to learn is be prepared... go to the homepage and read the latest forum postings... I guarantee you will find something that helps you in one way or another. And if all else fails, type your exact problem/error message in Google, hands down youy will find someone else with the same problem. Read ALL the guides pertaining to your format for all software. List your specs.... some software runs clean as a whistle on XP, others will only run on 98 or 2000. If you reformat your hdd or reinstall your OS, you may find your favorite software no longer works so it's good to be proficicent with an alternative. And I don't think specifity can't be overemphasized.... I only read posts that say "TMPGEnc Error" for the laughs... but I'll still try to help. But yea.. I know we were all new at one time or another, but no one handed us this knowledge on a silver platter... therefore those who have recently joined have no privelages over us.

[nobusybody]

Hello!
I have been using Nero 6.0.0.19 for some time now, and it has worked fine. I have burned some avi files do video cd and had no problems untill I had a tv-program I wanted to burn that is over 80 mins long. I put a cdr in that has room for 800mb/90min, but it seems that when I use Nero Start Smart that it does not recognize the size. Does anyone know how I alter the standard = make Nero understand the size, that there actually is room. I tried to use Nero Burning Rom to do the same, as I remember, it actually checks the size of an empty cdr, but have not succeeded as I can't drag and drop the file over as I have done with music hundreds of times.
Please advise.

[kunalmusic]

hey


try changing Nero prefrences

it changes the scale

change the horizontal scaling to some like DVD R

change the Red m arker settings to 90 min or whatever u require

it hopes to work

[johns0]

One thing i do is go to google.com and other places and do research and locating any and all sources to help me.Seems other people are content to just post a question and not do anything else to look for answers

[dhappi]

I think one big problem is when searching for a subject you have no expertise on, syntax can be the key to finding it. Sometimes you don't know what something is called or how it is referred to when you are asking about it.

[randyannie]

Great post. I got a lot out of it. Maybe I can educate myself more and ask better questions. So, you have helped at least one person as you had hoped.

Thanks for your honesty, Randy

One thing: if you were in charge of the reading aspect of this group, where would you tell newbies to BEGIN reading. And, what is the logical sequence one should read to learn things the most effeciently?

Still, great post, Thanks again, Randy

[beingfunny]

Wow, look at the start date on this thread...what's true in 2002 is still being discussed today.

[Mystify]

I actually posted my first question today, I thought that I had overdone it. (TMI). Now after reading this I am not sure I gave enough info I also added to the near end, that I looked and read posts and tried numerous tutorials before requesting assistance.

Covering my ass has been a life long tradition and one I have trouble forgetting.

[jimmalenko]

Excellent original post and some very pertinent points made along the way.

I have a few additions:

CAPITALS, BOLD OR ToGgLe CaSe
The use of capital letters, bolding a complete paragraph or using toggle case does nothing towards your post getting answered. All it does is a pisses people off.

CHECK THE FAQ
The FAQ is one of the most underrated and underutilised references on this site IMO. I myself didn't discover the full benefit of it until about 6 months after I started lurking here. If the guides section seems a bit too confusion due to the plethora of guides, try the FAQ.

OPINION-BASED POSTS ARE A TWO-WAY STREET
If you get drawn in to an opinion-based thread, keep in mind that everyone who posts is simply stating their own opinion which has generally been formulated from experience. Take each person's opinion with a grain of salt because in opinion, there is no right or wrong answer.

[Supreme2k]

Take each person's opinion with a grain of salt because in opinion, there is no right or wrong answer.

Actually, there's right, wrong and indolikaa.

[mikesbytes]

Yes maybe, its the lack of a chatboard that causes a lot of unessary posts. Could save Baldrick some disk space.

[jackal70058]

Yes thank you for the instructions I am new to DVD and the Internet and I never knew what a forum was until last month.

I read some of the howto guide on the VIDEOHELP.COM website but I dont know much about DVD or computer and so I do not understand at all. I do not understand a lot of this and all I want to do is make DVDs and copy DVDs!
VCR is much less complicated and I am very comfortable with it! I should give up the DVD thing especially since mine broke just 6 months!

[Grimey]

Yes thank you for the instructions I am new to DVD and the Internet and I never knew what a forum was until last month.

I read some of the howto guide on the VIDEOHELP.COM website but I dont know much about DVD or computer and so I do not understand at all. I do not understand a lot of this and all I want to do is make DVDs and copy DVDs!
VCR is much less complicated and I am very comfortable with it! I should give up the DVD thing especially since mine broke just 6 months!

Don't give up. DVD's aren't hard. It won't be long before you're an expert.

[Bubblevision]

Being polite is the key. I also find on many computer-related forums that females get heaps more answers than the guys.

[Capmaster]

Being polite is the key. I also find on many computer-related forums that females get heaps more answers than the guys.

I think they do in real life too

[spectroelectro]

"I did some stuff with a DVD and now there's some weird stuff happening, help!"

"This is off topic but I saw this movie like 10 years ago and it a guy with a hat it. Anyone know the name of that movie?"

"Man this forum SUXXX, I keep telling everyone I'm trying to burn a DVD and I have a really great computer and a great CD burner and the CD burner just won't burn the DVD, WHAT'S WRONG???!?!?!?"

"I came across a bunch of these 12-inch silver platters that say LASERDISC so I tried to fit it in my DVD player. I hammered the DVD player really hard but now the DVD player don't work no more. Man, digital video LAGS. This is LAME!!!"

"My cat puked in my DVD player and now there's this strange stuff during playback. Can someone help me fix this with a software program?"

"I just downloaded the latest Hollywood film off the internet because I'm too cheap to buy a ticket so why won't any of your losers share my prison cell by sending me to a site where I can find all kinds of cracks and warez?"

"My Pentium II 300 seems to be dropping framez when I run Adobe Premiere Pro. I have a whole 64 megs of RAM, what's wrong???"

And the beat goes on...

[dennyhayes]

Well the real truth to getting answers in forums like this is in knowing personalities of the people who you are dealing with. First, the people who have the answers are usually sharper people who are proud of knowing a little more than most.

1. First you have to get their attention by making the subject title something cool that interests them.

2. Next, you need to say something that they totally disagree with or even maybe insults them, but not bad enough to get bounced from the forum.

3. You should say something that is wrong as if you know that you are right, so they can try to prove you wrong.

4. You need to put as much in as few words as possible, because people don't like to read. But make sure you have enough in the message so that the average idiot can understand without using his brain too much.

5. Making the message too long is a killer, so you dish it out a little at a time, via a few messages.

6. Add a little humor, if possible, because the more intelligent people, who have the answers, enjoy humor.

Basically use the same techniques as you see public speakers use on TV, except avoid copying George Bush

I typed this mostly in jest, but there is a lot of truth here. I have managed and watched forums for like almost 20 years, and most of these techniques seem to work, as well as they do in public, even though most of the time they were accidental.

[MetaPhaze]

Oh and it's sync not synch or any other screwed up spelling.

[daamon]

Oh and it's sync not synch or any other screwed up spelling.

Only if you're an "N-Sync" boy band fan!!!

Given that the unabbreviated word is synchronisation, and either spelling sounds the same, I'd say it doesn't really matter...

[moonlight_caster]

I dont know how to delete this message. I'll attempt to partake in the conversation instead...

I'm an N-Sync band fan!!

[BJ_M]

do not double post your question

[thearm]

arm

[buachille]

my opinion...........

i always try to find what i need from a forum before i post. i don't want anyone accusing me of not searching first.

normally if find lots of post that address the situation, but only some of them actually tell me what i need to do.

and when i post i often find people can tell me the ins and outs of the particular problem i am having.

if you search my posts you will find i have asked questions that have been answered elsewhere on this forum. but the answers to my posts gave me specifics that i didn't find when searching.

i had to post. i was tired out with searching the forum. i'd read more posts than you can shake a stick at but i needed to ask own questions.

and if anybody can tell me how to properly encode xvid i will love them forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scorpion King]

I have read a lot of good things in this post and I am glad to be a member of such a helpful and informative website as www.videohelp.com . I think this whole idea is great and I have learned so much from reading and posting here I can't begin to explain.

I think we all need to take a deep breath and relax before posting and expecially before replying to a post sometimes. Helping others is something I take very seriously and I enjoy very much. I often find myself worrying if someone can solve their problems or not, and if my answer was good enough for them. I think we all need to have some of that inside of us. We must remember that if it wasn't for the new people our knowledge would be lost within ourselves. We should be eager for questions that we can answer with our knowledge, instead of being firm and demanding all that comes here 'read the guides' before asking anything. What kind of forum would that be? A form of nothing but experienced users? Who would ask the questions then?

My advice to all who enter here....? Ask and find enjoyment in asking and know that the ones that replys takes enjoyment in answering and sharing the knowledge or they wouldn't be here.

That's my 2 cents.....lol

Good luck and have as much fun with video as I do

[PuzZLeR]

i would be willing to say that anybody on this forum that knows what they are talking about got that way by taking the time to learn and also burning coasters learning.

Footnote here: CD-RWs are a godsend!

Even better: Install and run an image drive on your PC. Get software that creates .iso files or other forms like Nero's .nrg. I ran dozens of tests in record time with smaller files and simulated results that would have cost me tons of coasters. Nero's Image Drive was my best teacher yet!

[daamon]

Install and run an image drive on your PC.

Can you elaborate on how that's done and what sort of software (examples?) would be used? Thanks.

[PuzZLeR]

Install and run an image drive on your PC.

Can you elaborate on how that's done and what sort of software (examples?) would be used? Thanks.

Sure thing Daamon,

An Image Drive is something you install on your computer that acts like another CD or DVD drive. It "loads" like one, "plays" like one, and even "ejects" like one. Your computer actually thinks, and treats it like, it's a real physical drive.

For it to work correctly you need to load it with a special Disk Image file. This can be in the form of .iso, or even one from Nero (.nrg). Think of it like a zipped file of disc content. I create it using Nero Vision Express, a DVD author software package available in the Nero Ultra 6 bundle. You can create it with other applications of Nero and other applications you can find on the 'net.

I installed my Image Drive with Nero Image Drive, available in the full Nero Ultra 6, however not available on most OEM versions. You actually have to buy it. I'm sure however, if you do a search there are others available that will create/install an Image Drive on your computer.

I run the application and it asks me which Disk Image file I wish to load. I load the one I want and suddenly my computer acts like it's actually loading a real disc. I go to My Computer and there it is, fully loaded like a real disc. I can explore it, test it, run it, play it like one too, even copy from it and burn a real one from it too if I like the final result.

I always "burn" (or rather create) a Disk Image file before burning the final product to make sure. It's like a digital camera that asks you if want to keep the picture you just took as you see it first.. This prevents tons of coasters and gets me to be experimental as well to try different techniques. If I screw up, I just "eject" the image file and delete it. What's really beautiful here is that I don't even have to wait for something to burn either, that's why this is even better than RW media. No burn time, no physical exertion on my computer, no coasters, no problem.

However, if I want to test it on another DVD player, I would have to burn a copy to media. That's when I use RW discs. However, at this point, I will have a good idea whether or not to take the next step if worth the trouble.

When I want to test something, like a certain type of title screen for example, I create a small Disk Image file with some very small files to get it done quickly. My computer will still load it like a real disc. I can determine the results of my test this way before going ahead with a real one.

When it comes to video editing and burning, etc, this has been my biggest teacher. Just imagine experimenting with tons of DVDs you want to create very quickly, and without actually losing any either due to poor judgement etc.

If you have any questions, I will tune back to this topic if you have any questions. Good luck.

[daamon]

@ PuzZLeR: Kudos! Thanks for the detailed and precise info - much appreciated.

This may come in very handy as I often do test burns to DVD-RW, now I can save time and not have to burn before trialling.

[PuzZLeR]

Hey no problem, glad to offer. People here, and on other forums have been good to me, so I don't mind returning the favor.

I use to burn those RW's all the time and found it very tedious since they are usually slower than DVD-Rs. Then I use to say to heck with it, just burn some cheap DVD-Rs. Then those cheapies gave me more problems than they were worth, even damaging I have to say. (Stay away from cheap media, it's never worth it in my opinion.)

Then I discovered Image Drive and love it! I have learned so much just from quick "burns" and have not screwed up one DVD in the last couple of years since I've installed it.

I find it strange now to burn a DVD-R directly without giving it a test drive first (no pun intended).

Anyhow, good luck. Hope it helps.