Hello Everyone.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me finish my first DVD because, without the help of people in this Forum, it would have been utterly impossible.
I ran into problems right from the start and spent months – literally - trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I read all the FAQs, and found a few answers to simple problems ... but the solutions to all my big problems were answered by the amazingly knowledgeable and sharing people in this “Forum community.”
As I’ve spotted several requests to “Let others know how you managed to succeed,” I’d like to “give back” to this Forum by laying out in detail how I finally managed to finish my DVD ... but please let me make it clear that I’m merely summarizing the tricks I’ve learned from OTHERS in this forum. The wisdom passed on here is NOT my own <g>.
Note 1: I’ll write this in “Newbie-speak” <g> as I sometimes had trouble understanding exactly how to make the changes suggested by those who are far more knowledgeable and conversant in Studio than me.
Note 2: fyi ... I’m shooting HD footage on a Sony FX-7 and editing in Studio Ultimate 11.1.1
Note 3: The project I’ve been working on – “Flying the Finch” – consists of
· A 23-minute “feature,” with lots of stills (several “pan and zoom”) along with voice over and original music tracks.
· 4 “DVD Extras” including two 9-11 minute interviews, a 12 minute/180 image slideshow {set to music} and a final 90-second document “slideshow.”
· One 5-item menu, with moving thumbnails.
So here’s what I learned, and how I fixed, “the big problems”:
Re making menus:
I decided to go with the suggestion given on the Studio video tutorial and modified one of the existing menus. That worked well and I’ve had no problems getting the Menus to work.
One important note - When you add the menu to the head of your timeline, don’t worry if it doesn’t seem to be doing anything. It only turns functional AFTER you’ve rendered and burned.
Re Rendering:
When my project consistently refused to render, no matter how many times I searched for errors or possible causes for the inevitable hang (freeze-up), the solution suggested here was to “cut and paste” the entire project to a new timeline.
To achieve this, you click on the completed project in the timeline, go up to “Edit,” click on “select all” in the dropdown menu, then RIGHT click anywhere in the now-highlighted project and select “Copy.”
Now go back up to “file” and click on “New Project.” Your current timeline will close (don’t worry. It’s saved,) and a new blank timeline will open. Left click anywhere in the new timeline, then right click and select “paste.”
After a terrifying period when you think nothing is happening, your entire project will suddenly appear in the new timeline.
Save it with a new name, then try rendering again.
This Workaround has worked for me every time and I’ve had no more problems with rendering.
Re Burning:
First off ... I used up about 25 blank DVDs before someone suggested using a rewritable DVD. I’d considered using rewritables but thought they might create more problems. Wrong (at least in my case.) I’ve been using rewritables consistently while I sort out problems, and only switch to standard blank DVDs once I’m satisfied with the “master.”
Second ... I have yet to successfully burn a DVD with Pinnacle so I took the advice given here and burned with Nero. Here’s the step-by-step to achieving that:
1) When your project is finished, “Cut & paste” (as above) into a new timeline, rename the project, then click on the “Make Movie” tab.
2) Next, click the “Disc” tab located on the upper left.
3) When the “setup options” window pops up, click on “create disc content but don’t burn,” then click “Okay” to close the window.
4) Now click on the green “Create Image” button.
5) When the “Browse for Folder” window pops up, note WHERE the image folder will be located so you can find the new file after it’s finished.
6) Click on “okay,” and Studio will begin to Make the Movie. You can see the progress in the preview window, but be warned ... it takes a LONG time - as in – many, many hours (I arrange my workflow so I can let Studio render overnight.)
7) When Studio is finished, it will tell you the image has been successfully created.
8) Now here is where a crucial workaround comes into play that I NEVER would have been able to figure out without help from this Forum.
a. To get past the “No Audio” problems you’ll read about elsewhere, download a small FREE program called “IFOEDIT.” http://www.videohelp.com/tools/IfoEdit
b. Unzip IFOEDIT, then open the program.
c. Click on the “Open” button (at lower left) then navigate your way to the spot where your just-created disc image is waiting (on my system, that’s in My Documents>Pinnacle Studio>My Disc Images>Project Name.)
d. You should see a file named “Video TS.” Double click on that.
e. Inside, you’ll see another file named “Video_TS” Double click on that.
f. A new window will open with lots on information. Look in the larger, lower box for the first line with the word “Audio.” It will say something like PCM or MPEG in brackets. Look down below for another line with the word “Audio.” If it doesn’t have the SAME audio command (PCM/MPEG/ETC) inside the brackets, you probably won’t have any sound when you play your burned DVD on a DVD player (though it will probably play on your PC.)
g. The fix described by the “lifesavers” in this Forum is to change both of these lines to the same audio setting. I was trying – with no success – to rewrite (and by that I mean retype) these commands when I accidentally double-clicked on the line and discovered this opened an “Audio Attributes” window (Oh ... so THAT’S how you do it! ... Duh <g>.)
h. Click on “coding mode” then select the audio you want (Dolby AC3 was suggested to me and I’ve had nothing but success with that setting.)
i. Click on “Okay” to save the setting.
j. Now, look for the second “audio” line and repeat the last few steps, making sure you select the SAME audio setting. Then click “Okay” to close the window.
k. Now press the “Save” button at lower left.
l. A “Save as” window will pop up with Video_TS selected. Press “Save”
m. Now a scary warning window will pop up asking if you want to save it as a .BUP as well ... and if you’re sure you want to overwrite the existing file. The answer is “yes” to both questions, so simply punch “yes” and you’re done.
However ... IMPORTANT NOTE ... You won’t see any changes in the Audio lines you just changed. It took me a while to realize they don’t change until AFTER you exit. So – to make sure the changes you want have really taken place - simply close IFOEDIT, then re-open and make your way back to the same VIDEO_TS file. The two audio lines should now have the same info in the brackets i.e.: (Dolby AC-3)
Exit IFOEDIT once again and you’re done.
You can now burn the file onto a DVD using Nero (or some similar burn program.)
Note: I wasn’t sure exactly WHAT I was supposed to burn, so here’s the step-by-step I use in NERO 6:
1) Under “Copy & Backup,” click on “Burn Image to Disc.”
2) Ignore the “open” window that pops up (just close it.)
3) In the “What would you like to burn?” window, click on “DVD-Video Files.”
4) When a new window pops up, click on the “Add” button.
5) Navigate your way to the “Video TS” file you just created (on my system, that’s in My Documents>Pinnacle Studio>My Disc Images>Project Name) and open it.
6) You should now see a bunch of “.BUP,” “IFO,” and “VOB” files. Select ALL of them, then punch the “ADD” Button at lower right, then click “Finished.”
7) Now click “Next” at lower right and you’re taken to the “Burn” page.
There appear to be two schools of thought on how to proceed from here as some folks are having troubles getting their finished DVDs to play on ALL DVD players.
One suggestion is to slow the burn rate down to 1X or 2X ... but others warn this could create an overheating problem. As I’m using a Sony rewritable DVD at this point, I use the 2X setting anyway.
Once you select the “write” speed, punch “Burn” and Nero takes it from there.
As of this writing, my finished DVD plays on all the PCs I’ve tried and all but one of the DVD Players my friends have used (The DVD “stutters” on that “problem” player. I’m currently working through solutions to that final problem and THINK I have it fixed. I’ll report back once I’m SURE it’s definitely solved.)
As for Pinnacle Studio itself ...
As a former professional FILM editor (5 years, including 3 for Canada’s CTV National News,) it’s taken me quite a while to make the switch to digital editing. Creatively, I’ve found Studio to be a wonderful editing program - an absolute delight to use once you master the basics. However, I’ve been extremely disappointed by the number of apparently inherent technical problems still at large inside the program. I have been frustrated to the point of tears at times – angry to the point of fury - and I completely agree with the observer who noted that for every one of us who fights his/her way through to a successful conclusion there must be hundreds more who simply give up and walk away.
I also agree with “Stanman” who just wrote of the “no audio” bug:
>I do not understand why some of the more learned users and contributors to this Forum are not screaming blue murder at this apparent long-time bug since, even though it is random, renders the DVD authoring pat of Studio virtually useless because of its unreliability. Why has Pinnacle not fixed this? It is not a minor bug. It is a major problem and one that could, under common law, be grounds for legal action forcing Pinnacle to accept returns and refund the whole cost of the program as being unfit for the purpose for which it has been sold. This is indeed a pretty big matza ball to say the least.<
Marc P at Pinnacle Support responded by saying:
>StanMan, this has been brought to our attention and currently being looked and worked at.<
I sincerely hope that is the case, and trust Pinnacle will indeed look after this problem – not only for this shameful audio problem, but for all the other rendering and burning problems listed above. I think it’s absolutely absurd to be developing new “bells & whistles” for future programs when Pinnacle hasn’t solved basic problems in their current versions.
I understand the need to compete with other editing programs but SURELY, having a reputation as the most stable and dependable editing software available would stop the others in their tracks.
Anyway ... I don’t want to end of a down note, so let me finish up by saying to any other Newbies reading this letter – hang in there ...... watch the online video tutorials ... read the FAQs ... then, when it seems there is just no way to overcome your problems, search these Forums for solutions because there is an extraordinary amount of support and wisdom available here.
Finally ... I apologize for this overly long tome, but I kept on praying someone would realize how truly stupid I am <g>, and hold my hand through a step by step process. It’s my hope that some of the above may cut down the time involved in your own learning curve so you can get to that glorious “EUREKA” moment a little faster than me. And please believe me when I tell you - the final product looks glorious and IS worth all the work.
Thanks once again to everyone in this forum for all your support and help.
Yours sincerely,
Glenn Norman, Canada
PS: To all the pros ... please feel free to correct any mistakes I may have made, or add suggestions I may have missed.