DVD Architect 5.2 Render Freeze at 84% and 98%

For starters you could 'save-as' a copy of the project to a new directory, with the media files (drop down box below filename). Rename the original folder so it can't be found by DVDA. Re-boot (can't hurt) open the new copy and attempt a DVD. This should clear up a lot of problems. If the build fails, open each media file in Vegas to see if any are damaged in some way.

Good luck,

Jeff

2-Xeon X5680 @ 3.33 MSI Mobo 48GB DDR3 GTX 580 3072MB 16TB Attached Storage Win7 Vegas 11 x64

My DVD Arch project freezes when rendering

Well, this may be part of the problem. You do not want DVDA to re-encode your video - any re-encode compromises video quality. You encode the video in Vegas using the appropriate DVD Architect template and bitrate settings. All DVDA should do is prepare the vob file structure (for DVD) or the iso file for Blu-Ray.

Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com

okay... hands down, you guys are way smarter than I in this arena, but hear me out 1 time... I've done this 18 times before successfully with no compromise in vid quality, and then I switch to Vegas Pro 11 and I can't make it work.

I rendered my SVP11 project in Vegas (not DVDA). I also rendered a nice moving main menu and a little chapter search menu in SVP11. Then I open DVDA, change the initial main menu b.g. and audio from my rendered main menu, drop in my rendered feature (53 minutes) which typically I always try to keep it under 106 minutes for compression reasons, and then I right right on that feature and add the menu which breaks down the chapters from my orange markers on the original project. All of this measures out in the lower right hand corner of DVDA as 4.3GB! Perfect by all my other projects for not pushing the compression envelope. I'm thinking shoe in at this point.

Now I even did all the suggestions regarding switching directories with media files joining it and hiding the name from prior post. That did not help (still froze at 83%).

I promise... size isn't the issue here. Something isn't jiving here, and I'm not smart enough with Vegas to figure it out. I'm a creative driver not a mechanic unfortunately.

I am totally open to any suggestions now that you have all the details.

Thanks you guys!

Eddie McCracken

Hey Jeff,

I usually always render while I sleep, so the best I can tell is about 6 hours. Keep in mind I have a 3+ year old computer or it would probably be faster.

Eddie McCracken

I've been brainstorming:

My main feature started last year as a vegas movie studio 9 project. Then I bought vegas pro 11 and opened that project in pro 11 to finish it. Would that have annything to do with it? It behaved alright in vegas and rendered in vegas like a dream.

Eddie McCracken

You're almost speaking Greek to me, but I think I know what you're getting at. When I get home from work tonight I will research it and reply back. I am completely 100% self taught since 2008, so I technically lag sometimes.

One thing that occurred to me last night is that when I rendered my main video, I went against my first choice when rendering in favor of checking the new box Vegas Pro 11 offered that said 'match output video' or something or that nature. It basically recognized my native avchd footage but I just remembered that I also have some fuji xp20 underwater footage in there as well. maybe it is having difficulty with that footage since it is not 5.1 like my camera? Many variables...

I will reply back soon with those requested details, and thanks very much for your patience!

Eddie McCracken

Eddie,

I can't see any of your screen shots. Once you upload the picture to creative cow, copy the code that it gives you to reference the picture in your post. Paste that code into your message. Use the preview post button to check that your graphics are loading.

btw, if I'm right, it will save you hours and your deadline will be rescued.

Jeff

2-Xeon X5680 @ 3.33 MSI Mobo 48GB DDR3 GTX 580 3072MB 16TB Attached Storage Win7 Vegas 11 x64

By the way my files read media offline because I was cut npasting pics to you... and not a problem with the files.

Eddie McCracken

Still no go Eddie.
Here the steps to follow to upload an image.

1. Click the Image Upload icon just above your message.
2. Browse to the image and click "Open".
3. Click "upload image".
4. Click the image name in the top right corner.
5. Click and copy the information in the "Embed" box on the left.
6. Click the "x" next to the image name (I'm not sure this step is necessary but I do it anyway).
7. Close the window.
8. Paste the link into your message.
9. Post the image.

Got it... the links are there now! (see previous post)

Sorry... I'm going to owe you all a beer when this is over.

You're all very kind to put up with me. I'm learning.

Eddie McCracken

OK Eddie, I have a pretty good picture of what you are doing.

It looks like you have full HD footage and you are keeping it that way. Good.

It is always good to keep full-res, in case you want to use it later. However, DVDA uses only 1/6 of that resolution. The specs on DVD's are very strict so all the players in the world will be able to play them. To be within spec your footage needs to be: 720x480 pixels; <9.5Mbps (bitrate); in the MPEG-2 format.

Open up a new project in Vegas. Set the project properties to NTSC DV Widescreen (720x480, 29.970 fps). Put your finished movie, (the one you put in DVDA) on the timeline and render it twice. 1 - as MainConcept Mpeg-2 using the template: "DVD Architect NTSC Widescreen video stream", 2 - as Dolby Digital AC-3 Pro using the template "Stereo DVD".

When you have these files open your DVDA project and replace the source video with the Mpeg-2 and the source audio with the AC3 for the feature. (Use the media tab for the movie file.) Your render in DVDA with the new files should be under 2 minutes.

I know it sounds like a lot, but you will get it pretty easy. If you have any problems just ask. I can post some pictures.

Jeff

Let us know how it works,

2-Xeon X5680 @ 3.33 MSI Mobo 48GB DDR3 GTX 580 3072MB 16TB Attached Storage Win7 Vegas 11 x64

Thanks guys, to all! I have a busy weekend trying all of this out. I will be in touch. Much appreciated on all fronts. Thanks!

Eddie McCracken

Jeff,

Okay, I tried my best to do what you said. Man is this frustrating. I think if I am going to benefit and succeed from your instruction, it will be because you know that I don't understand a lot of the terms you use and i hear what you're saying but I have no idea how to do it. I mean I know how to open Vegas, I import the media, I can edit it and add music and sounds, and I 'thought' I knew how to render it and then go to DVDA and assemble it to behave like a real DVD that you could be proud to hand out to family and friends.

By the way, when i look at my original properties in DVDA before I try to render (or as Steven said 'assemble' since DVDA only prepares) the properties are spot on what you said: NTSC DV Widescreen (720x480 29.970 fps) Mpeg-2, Bitrate of 8. So those settings may not be causing the error/freeze at 84%. It just seems a little suspect that I nail 18 straight projects in Sony Movie Studio 9 (same interface) using Sony DVD Arch 4.5 to prepare and burn, then I get Sony Vegas Pro 11 and it's buggy and DVDA 5.2 does this freeze thing. I'm trying to get past that, but it is hard. I preview the whole thing and its beautiful, but it ain't on a disc to put into my dvd player for viewing. I've been editing on this since last August!

Per your advice, I opened a new vegas project with your suggested properties and I dropped in the entire file for my feature. Nothing populated the timeline, but I was able to open the file in the trimmer. It would play in the trimmer but the main video's audio was all you could see or hear. music gone. sound effects gone. Figuring i know very little, I tried to render it anyway and got an error: something to the effect of 'it could not open a certain video stream'. Maybe if i understood the concept of what angle were takling to make this work I might grasp it better. I don't know what MainConcept Mpeg-2 means. It is not in the software's glossary. A lesser man might start to cry about right now... but I just get upset that it don't work, even though every step to completing this project seemed like it was dead on until i want to prepare and burn. I got to the final step and IT says "NO". Not today.

I have no idea how to make happen your advice from earlier.... I am second guessing everything I do as I try to comply with it. Nothing seems or looks right as I go along. I'm bloody lost bro.

Eddie McCracken

Kind words... and a great eye! You may possess even more patience than I. I have 500 plus hours into this project. It is actually 161 minutes spread over 3 discs, but I will take good notes and repeat the steps for disc 2 and 3.

I'm going to owe you big time man.

Eddie McCracken

I'm going in tonight for the old college try. I assume I should render my deleted scenes and 2 minute short called pink sand the exact same way and replace them respectively in DVDA the same way too?

Great instructions btw... much oblidged! Can't wait to try them tonight.

Eddie McCracken

Eddie,

OK, I can make that screen grayed out on two of the three buttons, Eject & Load, but advanced stays normal. I did this by changing my burn device as the ISO Image writer. Check your Device Name and make sure the DVD burner is the one selected. If this is not easily answered then open up a new thread, because this one will not be getting a lot of new attention.

As far as the screen capture goes... I don't have the slightest idea why or how to help you.

You are on the right track as far as the files to put into DVDA, glad to hear that.

Jeff

2-Xeon X5680 @ 3.33 MSI Mobo 48GB DDR3 GTX 580 3072MB 16TB Attached Storage Win7 Vegas 11 x64