8.1 creates MPEG-2 w/ blank spots

johnmeyer wrote on 2/9/2009, 11:05 AM
I used Vegas 8.1 under Vista Business 64-bit to edit standard def NTSC DV AVI files, and then render them to standard def 4:3 MPEG-2 files.

The result? An abnormally small MPEG-2 file with huge (many minutes) totally black areas. Completely and totally screwed up.

This was reported just a few days ago:

HELP! MY VIDEOS INTERMITTENTLY RENDERING BLANK

I think it has been reported before.

I have reported it to technical support.

This will probably be my final post in this forum. I have signed off a few times in the past, but after over 7,000 posts, I have finally found a reason to do something else. There is no point in dealing with a product that, after all this time after being released, is this fatally flawed.

I just spent a LOT of money to purchase a new computer. One of the main justifications for that computer was to be able to render faster. In order to render at the fastest possible speed, I purchased a license for good 'ol Win XP, but also the hated (by me) Vista 64-bit, just so I could render under 8.1. Well, the good news is that on the artificial HDV Rendertest, the sucker screams and the test completes in fifty-nine seconds, one of the fastest results posted.

The bad news is that for doing actual real world stuff, it fails completely.

My project could not have been any simpler: I captured NTSC DV AVI files from my Sony FX1, put them on the timeline in Vegas 7.0d, did a cuts-only edit, with no fX or anything else -- just cuts. I then re-booted to Vista, opened the project in 8.1 and without doing anything else, rendered it to an MPEG-2 using the DVD Architect template.

Not only did it render slower than on 7.0d (I always benchmark everything), but I ended up with a totally useless MPEG-2 file.

I waited for over a year before moving from 7.0d to 8.x because of all the chatter about problems. Well, they are real, and they haven't been fixed. Vegas 7.0d is a reliable, good program. But, based on this horrendous failure, and on several things I haven't reported, I cannot imagine ever using the 8.x products for anything serious.

I am getting old, and life is too short to deal with this sort of stuff. My money on the new computer has been spent, and I will take my lumps on that, but I'm not going to throw good money (in the form of my time) after bad, and so I will be doing other things from now on.

Comments

i c e wrote on 2/9/2009, 11:32 AM
I could not agree more. I spent the time and money as you did to upgrade to vista x64 and V8.1 in vain. I was better with my old pc and Vegas Platinum 9.0 at least then I could work and get some where, now I am just going in circles. I have a word document (i wish I could post it) with at 15 error or porblem screen shots that I have been getting.

I am so sick of dealing with problems it's not even funny. I thought I was moving to a professional type equipment that I would be able to use to make a top notch video. Boy was I wrong! I am beginning to hate Sony. I am going to begin looking into other software if I can not get this figured out soon.

-Josh
jetdv wrote on 2/9/2009, 11:44 AM
Hmm... I just render a 2 hour HD project to SD MPEG2 that came out great using Vegas Pro 8.1. But two differences is I started with HD and I rendered to Widescreen MPEG2.
JackW wrote on 2/9/2009, 11:47 AM
John, I'm sorry to see you go, although I fully understand why.

You've been an invaluable member of this forum; I've learned a great deal from reading your posts and your solution to problems over the years.

You'll be missed.

Jack
Skuzzy wrote on 2/9/2009, 12:13 PM
Always hate to see something like this happen.

On the other hand, I am sure glad I am not running into that issue. I am in the middle of about 32 MPEG2 renders, with each one taking over 30 hours a piece.

I would blow a gasket if I was having those issues. Not sure why one person has so many problems and then others do not. Too busy too think about it. I'll just chalk it up to me having good luck for the moment and keep on moving.

Done with 8 of the beasts so far and everything has been running peachy. (knock on anything wood like)
Jim H wrote on 2/9/2009, 12:29 PM
Come back Johnny.
rs170a wrote on 2/9/2009, 12:53 PM
John, please know that your knowledge as well as your understanding of complex issues will be sorely missed.
If at all possible, please drop in once in a while, even if it's just to say hi.

Mike
UlfLaursen wrote on 2/9/2009, 1:27 PM
I understand your frustration, John.

Thanks for many good post and a lot of help from you over time.

Hope you drop in from time to time.

/Ulf
ushere wrote on 2/9/2009, 2:37 PM
heartily echo everyone's sentiments - you've been a great help to many of us.

it's unfortunate that your experience with 8.1 has turned out so badly - i can't comment because i was waiting to read here what people thought / experienced with 8.1. so far, from what i've read, it's not worth my while giving up my plug-ins and reliability of 8c under winxp sp3 on 32bit for 'faster' renders. (i don't have enough hair left for the other problems).

what i would dearly like to know is where you're going - avid, fcp, et al?

please pop back and let us know how you're finding life without vegas ;-)

all the best

leslie
farss wrote on 2/9/2009, 2:42 PM
Sad to see you go John. You've been a champ to stick it out this far and no one can say you didn't give it your best shot.

For what it's worth I have had a similar sounding problem to yours.
What caused it was leaving a marker way, way down the T/L. It seemed Vegas was determined to do what it was told, insert an I frame at that marker. Makes sense what it did, in some wierd logical way but certainly not what I wanted it to do.

Bob.

CorTed wrote on 2/9/2009, 2:48 PM
John,

I understand your frustrations. Vegas surely has its problems, eventhough there are the diehards around here that will pop up and say they NEVER have any problems.
I know I have had (and still do) my share of crashings and the like....

Hope you are kidding about not posting here anymore. A man with such complete knowledge was (is) the reason I frequenly visit this forum.
You are NOT allowed to just disappear.

Request for: never posting anymore -- Denied !

Ted
clearvu wrote on 2/10/2009, 4:28 PM
I too bought my system just for the use of 8.1 only to find that I got blank spots.

Sony? This is obviously a problem.