Chapter/cell markers have to occur at I frames in the mpg2 video... The full version of Vegas can create I frames at the markers when encoding mpg2 so no problem -- I'm unsure whether your version can or not, but if it's altering their placement my first guess would be that it places them at the next, closest I frame. Otherwise I'd double check the project, video, & ruler fps.

DVD players themselves can mess up -- show between 1 and a few frames from before the chapter -- if the chapter marker is right on the scene change; I've had good luck placing all markers about 1/2 to 1 second after the change (~one or two I frames), and I've never really noticed if there were problems with exact placement to tell the truth.

Okay, I understand. But how would I know it's an I frame in VMS?

I did notice that DVDA is loading markers at time codes, not necessarily on frames. Which is odd in-and-of-itself, because the frame it lines up with is usually a few frames after the one I set it to in the first place which tells me that VMS is dropping some frames upon render. Or it just moves the marker to the next available I-frame?

You are right, though, that there isn't a noticeable difference when watching the movie and using the "Next" button, so I'm not going to worry about it too much. Thanks for that observation.

Also, is there a way to set the bitrate in VMS when rendering an MPEG-2 file?

I have to start with a disclaimer that I've never used (or even opened) VMS, so all I can say is what works in Vegas & hope it carries over to your version -- maybe someone familiar with VMS can correct me?

Mpg2 video is made up of I, P, & B frames. The I frames are complete pictures, whereas the other 2 are partials containing the parts of the picture that change between I frames. Vegas likes to create MPG2 with an I frame every 15 frames, but, that's not a rule or spec for mpg2 video -- they can be closer together or further apart. At the time it does the encoding,Vegas Pro can place or create an I frame in the rendered mpg2 file at every chapter marker; since they're part of the new mpg2 file, they don't exist yet in the file on your time-line in Vegas or VMS. I'm not sure if your version can do that or not, but if it can you'd turn it on/off at the same place you set the bit rate etc...

When you go to the File menu & select Render As, select the Mainconcept mpg2 encoder, set the DVDA template you want to use, then click the Custom button... On the 2nd tab -- Video -- you can set the field order, aspect ratio, bit rates, frame size etc and in Vegas (don't know about VMS) there's a checkbox to create I frames at markers. That way the time you choose will work -- otherwise DVDA can either show the marker where you placed it (rather than where the actual chapter will be) (I think earlier versions of DVDA did this) or put the chapter mark where it will be (which is more useful).

In DVDA you can find I frames in a mpg2 file on the timeline by creating or placing a marker, then zooming in and dragging the marker right or left. As soon as you start dragging you should see a couple of blue marks indicating the closest I frame in either direction -- If you zoomed in too far or not enough they can be hard to spot. If you are already on an I frame, or once you drag the marker to that blue mark, the marker will turn a solid color. [It might seem more intuitive to just have every I frame marked on the timeline, but Encore does that, and to me at least, when I tried it it doesn't help in the least.]

In VMS Platinum 8, you can not set a custom template for MPEG-2. Only MPEG-1. Everything that I've found that talks about DVDA compatibility speaks only of MPG2, so I'm not sure I want to use MPG1.

Also, it doesn't say anything (in the MPG1 Custom dialog) about inserting an I frame at chapter markers, but it does allow you to set the number of frames between the I frames as well as the number of B frames.

I'm doing some experimentation now with the MPG1 Custom settings to see if I can find a setting that works for me...

"...so I'm not sure I want to use MPG1."

You don't.

If you can't set anything for mpg2, guess you'll have to either use whatever mpg2 VMS encodes, or see if you can set bit rate in DVDA... To do that in the full version select your imported video in the FIlemenu -> Optimize window, & go to the video tab,

Going by another thread you might be able to send the video directly to DVDA. If not, and you have to encode the video/audio first in VMS, you'd probably want to encode to one of the less lossy avi formats -- something like DV or mjpeg, or huffyuv etc. Or you could try the option for DVDA to set the bit rate to fit if available. If you don't get what you want from your version of VMS/DVDA, & don't want to upgrade, there are free-ware encoders available so you could output your edited video from VMS as avi files and encode those as a separate step.

MyKarma, how did you get DVDA to "dump its memory cache of the old video file"? Having the same issue of having chapter markers in Vegas, then bringing the rendered file into a DVDA project, THEN going back and moving and adding chapter markers in Vegas then rendering, then reopening the DVDA project and not seeing the changes or additions to the chapters in DVDA, yet I do see video changes. Yes, I have selected "save chapter markers" in Vegas render and done a replace in Track Media, in the video files. Nada.

MPM, I have noticed the same thing that chapter markers in Vegas do not occur at the spot in the time line as in DVDA. The video is the only thing in the DVDA timeline. I have seen it off by up to 60 seconds. And like I said before, I have "Save project markersin media file", "Insert I-frames at markers", and all the I frame stuff on the Advanced Video page enabled, along with rendering it using a DVDA NTSC template.
Even with all this, the Vegas chapter markers were not on I-frames, according to DVDA. Was trying to go back, using the info from DVDA and manually move the markers in Vegas to be on I-frames, but the timelines are not in sync.
Thanks

Vegas 7.0e and DVDA 4.0b