Freezing dvd's

mickyd wrote on 3/11/2005, 12:55 PM

Using V5, I capture footage from my camera. Edit it no problemo. Save as mpeg. re-author if need be using dvd shrink, or save it as video TS file using TMPGEnc. Then use copy to dvd to burn files. The film plays half way through then freezes, also dvd sometimes has a strange sort of slow motion, time lapse effect, but only very slight (looks pretty cool actually) . This is an ongoing problem, both with home made footage and imported footage. Any answers please, driving me nutso.

regards

micky

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 3/11/2005, 1:24 PM

I have seen this sort of thing with some players that are not "happy" with the media. So, first thing to try would be different media. What brand and type (+R or -R) are you using?

Some people claim that encoding at too high a bitrate can cause some players to "choke." I haven't seen this myself, but I don't think it is an urban legend either. Therefore, what average bitrate do you use when encoding, and what maximum bitrate? If these are both high, you might want to try encoding with the average set to 7,000 kbps or less, and the maximum set to no more than 8,000 kbps.

Finally, what audio encoding method do you use? PCM, MPEG, and AC-3 can all be played by most DVD players. I think AC-3 is the most compatible, followed by PCM, with MPEG being a distant third.

Laurence wrote on 3/11/2005, 2:18 PM

Sounds like you are using poor quality DVDs. You really have to watch what you get. You'd think name-brand ones from Best Buy or Circuit City that cost a lot of money would be good quality, but I have found that that often isn't the case. Maxells or Verbatims work well from Best Buy or Circuit City. Ordering Ritek or Verbatim blanks in bulk on line is a lot cheaper though and works even better.

MichaelS wrote on 3/11/2005, 5:15 PM

Check on your DVD burning speed. My experience has taught me that burning a DVD faster than 4x can create problems similar to what you describe.