The reason that these things happen has to do with your chosen OS, DVD driver version, and the media. First give us your specs - the OS, the vintage of your drive, etc. Then check with your chosen media whether you can create burned discs with other software.

I don't know that Jack is right! I have used DVDA for years and never had a problem. VideoTguy is correct- though---we do need more information, including details of how you get the project into DVDA and the specs (including the codes such as MPEG2, AC3 or whatever you are using) of the project and your hardware,

Richard

Are you sure that you're choosing the option to burn to DVD at the end? From memory, the default setting is just to create a folder with the 'TS' files in it, for you to later burn a disc from that.

From memory, the default setting is just to create a folder with the 'TS' files in it

The is not a default in DVDAS. When clicking on Make DVD or File > Make DVD, you are presented with two options, Prepare or Burn.

I use DVDAS exclusively to burn all my Vegas Movie Studio projects, never a problem. I use the Prepare option to render the Video_TS files then verify the video and menus with VLC. After I'm happy with the image, I use the Burn > Previous prepared folder option. I always burn at 4x speed.

I'm curious to know why you opt for this two stage process. I've always made the DVD as a single prepare and burn operation from the menu you mention (but I do render my files in Vegas Pro and bring the MPEG and AC3 files into DVDA with the menu points intact from the Markers placed during the main edit). Doesn't this work for you?

Richard

"I'm curious to know why you opt for this two stage process."
DVDA often overestimates the size of the finished dvd. If one just hits "Burn" in this case it will complain and insist on re-rendering the whole darn thing. By Preparing first and bypassing the message, the finished folder will often conform to the disc size upon re-opening the project, and burn without complaint.

Just to clear up a misconception, hitting "Burn" involves a two-step process (the first time). It Prepares the dvd folder, and Burns from that.

I do use ImgBurn for burning DL projects for my own use, which isn't very often . . .

Thank you. II understand now although I think I'll continue my usual practice of trying to limit the project size to no longer than 1hour 15minutes or so which seems to fit easily on to the DVD without the need for any further compression.

Cheers.

Richard

You know, if you Prepare your DVD in Architect, ignoring the messages, then close and reopen your project, you may just find that it already fits for the Burn phase, requiring no recompression.

An estimate is an estimate, and DVDA's estimates are conservative.
I hope you are rendering separate video and audio files in Vegas, as Architect expects.

Best.

I burn with Nero, rather than in DVDA, for two reasons. The first is that Nero will do a verification pass, which DVDA doesn't, and the second is that even with the verification pass, Nero usually completes the job faster than DVDA. Even at the same selected burn speeds, DVDA seems to slow down or even pause the process periodically, sometimes for several minutes.

The important consideration for fitting your material on the DVD isn't just length of program, but length of program x bitrate used. A very simple rule is to divide 600 by the length in minutes, and then use that result as your average Mbps bitrate, of course allowing some room for the audio too. Some examples:

1 hour 15 minutes = 75 minutes. 600 / 75 = 8. Subtract about 0.2 for the audio, and you'll have an average video bitrate of 7.8Mbps, or 7800000.

2 hours 25 minutes = 145 minutes. 600 / 145 = 4.138. Subtract about 0.2 for the audio and you'll have an average video bitrate of 3.94Mbps, or 3940000.

Note that these bitrates are used in Vegas while rendering the MPEG 2 files. Follow the 600 rule and you should never have trouble fitting your project on a DVD. I almost always end up filling the disc to about 99% or 99.5%, which is good enough for me.