Your Mpeg file comes from a source of direct capture? If so you can't and should not use it to import into DVDAPro UNTIL you have managed and edited that file in VegasPro. Once you have done your edit - then export from Vegas in the elementary stream templates for DVDAPro authoring that is provided there.

It also strikes me that you quote small file sizes in your question - what may be your real problem is lack of disk space where temp files are located or a badly fragmented hard drive. You need double the temp space to author a DVD.

Thanks for the replies.
My hdd has 89Gb free space, so I would think that that would not be the problem.
hdd has been defragmented using Auslogic.
I will certainly try managing and editing in Vegas (Movie Studio 11 Platinum, not Pro).
Is there anywhere where these types of tip are listed ?
Also a workflow for this kind of thing would be much appreciated if there is one.

"Is there anywhere where these types of tip are listed ?
https://www.custcenter.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/84/
The Knowlegebase here is pretty good.

I have tried rendering the original mpg file in Vegas Platinum 11.
I imported the file into Vegas and rendered firstly as
Main Concept MPEG-2
DVD Architect PAL Widescreen Video Stream
This rendered the video but there was no audio track.

I then rendered using
Main Concept MPEG-2
Program Stream PAL Widescreen
This rendered both video and audio to a .mpg file size 1.41 Gb

These choices are the only ones shown when the Match Project Settings checkbox is checked.

I then imported this mpg from the second render type into DVD Architect and prepared it. This gave a VIDEO_TS folder of 1304.4 Mb and the usual AUDIO_TS as an empty folder.

I then told DVD Architect to burn the prepared project, and again was told that The project is too large for the selected media.

Again this is for a video of only 1/2 hour.

Are you sure that you are trying to burn to a new blank DVD-R? Is it a CD_R perhaps? Has the disc been written to before?

Are you importing your separate video and audio elementary streams to a menu or to an actual video presentation within the project ?? What kinds of menu choices are you creating? MENU directed streams cannot be over 1 gig. in size

Are you choosing to first prepare the DVD project assets and burn later ? from the prep folder - that is the preferred two-step workflow.

Are you choosing to burn to a DVD-RW that has been previously used? What is your media? DVD made by ?

"This rendered the video but there was no audio track."

You really need to read the knowledgebase article I linked.
The DVD Architect templates output video only.
The AC3 DVD templates output audio only.
Then they get muxed in DVD Architect.
No muss, no fuss.

If you need to adjust the video bitrate in Vegas to fit on your disc without rendering again in DVD Architect, the Videohelp Bitrate Calculator is your friend.

The problem you are facing is that if you provide DVD Architect with noncompliant files, as you still are doing, it will continue to report uncompressed sizes and insist on rendering the files again, neither of which you want.

Thankyou for all of the replies and advice.
I have still had no success, so here is the exact workflow for my latest attempt.

Open Movie Studio HD Platinum 11
Create new project under My Documents\Vegas Movie Studio HD PLatinum 11.0 Projects.
Name project blueline1
New Project properties :
Region: Europe and Asia (50Hz/PAL)
Audio: Stereo
Video: DVD
Project: DVD PAL Widescreen
Message on New Project window says
Use this setting for projects that you want to burn to DVD in 16:9 (widescreen) format.
Video 720x576, 25.000 fps interlaced
Checkbox Manage project files (requires named project) checked.
Click on OK to accept the above.

Add media file, mpg created from a VHS tape played through a VHS recorder and
captured through an internal V-Stream 2388x Video Capture card using Ulead VideoStudio 9.
Size of file 423 MB

Import Media window reports
File type: MainConcept MPEG-1 Streams: 3
Audio: 44,100 Hz, Stereo Length: 00:28:55:07
Video: 720x576x32, 25.000 fps Length: 00:28:55:07

Drag and drop video to timeline.

Click on Make Movie.
Select Destination - Save it to my hard drive.
Render as DVD Architect PAL Widescreen video stream
Render video stream.
Render as Dolby Digital AC-3 Studio (*.ac3)
Stereo DVD.
This gives file in the project\Renders folder
blueline1.ac3 39.7 MB
blueline1.ac3.sfk 2.48 MB
blueline1.ac3.sfl 76 bytes
blueline1.mpg 1.27 GB
blueline1.mpg.sfl 8.57KB

Open DVD Architect Studio 5
File - New - Single Movie
Disc format: DVD
Project video format MPEG-2 720x576-50i, 16:9 (PAL)
Project audio format: AC-3 Stereo
Click OK on New Project window.

Open media window, select blueline1.mpg created from Movie Studio.
reported file type MainConcept MPEG-2 Streams: 1
Audio: Length:
Video 720x576x32, 25.000 fps Length: 00:28:55:07
Open: combo box left as Video and audio streams.
Click Open.

Click Make DVD.
Select Prepare.
Prepare folder: My Documents\DVD Architect Studio 5.0 Projects\My Discs\blueline1
Click on Next.
Review Message List.
The end action of 'blueline1' uses the most recent menu command before a
menu is reached. It will link to the top menu or stop if no menus.
The remote button action of 'blueline1' uses the most recent menu command before a menu is reached. It will link to the top menu or stop if no menus.
Click Next.
Check Subtitles and Menu Highlight Masks
The subtitles and menu highlight masks in the project are ok.
No messages to display.

Press Optimize.
General tab.
Estimated size (MB) 1,373.3
Duration 0:28:55.296
Maximum bit rate (Mbps) 10.080
Bit rate (Mbps) 6.641
Total audio bit rate (Mbps) 0.192 - printed in red

Video1 tab
Estimated size (MB) 1.298.8
Duration 00:28:55.280
Recompress No
Recompress settings
Video format MPEG-2
Use default bit rate N/A
Bit rate (Mbps) 6.293
Aspect ratio 16:9
Resolution 720x576 (PAL)
Frame rate 25
Progressive Auto

Audio1 tab
Estimated size (MB) 41.6
Duration 00:28:55.296
Recompress No
Recompress settings
Audio format AC-3 Stereo
Bit rate (Kbps) 192

Default video bit rate (Mbps) 8.000
Press OK to get back to Review Message List
Press Finish.

In blueline1 project folder are now
AUDIO_TS empty folder
VIDEO_TS size 1.27 GB, folder containing .bup, .ifo, .vob files
sprepare.spss size 449KB

In DVD Architect press Make DVD again
Select Burn
On Make DVD window select Previously prepared folder and select DVD Architect blueline1 folder containing AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS
Click Next.
Give volume name: blueline1
select DVD burner
Set speed.
Media information given
Disc Type: DVD-R
Disc status: Blank disk

Press Finish.

Get message
Your project is too large for the selected media.
Would you like to continue anyway ?
Select Cancel.

I left the DVD in the burner and successfully copied 4Gb of data onto it.
I then used Nero 6 to copy the VIDEO_TS created by DVD Architect onto another DVD and this successfully created a playable DVD.

Since I have no problems burning outside of DVD Architect then it appears that
DVD ARchitect is at fault.
What am I doing wrong ?

videoITguy - media is Memorex DVD-R
musicvid - I did read the article.
"The problem you are facing is that if you provide DVD Architect with noncompliant files,"
from videoITguys reply I got the impression that rendering the original mpg with
Vegas would create a DVD Architect compliant file. Did I get the wrong impression ?

So you're starting with an MPEG1? That could explain the file size difference between your original video and the MPEG2/VOB files that DVD Architect creates.

"or a badly fragmented hard drive"

Drive fragmentation couldn't possibly cause this problem. if there's enough space on the drive then there's enough space on the drive, and it doesn't matter if it's one single piece or fragmented into millions of separate sectors. Nothing but the drive controllers will ever know the difference, and the drive controllers don't care.

"I then used Nero 6 to copy the VIDEO_TS created by DVD Architect onto another DVD and this successfully created a playable DVD."

DVD Architect is notorious for estimating sizes wrong, though in your example it's a little more extreme than usual.

Generally i never do the burn step in DVDA anyway, since it won't do a verification pass. I almost always burn in Nero and get acceptable results. I use a bitrate calculator before rendering in Vegas to make sure i get the file sizes right, then i ignore DVDA's warnings. However, on the rare occasion when i have burned in DVDA, the files have always fit despite the warnings.

The way that DVDAPro chooses to burn files through the appropriate driver (read that OS /and the firmware of the burning drive) is a bit more sensitive and different from other burning apps. Hence, that is why you may be able to burn on a given PC system outside of the DVDA method.

I would suggest scrubbing the Memorex DVD purchase. These discs have notoriously been problematic as in any batch you can find lots of coasters. Choose Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim for your media stock.

Choose to burn something of a different project-source in your DVDA program rather than your troublesome project. See how that goes on good media stock.

Try this test - burn some kind of disc in your system with Nero or whatever of a few files. Then try to use this disc in your DVDAPro app for a subsequent burn - you should get an immediate warning before all other warnings - that the disc is full...note it would say "full" or previously recorded - cannot be erased.

I'm having a tough time wading through all of that.
1. File->Render As, not Make Movie.
2. MPEG-2 DVD Architect Template appropriate to your video.
3. AC3 Stereo DVD Template, same file name.
4. Open video file in the DVDA Media timeline, not the Menu timeline. That's another layer below the Menu.
5. Select appropriate disc size and max media in DVDA Project Properties.
6. Delete all previous Prepare folders, select Burn, and Make DVD once.
7. If it says too large, don't Cancel. Go ahead and Burn.
8. Use a good disc, like Verbatim.

[EDITED]

"7. If it says too large, don't Cancel. Go ahead and Burn."

When DVDA says that it is too large and I suspect that it may fit, I create the DVD folders without burning, and then check its size. If it will fit, burn from previously created folder, and DVDA will get the size right this time.

Peter Duke,
Better explanation than mine. That's how I do it too when the program cautiously reports too large.
Prepare folder, close DVDA, open DVDA, burn from prepared folder.
;?)

Thanks again for all of the advice.
In future I will do as suggested and carry on and burn.

musicvid - apologies but I seem to have given the wrong impression. I said that DVDA was at fault immediately followed by what have I done wrong. I realise that hundreds of people get this to work, and the 'What have I done wrong' was meant to say that I know I have not got it right, and that I know that it is my fault.
I went into so much detail about what I did because I thought that somewhere in there was my mistake. I did it that way because that is what I gleaned from the Jump Start Tutorial dvd with the program and from the Show Me How within the program.
I tend to believe that the instructions with a program actually are the way to use it :-)

I was a little surprised to read about peoples problems with Memorex dvds, I have never had any problems, in fact the only problems I have had were with Verbatim.

You know, I think I was getting your posts mixed up with those of another guy who kept using the word "bug" over and over to explain a lack of comprehension. You do seem genuinely interested in finding a solution.

So are you saying you now are getting a successful burn? If so, that is what really counts.

Hello again
I have not yet tried burning, but at least I know not to take too much notice of DVDA telling me the project is too large.
Overall I am actually quite impressed with the product, seems pretty straightforward to use. Naturally I will find problems, but that is to be expected when learning new software. It is certainly a lack of comprehension on my part rather than program bugs.
The members of this forum are very helpful, so you will probably see me back again when I get something wrong that I cannot sort out by guess and by God (or should that be by brute force and ignorance ?)

Here's my process that works 99% of the time.

Edit the project in Vegas, encode the MPEG and AC3 files from Vegas (in the "Render As" menu). If your project is over 70-minutes then the default encoding parameters will not work.

I have been using Mark's DVD Bitrate Calculator with great accuracy. Use this program and plug in your project parameters (round up. 1:35:24;12 rounde up to 1:35:25;00). I always use VBR - just set the min, max and average values into the DVDA template customise button.

Bring the MPEG file into DVDA. when you prepare, ignore the "too large" warning. I prepare to a separate folder (appropriately named "dvd files"). If that folder is less than 4.38GB, I know it will fit on a DVD-5.