Pulling my hair out: DVDA 5.2/6.0 codec issues

Jetxdammit wrote on 9/30/2014, 1:23 PM

Hoping someone has had this issue and also found the solution. Searched the forums, searched the web, and haven't found much of anything except in relation to Vegas, not DVDA.

I'm working on a bonus disc that is purely a multi-angle HD video. Everything works in disc preview, we're all good there. It's when it comes to rendering/preparing/mastering.

I repeatedly get, when I select AVC as the codec: "No compatible video codec was found". Even MPEG2 as an option, I get this 50% of the time when I try to render/burn.

I've tried everything, including true clean installs (not just uninstalling the software, but also nuking any remnants in the registry as well).

Help????

Ok, long and short, I've tried on two PCs, here's the basic PC info:

1. PC 1: i5 processor, 8GB RAM, NVidia graphics, Windows 7 32-bit (Sony Vaio desktop all in one);

2. PC 2: i7 processor, 8GB RAM, Intel HD graphics, Windows 8.1 64-bit.

Main problem: No matter which system, during the build/rendering stage of the disc (Blu-Ray), I get "No compatible video codec was found" in relation to AVC as the choice. It also happens sporadically with MPEG2 as the codec choice.

Project info: Blu-Ray, 50GB disc size, using MP4 video (1280x720p/60) h264 as the source, menu-based multi-angle video. Output as MP4 using H264 from Adobe Premiere.

Preview of disc: everything works out perfectly, runs accordingly. Disc space used shows 37.5GB (should be higher, but ok).

But when it comes to assembling/rendering/preparing/burning (to an disc image on a hard drive), I get the "no compatible video codec was found" when choosing AVC.

Now, here's what I've done on both PCs:

1. Nuke all remnants of DVDA (both 5.2 and 6.0). This includes from the registry with all examples below;
2. Tried installing just DVDA 5.2 only. Problem still occurs
3. Tried installing just DVDA 6.0 only. Problem still occurs
4. Tried installing just DVDA 5.2 AND Vegas 11. Problem still occurs.
5. Tried installing just DVDA5.2 and Vegas 12. Problem still occurs
6. Tried installing just DVDA6.0 and Vegas 12. Problem still occurs.

I've lost a week trying to fix this to no avail.

Yesterday, I did manage to get one MPEG2 image Blu-Ray to "complete" - however, the final output was not the 37.5GB image, but a 5.2GB image. The file structure was intact on the disc, but only the first 3 frames of video played then it was just black screen (and no audio).

Please help, I'm pulling my hair out here.

Comments

Steve Mann wrote on 10/1/2014, 12:02 AM

Are you letting DVDA render your files? Big mistake. You should render the DVDA compatible files in Vegas using the appropriate DVDA or AC3 templates.

Jetxdammit wrote on 10/1/2014, 11:32 AM

My files were edited in another program, not Vegas. So I really have no choice here unless you're suggesting I import every single file I edited just to render each one out via Vegas.

musicvid10 wrote on 10/1/2014, 1:30 PM

You need to render your files.
Better to do it in Vegas.
See knowledge base article 84.

vkmast wrote on 10/1/2014, 1:45 PM

SCS KB # 84 is here.
Or see here/Rendering projects.

Jetxdammit wrote on 10/1/2014, 2:28 PM

Therein lies the problem - my files have to be recompressed. Why? Because it's a purely multi-angle / multi-stream Blu-Ray. DVDA requires all multi-angle videos be recompressed, and via DVDA, not via Vegas because it has to mux all the streams together.

Page 88 of the manual:

"Warning: Any title that contains multiple video tracks will be recompressed when you prepare your project so the main video and the alternate angles can be combined into a new video file. To avoid recompression artifacts (and unnecessary processing time) use AVI files for your multiangle video titles."

If it were a single file/movie, then using Vegas I get. But because it's multi-angle I can't export out of Vegas and fix the problem. DVDA will still recompress multi-angle file.

So, I guess I'm back to my original issue of why it says AVC codec isn't available (when all the AVC files play normally in the preview), and if I select MPEG2 it always crashes DVDA at the 25% mark.

It's frustrating that the software can't be used the way it was designed, but instead all these workarounds are required (but don't work in my specific case).

videoITguy wrote on 10/1/2014, 2:46 PM

Some general notes about authoring multi-angle discs - does not matter if DVDApro or anything else.

You feed full quality video streams to as many angles as you need. All streams for a given group of videos must be exactly of same length - regardless of whether they carry visible picture - pad with black if you must. Now that said each video stream will be compressed and muxed by the authorware to its fit - like if you have two angles - each stream will be compressed by 1/2 as much. You get the idea.

This would be a bit poor for DVD production - but Blu-ray can be authored so high - that the result compressions of each stream are still a lot better than a single stream produced DVD.

Jetxdammit wrote on 10/1/2014, 4:11 PM

Thanks for the tips about multi-angle, yes, agree - my DVD with multi-angle is already at the manufacturer and looks quite good, but trying to get the Blu-Ray version done in DVDA has been a massive headache (DVD was authored with DVDSP).

I threw h264 encoded MP4s as the source, and it just keeps crashing during render (at th 25% mark). I tried a test this morning of throwing MPEG2 (.m2v) files with just one part (a 3 angle bit) and it went all the way through and finished. Haven't tested it yet, but will this evening. If tests come out satisfactory, then I'll just pre-render all the files using encoded MPEG2 files and hope I can compile the disc.