[Edit] Check out my next post for much more insight into what is causing this.[end edit]

I just submitted a bug report on an almost identical problem. The bug report was quite long, so I won't repeat here, but the problem is that it crashes when previewing a "music compilation" that consists of MPEG2/AC-3 file combinations, all of which were rendered in Vegas 4.0d using the DVD Architect NTSC template (for the video) and the AC-3 stereo template for the audio.

I have not been able to isolate it to a specific AC-3 file -- it seems instead to relate to the total size of the project: The bigger the project, the more likely the crash. If I make the project larger than will fit on a disc (without re-compression), then it crashes almost immediately. I am getting more suspicious that there are memory leaks (which were in DVDA 1.0 as well).

Here is my crash report:

Sony DVD Architect
Version 2.0 (Build 94)
Exception 0xC0000005 (access violation) READ:0x310BE248 IP:0x2BFD1FF
In Module 'ac3plug.dll' at Address 0x2B90000 + 0x6D1FF
Thread: Main ID=0x120 Stack=0x12E000-0x130000
Registers:
EAX=00000086 CS=001b EIP=02bfd1ff EFLGS=00010202
EBX=00000001 SS=0023 ESP=0012ee88 EBP=00000024
ECX=310be248 DS=0023 ESI=00000091 FS=0038
EDX=ffff0000 ES=0023 EDI=00000000 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
02BFD1FF: DC 09 66 8B 3D 4C FE C9 ..f.=L..
02BFD207: 02 8B 15 90 C4 C9 02 66 .......f
Stack Dump:
0012EE88: 02C9C500 02B90000 + 10C500 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EE8C: 00000000
0012EE90: 0012EEE4 00030000 + FEEE4
0012EE94: 02C9FE60 02B90000 + 10FE60 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EE98: 00150002 00150000 + 2
0012EE9C: 00000000
0012EEA0: 000004B6
0012EEA4: 00000005
0012EEA8: 00000580
0012EEAC: 00000008
0012EEB0: 0000069E
0012EEB4: 00000024
0012EEB8: 00000000
0012EEBC: 00000000
0012EEC0: FFFF8000
0012EEC4: 00000024
> 0012EEE0: 02C9C4B0 02B90000 + 10C4B0 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEE4: 0012F048 00030000 + FF048
> 0012EEE8: 02BF8F19 02B90000 + 68F19 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEEC: 00000000
> 0012EEF0: 02BF9531 02B90000 + 69531 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEF4: 00150000 00150000 + 0
0012EEF8: 037D7328 03730000 + A7328
0012EEFC: 00000000
> 0012EF00: 02BF6ADC 02B90000 + 66ADC (ac3plug.dll)
- - -
0012FFF0: 00000000
0012FFF4: 00000000
0012FFF8: 005C6A9A 00400000 + 1C6A9A (dvdarch20.exe)
0012FFFC: 00000000

O.K., I have a lot more news that will help you (Sony) fix this.

I was able to reduce the steps needed to reproduce the bug to just putting three AC-3 files (with no video) into a music compilation. I put these AC-3 files into their own directory so they wouldn't interact with the MPEG files (i.e., the MPEG files that have the same name wouldn't load). I was able to get it to crash every single time.

Perfect. It's repeatable.

I then re-booted, started DVDA 2.0, and repeated the problem again.

Now, this is where it gets interesting.

I tried putting each of the three AC-3 files, one at a time, into the compilation, in order to find out which one causes the problem. After adding each one, I Previewed the disc.

No crash.

By the time I had added all three files, I still didn't have a crash. I then re-booted, started DVDA 2.0 and tried adding all three files at once (i.e., the same technique that I was able to get a crash every time).

NO CRASH!! What happened?

I then looked in the directory that held just the three AC-3 files, and noticed that there were now SFK files that DVDA builds.

Hmmm …

I deleted the SFK files, restarted DVDA, and added all three files at once. Bingo! It crashed.

Thus, the problem appears to be that if you add multiple files all at once to a music compilation, DVDA creates corrupt SFK files. Perhaps other things are being corrupted as well.

I have reported all sorts of other "disk thrashing" and similar problems (via bug reports and via the forum). I wonder if this is at the root of the other problems as well?

Just to be clear, when I add multiple files, I do this as follows:

1. I first select multiple files in the DVD Architect explorer view. I do this using either Ctrl-click or Shift-click.

2. I right-click on this multiple selection and wait (sometimes for thirty seconds or longer) for the pop-up menu to appear. I then select "Insert Songs" (for a music compilation) or "Insert Media" (when I am adding video to a menu based DVD).

Thus, the problem appears to be related to adding multiple items at once.

[Edit] I just verified that the SFK file only gets created when an AC-3 file is put into a music compilation. If you place an MPEG file and its associated AC-3 file into a menu based DVD, no SFK file is created, and no "Preview crash" occurs.

HI SONY,

Just to bring you up to date regarding this issue. I have attached below another of the many dumps to date only whwn adding ac3 files to a music compilation. I havr tried all of my ac3 files in random selections and it would seem to be an issue with SFK file created as johnmyer posted. DVDA2 just quits. Hope you can isolate an provide a fix.

Sony DVD Architect
Version 2.0 (Build 94)
Exception 0xC0000005 (access violation) READ:0x0 IP:0x2C5D10F
In Module 'ac3plug.dll' at Address 0x2BF0000 + 0x6D10F
Thread: Main ID=0x658 Stack=0x12E000-0x130000
Registers:
EAX=06020000 CS=001b EIP=02c5d10f EFLGS=00010202
EBX=00000001 SS=0023 ESP=0012eeb8 EBP=00000024
ECX=00000000 DS=0023 ESI=000000a9 FS=003b
EDX=0000009f ES=0023 EDI=00000000 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
02C5D10F: DC 09 66 8B 3D 4C EE CF ..f.=L..
02C5D117: 02 8B 15 90 B4 CF 02 66 .......f
Stack Dump:
0012EEB8: 02CFB500 02BF0000 + 10B500 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEBC: 00000000
0012EEC0: 0012EF14 00030000 + FEF14
0012EEC4: 02CFEE60 02BF0000 + 10EE60 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEC8: 02CFEE40 02BF0000 + 10EE40 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EECC: 00000000
0012EED0: 00000000
0012EED4: 00000000
0012EED8: 02C58B32 02BF0000 + 68B32 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEDC: 0000000D
0012EEE0: 00000000
0012EEE4: 00000024
0012EEE8: 00000000
0012EEEC: 00000000
0012EEF0: 02CFEE60 02BF0000 + 10EE60 (ac3plug.dll)
0012EEF4: 00000024
> 0012EF10: 02CE76E0 02BF0000 + F76E0 (ac3plug.dll)
- - -
0012FFF0: 00000000
0012FFF4: 00000000
0012FFF8: 005C6A9A 00400000 + 1C6A9A (dvdarch20.exe)
0012FFFC: 00000000

DEAR SONY,

Any answers as yet? I am not confident in uaing DVDA2 as it seems to just quit! My system is:

P4, DUAL XEON 2.8GB
2 GB RAM
400GB STRIPED VIDEO DRIVE
100GB BOOT DRIVE
256MG NIV GRAPHIC DRIVE

ONLY SOFTWARE: WINXP PRO, VEGAS 5 AND DVDA2

CLEAN AS A WHISTLE...

CHEERS
- COFFEEBEAN

Not yet but we are looking into this.

coffeebean and johnmeyer,

Can you please post the build number and location of the ac3 plug-in being used by Vegas 5.0 on your computer? This can be determined by...
1. File | Render As...
2. Set "Save as type" to "Dolby Digital AC-3 (*.ac3)"
3. Click "About..." button

Thanks.

Hi ,

Info from about screen

version 1 build (918)
C:\Program Files\sony\Shared Plug-ins\File Formats\AC3\ac3plug.dll

Hope this helps
-coffeebean

Version 1.0 (Build 960)
C:\Program Files\sony\Shared Plug-ins\File Formats\AC3\ac3plug.dll

The AC3PLUG.DLL file properties information provides this info:

File Version: 1.0.0.960

Thanks for the info. We found the cause of the problem and it will be fixed in the next update.

The crash can occur when the timeline window is building peaks and playing back in the timeline or previewing. So, for now, make sure peaks for AC-3 files are fully built before you playback or preview.