SonicFoundry stated right on the download page for the beta version
that MPEG wasn't supported.

As a general rule, SF software does not support reading or writing MPEG
or mp3 files until after being paid for and registered. The only exceptions
i can think of right off the top of my head are Acid Express and SIREN
Express, which are free, but still need to be registered for full capability.

I didn't download a beta. I downloaded what was suppose to be a full working demo of the final release. You've read enough of my posts to know for the present I'm only working with MPEG files making them VCD's. I would not have wasted two hours of downloading time if I knew up front the demo was crippled and didn't support MPEG in demo mode.

From my viewpoint Sonic Foundy is careless with its documentation. If you read page one of the introduction to VV3 in the downloadable PDF file there's an error. It lists MPEG under export file types, but it is missing under input file types. That's apparently not true.

When I received my packaged copy of the VF 2 version there was a postcard in the manual directing people to a errorenous web site from which to get the MPEG plug-in. That was for the version one plug-in, it could not work with version two. I called and they were unware of that blunder.

Now trying to install the VV demo in a folder labeled Sonic Foundy without warning the install program trashed my working copy of Video Factory simply because it happened to be a sub folder under the Sonic Foundry folder.

Anyone reading a fair amount of the online help knows there are numerous references to features not even included in Video Factory, but instead they pertain to Vegas Video. That suggests nobody at Sonic Foundy bothered to proof read the online help.

As I said many times I think VF is a great application. However, the registration scheme, the install method and the documentaiton needs work. Information is either missing or incorrect. Safeguards are lacking.

Rule one for any application is thou shall not overwrite another application's files without first asking. Now for my trouble I have a hosed Video Factory install and a demo that's useless to me.

Now I get to reinstall VF2. Anyone want to give me odds I won't have the same kind of activation nightmere all over again?

In case you didn't read far enough in my last post, i'll repeat:

"As a general rule, SF software does not support reading or writing
MPEG or mp3 files until after being paid for and registered."

I don't understand why you insist on being an apologist for crippled software. I detest ALL software that is crippled. Especially when you don't know it is crippled until you waste hours downloading the demo, only to find out it is crippled after the fact.

A demo's purpose should be to allow potential purchasers to TEST all the features of an application. How can you do that if some features are disabled?

I understand many people have little or no use for rendering to MPEG or do so infrequently. However, if you mainly make VCD's, being able to see what improvements if any VV3 has over VF2 is important.

If you've read many of my post fully, you'll recall I presently go through multiple steps to make VCD's because of limitaitons in Video Factory. Because all MPEG features are crippled in the VV3 demo neither I or anyone else wishing to upgrade to Vegas Video has any idea if for example Vegas Video supports SVCD and if or not you can modify the bitrate when rendering, what templates are available, etc..

I understand companies are concerned about piracy, and licensing issues. Software companies should also understand what a major turn off it is to customers and potential customers to indure clumsy activation schemes, forced registration and crippled demos.

At least you can test it out at all. Unlike many other software vendors.

Furthermore, I don't know the details here, but since the MPEG part of the software is licensed from third parties, they may not have the right to allow it in beta or demo versions.

-Jeremy

That's exactly my point. You CAN NOT check out the MPEG features until you buy it. Anyone using Video Factory 2 for making VCD's knows the severe limitations. You're stuck with one template. You can't even increase the bitrate or use a third party MPEG plug-in.

The MainConcept plugin has many more features than the Ligos one. I'm not an expert working with MPEG, but there are options for constant as well as variable bitrates. There are templates for both MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 and more than enough options to customize to confuse the hell out of me.

Also, for the record, I had no trouble unlocking the MainConcept plugin, however, I cannot unlock the old Ligos 1.1 plugin and have had to contact customer support. This is probably a bug.

-Jeremy

Are you saying you unlocked the MainConcept plug-in in the VV3 demo or that you unlocked it after purchasing the downloadable copy?

MPEG-2 encoders cost the provider (in this case SF) money for each and every copy distributed. Doesn't matter if its a demo version, timeout version, full version, whatever- MPEG.org and MPEGLA both take a cut and the is NO WAY AROUND this fee. This is the reason, the only reason, you don't get MPEG encoding with SF demo (free) versions.

There are a number of MPEG encoders floating around the net that are free. You are free to try them (and perhaps you already ahve). You'll notice that they are almost all "offshore" companies, and they are not paying the MPEG fees. You can bet your left arm that TMPEG is not paying $3-$8 in MPEG license fees for every free copy somebody downloads.

WVG: You are constantly and endlessly complaining about this and that (perhaps legitmately- I'll give you that), so in the spirit of good customer relations I would like you to write up a detailed letter of all your issues and send them to "sonicepm@sonicfoundry.com".
I will try to get all your problems resolved, and if that is unsatisfactory I will be glad to give you a full refund on any sf product that isn't working out for you.

Pelvis said: "MPEG-2 encoders cost the provider (in this case SF) money for each and every copy distributed. Doesn't matter if its a demo version, timeout version, full version, whatever- MPEG.org and MPEGLA both take a cut and the is NO WAY AROUND this fee. This is the reason, the only reason, you don't get MPEG encoding with SF demo (free) versions."

A reasonable person would conclude the point of Sonic Foundry sending me and other Video Factory users an email notice that they can upgrade to Vegas Video 3 at a discounted price was to intice them to do so. I'm a sticker for detail. Seeing no mention whatsoever on your download page that the demo was crippled, I had assumed it would be a full trial version and only after spending hours downloading same did I find out it was not. That spells frustration. It could have been avoided if Sonic Foundy would have made it clear on their download page that due to licensing restrictions or fees the demo didn't include support for MPEG until you actually purchased the application.

I paid the full price for VF1. I paid for the upgrade to version two and I just ordered the boxed verison of VV3 a couple days ago in spite of the fact I didn't get to test its rendering ability for MPEG.

I'm sorry you feel that I'm "constantly and endlessly complaining". I've praised Video Factory from the start. Like others I have pointed out some failings or wished for features. After all, I thought that was the purpose of a peer to peer forum.

I am a little confused. On my version of VF2, I have full access to any bitrate available for MPEG 1 or 2. I can make my own templates and save them for any MPEG or AVI format. Are you sure you are accessing the right menus.

If you choose Advanced Render, Select MPG for the extension and then choose CUSTOM, you can change frame size, bit rate, field order and audio options as well.
Do you not have these on your version WVG?

Dave T2

I also can manipulate the data rates for MPEG in VF2. I also am a VCD creator, WVG, and for the past 3 weeks I have been using SF VF2 with no complaints (other than my titling disappearing(!!)) - last week I upgraded to VV3 - it's a steal at only $149. The MPEG works flawlessly. There are some weird "patchyness" on some of the encodes - but it might be something *I* am doing wrong. I have noticed it only on a few, however. The rest came out beautiful. VV3 is a combination of VF2's easy and natural visual editing and VV's power and flexibility. I have to hand it to SF, they may have some issues here and there - (but so does my new Eddie Bauer Ford!) this product has me hooked - I have been using VV3 - upgrading as a new user from VF2 - for about 5 days now solid - and I have never experienced a fatality. In fact, the autosave feature saved me from another program's crash. The ONLY thing I have found so far is that applying some of the VideoFX filters, such as color balance, sometimes does not show the real-time changes in the preview window. Haven't quite figured that one out but I'll keep an eye in the VV3 forums. This is the only forum that I have been a part of until now - but being that I am now a user of VV3 ... I guess I venture onward...

Good luck to you.