Wow, I think you have discovered a MAJOR bug that must have crept in since the original release.

I did a test to duplicate your problem. I just put a short MPEG2 clip into DVD-A and then prepared the files. I then set the inpoint and outpoint (to shorten the clip) and prepared a second set of files. The position of the endpoint makes no difference whatsoever. The prepared files are the same size, and play right to the end of the original clip. I tried again, but this time set the in/out points by clicking on the in/out icons rather than dragging the in/out point handles on the timeline. This made no difference.

I used this feature before upgrading to DVD-A version 1.0c. It definitely worked in 1.0. I think it worked in 1.0a.

SOFO, are you listening? I think this is a bug, and a pretty serious one.

John thanks for your background knowledge! I'll wait a day or two for a reply on this thread from a moderator and then take more steps to contact Sonic.

Thanks again, Chris

Sonic Foundry,
I noticed this also but didn't realize it had worked at one time; you'll notice it also doesn't change the total length when you go to prepare, so the clip points are totally ignored throughout.
Sonic Foundry please address this and the navigation & end actions before the Rubicon is crossed--the die has already been cast; we need 1(d) within the next 2 weeks [you know of whence I speak]. Please provide what you can.
Note: if you only have time to do one, we can clip external to DVD-A, so the navigation and multiple audio tracks are still highest on my list.
thanks,
Gold

here's the story:

If DVDA is encoding the video files (.avi, mpeg, whatever) we will trim the file to the length specified by the i/o markers (the little yellow flags).

If you have DVDA-project-valid MPEG files (indicated by the green checkmarks in the optimize window) and do not force a recompress of these files, these "green check" files will not be trimmed even if you have set i/o marks that don't correspond to the start/end of the file. If the i/o marks are used as the start/end of a chapter, that works, just tried it...but again, the file itself doesn't get cut to fit.

I know people keep looking for a way to do this, but you cannot trim MPEG files without recompressing to MPEG a second time with any of our tools at this time. Your options are: Render the MPEG files to the "right" length when you create them (in Vegas), or, use a 3rd party tool to cut/join the MPEGs*.

*Some users have been able to cut join MPEGs with TMPEG or other tools and claimed it works flawlessly. I have tried this and have had mixed results- glitches from time to time at edit points, with the added problem of de-synced AC3 thrown in.

If you start out with the general concept that MPEG-2 and AC-3 are destination (delivery) formats and are not source formats, that may help clarify the ideal workflow a little. We have our eye on solving this complicated set of problems this for a future version, no promises.

Thanks for the clarification. TMPGEnc works very well for cutting CBR files. The glitches seem to only happen with VBR files. I've also had very good success with VCR-MPEG. This program has the added advantage that you can set multiple in/out points within a file (for instance to cut out all the commercials in a recorded program).

I've made my points many other times in other posts, so I won't repeat them all here. My main request is that DVD-A should be able to edit MPEG in all its forms (VOB, MPEG2, elementary streams) with no recompres unless absolutely necessary, and with as little effort on the user's part as possible.

I certainly hear your pain, but I respectfully disagree. I'd much rather see Sony concentrate on making DVDA a better DVD making tool rather than trying to turn it into a video editor. Vegas does a great job at that. If you start trying to make DVDA do everything, invariably the things it's intended to do or the "pipeline" for new DVD making features will suffer.

Wow.

Somebody's sure behind on their forum posts... ;-)

Rob