Unknown Error

coastTOcoast533 wrote on 12/9/2006, 12:14 PM
I sent the following message to support, but it's been a while with no response. I need to get this done by Christmas, so please help if anyone can. Here's what I sent:

I made a DVD with this program for some friends as a Christmas present. I spent a long time on it, only to find out I have to buy it to prepare the DVD. I should've expected that, but I didn't. So after all the hard work, I had to buy it. I'm 15 with no income, so $90 was quite a bit of money to pay.

I went to make my DVD and I let the computer run overnight to finish the job. I woke up to find the message: "Warning: An error occured while writing a file. The reason for the error could not be determined." I've tried it twice more since then, and the same thing occurs. This third time, I was at the computer instead of letting it run. It happened toward the end of the preparing part of the process, although I didn't see what file it exactly was.

It takes about 4 hours to get to that point, so it's really not easy to guess and check at what the problem might be. All the files were rendered fine, so I'm not sure why they can't be prepared. Looking at the folder I made for the DVD to prepare into, the AUDIO_TS folder is empty. I'm not sure what that might mean.

Hopefully I explained that well enough. I would like to get this done soon, so please get back to me. Thanks for the help.

Comments

GeorgeW wrote on 12/9/2006, 12:31 PM
I'm assuming (based on the price you quoted), that it was a version of Sony MovieStudio+DVD? If so, do you happen to be in the USA? I only mention that because today is the last day of a sale at Bestbuy for the software for $59.99 after Instant Savings -- I only mention it in case you can take advantage of a price-match at the store you bought your version (if it's the same version of the software as the one on sale at Bestbuy).

Getting back to your issue, are you working in DVD Architect Studio? Did you do your editing in Vegas MovieStudio? If so, what are the properties of the output files you are creating? Can you list all the properties of all the assets you are using in DVD Architect Studio (including video and audio).

Perhaps you happen to have an audio track that is *.mp3 -- which I have seen cause problems during some dvd builds (not necessarily with DVD Architect Studio, but with some other DVD Authoring programs -- what worked for me was to first convert the *.mp3 files to *.wav files at 48khz, 16-bit stereo, and then use the *.wav files in my Authoring program).
bStro wrote on 12/9/2006, 12:56 PM
Hm, you say that the AUDIO_TS folder is empty (which is okay, by the way -- it's generally only added for compatability purposes). That suggests that DVDA already started if not finished the prepare processes -- since creating the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders is part of that process. Maybe it did manage to prepare all the files and is snagged at or right before the burning process.

Is there a VIDEO_TS folder? And if so, what's in it? If the VIDEO_TS folder has a file called VIDEO_TS.IFO, try opening it in a DVD playing app like WinDVD or Roxio DVD Max (or even Windows Media Player, assuming you have the proper codecs installed).

If it opens, and you can navigate around the "DVD" as expected, then try burning those files to a DVD either with DVD Architect Studio or with some other DVD burning app (Nero, CopyToDVD, whatever).

Rob
coastTOcoast533 wrote on 12/10/2006, 4:33 PM
GeorgeW: Thanks for the info on the Best Buy deal. I bought my software online, however.

I did most of my editing in Windows Movie Maker actually. The main movie I did with Windows and Vegas, but most of the "special features" I did with Windows. Would that be a problem? All of my videos are in WMV, or Windows Media Video, format.

All of the audio in my DVD is in MP3 format. I'll try converting them and see if it works. Thanks!

bStro: The VIDEO_TS.IFO file isn't there. There is a VIDEO_TS.VOB though, if that means anything. There is also a file called VTS_01_0, with a file type that says "Backup of the IFO"

Thanks for your help, both of you. I'll post again when I check if the MP3 to WAV conversion solves the problem.
coastTOcoast533 wrote on 12/12/2006, 12:33 PM
Well, I changed the MP3s to WAVs and that seemed to work. It prepared fine. And then I burned it, and the main movie will not play. I've tried 2 DVD players, and PS2, and my computer. It won't play on any of them. An extra clip I added that I recorded from my webcam also will not play. All of the other special features I added, which is quite a few, worked great. I don't understand. I checked the prepared folder and even the DVD itself, and the files for both of the ones that don't work are there. Why would they not play by accessing them from the menu? Please help! I don't want to waste another DVD. The 8.5 GB ones are expensive. I also need to get this to my friends by Christmas. I don't know why this is becoming so complicated.
ScottW wrote on 12/12/2006, 1:31 PM
IMO, you'll be better off burning two 4.7GB DVD's than one 8.5GB DVD - it will be cheaper in the long run, and you can easily test your DVD using rewritable media. There are a number of pitfalls with double layer media, any of which could be what you're encountering.

If you must burn DL media, I would suggest using +R DL media (a quality brand such as Taiyo Yuden), and a DVD burner that will burn a booktype of DVD-ROM by default for DL media (many will but double check). I've not actually played with DVDAS and DL media, so I don't know how good it is at setting the layer break - Copy2DVD (another burning program) seems to be pretty good at correctly setting the layer break.

As far as not playing the movies, I assume that when you preview things in DVDAS that everything works ok?

Another thing you can try, is to download a copy of PGCedit (free) - load your prepared project into it, tell PGCedit to fix the errors it finds, delete the backup folder that it creates in the VIDEO_TS directory and then reburn your prepared project.

--Scott