Won't Play Architect generated DVD on Computer

ta wrote on 2/19/2003, 6:06 AM
Is anyone having problems playing PAL DVD's generated from Architect on a computer using windvd or powerdvd etc. My DVD's play without any problems on a standalone DVD player (Sony) but hang or run very slowly when using WinDVD or PowerDVD on either my main computer or laptop. I am using DVD-RW media. DVD's generated from another authoring application run without any problem, (except that the quality is not as good as Architects on the standalone).

Comments

RBartlett wrote on 2/19/2003, 8:23 AM
Is it the same PC that you use Architect upon. If so the MainConcept DirectShow filter may have upstaged the WinDVD or PowerDVD MPEG/DVD filters and exhibited some incompatibility. Can you try it, or have you tried it on the same software players, but away from any SoFo products.

What is the average video bit rate setting you have in DVDA and what resolution and bitrate for AC3/LPCM ? Not that there should be a problem if you have a PC meeting WinDVD and PowerDVD min spec for DVD playback....
Peyton wrote on 2/19/2003, 10:07 AM
The tech folks are aware of this one. It hits some folks but not others. A fix should be coming out with the patch they're working up for the next couple weeks. You can call them at 608.204.7704, and describe what's happening, the details of your system, other software you've got installed, and whatever else might help them kill this bug dead.

Our DVDs even play on a really old Pioneer player, but not in software on the PC. It's odd. Good people beating up on the problem, though.

Cheers,
Peyton
rstein wrote on 2/20/2003, 1:52 AM
Affects NTSC, too.

Try burning the DVD and burn with a different program (RecordNow, Nero) and I bet the issue goes away. That is, take the DVDA-generated \video_ts folder and use a different program to just to the burning part.

Taking the \video_ts folder as created from DVDA and accessing it via network from the original hard drive, software players work fine. It's definitely something funky it's doing with the burn.

Bob.
philfort wrote on 2/20/2003, 2:07 AM
I just burned my first DVD with Architect. I tried it right after with PowerDVD and it did not behave nicely. It starts off ok, but very quickly the video got jerky, clicking on the menus was non-responsive. Then PowerDVD either hung (once), or put up an error message saying the DVD was corrupt. Tried both DVD drives (burner, and player) with the same result.

Then I tried playing it with windows media player, and it was ok (except the menu screens are really lo-res/chunky, and the audio was barely audible at full volume). Then I tried again with PowerDVD, and it seems ok now....

very weird.
Jdodge wrote on 2/20/2003, 11:06 AM
We have discovered the bug that is causing this problem. A DVD Architect update will be posted within the next few weeks which will contain a fix for this problem. If you need a fix for this immediately, please contact Tech Support by phone: 608.204.7704 from 9am to 11:30 am, and again from 12:30pm to 5pm Central Standard Time. We can zip a couple of files for you and send them to you via email. Again, the soon to release update will contain a fix to this problem, so if you can wait a bit, the application will be patched up shortly.
Peyton wrote on 2/20/2003, 11:53 AM
Joshua and the developers allowed my wife and me to serve as testers for the new files, and they work great! They solve the problem with failing to write readable disks and also allow the disks to play on computer software players as well as stand-alone ones.

Call and get the files, or wait for the patch, but you will be well pleased, either way. Those folks really put a lot of attention on this, and they got it right.

Cheers,
Peyton
philfort wrote on 2/20/2003, 12:14 PM
This morning it doesn't work again.

Windows didn't even recognize the DVD. When I clicked on the drive, it brought up a message about there not being a disc in it, or the disc is not compatible with windows.

I popped it out and tried again, and this time Windows recognized it and opened PowerDVD. PowerDVD tried to play it, but it just hung, with the drive light constantly on.

Is this the same bug there is a fix coming for?