[Michael Bozik]

I’m very curious to hear how this works out, as I’m having a tough time myself getting clean captures. I’m going to try hdvsplit.

[Michael Bozik]

I’m having some serious problems rendering Dolby AC3 for my DVD projects. I’ve been using Vegas Pro 9 for the last year to do this with no problems. Then after I updated to the latest version (9.0e build 1147) the plugin will not work. All I get is a file with no sound (empty) and sometimes Vegas won’t even let me import the bad file into the timeline. I do have the latest DVDA installed, too. I’m currently working with Sony to sort this out but it’s going slow.

I’ve defragged, cleaned my registry and even reinstalled with no success. Has anyone else had this problem? Please help, I’m now a week behind schedule.

Thanks,
Mike

[Michael Bozik]

I’m not sure I follow that explanation. I think that each setting changes the bit rate, lowering it slightly for each lower setting. (ie. Best = 8mbps; Draft = 2mbps which is good vcr quality.

Question 1) I have Vegas Platinum 7 and cannot chose cbr or vbr. What is the default setting for rendering DVDA compliant MPG2?

Question 2) Does each option (draft, preview, good, best) use a different method? (ie. Best uses vbr; Good uses cbr)

Question 3) I have rendered a video segment as MPG2 in each of these settings but the file sizes are exactly the same. Do they have any effect on DVDA compliant MPG2 renders? I’m trying to fit 1:45 of video on a DVD.

Question 4) If Vegas won’t allow me to alter the bit rate for renders, will DVDA do it for me? (ie. put a DV file in and let it fit to disc)

[Michael Bozik]

Gentlemen,

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post. I guess everything just boiled over for me last night and I had to say some things that have been on my mind. I do appreciate the patience you have shown, but I will not stop asking why things cannot change – and “Life isn’t perfect” is not acceptable to me. (At least not on this thread. It is after all, a rant.)

I’m not asking for perfection – just something closer to it. Are there not examples of software that is virtually bug free and stable? – “Yes.”

Therefore, I must repectfully disagree on principle about the points made concerning “perfection”… I don’t see why a virtually bug free platform cannot be achieved – even if it’s through various patches and fixes. Why is everyone so happy to accept the status-quo? Is it too much to ask of these multi-billion dollar conglomerates to improve their standards? They have become beaurocratic and bloated.

You must see my point, here. It’s just software, for crying-out- loud. I suspect that profits are at the bottom of that equation – Why fix what is current when you have a deadline to meet for your next version? It all just gets shoved under the rug. Not to mention that all our current technology is being slow-fed to us in the name of profit (Instant-Obsolescence…one of the ugly faces of Capitalism) – but that’s another issue.

The suggestion that I write my own code is not valid. If it was meant to be sarcastic, then that’s ok. I know I probably got under someones’ skin with my surly tone – and I do apologize. However, that’s like saying “If you don’t want your car to ever break down, then build your own.” How would you feel if the day after purchasing a new car things suddenly started going wrong and YOU were somehow expected to just figure it out and fix it, with little or no help from the manafactuer? Well, our economy certainly would grind to a halt if the automotive industry were as irresponsible as some software manafacturers are. The reason they can be so irresponsible is because there is NO GOVERNING BODY THAT WILL DICTATE A SET OF STANDARDS THAT WILL ALLOW SUCH A SCENARIO TO DEVELOP. This is the ugly side of Capitalism – private enterprise run amock with little rules or regulations to reel them in. And let’s face it, there aren’t a whole lot of choices out there for me to opt into. Whereas, I could go buy a Japanese car if I were dissatisfied with my current one.

This is very much an OS/hardware issue, as well. The lack of standardization in our industry is overwhelming, counterproductive and unacceptable. Obviously, writing my own code cannot be a solution because “It’s not my job”… It’s the job of some programmer out there pulling down $250,000 a year.

I do wish to aplogize for my inuendos about the banner adds – That is an example of Capitalism at its best. And this site has pulled me out of many deep holes.

Once again, thank you to everyone for responding to this because it shows that you all do care. You do have well thought-out opinions and ideas. That alone gives me solace. I hope this only encourages more debate and does not offend. My purpose is not to inflame argument for the sake of argument. I do see a great opportunity here to discuss these issues with those of you in the industry and in the know. Perhaps I will be able to gleen a better perspective on how to handle such frustrations.

Best Regards,
Mike Bozik

[Michael Bozik]

With not a lot of excitement, I have finally decided to join my first technical forum. CC is definitely one of the best out there, as I have spent the better part of 10 years reading forums to find solutions to hardware, software, and os bugs that in my opinion should not exist.

I read that CC has many industry professionals involved in it, and I shouldn’t be disrespectful or rude. I must however admit, after reading this thread, I find myself somewhat confused and insulted.

The general attitude here seems to be that life isn’t perfect and us users should just get used to it and do our job…yada yada yada.

I do not share this happy-go-lucky philosophical outlook that has been so artfully presented by certain people on this thread. Do you have any idea what it is to have a deadline for a project, then find out your software is somehow deficient or bugged out? I wonder…

If there are so many people “in the know” that work for these big companies (mac, sony, microsoft…) out there listening, then why is nothing getting fixed? It is not my job to solve all these technical problems that never go away – and never seem to really have a solution. Each successive version of software seems to be as deficient as the previous – just in different areas.

Your forms are filled with questions about crippleware that rarely get answered. Nothing is getting solved! Where are all these industry big-wigs when it comes to taking responsibility for putting defective software on the market and leaving us small fish to flap around in the mud with no real answers? I paid my money and read my manuals…I feel like it was all a waste of time!

In case you can’t tell, I am in the middle of a very frustrating period with my current projects and shudder to think that I will need to spend yet even more of my valuble time sorting out issues and work-arounds.

So here is my question to all you Phd’s out there… Is this fourm doing anything Pro-Active to lean on the product manafacturers to provide fixes for all the stupid defects that are wasting 70% of my time? Or is this forum just an excuse to put up banner adds?

At the end of my rope,
Mike Bozik
Wilmington, NC

ps: As sad and pessemistic as it souds, I don’t really expect to get a satisfactory answer, but I’d love to be surprised!