I have a rather typical "it used to work and now it doesn't" scenario.

I "used to" use Nero to create DVD's from DV-AVI footage from my miniDV camcorder. It "used to" work fine.

Now the DVD output "stutters" every second or so, jumping back a couple of frames then some glitches then back to normal until the next judder.

The AVI files play fine and I've also tried it with some archived MP4 video I had from last year which produces the same result.

I tried burning the video to a DVD just in case it was the playback of MPEG2 on my machine, but that judders precisely the same way (edit: played back on a standalone hardware DVD player, not my PC), so through a process of elimination I believe it's the DVD encoding step that's failing.

Isn't that Nero's own DVD-video encoder? I can't see any MPEG2 encoders listed with GSpot under the video codecs so I assume Nero Vision has a built-in one?

I don't know if my problem is Nero 7 (I used to run Nero 6 and I'm pretty sure the last time I did this it was with 6) or what, and Nero's own "VIP support" have been useless up to now ...

This is annoying the crud outta me ...

I recommend going back to Nero 6. I found 7 to be unreliable.
Also be sure to go back to NeroVision 3.

Nero, like so many other software companies, let their customers be the beta testers. They may get the Nero 7 bugs worked out in a year or so. That's how long it took with Nero 6.

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Fav quote - "Experience is whatcha don't get 'till ya don't need it no more."

System - Athlon 1.4GHz, Win98, Hauppauge PVR250 receiver and compressor.
Software -Magix Movie Edit Pro 10, Nero 6 + NeroVision Express, Moho 4.61, PSP 8.1, Bryce, Quicktime 6.52 pro, Goldwave 5, DVD-Lab.
Cameras - Panasonic GS9, Canon ES8400V, Canon EOS D20 and Canon A70

Thanks for the advice - I've just been through all that - went back to Nero 6 and Vision Express 3 and it encodes fine. I've been very thorough with Ahead and told them precisely what is happening, given them all the files they ask for, thrown sample output at them and still nothing vaguely resembling a non-automated reply ...

Shame as NVE3 tends to throw a wobbler sometimes, crashing me out with weird XP messages - and I don't know if I have the last installer before 7 came out or not :/ hrmph ...