I'm trying to create a DVD for the first time using DVD Architect 4.5. The video I'm trying to burn is an AVI file. The file loads fine, but when I go to play it within the application, I only get audio. The preview screen is black/blank. The file plays find in WMP so I don't think it's a codec issue. I tested a WMV file and I am able to see that. Any ideas?

Should play fine. Have you turned the preview window on? Is it a normal .avi ? (compressed at 5:1 in the cam) Do you maybe have separate video/audio files with the same name? Personally, I'd do the conversion to MPEG2 using Vegas rather than DVDA - many more quality options. Try rendering a small piece of your .avi to MPEG2 in Vegas, then import that into DVDA to see what happens.

The preview is on, yes. It is a DivX 7 codec avi. I tried loading another AVI file taken with a cellphone cam and it wouldn't even load. I don't want to have to convert AVI files with this type of encoding each time I want to create a DVD because I don't want to affect the video quality. Perhaps different software is the answer.

If you want to create a DVD video then you HAVE to convert it. The DVD Video format means you have to use MPEG2. Period.

All Archie's suggestion does is moves that conversion from within DVD Architect to within Vegas.

You will then only use DVDA for constructing and burning the DVD (adding menus, renaming files and putting them in the correct folders etc)

So, you're not creating an aditional step. And you're going from one highly compressed format to a much less highly compressed format so loss of quality shouldn't be much of an issue.

Problems with Vegas/DVDA and DivX aren't new - you're not alone. Usualy people do manage to solve them and usually by installing/reinstalling codec packs. Search this forum for Vegas and DivX.

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Tim

Thanks. I have Vegas on my other computer so I'll try that. My concern was that any conversion between formats would change video quality which I'm, of course, not interested in. From what you say, though, it seems like it would be unnoticeable or non-existent.

Does DVDA have a format converter? If not, why does DVDA say it can burn AVI files (among other format) if it doesn't?

Yes, and more. It is not just converting video/audio files.

Where does it say this?

I think you are confusing 2 separate functions:

1] Rendering: Here DVDA creates the MPEG files fro the Video and Audio streams; stills; text and organises them in a folder DVD format in a specific order ready for . . .

2] Burning: Here DVDA then goes and burns the rendered, prepared media onto the DVD platter.

Preparation/Rendering is NOT Burning.

Grazie's right I've been using DVDA for a few years now and while I was encoding to Mpeg2 with DVDA3 I have found that DVDA4, at least in default, will rerender whether I import the video as AVI (format I capture from on my Panasonic GS500) or if I take an Mpeg2 render of my final video and import that.

So all that to say with the price of hard drives being as they are I'm rendering to AVI using Vegas then importing that AVI to my DVDA project then setting the bitrate in DVDA as high as it can go and still fit on the disk.


Anyone out there find a better way? If so please let me know cuz I'm always looking to improve the process.

Well, the only thing I'd add to this would be to recognise that maybe not ALL DVD players can/could reach the "highest" bitrate - sometimes I've had, on visually "noisy" sections, stopping/sticking and stuttering. So your criteria of Highest rate for Platter space may just confound a more elderly STP DVD Player? I now, as a matter of choice, don't exceed 7mbs, I find this is more than acceptable and I don't get playback errors. And, in this current era of "up-scaling" devices, for large LCD TV flatties, this lowlier bitrate, produces-back, sumptuous final displays. That would be my only additional tip, born out of trail and error. Tempting as it maybe, 'cos we DO have platter space, just think that it may not be necessary to use it all - yeah?

I'm finally getting around to trying to convert the AVI file to an MPEG2 using Sony Vegas (Pro 9.0). I import the AVI file and then go to Render As... The only output types, however, are:
aa3
aif
ac3
flac
mp3
ogg
wav
pca
w64
wav
wma

Additionally, I don't see any video when I'm previewing; only audio.

So you're missing all the video formats!
Very strange indeed. Get straight onto Sony Creative Software and raise a support ticket. They may take a few days to get back to you but on the basis you've waited a month since your last posts I guess a few more days won't hurt.

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Tim