Does MediaStudio accept user-adjusted VBR values?

[alosada]

I have edited the msp.ini file for MSP 7.0 to have access to the many options for MPEG rendering and found that it will not accept any values you input as Max, Ave and Min VBR bitrates. Rather, it uses the highest value you input as Max, 90% that value as Ave and 192 kbps as Min (which is exactly what VideoStudio used to do too).

Do I have to modify some other file or registry entry for MSP to accept any other choice of VBR values than its apparent defaults?

Thanks very much in advance for any feedback you may provide.

Antonio Losada

[Brian Ellis]

This is a bug that Ulead are currently trying to identify and correct. I have the same problem. Please post full details of your hardware, codecs, source files and operating system so that I can see whether there is anything in common.

The strange thing is that the encoder in DVD WS2.2, which is almost identical, does work.

Hopefully, we will have a patch in the near future (Ulead are still recovering from the Chinese New Year!).

[alosada]

Thanks, Brian, for your reply. In fact, I am currently test-driving the MSP v. 7.0 trial version. I have been a VideoStudio user for a couple of years and hoped I might get rid of the bugs I have had to cope with since then (and have access to the much more advanced video editing features of MSP, of course).

In my tests, I have used Ulead's standard MPEG.NOW codec to render various AVI files and re-render MPEG clips at both CBR and VBR. As in VideoStudio 7 and 8 (and also in MovieFactory), however, I have been unable to use VBR settings such as 8000/6000/4000. MSP simply won't accept them and use 8000/7200/192 instead.

Incidentally, MSP also appears to be subject to the same 2BF bug as VideoStudio.

Antonio

[Brian Ellis]

Please, can you post all the details of your system, as I requested in my earlier post. This may be important for Ulead to get to the bottom of this problem, which they have not been able to reproduce, so far. This is not just wishful thinking; I'm in direct communication with them and I know that they are trying to work on the problem.

If anyone else has the same problem, please make yourselves known, as well.

[alosada]

Thanks for your interest, Brian.

I am using MSP 7.0 Trial version on a system with the following specs:
· AMD Athlon 2.4 GHz processor
· 512 MB RAM
· NVIDIA Geoforce FX 5200 graphics card
· Two Seagate 7200 rpm IDE HDs (80 and 30 GB)
· Windows XP SP1

Also, I use VideoStudio 7 and 8 on a system with
· Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz processor
· 1 GB RAM
· ATI Radeon 9000 Series graphics card
· Two Seagate 7200 rpm IDE HDs (80 and 120 GB)
· Windows XP with SP1

The problem is as follows:
· I launch MSP Video Editor and choose a project template to start a new project, insert a video clip in the Timeline, edit it and choose File > Create > Video File to save my edits.
· Then, I click the Advanced button in the Compression tab of the dialog box to choose my desired Max, Ave and Min values in the Video Settings tab. In theory, MSP accepts those values. However, if you return to the Video settings tab by clicking the Advance button again, MSP shows the same Max value but has changed Ave to 70% of the Max value and Min to 192 kbps.

This is so whether a choose a DVD PAL, NTSC PAL, MPEG-2 or whichever other media type and LPCM or MPEG as sound format.

I have also been unable to choose a custom VBR compression scheme in other Ulead programs, which appear to use the following default schemes:
· VideoStudio 8 (Max/99% Max/70% Max scheme).
· VideoStudio 7 (Max/90% Max/192)
· DVD Workshop 2 Trial (Max/90% Max/70% Max)
· Movie Factory 3 Trial (Max/90% Max/70% Max)
· Movie Factory 2 Trial (Max/90% Max/192)

I am starting to think that this is more of a restriction on usage flexibility than a bug as, in all other respects, the Ulead.Now MPEG codec looks identical with the full-featured standalone Mainconcept codec.

Anyway, can you, Brian, or any other MSP users freely choose your VBR Max, Ave and Min values?

Thank you again for your interest.

Antonio

[DarrenD]

Brian

I have seen this Max/Avg/192 problem on my PCs as well. I mentioned it before on DMNForums thread http://www.dmnforums.com/cgi-bin/rea...oppostid=24294 (especially post 6 of 9)

My spec is

P4 3.0GHz HT 800FSB
Hyperthreading on in BIOS
Windows XP Home + all patches
DirectX 9.0c
ZoneAlarm Free (latest version)
MSP 7.01 VE DVD Edition (the cut down version)
DVDWS 2.231 Full
Fujitsu-Siemens D1625 motherboard
2x256Mb DDR333
2x80Gb HD (Western Digital) IDE drives
2.4xDVD+RW burner
128Mb ATi Radeon 9200SE

is that enough or is there some other component you need to know about?

[Brian Ellis]

OK, thanks guys. The only common ground I see, at the moment, is Win XP and PAL. A specific question for Darren and Antonio. In your Display Settings, Advanced, do you have the DPI set for the standard 96 dpi or Large Size (120 dpi) or Custom Size (what?)

[DarrenD]

Brian

My Windows display settings are Small Fonts (normal 96DPI). Just to confirm, I am in PAL-land (UK).

[alosada]

Ditto. 96 dpi & PAL