My questions are - is there a way to detect a clip which is going to cause green screen, before burning to disc? If the faulty clip is detected, is there a way to repair it?

If you produce your video to DVD-HQ. Then play that video, you will be pretty sure what is in the video.

After you have produced that DVD-HQ video you can then use that video on your timeline, add your chapter markers then create Disk.

That should give good results. You reduce the strain on the computer while burning a DVD by producing the video first.

You can also Create a Disk Folder, uncheck burn disk. Then play the disk folder with Windows Media Player or VLC.

If the folder plays OK, you can burn that folder to a Disk using Disk authoring software.

Imgburn is free.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

Carl - Thanks for your reply. I thought I had made it clear that I did exactly what you recommend, but got the "green screen". I guess I wasn't clear enough. Here's a quote from that original note, just in case I've missed something major. Underlining and the words in brackets have been added:

"The video played normally in the Create Disc preview screen but when I burned it back to the computer's HD [that is, after I produced in MEPG-2 and did a Create Disc back to the computer's HD] and played the finished video, the green screen showed up. .... All source files were .MTS (no still images), rendered to MEPG-2 at DVD HQ "

I've begun to burn back to the HD routinely, before burning to an actual DVD disc, because that way I waste fewer DVD discs. Maybe the confusion came about because I wrote that I "rendered" to MEPG-2, while the PD term for that is "produced". I guess I've never done a Create Disc ('burned"), either to the computer's HD or to DVD disc, without "producing" first.

I still have those questions - is there a way to detect a clip which is going to cause "green screen", before the actual burning process? This problem has arisen with three short videos I've done this week, and each time the vid played perfectly in the Create Disc preview, but had green screen once the video was burned to the HD or to DVD disc.

And - is there any way to repair a clip which is causing green screen? Bill Hansen

G'day Bill -

I'm trying to understand the steps you took that resulted in the green screen... Did you:
(a) produce the project to a video file, or
(b) go to Create Disc & select "Create a Folder"?

Have you tried producing (including the troublesome clip) to MPEG-2 DVD HQ, as Carl suggested?

Have you tried producing to any other format/profile? MPEG-2 720p, for example.

Cheers - Tony
Visit PDtoots. PowerDirector Tutorials, tips, free resources & more. Subscribe!
Full linked Tutorial Catalog PDtoots happily supports fellow PowerDirector users!

Hello Tony -

I guess I'm just not expressing myself adequately today. Trying a third time, step by step -

(1) files shot in Canon Vixia HG20 camcorder at 60i, which (I think) for that camera is 17 mbps
(2) files copied to computer's HD, saved in a folder on the C drive - folder labelled "Ronin Shouthlake". No other material in that file
(3) files imported from computer's HD into PD10 using PD's "import folder" option
(4) files lightly edited for sharpness and noise reduction, no other edits
(5) files (all of them are .MTS files) "produced" in PD 10 using MEPG-2 format, default profile, DVD HQ
(6) the produced video brought to PD 10's Create Disc page,
(7) the produced video is viewed in the preview viewer of the Create Disc page. The green screen does not show up here.
(8) The video is then burned to the "Ronin Southlake" folder on the HD using 2D disc DVD and "HQ-Best Quality"
(7) The resulting video played from the "Ronin Southlake" folder on the computer HD (click on "My Video" and then on "VTS_01_1_VOB"). This is where the green screen shows up.

As I wrote in the first post to this thread, I updated the video drivers but still got the green screen.

Then, having noted the second at which the green screen began and the second it cleared and video resumed, I went back to the Edit page of PD10 and removed the clip which seemed to cause the green screen. Re-edited, re-produced, re-burned back to the computer's HD - and now the green screen is gone and the remaining video plays normally.

But the questions remain - (1)is there any way to detect a clip which will cause green screen, before producing and burning the produced video either to the computer's HD or to a DVD disc? And (2) can that damaged clip be repaired somehow, so it's useable?

I suspect that there's no way to detect a damaged clip before burning to the computer's HD or to disc - and that there's no way to repair the offending clip. But I know that as a newcomer who is just learning I need to ask about these things becuase I'd be very likely to overlook a better way of handing things than removing clips which cause green screens. Bill Hansen

Hi Bill -

Thank you for taking the time to describe the steps you took. Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what members mean when they use words like "burn". I understand it now.

OK - at step 5 - when you produced the video to MPEG-2 DVD HQ, did you happen to view that produced file in a separate media player? Was there a problem?

At step 6 - did you have ONLY the pre-produced MPEG-2 file in the timeline? i.e. the one you viewed in the Create Disc preview.

Hmmm - there was no green screen in the produced file, but there was in the .VOB!

It seems to me that you've gone about this correctly. I wouldn't even be sure that the clip in question was "damaged". It possibly something to do with the enhancements you applied, but I don't have a clue why it didn't show up as an issue in the pre-produced MPEG-2.

Try inserting the miscreant clip in the timeline. Nothing else. No enhancements. Then go to Create Disc & "Create a Folder". Check the .VOB file. Maybe that would give us some clues.

Sorry Bill - I don't have an answer for you.
Visit PDtoots. PowerDirector Tutorials, tips, free resources & more. Subscribe!
Full linked Tutorial Catalog PDtoots happily supports fellow PowerDirector users!

Hi Tony -

RE: Step 5 - viewing the produced video - I didn't view the produced video (before burning) in any viewer other than the Create Disc page of PD10. I don't know how to view with other software viewers until the video has been burned - so that might be something I could learn from you and others on the forum.

RE: Step 6 - Yes, there are only pre-produced MTS files in the time line. If I view using the little previewer on the Edit page (now that one is REALLY low res!) I never see the green screen. Once files are produced, I view in the previewer on the Create Disc screen. Again, there is no green screen. (And for what it's worth, if I produce a video, do it over and re-produce it so these are pre-produced video files there's still no green screen in the Create Disc previewer.)

You are correct, there was no green screen in the produced video, when wiewed with the Create Disc previewer, but there was once the file was burned to the computer's HD.

I'll go back and put the offending file into a time line, with 1 or 2 files before it and 1 or 2 following it, all of them with no changes at all - and see if the green screen shows up in that situation. It will take me a day or two to get that done. My video time and attention span have been all used up, for now!

Thanks again - Bill

Bill Hansen

Bill: You can view produced files with Windows Media Player or many other software apps (Power DVD). I always produce first before burning and check the produced file to ensure that the Create Disk module will get a "clean" file to burn.

You can raise your preview resolution, but it will put more strain on your computer, causing a glitchy, stuttering playback if your computer is not sufficiently robust. Not sure what your computer has for horsepower.

Tony is correct that you should view your produced files in a separate app - don't rely on the PD10 previewer. If there are problems with the production, they will show up there in the separate app. PD10 previewer might sometimes "compensate" for glitches that will will show up in the produced or burned project. Not sure about that, but I have experienced problems with projects that looked fine in the previewer, but did not when they were produced and viewed in a separate app.

Hope this helps. Have a great day.

Regards,
-Phil Windows 10 Pro x64
Dell XPS 8930
Intel CoreT i7 (4.6 GHz)
32 GB DDR4-2666 RAM
1 TB PCIe -x4 SSD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
PD14 Ultimate x64, 4207
CD4 Ultra and AD6 Ultra
Bleeping Computer Malware Response Instructor

Bill,

I know you don't want more questions, but I am seeing something here that does not add up correctly,

In your first,second and third post you say:

Quote: All source files were .MTS (no still images), rendered to MEPG-2 at DVD HQ

then in your last post you say:

Quote: RE: Step 6 - Yes, there are only pre-produced MTS files in the time line.

If you are trying to use the newly rendered/produced file as per the first quote then the only thing in the time line(s) should be a file with .mpg extension.

One thing to note is that after you produce/render the project in the produce module, the newly created file is only added to the library.

PD does not use this new file in the create disc module, unless you specifically empty the time line(s) and add this file to the time line. In the create disc module PD uses whatever is in the time line(s) to create the disc or folder.

Many of use create a new project specifically for disc creation. Importing the produced files that were created during the editing stage and adding these files to the time line..

Hope this helps a little.

Hal OS - Win11 Pro, Alienware R13, CPU - Intel Core I7-12700KF 12 CPUs), 16g DDR5 4400 RAM, Video - Geeforce RTX 3080ti 12g, PD11 & PD365
My YouTube

HalCon: At the risk of sounding very stupid (OK, you already knew that - I didn't fool anyone ), I always figured that what you said about the produced file not being used by the Create Disk module to be true. It certainly appeared to be so for PD9.

I always PRODUCE first to check the .mpeg2 file to ensure that it is good before I burn. Most times, I just then burn the project file as is - I don't move the produced file to the timeline.

And, USUALLY, when I went to Create Disk in PD9, there were two progress bars: the "Rendering" and the "Burning."

Since getting PD10 though, the Create Disk module goes straight to Burning; no rendering whatsoever. I do have SVRT and Hardware Acceleration enabled, and I do note that after PRODUCE is finished, when I go back to the EDIT module, PD10 saves the project file consistently, on its own initiative, presumably, so I thought, to update the Media Library with the details of the produced file.

I had sort of guessed that PD10 had thus made itself aware that there was a rendered file available in the Library and was using it in the CREATE DISK module, and therefore skipping the RENDER.

Has anyone else had this experience? Maybe my computer is off there with Cranston in the space warp time continuum ...

Regards,
-Phil Windows 10 Pro x64
Dell XPS 8930
Intel CoreT i7 (4.6 GHz)
32 GB DDR4-2666 RAM
1 TB PCIe -x4 SSD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
PD14 Ultimate x64, 4207
CD4 Ultra and AD6 Ultra
Bleeping Computer Malware Response Instructor

Phil,

This is getting off topic but I will try to explain.

Pre-producing is a good method to take the stess off your system. I do this all the time. But, you must add the pre-produced file to the time line to have it used in the Create Disc module. Or import it directly in the Create Disc module

The reason being:
1 - It is not necessary to pre-produce. You can go directly to the Create Disc module from the edit page. Therefore PD must use what is in the time line(s) for creating a disc.
2 - If you pre-produce, then add some further edits to the project in the time line(s) (titles, effects, music etc.), how would PD know what you wanted on the disc if it did not use only the media on the time line(s).

You have to tell it what to use by inserting the media you want on the disc on the time line(s) or you have to tell it in the Create Disc module what media you want to include on the disc.

Here is a short test for you to try and you will get the idea.
1 - Open a new project.
2 - Import a video file. (and file will do for this test)
3 - Without putting anything on the time line, go straight to the Create Disc module.
4 - You will see there is no video to add to the disc. See attached screenshot.

Hope this helps with understanding.

Hal
OS - Win11 Pro, Alienware R13, CPU - Intel Core I7-12700KF 12 CPUs), 16g DDR5 4400 RAM, Video - Geeforce RTX 3080ti 12g, PD11 & PD365
My YouTube

Maybe I can save a little bandwidth by replying to both of your notes in this one.

Hal first, because I'm totally confused about how to import a pds file into the time line. I tried, and of course the whole project comes up. So obviously I haven't understood what you suggested. I also tried playing a pds file in WMP and in Easy Media Player. Not surprisingly, neither of them would recognize the pds. So - exactly - how do you import a rendered project into either the time line or another software media player?Is it the pds file you import, or something else? Do you import via "import media files" or some other choice? Of course I know how to play the rendered project in the previewer on the Create Disc page. I do that all the time. But the Create Disc previewer does not indicate the amount of noise I'll see in the final burned version of a DVD format. It works fine for AVCHD, but as you know, it's not accurate for DVD.

Tony - I did as I said I would, and put the offending clip into the time line with *not edits at all* and one clip before it, one clip behind it. I got the same green screen as before. This time, for the first time, I could see a green band just before the offending clip would begin. I thought "AHA!" I'll just remove this green band, and the problem will be solved. No such luck. With the green band removed, no green visible even with the time line spread out, I still got the green screen. Removed the whole offending clip - and as before, the rest of the little video played normally. It will have to remain a mystery.

Back to Hal - Someone along the way asked if my source files were all MTS. I know that people interpolate jpgs, and maybe other things, into "slide shows" made using the video module - so in my case, yes, all the source files were MTS. No jpgs or other graphics. In the time line, however, there are often rendered MPEG-2 files, becuase I'm opening a prject I've worked on earlier, and I've rendered those files (and usually found that there was way too much noise, so I have to go back....). Again - before I've begun any work on the videos I'm talking about, all files are MTS. When I'm re-editing a project, files in the time line have sometimes been edited and then rendered as MPEG-2s.

Hal again - I have to quote your last few paragraphs, because you've gone around a couple of curves I can't understand. You wrote: [i]"One thing to note is that after you produce/render the project in the produce module, the newly created file is only added to the library." [/i].....Which newly created file? At first I thought it could be the pds file, but I think that is not added to the library. At least, I've never seen a pds file in the library, or in the time line.

Next you write "PD does not use this new file in the create disc module, unless you specifically empty the time line(s) and add this file to the time line..... Understood.

FInally "Many of use create a new project specifically for disc creation." .... I guess all of my projects eventually wind up for disc creation, though I've taken to burning them back to the computer's HD first, because I'm still learning the limitations of the Create Disc previewer.

And "Importing the produced files that were created during the editing stage and adding these files to the time line.. " .... Again, I'm sure I'm missing something important. Was there more to that sentence which didn't come through to the forum? Once rendering (producing) is complete, aren't the files in the time line always those which were produced? Are there some different files somewhere which I should be importing into the time line?

Finally, to both Tony and Hal, and anyone else who has had the patience to read through this long note - never apologize for asking my questions, or for asking for more information, or for noting numerical or technical things. I worked in a very technical part of the health care industry for over 40 years, so I'm used to all of that, and I don't mind it at all.

Bill Hansen


Importing the produced files that were created during the editing stage and adding these files to the time line



Bill Hansen

Bill,

I will do my best to answer your concerns individually. I am going to pull some quotes out to better explain.

Quote: Hal first, because I'm totally confused about how to import a pds file into the time line.

You cannot import a .pds file to the time line. The .pds (project file) file is basically just a text file that has directions for PD to work with your media files. It contains among other things the locations of the various media and instructions regarding the edits you have made. It also contains instructions on what effect(s) etc. you have added to the media in the time line. The .pds file is not a video file.

Quote: how do you import a rendered project into either the time line or another software media player

The rendered file will have an extension relative to the type of file you produced in the Produce module. For example, if you produce to MPEG-2 the extension will be .mpg. If you produce to H264, the extension will be .m2ts. YOu should give your files an appropriate name based on the project at hand.

When you return to the Edit room from the Produce module the file that you rendered is added to the media library. Its location is added to be specific. The actual file is located where you have the export folder set in 'Preferences. See attached screenshot. I change the export location for every project to keep the media together.

Quote: Someone along the way asked if my source files were all MTS. I know that people interpolate jpgs, and maybe other things, into "slide shows" made using the video module - so in my case, yes, all the source files were MTS. No jpgs or other graphics. In the time line, however, there are often rendered MPEG-2 files, becuase I'm opening a prject I've worked on earlier, and I've rendered those files (and usually found that there was way too much noise, so I have to go back....). Again - before I've begun any work on the videos I'm talking about, all files are MTS. When I'm re-editing a project, files in the time line have sometimes been edited and then rendered as MPEG-2s.

If you are working on a project with .mts files (most of mine are this way) then you have .mts files in the time line. When you produce the project, as a test or for other reasons, the files in the time line are not affected. They are not replaced with the rendered product. The only way to have the rendered files in the time line is to actually add the file(s) to the time line. This is not done automatically when you return from the Produce module.

When you go to the Create Disc module, PD will look for media in the time line(s). What ever is there, is the media it will use for the burn, whether to Disc or to your HD.

When creating a disc, if you want to use the produced/rendered version you made while editing, you have to create a new project.
1 - Create new project
2 - Import the files that you created in the Produce module. As stated above, they will be in your export location.
3 - Insert the files on the time line(s) as desired
4 - Go to the create Disc module and burn as desired.

Hope this is starting to help clear things up.

Hal.

Edited because I forgot to add the screenshot. OS - Win11 Pro, Alienware R13, CPU - Intel Core I7-12700KF 12 CPUs), 16g DDR5 4400 RAM, Video - Geeforce RTX 3080ti 12g, PD11 & PD365
My YouTube

Aha! This was very very helpful! A few lightbulbs went off as I read. I'm pretty sure I still don't understand it all - but at least I know how to bring the mpg files into the time line, and that's a big jump forward.

I went to a 13 clip project which I had previously rendered in MPEG-2, brought it into PD, re-rendered it without any further editing, just to be sure I was following the procedure you outlined. Rather than "pack" that project, I went to Preferences/Edit/Export and set a new folder as the Export folder. For some reason, only 4 of my 13 clips went into the new Export folder. They were brought into Create Disc and played in the Preview there. They looked considerably darker than they did originally, though no changes had been made to them, but otherwise they were unchanged. I took everything out of PD, went to File/Open Project, brought the original project back into PD to be sure I hadn't lost the other 9 clips along the way. All 13 clips were there, and brightness was the same as I remembered it from earlier in the day. I haven't had time to burn them to the HD, but from past experience, I expect brightness and all other attributes of the movie will be the same as the rendered project appears, except for the amount of video noise, which will be greater than it appears in Create Disc viewer. Brightness of the final burned versions has always been the same as brightness in the Edit preview, and also in the Create Disc viewer.

I need to stop obsessing about this for a few hours. Tomorrow I'll re-produce the thirteen clips in MPEG-2 again, Export to that separate folder, and see how they play then.

Thanks very much for taking the time to write this all up for me, and special thanks for the screen shot. I knew about the Export location, but for the past few weeks I haven't been paying enough attention to it.

I'll post back to this thread after I've run my next attempt through Edit/Produce/Edit/Export and then played it in WMV, Nero, or other player.

Bill

Bill Hansen

Hal and others -

The practice of bringing the mpg files (from Preferences/Export) into a software media player before burning them to HD or disc is very helpful. Thanks to everyone who helped me find this and understand it - especially to Hal, for your patience and for the lengthy explanation.

It doesn't solve the "green screen" problem, but I can live with that mystery. It doesn't happen often, and thanks to Tony's suggestions I know what to do about it when it occurs.

I'm all set until the next mini-crisis. :

Bill Bill Hansen

Hi Bill,
"Green-screen" issue is indicative of a graphic card problem, albeit
a driver issue,
a failing graphic card,
a possible codec/decoder
a simple connection issue on the terminals internally not being push home.
a dust build up and
an overheating problem.
For the most part, a removal and clean of a graphics card would possibly resolve some of the problems listed.

just adding an opinion.

Dafydd

Thanks Dafydd - I'll attend to those things. It's been a while since I had the case off, and we now have three dogs, so there are lots of opportunities for dust and dog hair.

Bill Bill Hansen

I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in as well. I noticed on the first post that you have an nVidia graphics card and you stated that it's up-to-date as of March 4th, '12. I'm assuming you mean the latest drivers as of then, which would have been the 295 drivers.

I have also had the green flashing screen problems in PowerDirector 10. Upon delving deep into the problem, it seems these drivers don't work with hardware acceleration. I deselected the "Enable hardware decoding" check box in the Preferences under Hardware Acceleration. And to my surprise it fixed it immediately.

Since then, nVidia has released the 296.10 drivers but they haven't fixed this problem either. Running the 285 drivers my computer came with, everything was fine. I'm not sure if this is a CyberLink or nVidia driver problem but I'm leaning heavily towards the drivers.

I can only hope a newer driver can fix this as the latest drivers have increased my gaming performance significantly for my gtx 560 ti. And recording gaming sessions for editing is my job, so going back to older drivers for less performance isn't an option for me.

Amazing, thanks Mr/Mrs Hamling27, that certainly saved me ripping apart my new Alienware PC to fix the green screen problem, shame the official help couldnt find time to confirm your results. It worked for me immediatly.

Quote: I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in as well. I noticed on the first post that you have an nVidia graphics card and you stated that it's up-to-date as of March 4th, '12. I'm assuming you mean the latest drivers as of then, which would have been the 295 drivers.

I have also had the green flashing screen problems in PowerDirector 10. Upon delving deep into the problem, it seems these drivers don't work with hardware acceleration. I deselected the "Enable hardware decoding" check box in the Preferences under Hardware Acceleration. And to my surprise it fixed it immediately.

Since then, nVidia has released the 296.10 drivers but they haven't fixed this problem either. Running the 285 drivers my computer came with, everything was fine. I'm not sure if this is a CyberLink or nVidia driver problem but I'm leaning heavily towards the drivers.

I can only hope a newer driver can fix this as the latest drivers have increased my gaming performance significantly for my gtx 560 ti. And recording gaming sessions for editing is my job, so going back to older drivers for less performance isn't an option for me.

Quote: Amazing, thanks Mr/Mrs Hamling27, that certainly saved me ripping apart my new Alienware PC to fix the green screen problem, shame the official help couldnt find time to confirm your results. It worked for me immediatly.

It's Mr. Hamling, and I'm glad I could help you out! Since I have posted this I have gotten an SSD and completely reinstalled Windows and PD10. I'm also on nVidia driver 301.42 and I haven't had the problem surface again. I know PD10 also had an update within that time frame as well. So you should be able to have hardware acceleration with out the green flashing screen issues. I guess make sure everything is up-to-date and you should be fine. If disabling hardware acceleration worked for you and you don't really notice a difference than I guess you could live with it but I think the issue was fixed in either the driver update or the PD10 update.

Cheers!