Scott, I was looking for a place to put some observations that I just went through, this might help. (which I will put in my next post in this thread.

Can you tell me if you are using a Power Director template or one that you created?

Here is a history of my trials and tribulations trying to burn a project.

Here is an update on PD7 v7.00.1829

I had been having issues with absolutely everything PP5 PP6 PD7 three computers etc. So I took every piece of video and burned it separately and found a corrupt file, sometimes our problems aren't just one issue.

I am just going to deal with the PD7 that was giving me the issues.

I have 10 files in this project I am not going to list them all because the issue happens right at the get go.

I have made sure all of the clips are uncorrupted now. (I have burned the project in PP5 v5.00.0314Ultra and it works) so I'm giving you the issue that is happening with PD7.

The template, the files, the set up, are all exactly the same (right down to the same computer).

When I load clips into PD7 and I do the set up, I choose whichever highlighter I want for Play and Chapters and then the highlighter for the thumbnail (colour of some sort).

In PD7 and PP5 this project burns - the problem is that 1. The highlights don't work in PD7 for any of the clips (right from the front page to clip 10). I tried this in two different dvd players, I can see the front page, but I can't choose where to go from there. When I put it in a computer it shuts down WMP, froze Media Centre. Started up in Acer video (whatever its called) but the same thing happened in there - navigational buttons aren't highlighted.

It looks great in set up on the computer but ultimately, the highlights show on the computer before its burned (on PD7). They just don't show on TV.

NOW Bob from the forum speculated it had to do with moving the titles Play Chapters etc.

I tried burning one clip with the mp3 video, background pic but didn't change the titles and ... I loaded a video and the background pic and didn't change anything (highlights don't work)

Changed the customized menu to Template 1 Vacation and it shows the navigational buttons. I didn't change anything on that template SO at the end (just because of Bob's comments) I thought I would move Play and Chapters to the bottom to see if it would still burn and the buttons work and they do.

So in my case it seems to be the picture or the customized navigational buttons that PD doesn't like but PP doesn't mind.

SO after all this (there were a few issues some that had nothing to do with PD or PP). The bottom line now is this. I can load this exact same project in PD7 and PP5 including the same background (which is a picture)nothing fancy and PP will burn and it will work. PD will burn it but it won't work because the navigational buttons are not functional.

Thanks, Sounds like a similar problem. BasicallI can burn the project without a menu but when I add a menue it will not burn or even vreat a dvd file. I also tried to use a menue template without changing any thing and it still does not work.

Here is what I would try, if you are into research. Assuming you have or can get a rewritable dvd (they are priceless with this type of investigation).

First of all I would try your template with three of the acquarium mpgs, see if it burns. If it does then the template is fine. If it doesn't try the acquariums with a PD template. It may not be the template or the files it might be something else totally.

What build of PD are you using.

If you open PD7 and click on the Power Director words at the right it will open the box and tell you what version. My first burning problem was fixed by an upgraded version.

So check the version, and try those two little tests (if you are willing) and see what happens??

Thanks in advance.

build 1628a

Thank you. There is another more recent build. I will forward this information to Dafydd (moderator) perhaps he can get you the upgraded build to see if that will fix your issue.

Contact customer support:
http://www.cyberlink.com/english/cs/support/new_site/support_index.html

ask for the version 1829.

Dafydd

Thanks I have put the request in.

I am using build 1829 and also can not burn a DVD with a menu.

A few observations...

I tested my project with 3 different stock menu templates and all produced the same result, which was error code c0040004 that happens about 90% of the way through the process. I chose to burn to a DVD folder - so I don't keep ruining DVD's.

If I move the error code box out of the way, the burning status window shows 90% complete but has the word "complete" in the window.

When I look at the DVD folder, I see only the VIDEO_TS folder in the DVD folder. My video is about 2 GB in size (about 30 minutes). I see three .VOB files in this VIDEO_TS folder. Two of the .VOB files I can view using VLC media player (VTS_02_1.VOB and VTS_02_2.VOB) and the video's look and sound great. I can also view the "First Play Video" (VTS_01_1.VOB) and it too looks fine too.

Also in the VIDEO_TS folder are .BUP and .IFO files that coorespond to the main video files. Thes files all have byte sizes of 12KB and 30KB.

Finally there is a zero byte .VOB file (VIDEO_TS.VOB) which I am assuming is the menu. My assumption is that PowerDirector 7 Ultra is choking on the menu creation process and starts to make the .VOB file but can't finish it.

If I choose to create a disc without a menu, I have no problems.

The strange thing is that I was able to burn a DVD file when I was using the .1714 build but I was having some AV sync problems where my audio would progressivly lag behind the video. I contacted tech support, they told me to upgrade my adio and video drivers which I did.

In the same tech support call I also mentioned this problem:
Whenever I try to save a menu template, I save and give it a name, but I can't see my template. I don't receive an error. I can choose the custom menu dropdown or the "all" dropdown but still don't see any new templates and can't see any stock templates that I've tried to edit...but this issue in my mind was taking a back seat to the bigger issue in my mind of the inability of burning a DVD with a menu.

I also had talked to tech support about this and they said they didn't know what to tell me. The person I talked to on the phone said that it worked fine for him and that I should try to upgrade to the 1829 build...which I did... Since the 1829 build PD7 seems more stable, but didn't fix any of these issues.

So really I have three issues.

1) Can't burn a DVD (or a DVD folder) with a menu
2) Can't save an edited or created menu template (can save without an error, just can't see it under "all" or "custom menus"
3) AV Sync issues, where the video and audio don't match up by the end of the video...which I think I fixed by splitting the audio from the video.

All three of these issues I have seen posted recently in the forums and have been reported to tech support, so I am just waiting for fixes. I like the PowerDirector product but feel that these three issues really make things difficult to make a DVD. I can make MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 files without incident though so I am happy about that at least.

BTW, I am running a Dell Latitude D630, Duo 2.4 GHZ, 2 GB RAM, Windows XP Pro with lots of free HD space.

Any help is appreciated.

I was having the same issues as 1 and 2 and am using PD7 build 1829 on a DIY Intel Quad Core Q6700 2.66Ghz, 2GB ram and plenty of available HDD space.

What I found was that prior to burning, I had to uncheck the "Video Thumbnail" option which can be found on the Menu tab of the Tools button located at the bottom of the screen. At times I would get a C++ run-time error or the standard "MS Encountered an Error" message about 5% into the burning process.

Now the only problem I am having is that I cannot burn a DVD (either to HDD or DVD) with more chapters than only the 1st. The burn process gets to about 88% and aborts. If I only have the 1st chapter, everything works just fine. Regards,

Mark H.

Here's an update....

After working with Tech Support, uninstalling/reinstalling, increasing virtual memory, removing unneeded services and startup programs, etc., I now cannot burn my project as a DVD to a hard drive folder using a DVD menu either with or without chapters. It gets 88% through and aborts. Windows XP event viewer shows the failing module as "cltzan.ax".

I've made sure no chapters are sitting on top of transitions or anywhere video and music are spliced together. I also made sure that adding chapters in the chapter room was the last task before doing the burning process.

If I burn the DVD to a hard drive folder with the "without menu" checked-on, the burn process is successful. Regards,

Mark H.

I made some progress. I found that I still had some remnants of Pinnacle studio remaining in the registry after installing. I went into regedit and removed. I also installed quick time and reinstalled directly from the Apple web site. I can now burn a small project but when I try to burn a 2 hour project it hangs at 71% creating titles without an error.

Still looking for help.

Quote: I made some progress. I found that I still had some remnants of Pinnacle studio remaining in the registry after installing. I went into regedit and removed. I also installed quick time and reinstalled directly from the Apple web site. I can now burn a small project but when I try to burn a 2 hour project it hangs at 71% creating titles without an error.

Still looking for help.

Interesting find.

I also found that burning a 'smaller' project worked fine even with a menu. However, the one I'm working with is 27 minutes and crashes at the same spot every time.

I wonder if this is a case where "size really does matter". Regards,

Mark H.

The final solution:

Power Director does not like to have any other video editing s/w on your machine. Basically it tries to share the filters (titles effects, transitions etc.) from other programs such as Ulead or Pinnacle. Once I uninstalled both programs and removed all traces in the registry I could burn the program without any issues.

Quote: The final solution:

Power Director does not like to have any other video editing s/w on your machine. Basically it tries to share the filters (titles effects, transitions etc.) from other programs such as Ulead or Pinnacle. Once I uninstalled both programs and removed all traces in the registry I could burn the program without any issues.

I don't argue with the results but I don't think a registry setting for "filters" (meaning titles and transitions) of another video product is going to mess with PD... there is not to my knowledge a Microsoft common framework for video editing effects.

But... what could get messed up is PD's choice of codecs (sometimes called filters and not the same as titles and effects) during a burn... and I don't know enough about video programming to know if any of that could accidentally mess up PD's explicit call to a particular encoding component during rendering.

Evan

Quote: The final solution:

Power Director does not like to have any other video editing s/w on your machine. Basically it tries to share the filters (titles effects, transitions etc.) from other programs such as Ulead or Pinnacle. Once I uninstalled both programs and removed all traces in the registry I could burn the program without any issues.

I no longer have other video editing software installed.

I've also made sure all traces have been removed from both the HDD and registry.

I've also made sure all extraneous video and audio codecs have been removed.

I've also uninstalled and reinstalled PD7 for the 5th time.

I still cannot burn a DVD either to DVD disc or HDD with menus for a 'sizable' video. It burns fine when not burning with a menu.

Smaller videos burn just fine with menus.

If what you're saying is true, then Cyberlink needs to learn to 'play nice' with other software people may have installed.
Regards,

Mark H.

Well I did burn one project and when I went to burn another the same issue came up. System locked at 85%. I am about ready o go back to Ulead. To bad I really like the PD7 program but I am at the end of wasting time producing things that can not be burned. I f anyone else can help I would appreciate it. Cyberlink has a bug and they need to fix it. Their competition can run on my machine even with other software installed. I am convinced the issue is with PD and tech support has no answers.

Quote: Well I did burn one project and when I went to burn another the same issue came up. System locked at 85%. I am about ready o go back to Ulead. To bad I really like the PD7 program but I am at the end of wasting time producing things that can not be burned. I f anyone else can help I would appreciate it. Cyberlink has a bug and they need to fix it. Their competition can run on my machine even with other software installed. I am convinced the issue is with PD and tech support has no answers.

Take a look at the following post. Hopefully this technique will work for you as well.

Lots of luck!!

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/3599.page Regards,

Mark H.