Nero Vision shuts down burning some files

[Adrianero]

I have Nero Ultra 7 with Nero Vision 4.

I am burning Mpeg2 files to dvd. 90% of them go without a problem, but every so often certain files cause the program to shut down and show a dialog box "Application Error, the instruction at '0x0052f224' referenced memory at '0x00000004' could not be 'read' Click OK to terminate program"

It is repeatable whenever i burn particular MEPG2 files, but have no idea why with some it happens and most it doesn't.

Other info: No internet connection active when this is happening. Nothing much else running (I shut down any other programs to maximize memory available), rebooting doesn't help. Reinstalling doesn't help. Nero hasn't helped!! (no reply to my support request).

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Adrian.

[pip22]

Have you installed the latest updated version of nero 7, as the original version (and several of the later versions) had numerous bugs and problems. All version 7 updates are free if you have a genuine valid key. Latest version is 7.7.5.1 from here: http://www.nero.com/nero7/eng/nero7-up.php

Because the updates are standalone full versions, you have to uninstall your existing version first.

If you already have the latest update, then it's possible the problem files are corrupted or contain malware, especailly if you got them off limewire or similar. P2P files are rife with viruses and other malware.

[fritzi93]

Not much to add to Pip's suggestions until you provide more information. What exactly is your procedure? Most important:

1) Source file specs, we don't need to know specific titles. DVD rips, DL'ed AVIs you're converting to MPEG2, what?
2) Is this actually an error while converting formats, or a burn error?

NVE has always had the annoying tendency to want to re-encode (badly) already compliant MPEGs. As to converting AVIs, there are any number of freeware progs that do a better job. And as Pip says, it's not unusual at all for DL'ed files to be corrupt.

[Adrianero]

The files are MPEG2 files created by my sony HD camcorder. The input video is analog from my old hi-8 and 8 camera. The camcorder creates the MPEG2's from the analog input.

So, no downloads or malware etc. No apparent corruption of the files. They play fine on the computer and the camcorder, but fail, to answer your other question, during the transcoding process.

It almost seems like there is a particular type of video content that trigger a certain part of the transcoding process that fails...but i cannot identify it if that is the case.

I have the latest update, doing a full reinstall from the website after using the GeneralClean tool from Nero to ensure the registry was also clean prior to the install.

I appreciate everyone's help. Seems a bit of a mystery still!

[fritzi93]

Okay, if your MPEGs are DVD-compliant, all you need to do is author them. (Authoring creates the structure and navigation a set-top player will recognize. Plus chapters, menus, switchable subs, extra audio tracks, if desired.) Compliant resolutions are:

Full D1: 704/720 x 480(NTSC)/576(PAL)
Half D1: 352 x 480/576
Quarter D1 or VCD: 352 x 240/288

Then there's the question of runtime and adequate bitrate at a given resolution.

If the MPEGs are NOT DVD-compliant, they must be re-encoded. A quick and dirty way to do it is to use the old freeware DivX2DVD, it will also author to DVD without menu. Despite the name, it will accept a variety of formats as input, MPEGs too. Look partway down the page for the free version:

http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=vso_DivXtoDVD

For better (and more involved) methods, consult the guides on the videohelp home page. There are a number of authoring apps in the tools section, some of them free.

If all of this is already familiar to you, my apologies. From a video hobbyist's point of view, Nero Vision stinks. But for the casual user, it may be satisfactory. Anyway, if you would like to try something different, again, check out the tools section at videohelp.

Good luck.

[Adrianero]

Thanks. I am now looking at alternative software as you suggest to address these particular files. My theory is that somehow the fact that at least one of the video source files had some serious quality issues (the original hi-8 analog tape had tones of noise and drop outs due to the camera failing towards the end of it) that the transcoder struggled and failed when it lost sync or something with the source video.

When you say you don't like Nero, is it a quality issue? I noticed with some sources their tended to be a bit of a stuttering (as if interlacing was not set, but not quite that bad) when the image panned. I thought this might be the image stabilizer on my girlfriend's camera as I do not know what camera she was using. The problem didn't show up on video taken with my various cameras, just hers, hence the deduction....but maybe it's Nero?

Thanks again, Adrian.

[fritzi93]

Nero has a marketing strategy that focuses on being a one-stop solution for a wide variety of tasks, and getting the widest possible exposure. Buy a burner, for instance, and chances are you'll get some version of Nero with it. I would guess they rely on many folks buying upgrade packages. It has become ubiquitous.

The core of it, the Burning Rom, is fine. Although one should not use it for DVD-Video. It does not implement 32k gaps, meaning if there's one bad sector, you lose both the IFOs (DVD navigation) and the IFO backups (BUPs). So I have a gripe with that too. Most of the functions in Nero suites these days put me in mind of the expression: "jack-of-all-trades, master of none".

You obviously are ready for, and NEED, better video solutions. I should think that you might consider something like Ulead DVD Movie Factory, perhaps even Ulead Video Studio. Depending how far you want to go, after some experience, prosumer software will be a possibility, e.g. Vegas or Vegas Movie Studio. Look in the tool sections at videohelp.

With the willingness to put some real effort into it, you'll find that freeware can be just as good for many specific purposes. Typically, they are written by hobbyists dissatisfied with existing apps, they tend to be single-purpose and have small footprints. (Not like Nero in that respect! Stay away from Pinnacle stuff as well like Studio 7/8/9, they're hugely bloated and buggy.) If you're really interested, there's frameserving with Avisynth, which takes considerable skill and knowledge. But it's free, and you wouldn't believe the vast variety of video filters available for it, written by, yes, enthusiasts. Most of those filters are on a par with professional apps.

Do yourself a favor and join up at videohelp and ask your questions there. You'll find there's a guru for every seemingly obscure process you can think of. Capturing and manipulating cam footage is not my strongest point. Good luck.