Making DVDs?

[RajinCajun]

I am using the free version of Videopad and just got finished making a project and now I would like to put it onto a DVD. How do I do that? I don't see any option to burn my project onto a disc,.

[borate]

EXPORT, on the menu bar, is the path to various production and burning options.

 

If none is available in the version you are using I wouldn't be surprised; recently the VP "free" version has been a crippled trial, but that hasn't been tested here lately.

 

Click on the "download the free version here" link at http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/ IF the link is available. Sometimes I see it, other times not. It leads to VPsetup.exe.

The usual download links point to VPPsetup.exe.

 

It would be very helpful if the company delineated the differences and limitations of the non-registered versions - be they free or trial. It's confusing.

 

The easy answer: purchase the product.

[RajinCajun]

It won't let me export my project, looks like I wasted about 10 hours. If this is their idea of having people testing the product before buying it I'm not impressed. Definitely won't be purchasing if I don't know how my projects would look on DVD.

[borate]

Before you jump ship, two routes to explore...

 

1. See if ANY of the export video formats are enabled - perhaps WMV, ASF, AVI.

2. Install an older 3.x version...

Because you have already put in so much time on your project, here is a link to 3.04, available for a limited time.

http://hevanet.com/h...psetup_3.04.exe

 

FILE|SAVE your project, if possible.

Download and install 3.04.

See if the project will load.

Test export options.

If one succeeds, burn the result to a DVD.

 

Hopefully, NCH marketing will consider reverting to the earlier trial functionality or, at least state what the non-registered versions won't do - to save folks wasted effort.

[valuenyc]

Well, this is confusing. I downloaded yesterday and I just burned a DVD. Is this capability temporary? You are correct, Borat, this is unnec. confusing. I didn't even go looking for a free product necessarily.

 

In any case, will the master's ed. make a menu? If not, can you recommend a fairly easy-to-learn/use product? I don't think I need great sophistication in that department (famous last words).

 

Thanks,

 

Jeanne

 

Update: Found Express Burn. Always forget that google can be better than a forum's own search capability.

 

Of course any opinions about menu-making are of interest.

Edited November 12, 2014 by valuenyc

[valuenyc]

In case RajinCajun is still listening: I was a tad confused when I first exported and accidentally exported an AVI file to a data disk. The reason is that when you first go to the video output setup, COMPUTER DATA is chosen in the top row. When you click to DISC, there are four more tabs below the first row and DVD DATA is selected. When I clicked to DVD MOVIE, that's when I was able to make a real DVD-player DVD.

 

Hope that helps,

Jeanne

[RajinCajun]

Well, for some reason the free version "vpsetup" wouldn't let me export anything, whenever I clicked on it it would be a blank window, maybe it didn't install correctly, I don't know. I downloaded and installed the free "vppsetup" version and can now export projects. Was able to make a DVD of my first project, came out pretty good.

 

Let me list some major problems I am having with a new project, before I do would just like to add the I have a modern day desktop computer, up to date Windows 7 OS, 2 GB RAM, AMD Athalon II dual-core processor, Nividia Geforce 6150SE graphics card (also up to date).

 

1) My project started of beautifully, could edit clips in seconds. When I got about 10 minutes into the editing it slowed WAY down. Same thing happened with my first project.

 

2) Now the program constanly fails to respond, what was taking seconds before is now taking agonizing minutes.

 

3) Bogs down my entire system, impossible to multi-task while Videopad is running.

 

4) Every time I use the program 2 GB of space disappear off my hard drive.

 

I don't know what's going on here. I would really like to purchase this product but if it's this much of a pain I'm not going to bother.

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

 

Certainly VP does take its time sorting out your editing changes, particularly if the project is growing in length. The number of files in the cache also grows enormously. My PC is similar spec to yours and I find it can slow to a crawl-even stop if it is trying to do too many things at once like adding a POSITION effect to a SCALE effect at the same time. It may be linked to all the thumbnails the program has to generate to add to the timeline. Some other programs just show one thumbnail per clip and they seem to be faster.

You might find that if you edit in small sections with just a few clips on the timeline and then save each section as a sequence when finished, it will work faster as this clears the timeline on saving and you can then start a new sequence with the next batch of clips from scratch. You can then add all the sequences together when you come to exporting. You could also decrease the cache contents if you go into options/disk and clear out unused files.

 

Nat

[valuenyc]

RajinCajun,

 

Sorry, I've been away. But, for the record, the ability to make to the DVD lasted only a day and then I got the message to buy. (Still unnec. confusing.) I almost certainly will buy. My project hasn't *yet* gotten big enough to bog things down however. That's the remaining test this week.

 

Hope you get done what you need to get done,

 

Jeanne

[borate]

I have a modern day desktop computer, up to date Windows 7 OS, 2 GB RAM, AMD Athalon II dual-core processor, Nividia Geforce 6150SE graphics card (also up to date).

 

1) My project started of beautifully, could edit clips in seconds. When I got about 10 minutes into the editing it slowed WAY down. Same thing happened with my first project.

 

2) Now the program constanly fails to respond, what was taking seconds before is now taking agonizing minutes.

 

3) Bogs down my entire system, impossible to multi-task while Videopad is running.

 

4) Every time I use the program 2 GB of space disappear off my hard drive

 

Your PC may be "modern" but still not up to video editing, which is resource intensive. 2G RAM probably isn't going to hack it.

Here are minimum specs for a somewhat more complex editing program, but the suggestions would also be good for VP in my opinion...

 

Operating System

• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Professional (32 bit with Service Pack 3)
   
  
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate (32 bit and 64 bit)
   
  
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate (32 bit and 64 bit)
   
  
• Microsoft Windows 8 (32 bit and 64 bit)
  

Screen Resolution

• 1024 x 768, 16-bit color or above.
  

CPU Processor

• AVI Capture/Produce: Profiles: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2.
   
  
• DVD Quality (MPEG-2) Profiles: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2.
   
  
• High Quality MPEG-4 and Streaming WMV, QuickTime) Profiles: Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2.
   
  
• Full-HD quality H.264 and MPEG2 Profiles: Intel Corei5/7 or AMD Phenom II X4.
   
  
• AVCHD* and BD* burning Profiles: Pentium Core 2 Duo E6400, or AMD Phenom II X2.
   
  
• 2K/4K/3D* video editing profile: Intel Corei7 or AMD Phenom II X4 with 64 bit OS 6 GB RAM.
  

 

Graphics Card

• 128 MB VGA VRAM or higher (1 GB or higher VRAM and OpenCL capable are recommended).
  

Memory

• 512 MB required.
   
  
• 3 GB DDR2 or above recommended for 32 bit OS.
   
  
• 6 GB DDR2 or above recommended for 64 bit OS.
  

Hard Disk Space

• 5 GB minimum required
   
  
• 10 GB (20 GB recommended) for DVD production.
   
  
• 60 GB (100 GB recommended) for Blu-ray Disc/AVCHD production*.
  

Burning Drive

• A CD or DVD burner (CD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW or DVD-R/RW) is required to burn VCD/DVD/SVCD/AVCHD* titles.
   
  
• A Blu-ray Disc recordable drive is required to burn Blu-ray Discs*.
  

[Nationalsolo]

Hi Jeanne

 

If you find VPs dvd generation limited then try DVDstyler. This is pretty easy to use with complete menu/image/music control etc.

 

http://www.dvdstyler.org/

 

Worth a try.

 

The videopad DVD options don't include menu generation for multiple videos and will only work on the current project. The best you can do is to add several projects as clips (i.e. pre saved videos) to the timeline and place bookmarks between them. You can then step from one to another using the >> or << DVD player buttons to step between chapters.. i.e. the bookmarks.

 

Another third party DVD generator which works well is the one from Sothink. This, like DVD styler is free but places an advert between the items on your finalised Disc, which is not a problem.

 

Nat

[borate]

Also might be worth checking out http://www.imgburn.com/

[RajinCajun]

I gave up and was going to make a DVD of my half project, got a message when I tried to export: "this version of Videopad is for evaluation only" with an option to buy it. Guess you can only complete 1 project with the free version.

 

I just ordered Nero instead 'cause the issues I was having Videopad would've been recurring, don't need the hassle and frustration trying to make a simple DVD. I use to have Nero 7, was a great program, never had any issues with it.