Hi all. New the to forums, but have been using DVDFab for a short time. I've tried searching for my answers (both here and on the web) but with not a lot of luck.

First off, my equipment.

Both my machines are Dell Inspirons. Both have 1GB ram. One is a 9300 with a Pentium M 2G and the other is a newer E1705 with a Pentium Duo Core 1.7G. Laptop 1 (the 9300) has an 1:1:0 _NEC DVD +-RW ND-6500A 203E. Laptop 2 has a 1:0:0 Sony DVD +-RW DW-Q58A UDS2. Both run DVDFab Platinum 3.0.9.8. Also, laptop 1 runs Windows Vista Ultimate (was on the MS Beta Team so I got final retail release copy for free. Woo Woo!). Laptop 2 runs Windows XP Pro with all latest patches/fixes.

First problem. When I try to copy a move for my Creative Zen Vision: M, I use these settings
Generic Device - generic.avi.xvid.mp3 (set as default)
Encoding Method - 2 pass
Fixed Bitrate - kbps 416
Framerate - Same as source
Aduio Bitrate - 192
Volume - 110% (hey, I'm old )
If I tell it to encode (at any frame size (ie 320x176, 832x464(love the widescreen))) just a couple of chapters, it encodes BEAUTIFULLY. How ever, when I use the same settings (I promise! I didn't change a thing!) and encode the whole movie, it comes out pixelated and digitized! Even if I up the fixed bitrate it doesn't help. Again, this happens on both machines.

Problem two.
I'm trying to backup Shrek 1 for the kids to use. Both machines will copy it to the harddrive with no problem. Laptop 1, how ever, will not burn it to an Imation -R disk at all, but will to a Fujifilm -R. Laptop 2 will burn to either disk with no errors. Now, when I take ANY of those disk to ANY machine (either laptop, my high end Sony HD players, my lower end Pillips, ANY machine) none of them will see the disk at all. Using the same types of disks on the same machines, I've backed up Monsters Inc, Ice Age, Ice Age 2, all with no problems. This only happens when trying to burn Shrek 1. Any thoughts?

Hi, swany and welcome! First the MP4s: will they play OK on a PC based player, such as RealPlayer or VLC?

I don't make them in M4P formate. The Zen doesn't support it. But to answer the question in general, everything I described for the mobile (generic) settings happens weather I'm viewing on the Zen or on the computer.

hi,

The new beta have the profiles of Creative ZenVision, Please try it .

I am not sure what problem this is, it is a encode error ? and the output file have some quality problem ?

Thanks.

Hi Ting. I understand him to say the video breaks up and becomes blocky if he encodes the entire movie when played on Zen or PC but is OK if he only encodes a few chapters. Swany, do you have the latest version (3.1.0.0) of DVDFab?

No, I am using versioin 3.0.9.8. I'm not much up on using Beta software (the MS Beta test was just a fluke. A friend got me in on the program and told me as long as I use it and send them any errors I'll get a free copy later ). If you think that will fix my problem, I'll give it a shot.

Has anyone else ever had a problem like this? Does it always work great for everyone else and I'm just the one unlucky guy?

Haha, no, it's not just you. Many people have had A/V sync and problems with FF/REW, but Ting has worked very hard to correct them (he is the author of these parts of DVDFab) and there have been further improvements in the Mobile modes with the current beta. I have been using it since the day it was released with no problems at all. VLC player and the ffdshow codec fixed all my sync type issues for PC playback and I don't have a Zen or an iPod (but I can load movies into my cellphone). But you might try v.3.1.0.0 first, it might take care of it all, and as Ting pointed out, the new beta has a profile built in for the device you are using. I'm sure he would like for you to try it and report the results back here.

Ok, I'll give it a shot. I'll get it downloaded tonight and give it a try tonight/tomorrow and post the results once done.

Any thoughts on the Shrek 1 problem I'm having?

I am looking for my original of Shrek to try it myself. Be sure to download the newest beta (now 3.1.0.5) for your test run.

Yeah, I'm seeing that this morning lol...I've already installed and tried 3.1.0.0. I'll get .5 and give it a shot as well, but so far, things are looking up. I'm still playing with the settings, but it seems that switching to mpeg4 format instead of xvid is making a huge difference. I'm still getting SOME pixelation, but it's 5 fold better than it was. I cranked the settings up and even tried watching at full screen on my 17 wide laptop and it was decent looking. Trade off is, of course, taking up more space (which is at a premium on my Zen). Now I'm trying it again, but cranking it down a bit. I'm trying to acheave the smallest file size but with good quality I think it's almost there.

Let me know what you come up with on Shrek (I'll give it another shot once I'm done with the Zen testing).

Thanks so much for all the time and help you guys are giving It really is appreciated.

ok, all settings are the same but I bumped the fixed bit rate from 416 to 512. With that setting for the xvid is still was bad, but using 3.1.0.5 and mpeg4, it's a huge difference without giving up much more HD space (from 507MB at 832x464 to 533MB at 640x360). Worth it for the quality improvment. The Zen only displays a max of 320x240 any ways, so it's superb on there, but when I play it on the laptop, even at full screen, it's decent. Still slightly pixelated, but that's to be expected at this high a compression over the original. I'm very happy!

Now, to just fix the Shrek thing That's a test for later tonight (have lots to do today and already lost a lot playing around with this lol)

Anyone have any luck with Shrek 1? I'm still having the same problem. Is it a security encoding problem do you think? Any thoughts here are appreciated.

Hi Swany. I'm still looking for my original of Shrek. I think it got "borrowed". I've got to go in to the local rental place tomorrow and I'll see if they have one I can test with. Will post back if I can find it.

Very cool. Kids have been bugging me and I wont give up the originals any more lol

Hmmmm..I thought I'd volunteer to test with my original of Shrek. Funny, right now I can't seem to locate Shrek either. One still at college, one home from college, but says she left some dvds in storage in Canada... (I smell conspiracy... )
Oh well...I'll look around a bit more...

OMG a Shrek theft ring! Thought stolen things had to have intrinsic value to attract theives?

ok, I am a total newbie to this. I went and downloaded the beta. I have a Zen W. I used PVP setting to take a movie from DVD. The movie is "skipping". When I used the Zen software to do the same movie it works fine, just takes hours.

What settings are you using in the beta version to transfer the movies?

TYIA!
Stacy

oh, and then I have another question. When I do the PVP, It goes through 2 tasks... One to put an avi in the pvp folder and then one in the generic folder. Is it creating the avi, placing it in the pvp folder and then using that avi to encode for ZEN and placing that in the generic folder? Or do I have something set wrong?

I had the same two version issue at first. Heres what I did to fix it. As I had a previous version of DVDFab installed, I uninstalled it as well as the beta then reinstalled JUST the beta. I recomend that even if you only had the beta installed to uninstall it and reinstall it. After you choose what chapter, audio track and subtitle (if any), when you click next you will be presented with a screen where you can click a small button near the bottom left and configure what ever you are doing. From this same screen, you will have a list of what tasks it will preform once you click start. If you are just after the movie, you should only have one in the list, and at the end it should say something like "pvp.default" or "generic.default". If you have BOTH (and I'm guessing you do), just click once on the one you don't want, then hit the remove button.

As for what settings I use to transfer the movie, the my first post at the begining of this thread Has all the settings I use (except I've moved my fixed bitrate up to 512).

How did I not see that configure button??? HOW???

Thank you for replying. I am trying it now.
Stacy

Swany, I got a "previously abused" copy of Shrek today. Will try it and let you know what happens.

Swany, even the trashed copy I got of Shrek made a perfect backup in Main Movie mode of DVDFab Platinum v.3.1.0.5. Plays flawlessly on all my players. This disc (the original) is one of those with "Interactual" player on it and a lot of other DVD-ROM stuff including interactive games, etc. If you used Full Disc mode some of the leftovers from this stuff may be confusing your player. Clone mode might have strange results too unless you check the box that says "Copy DVD-Video Data Only". If you ever allowed the Interactual stuff to install on your PC you should remove it (Add/Remove Programs) and try one of the abpve methods. The failure to burn is not related to any content on the disc I don't think. Let us know how you make out.

Swany, worked perfectly! Thank You!
Stacy

No, I've never allowed Interactual or any DVD software to install, and I'm only using "Main Movie" for my backups. We don't really watch the extras and such, so no point in trying to back them up. I've been away a few days on vacation, so now that I'm back I'll go and get some other DVD -R's and see if just been the disks I've been trying to use. I'll let you know as soon as I get it tried.

Again, thanks for the help trying to figure this out

Swany6mm

Welcome back. Look forward to hearing what you find.