Nero Recode Stuttering

[writersblock29]

I'm having a problem with Nero Recode that I'm hoping someone out there can help me with. After using recode to shrink down a DVD project, when I watch my burned copy on my set top player, there are points during the movie where the video and audio "stutters." To burn the same project over again is to be able to replicate the stuttering in exactly the same positions during the playback of the movie. Power DVD, of course, plays the recode project flawlessly.

Since my projects are movie-only, and formed using IFOedit, I know that "layer breaks" aren't to blame. I've even used DVD Shrink on the IFOedit-created files, and these burned fine, playing back without stuttering. I've used several different brands of media -- ranging from Memorex to el-cheapy Comp USA store brands. Whether successful or not, all projects were burned using Nero 6, ruling out the burning software. I've checked to make sure that some of Windows XP's drivers weren't interfering, and none were reported to be (according to the Driver-Clean Tool that a Nero rep. Emailed me). I'm stumped! I still have success using DVD Shrink- and DVD2ONE- created files and burning with Nero... but I paid good money to use Nero's utilities (Recode convinced me to upgrade! Now it's the one part of my package I just can't seem to get working right! Isn't it funny how life works?).

I'm more than happy to offer anything that can help, if someone out there knows (or at least suspects) what the culprate is. To start:

Gateway Select
1 Gig AMD
120 GB Hard drive
768 MB 133 SDRAM
Windows XP Professional.

Bare Bones as far as programs go (Just wiped my hard drive to get rid of that damned Blaster Virus, using FDISK and reinstalling Windows after reformating my hard drive as NTFS). Running MS Blaster patch w/firewall, the newest DVD Decrypter, IFOedit, Nero 6, Power DVD, Windows Media Player 8, and Roxio's Videowave 5. This help at all?

Even if someone can let me know I'm not alone with this (maybe a program bug?), that'd be cool! At any rate, thanks for at least reading this far!

[jined]

Originally posted by writersblock29
I'm having a problem with Nero Recode that I'm hoping someone out there can help me with. After using recode to shrink down a DVD project, when I watch my burned copy on my set top player, there are points during the movie where the video and audio "stutters." To burn the same project over again is to be able to replicate the stuttering in exactly the same positions during the playback of the movie. Power DVD, of course, plays the recode project flawlessly.

Since my projects are movie-only, and formed using IFOedit, I know that "layer breaks" aren't to blame. I've even used DVD Shrink on the IFOedit-created files, and these burned fine, playing back without stuttering. I've used several different brands of media -- ranging from Memorex to el-cheapy Comp USA store brands. Whether successful or not, all projects were burned using Nero 6, ruling out the burning software. I've checked to make sure that some of Windows XP's drivers weren't interfering, and none were reported to be (according to the Driver-Clean Tool that a Nero rep. Emailed me). I'm stumped! I still have success using DVD Shrink- and DVD2ONE- created files and burning with Nero... but I paid good money to use Nero's utilities (Recode convinced me to upgrade! Now it's the one part of my package I just can't seem to get working right! Isn't it funny how life works?).

I'm more than happy to offer anything that can help, if someone out there knows (or at least suspects) what the culprate is. To start:

Gateway Select
1 Gig AMD
120 GB Hard drive
768 MB 133 SDRAM
Windows XP Professional.

Bare Bones as far as programs go (Just wiped my hard drive to get rid of that damned Blaster Virus, using FDISK and reinstalling Windows after reformating my hard drive as NTFS). Running MS Blaster patch w/firewall, the newest DVD Decrypter, IFOedit, Nero 6, Power DVD, Windows Media Player 8, and Roxio's Videowave 5. This help at all?

Even if someone can let me know I'm not alone with this (maybe a program bug?), that'd be cool! At any rate, thanks for at least reading this far!

If this can help, you are not alone !

I mean, i bought Nero 6 package that i really love and believe is one of the better suites around worth the money..
(for the amount you will not even get a decent Dvd Playback
app out there...)

I usually share between dvdshrink and Decode (i must use recode...damn..i paid for it!) and must say i got excellent results from both.

Although i occasionally got audio and video drops, i regret to give guilt to Recode or to Shrink. This does not matter that Recode or dvdshrink didnt caused problems...instead...they did lots.

In my experience, drops are much related to media/burning app/burner but often, also of there is a problem in the source media during extraction, is possible to get into the same issue.

Having two rack dvd players is useful in this case.


JiNeD / mcse

-------------
P4 3.06 ghz - 1024mb ram
Dual Hitachi GXP 180 / raid mode
Geforce4 TI4800
Pioneer DVR-105/Firewire boxed
...powered by EnerMAX
...Cooled by Thermaltake

[writersblock29]

Thanks for the response! Well, it's nice to know that at least I'm not alone in this experience. After running a search on the forum, I've discovered many here have voiced similiar problems with DVD Shrink... which I find to be interesting, considering that -- in my case -- Shrink works without any problems! Even on the same projects that Recode tripped on. AND even though I'm using Nero 6 to burn both my failed Recode attempts as well as my successful Shrink projects. Very interesting, indeed.

Last night, after some thought, I downloaded and installed Adaptec's Force ASPI, thinking that perhaps my ASPI layer's to blame (Nero has one which is resident to the program, but it's my feeling that Recode isn't technically a PART of Nero, but rather a program that exists on its own and can be launched from Nero's menu). No dice. Exactly the same stuttering effects, in exactly the same places, of my test project (Sleepy Hollow). Loading the Recode files into IFOedit didn't reveal a problem, either: These files look the same as the files IFOedit made the first time out from my original rip, to create a movie-only project. No new or added "layer breaks." Nothing. Just to be safe, I used IFOedit on the RECODE files and created NEW IFOs... to no avail.

*Throws his hands up and shakes his head*

Beats me! But, yes, it'd be nice to be able to use all the features in the new Nero Package, confident that they'll work for you in what you need 'em to do. I guess that's why they call Recode a "Beta," eh? It's still an impressive effort, by all means -- I wouldn't want anyone reading this to think I'm casting stones at this project! Compared to the old days of CCE and tons of buggy freeware programs, I like where things are heading... even if we, the user, have to suffer a few "bumps" to get there.

Cheers!

[digitalman]

If you have Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you may try burning without ASPI drivers. I think there is an app that uninstalls all ASPI drivers for you. ASPI drivers are archaic and should only be used for backward compatibility to programs that don't yet support Windows 2000 and XP. Nero 5, 6, DVD Decrypter, CladDVD, all support 2000 and XP.

[jined]

A curiosity...why you go on PowerDVD?

Didnt got satisfied with Nero Showtime?

I enjoy this application very much, since i use it WinDVD and PowerDVD are history for me...



JiNeD

[writersblock29]

@jined

I'm just a creature of habit, I guess; Power DVD came with my burner, and I've just kind of gotten used to it always being there. Before Power DVD, I was using Ravisent Cineplayer. Why? you ask? 'Cause it came with my computer when I bought it way back when. Plus, DVD Maestro uses the codecs for its preview function. Since I've only recently purchased Nero 6, I haven't really had time to mess with all the stuff that the program has to offer. I'm sure once I've used it I'll wind up uninstalling Power DVD. Maybe even get rid of Videowave 5, too, if the editing software that comes with Nero winds up being up to par. Kind of sucks when you wind up with a ton of software that all does the same thing!

As far as the ASPI thing goes... Nero's acting the same WITH the newly installed layer as it did WITHOUT it. I just tried burning to a RW with B's Recorder Gold -- of all things -- with a freshly-recoded version of the movie. Same flaws as the previous Nero burns. I guess I'll stick to DVD2ONE (which I still feed IFOedit files to -- there's that creature of habit thing again!) until either InstantCopy or Recode get fixed.

Some kind of monster!

[atreides93]

I'm confused, is the problem with Recode or with DVD Shrink or both??

This is the first time I heard about this problem....sounds bad....I am going to have to watch some of the movies I backed up to make sure they sound ok.

[writersblock29]

@atreides93

Well, MY particular problem is with Recode-created files, but running a search on the word "stutter" reveals that several others are/were having remarkably similiar complaints with DVD Shrink-created projects. Since DVD Shrink is rumored (and we know how rumors work, folks!) to be working with Ahead Software on Recode...

Myself, I haven't had any trouble using the newest Beta for DVD Shrink and burning those files with Nero 6. Upon playback, they all look fine. They appear slightly washed out to me, though, compared to Recode (am I just seeing what I want to see? Wouldn't be the first time!), which is why I usually just use DVD2ONE on most things. So by all means, grab an old Shrink-made backup and watch it... but I wouldn't panic over it. I haven't noticed anything funny about how my own Shrink projects have behaved.

The RECODE projects that irk me (Sleepy Hollow and Stir of Echoes) each skip or stutter in common areas from copy to copy. No matter how many times you re-encode them. No matter if you uninstall, then re-install, NeroVision Express 2. No matter if you uninstall, then reinstall, the entire Nero suite. Heck, no matter if you try the same projects under a different operating system: When my system was hit with the "blaster" virus, I Fdisked, then installed Windows ME (which sucks, true; but the virus wouldn't attack it, and it's the only way I was able to stay Online long enough to download Microsoft's patch so I could save it to disk and reinstall Windows XP). Even under Windows ME, the exact flaws hit the exact same frames of these projects.

(Can you sense my frustration? Heh, heh...)

I'm currently downloading fresh files from Nero's website, just in case somehow they got corrupted. At this stage, I'll try anything! The Nero boys and girls are aware of this issue thanks to the miracle of Email, and seem to think there's a driver issue in there somewhere... maybe so. Maybe so.

*shrug!*

[ephesus79]

I mentioned this before in another thread but I'll mention it again. I burned 2 projects with Recode that would not play on my standalone. It would play on my friend's stand alone but it would stutter and skip here and there. I went back to the DVD files on my hard drive for those 2 movies (Femme Fatale and Cradle 2 the Grave) and did a "Get VTS Sectors" in IFO Edit for the IFO's and apparantly, it corrected several problems. I burned those files and I had absolutely no problem. To experiment, I ran Femme Fatale through recode again with different compression levels and it still had problems with the IFO files that I had to correct with IFO Edit. So now, I always do a "get VTS Sectors" in IFO Edit with all my Recode output. So far, it's only had problems with 3 movies out of 35 or so, but that's 3 too many in my opinion.

Also, out of a 150 DVD's using various burning tools (Nero, ImgTool Burn, RecordNow Max) the most compatible way to burn DVD's in my experience is to create an ISO with ImgTool Classic and then burn with DVD Decryptor. It's an extra step but it's well worth it.

[writersblock29]

@ephesus79

I've tried using IFOedit on the finished Recode files, and in my case IFOedit had nothing to fix. I even tried creating new IFO files using my Recode VOB files... no dice. I will, however, try your suggestion regarding burning from an image using DVD Decrypter. Hey, I haven't tried THAT yet!

@digitalman

Tried disabling all ASPI drivers and burning. No change!

Thanks for the input so far, guys! It's more than I'd expected, and deeply appreciated.

[writersblock29]

Here's a little update for those who have been involved with this issue... interesting, to say the least! I processed PITCH BLACK last night, and burned a copy to RW. No stuttering or any other problems whatsoever.

I wonder if this program just has trouble with certain titles. It can't be IFOedit's fault -- PITCH BLACK was a movie-only IFOedit project, just like STIR OF ECHOES or SLEEPY HOLLOW. I had even done STIR OF ECHOES to RW as a full-disk copy, but the movie stuttered in the same areas as the IFOedit movie-only version did.

Can anyone else out there confirm this suspicion? Anyone else tried backing up SH or SOE with Recode?