Thanks, Neil, I'll try the experiment(s) - I'll let you know the results. I have noticed with both the successful DL projects and the failures that 'Test Before Burn' is greyed out. Any significance?

I've pre-empted the possibility of burner failure by dowloading and testing the latest firmware. No change.

I had no problem with DL projects with Encore 1.5, on the same machine and with the same burner.

I did try to write a folder earlier today and Encore said the project was too big (5.99 GB).

James

Hi Neil and jbowden,

I've now tried to write a DVD folder on the hard disk. Again Encore goes through the entire routine of preparing the write, ordering the files, etc, but when it starts to write, it stops. It writes no data on the hard disk and says there is 1 second remaining of the write. I now took one of the successful projects and asked Encore to write a folder on the hard disk. It did so promptly and without any 'oddity'. There is no obvious difference between either of the projects. Both consist of First Play, a menu screen with four chapter buttons, and a time line (with four chapters) consisting of a single m2v file and a wav file transcoded to ac3. Other than the precise length of the file on each timeline, both projects are identical; indeed both projects were started off 'saved as' from the same original project (my business is repetitive - I put cines on DVD). So I haven't the beginnings of an idea of what the problem may be myself!

On this machine I have Encore 1.5.1 upgraded from Encore 1.something or other and Encore 2. Encore 2 could have been an upgrade from 1.5.1, but I can't remember. I mention this in case there is some sort of interaction. Also I should note that I have found Encore 2.0 very much slower at importing files and transcoding than 1.5.1. I have wondered from time to time if there is a problem.

Thanks, James.

Hi Neil,

Yes, it is pretty perplexing.

The media files are definitely DVD compliant (I do this all the time), and there is no obvious difference between the projects that work and the ones that don't. The files are all created from PremierePro via realtime export as m2v. I have oceans of hard disk space @ at least 10 x 500 GB external HDs and internal HDs @ 500 GB

As I said above, the projects that work, work everytime they are used, and the ones that don't work, never work.

I'm interested in the media cache database. I'd like this to be the cause of the problem since I've never cleared it (didn't realise you had to). Before I do clear it however it might be instructive to find out whether it is bloated and by how much. Is there a file size limit? In which direcory will I find the database? I've had a look at Encore and its files in its installation on the C drive of this computer but the database does not appear to be stored there.

I do see how to clear it but, as I say, I'd like to estimate whether it could have been the cause of the problem first.

I think a reinstallation of Encore then might be a good idea, as you suggest.

Thanks very much for your help. I don't know why you guys go to such trouble to help anoraks like me.

Best, James.

Hi Neil,

I have a curious tale to tell, which I don't understand.

I took one of the DL projects which won't write to disk but which renders the disks subsequently unuseable and tried to write it by first cleaning the database, then deleting the database, then physically deleting the cache folder on the disk drive in the project folder (3 attempts). I couldn't produce a disk and I couldn't produce, at first sight, a DVD folder either. So then I checked a successful and apparently identical project and produced a successful disk and a successful DVD folder on the hard disk without any problems. So far so good.

Writing both the successful disk and the DVD folder took about 11 minutes on each occasion. The attempt to produce the project that was unsuccessful ended in a message that the project was being written but it was obvious that nothing was happening - so the effort was terminated after a minute or so. I was therefore very surprised to find an apparently complete DVD folder on the hard disk when I casually examined it.

The size of the folder appears to be right, and the structure of the DVD appears to be normal. I played the VTS_01_1 VOB file (given as 1,048,544 KB), but Media Player said 'The specified title and/or chapter numbers does not exist on the DVD'. I then played the exact counterpart folder in a successful project in Media Player and it played fine. So I've got the right amount of data in the failed project compared with successful project, and appearing in record time - although it doesn't function (for whatever reason).

To check the speed of writing I deleted the failed DVD project file and went through the whole procedure again, ending Encore seconds after it had produced the message that it was once again writing this file but evidently not doing so - ie not minutes after this message. A complete file of nearly 6 GB was once again on the hard disk - so quickly - and just as useless.

I'm mystified. All I can deduce is that this failed DVD folder is written very quickly indeed and that the same event which produces the folder is the one which, when the write disk option is chosen, mangles the disk. After that I haven't the foggiest, as we say in Birmingham UK.

So I leave you a mystery. Your thoughts will be pearls of wisdom.

James

Hi Ruud,

It worked. The unshortened timeline is 2 hrs 8 mins with 4 chapter points. The project in this form has never written successfully. I interpolated a chapter point between every existing one, thus producing a series of 8 chapter points (with one after the last pre-existing one). The DVD file wrote without any obvious difficulty.

I take it this suggestion of yours - which is very inspired - is not serendipity. What's going on?

James

Thanks, Ruud: this makes sense to me. I compose very similar projects from time - same long timeline, same number of chapter points. I'll correct projects which don't work by adding additional chapter points, and add to the topic if the solution fails - though I have very little doubt that you are correct. Best wishes and thanks for saving me a great deal of head scratching.

James