What's the deal with the poor picture quality when I make a VCD? top
Well, the thing is, Video CDs are produced from MPEG-1 files. The resolution of these videos are 352 x 240. That isn't terribly high if you're going to be watching your movie on a TV. DVDs (which are MPEG-2) are double the resolution, making them look much, much better. It's just the nature of the MPEG-1 and -2 formats.

I have less than 4.7 GB of content in my movie, but when I try to burn my DVD, I get a message that the project won't fit on the disc. Why? top
The amount of space used in your project is a rough estimation. The creation of your disc is dependent on strict protocol being followed in accordance with the DVD specification (various files are transcoded and miscellaneous files and folders are created). In simple terms, there's more to it than just the content that you're including. Your menus, text, special effects--all that adds up to quite a significant amount of additional data. Also, the bitrate at which your videos have been compiled can heavily affect how much content you can add before you need to keep an eye on the available space.

The included effects and transitions are okay and everything, but how do I make my own? top
You currently cannot make your own transitions.

My videos are in widescreen format. Can I maintain the 16:9 aspect ratio when I make my movie? top
Not presently.

I've got a PowerPoint file I want to import. How do I do it? top
Currently you can't do this--not directly, anyway. You can export your PowerPoint presentation as a group of image files. You can then import those files into your project. In most cases this should work just fine.

How do I edit out middle sections of a video clip? top
It's pretty simple. Add the clip to the Timeline twice. On the first clip, move the End Trim Marker to the beginning of the section you want to cut out. On the second clip, move the Start Trim Marker to the end of the section you want to cut out.

Now when the clips are played together, the middle part will be skipped. Get it? The first clip is playing the start of your movie, up until the middle section that you cut out. Then it stops, and the second clip plays, resuming from the end of the middle section you cut out. Still confused? Step away, grab a sandwich, come back, and read this again.

Still confused? Let's look at it a different way, focusing only on the trimmed areas:

The first clip will play area "A." The second will play area "C." Area "B," the part you don't want, is skipped.

 

Weak! I can see my movie using ShowBiz, but not on my console DVD player. What do I need to do? top
Make sure that your DVD player supports the media that you're using (-R, +R, -RW, +RW). There are some good resources online that have information on most every commercial DVD player and what media works well them. Try DVDRHelp.com. It's a good, meaty site that has lots of information regarding DVD players and tested media.

What file format will give me the best quality? top
Well, when you're making a DVD, your movie is going to be converted into an MPEG-2 file regardless what file format it is when you add it to the Storyboard. But if you're talking pound-for-pound what format has the highest quality, that would be DV-AVI.

What's the easiest way to make scrolling intro and ending credits against a blank background? top
There's an album called "SAMPLE COLORS," which contains images of solid colors. Grab the black color (or any other color) and add it to the start (or end, or both!) of your project. That'll serve as your blank background. Now you can add your text over it. Adjust the duration of the image for as long as you need it.

What can I do to maximize the amount of content in my movie? top
One thing that helps significantly is reducing the bitrate when you capture video. Try using the 5 Mbits/sec. option (you can set this in the preferences). This should yield a file size that'll let you put close to 2 hours on a DVD.

Where's that "Pan & Zoom" effect I keep hearing about? top
When creating a slideshow (you must be in the Create module), the Pan & Zoom option lets you design your own scrolling and zooming effect. Remember, this special effect is only available when you're creating a slideshow.

I want to add some groovy tunes to my movie menu. Can you tell me how to do it? top
Sorry, you can't do it with this version. In the future, however...

How do I cut my movie in half and save the halves to two separate DVDs? top
This one's really easy. Add your final movie to the Timeline and navigate to the spot you want to break. Now, just click the Split button. It looks like a razor blade and is right next to the Undo/Redo buttons. Your movie will be split into two segments. Delete the second segment. Burn your DVD. Repeat the process again, this time deleting the first segment and burning the second.

Can you show me how to easily fade audio in and out? top
Sure. First, take a look at your audio tracks. The horizontal blue line indicates the current volume. When you move your mouse over it, you should see the mouse pointer change. Click and drag to set a point which can be moved to alter the sound level. Play around and see how the volume is manipulated when you move the mouse around. You can set multiple points to raise/lower the volume at virtually any time.

Now that you have one point set, click anywhere on the line to the left of the point that you made. Hold down the mouse button and drag the point all the way down and to the left. You'll notice that the volume now fades in.



The procedure is exactly the same when fading audio out, except you do it at the end of the clip instead of at the beginning.