5.1 - No pictures

[beans]

Bought PTE 5.0 on October 26, 2007 and downloaded 5.1 a few weeks ago. When I opened up 5.1 a box popped up asking if I wanted to transfer the settings and I clicked OK. 5.0 is installed in Program Files on the C drive and 5.1 is installed in a different folder called Other Programs on the C drive.

Made a short 23 slideshow with music for test runs.

I have been reducing the writing speed on 16x DVD-R disc to reduce the jerks in the pan and zoom. 8x was better in 5.0, so I thought I would try 4x in 5.1 - music played but no pictures showed in Win Media Player for both what I burned on disc and the .mpg that was created.

Thinking it might be Win Media Player or the write speed, I burned the same in PTE 5.0 at 4x. Both music and pictures played in Win Media Player, and the jerkiness was reduced to nearly nothing. This worked for both what was burned on disc as the video and the .mpg file.

In Windows Explorer (XP Home) I checked file sizes and they were the same for the files and DVD video disc burned in both 5.0 and 5.1. I also checked the version for Video Builder - 1.0.0.0 for 5.0 and 1.1.0.0 for 5.1.

Music but no pictures with 5.1.

What did I do wrong?

[nobeefstu]

beans,

I can only guess as there is a difference in v5. (using D3D for DVD compilation) and v5.1 (using D3D for DVD compilation and DVD process) ... may be causing your issue. What is your video card specs ?

"Encoding of DVD-Video disc (and AVI) works in 2-4 times faster now due to optimization for dual-core CPUs and using of hardware acceleration for video post-processing (if modern video card installed). Exactly same video quality as in previous version."

Try ... disable D3D checkbox in PTE- Project Options|Screen tab and produce mpeg to test and verify.

*I find it quite interesting your pans and zooms got smoother by reducing the DVD burn speed. Usually reducing burn speed helps for less possible disc errors that may be encountered when burning content too fast.

[beans]

I turned the D3D off, then hit preview. Whoa! What a difference! I would prefer to have it on!

Went ahead and made the mpeg, I noticed the screen stayed black instead of displaying the slides as it was processing.

Music played, no pictures.

I do not know about the video card. The 80GB Acer laptop was bought last year.

Since it worked in 5.0, maybe the download of 5.1 was incomplete. I will remove 5.1 and download it again tomorrow.

Thanks!

[Lin Evans]

If you click on the Windows "Start" then "Run" and type in "dxdiag" then press "Enter" on the keyboard a diagnostic will be run. When it finishes click on the Display tab and you can find out all about the video card and environment.

Best regards,

Lin

I do not know about the video card. The 80GB Acer laptop was bought last year.

Since it worked in 5.0, maybe the download of 5.1 was incomplete. I will remove 5.1 and download it again tomorrow.

Thanks!

[beans]

Thanks, Lin, for telling how to find it. I ran those tests with the box spinning and bouncing around. I could see the box fine, but there were jerks in the movement. I suspect that is where some of my jerks are coming from. Next chapter - find out about video card!

I did remove 5.1 and downloaded it again, from the same place on the PTE website on the left side of the home page. The same thing happened. Even while compiling the mpeg the little screen above the progress bar stayed black. In 5.0 it showed the picture slides in slow motion while the mpeg was being made. Still only music, no pictures in 5.1. The file sizes are identical at 156MB in the ones made in both 5.0 and 5.1. I can't find any function or tool that would not allow the pictures to be seen.

So I will start searching into video cards and see what I can find that will work.

[beans]

This is the information for my "video card" on my Acer Aspire 1640 laptop:

Card name: Mobile Intel® 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family

Manufacturer: Intel Corporation

Chip type: Intel® 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset

DAC type: Internal

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2592&SUBSYS_008F1025&REV_03

Display Memory: 128.0 MB

Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor

Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200

Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll

Driver Version: 6.14.0010.4363 (English)

DDI Version: 9 (or higher)

According to what I have read on the Internet, the Intel chipsets are integrated into the motherboard and there is no video card, so therefore the video card can not be upgraded.

In your What's New In 5.1 Version you stated "> Encoding of DVD-Video disc (and AVI) works in 2-4 times faster now due to optimization for dual-core CPUs and using of hardware acceleration for video post-processing (if modern video card installed)."

I'm not sure, but I think the reason why there is a black screen and no pictures are created in the files in Video Builder of 5.1 is your technology has advanced beyond the capabilities of my laptop. I am rather out of luck in using 5.1 version if this is the case.

[S Buckley]

I get the same results as you if I use Animation on any slide. When I remove slides with animation creating DVD works fine.

Can anyone (admin?) confirm that I SHOULD be able to create a DVD containing slides with animation with 5.1?

Sean

This is the information for my "video card" on my Acer Aspire 1640 laptop:

Card name: Mobile Intel® 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family

Manufacturer: Intel Corporation

Chip type: Intel® 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset

DAC type: Internal

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2592&SUBSYS_008F1025&REV_03

Display Memory: 128.0 MB

Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor

Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200

Driver Name: ialmrnt5.dll

Driver Version: 6.14.0010.4363 (English)

DDI Version: 9 (or higher)

According to what I have read on the Internet, the Intel chipsets are integrated into the motherboard and there is no video card, so therefore the video card can not be upgraded.

In your What's New In 5.1 Version you stated "> Encoding of DVD-Video disc (and AVI) works in 2-4 times faster now due to optimization for dual-core CPUs and using of hardware acceleration for video post-processing (if modern video card installed)."

I'm not sure, but I think the reason why there is a black screen and no pictures are created in the files in Video Builder of 5.1 is your technology has advanced beyond the capabilities of my laptop. I am rather out of luck in using 5.1 version if this is the case.

[beans]

I threw a 10 slide show together, with no animation, and still the screen was black in Video Builder while creating mpeg.

It made a 34.6MB file, but still nothing shows when played in Win Media Player.

I get the same results as you if I use Animation on any slide. When I remove slides with animation creating DVD works fine.

Can anyone (admin?) confirm that I SHOULD be able to create a DVD containing slides with animation with 5.1?

Sean

[nobeefstu]

beans,

In sbuckley post above ... the comment of removing animations from the show also includes the disabling of D3D hardware acceleration checkbox.

*Your onboard video 128mb is most likely shared memory and not dedicated memory ... which means it uses/requires system memory to achieve its 128mb. Onboard video is basically a low level/entry system and not very capable to reproduce demands of true D3D hardware acceleration. As a example, I believe your video card is in the minor leagues ... but not good enough to actually perform in the major leagues where the gameplay is much harder. Your video card is somewhat borderline to meet PTE- D3D demands.

*Normal shows without annimations dont require D3D to play correctly.

[beans]

beans,

In sbuckley post above ... the comment of removing animations from the show also includes the disabling of D3D hardware acceleration checkbox.

*Your onboard video 128mb is most likely shared memory and not dedicated memory ... which means it uses/requires system memory to achieve its 128mb. Onboard video is basically a low level/entry system and not very capable to reproduce demands of true D3D hardware acceleration. As a example, I believe your video card is in the minor leagues ... but not good enough to actually perform in the major leagues where the gameplay is much harder. Your video card is somewhat borderline to meet PTE- D3D demands.

*Normal shows without annimations dont require D3D to play correctly.

If I wanted to produce a "normal"" show without animations I would not have paid for it.

I realize now that my video apparatus is down in the mud, but it did manage to produce shows in 5.0.

Which unfortunately is no longer on the Downloads page.

[nobeefstu]

beans,

Here is a site on laptop video cards/classes. You may want to review the available information.

Notebookcheck.com

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphic...900.2178.0.html

According to what I have read on the Internet, the Intel chipsets are integrated into the motherboard and there is no video card, so therefore the video card can not be upgraded.

I would check out this information in more detail on your model with a local tech, if I were you. Many laptops with integrated video can be upgraded if the manufacture has supplied the proper slots on the motherboard. Be careful though in any upgrade selections ... your laptop power supply must be able to handle the extra wattage the new video requires and the case must be able to properly displace the heat generated by the card. Heat control is a real problem for laptops and will cook and render them useless in no time.

[Lin Evans]

If you email Igor he will post a link to 5.0 for you and you can use that until the hardware issue is resolved.

Best regards,

Lin

If I wanted to produce a "normal"" show without animations I would not have paid for it.

I realize now that my video apparatus is down in the mud, but it did manage to produce shows in 5.0.

Which unfortunately is no longer on the Downloads page.

[Guest Fly]

If I wanted to produce a "normal"" show without animations I would not have paid for it.

I realize now that my video apparatus is down in the mud, but it did manage to produce shows in 5.0.

Which unfortunately is no longer on the Downloads page.

I`m wrote PM for you.

[beans]

I looked at the link given above and bumbled over the Net looking at video and graphics cards, hoping to find an external one for my laptop. Finally I dragged out an older desktop PC that had an even lower video card than my Acer Aspire - Intel® 845GV chipset. I loaded the zip for 5.1 and did not expect much. I was surprised to see that when I was making the mpeg that the progress screen actually showed the pictures! I could see the pictures of that slideshow in Windows Media Player, though after I was finished converting the mpeg in Video Builder a box popped up that said I should use a better video card so the process would be faster. (It did take 45 minutes to make a 5 slide mpeg on my old desktop computer.) I did not get that sign on my laptop.

I did observe a very strange thing on my laptop. At the very beginning of every mpeg attempt made in 5.1 Video Builder there was a flash of light emitting from the top right corner for just a split second, then the rest of the slideshow was totally black. I could see that there was something there in Windows Media Player when I stopped the mpeg and moved the slider to the beginning. It is quite weird looking and does not look anything like the first, or any, slide (either a picture of the woods or a drawn rainbow). It is bands of different colors with tiny blocks. I thought there might be words, but none can be distinguished when blown up. In all slideshows made in 5.1 the lighted part is cut off at a diagonal, with the rest totally black, and all the slides following totally black. Thinking it might be a transition causing that diagonal cutoff, I tried circles and others, and also tried none for the first slide and it did not make any difference. They are all the same.

Sometimes they were similar and other slides there were differences. In the program XnView I could capture a frame shot of this thing. I am going to try and attach a collage of 4 different ones. Sort of looks like something is blocking it in 5.1 (but only on my laptop), but not 5.0.

Last night this box popped up just as I was trying to make a mpeg in 5.1:

asd

could not open video codec

It did not come up again in three more tries - only got that weird picture cut on the diagonal at the very beginning.

I can make an exe file in 5.1, but cannot make avi, mpeg or burn video disc - all are black.

[beans]

I would make sure you are using the latest intel graphics driver for your gpu. Yours might be out of date looking at the dxdiag info. Also any microsoft updates for DirectX. I've had no problems with my gma 950 and soon to be gma x3100.

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel915gm/

update: One other item that I forgot to mention is that some shared memory graphics processor units have a setting in the BIOS to limit the amount of shared ram. I recently changed the memory setting from 64 MB to 256 MB shared memory (2 GB main memory). You might check your BIOS during boot up if nothing else helps.

Tom

Thanks, Tom.

I did update DirectX - no change.

I changed the memory from 128MB to 502MB - no change.

Just downloaded the updated version of the Intel, but the progress screen in Winzip showed the same version I had already was installed. ???

Still no change. I will look at the Intel site more to see why the newer version was not installed.