DVD Arch Pro, ver. 5.0 (Build 173)
I've tried to render a project to DVD 4 times now, and i keep getting the following message:
Warning: An error occurred while writing a file.
Invalid data was encountered when processing an MPEG file.
It's a project with 3 individual video elements, each accessible from the main menu, and each with end action leading to the next element, and then at the end of the third element, end action back to the menu.
Each elelment has 1 main audio and video track, and 3 alternate "angles" and 3 alternate audio tracks.
It appears to go through the rendering process successfully, but seems to hang up in the DVD file creation process.
On the 4th try, the alternate video traks were imported avi's as the help files recommended.
The alternate audio traks are ac3's.
The menu backdrop was an mpeg2 without audio. (originally it was an mv2, and i didn't know if that was creating the error).
I allowed all default recompressions, etc. to occur in the optimization phase of seting up the creation.
Does anyone recognize what may be tripping up the program?
Thanks very much.

sigh
I just failed my 7th attempt.
I've installed DVDA 5b
I've replaced all audio with ac3 files.
I've replaced all video files with avi files.
I still get the same error message when i try to compile everything and make the DVD files.
I found this entry at the sony forums, but it didn't seem to lead to an answer:
Sony Creative Software - Forums - DVD Architect Software Messages (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=22&MessageID=672490)
It failed at the point of preparation of the 3rd of 5 video objects, for whatever it's worth.
Thanks for your consideration.

Sam. I seem to recall reading some time ago that menus should be in progressive format, not interlaced.
I have no idea if that's still the case but it's something else to try.

Thanks Mike. I'll check into it, but I've never had to give consideration to that issue before. It'd surprise me if it's all of a sudden an issue leading to this flop, but thanks for your thought.
I guess that would be a step from Vegas then... to render the background media as a progressive element?
Thanks again!

Sam, I'd be surprised too if that turned out to be the problem but stranger things have happened to me with DVDA as it seems to have a mind of it's own some days :-(
If my suggestion doesn't work, hopefully one of the DVDA gurus here (I know Edward is at NAB right now) can offer a suggestion.

Have you tried just writing the file out and not setting it to burn?

If that works you can always use a different program to burn the DVD's

Have you tried just writing the file out and not setting it to burn?

If that works you can always use a different program to burn the DVD's

No I hadn't tried that yet, since it's been failing during the file creation stage... never gets to the DVD write stage, though it seems to have completed the re-rendering stages. When i go back to try to write the files that were created, i get a new error message, something about an invalid DVD folder.
Thanks for your idea though!

well... in case this means something to someone...
I went into the files created by the failed process...
i dropped the vob files onto the vegas timeline to see what there was...
looking at the attched screen shot...
#1 is VTS_01_0.VOB = 26,618KB = my menu, seems ok
#2 is VIDEO_TS.VOB = 232KB = 00:37;26 long "empty, black" video on the vegas timeline
#3 is my first video element, which showed up on the timeline when dropped as the primary video from the 1st video element (no signs of the 3 alternate angles) and 4 attached audio tracks.
Right after dropping this element onto the timeline, it triggered an exception error from Vegas, which leads to the program shutting down when you click "ok".
So...
the menu seems to be ok as is, without regard to it's imported backdrop file having been rendered from Vegas as interlaced.
and
as indicated by the last notice before the error message from DVDA while compiling, the error seems to be in the multi angled file, apparently the 3rd of 5 objects (4th and 5th objects probably would have been my 2nd and 3rd video elements with their alt audio and video traks).
Thanks for your continued consideration.

Sam, I'd be surprised too if that turned out to be the problem but stranger things have happened to me with DVDA as it seems to have a mind of it's own some days :-(
If my suggestion doesn't work, hopefully one of the DVDA gurus here (I know Edward is at NAB right now) can offer a suggestion.
***post-NAB bump***

I would consider running the MPEG files through MPEG2Repair and see if there really *IS* a problem with one of the MPEG2 files.

Just got home from NAB last night. Was great to see all the folks there.

Just got home from NAB last night. Was great to see all the folks there.

Edward, how was the Vegas party??

I would consider running the MPEG files through MPEG2Repair and see if there really *IS* a problem with one of the MPEG2 files.

Grateful for your return as well as your suggestion, thanks. I'll do a search for MPEG2Repair to see what you're suggesting.

My follow up thought off the bat would be that I observed that DVDA never even got to the last 2 elements because of the error message referenced above. So that alone makes my potential DVD incomplete. I also discovered at the link referenced above from the Sony forum, that someone else has had a similar problem with the multiple angle creation. That thread did not lead to a solution. I've tacked my issues onto that thread, but no answers. I'vre also submitted an email question to Sony's tech support, but no answer yet

Thank you for your time to offer up an idea!

I couldn't stay for the whole thing (had another appointment - seems nearly everyone schedules things on the same night at the same time). It appeared to be well attended. Lots of great people seeing a feature packed program.

I would consider running the MPEG files through MPEG2Repair and see if there really *IS* a problem with one of the MPEG2 files.

MPEG2Repair seems to look at ts, tp, or trp files. I only have avi files in play.
Thanks for your consideration though.
Any other ideas?
Even Sony is still silent on this topic.
No response from their forum either.
Has anyone successfully pulled off a multi-angle render with DVDArchitect 5?
Thanks!

I assumed you had rendered MPEG2 out of Vegas to be used in DVD Architect. What happens if you render MPEG2 from Vegas and use those instead of AVI?

Thanks for your continued interest in this issue, Ed.
I started out with mpeg2's, following the normal work flow, but resorted to avi's after reading the DVDA help files on multi angle projects. Both scenarios (mpg or avi) gave me the same results, that is: the error message right near the end of the 3rd of 5 vob's rendered, a corrupt vob file, and an incomplete render/DVD folder.
I've found two '09 posts on sony's forum referencing failed attempts to render a multi angle project in DVDA 5, but unfortuantely with no solutions, except with one observation that DVDA4 was able to successfully render their files.
I made the jump from Vegas 4 to 8. I haven't looked back yet to see what my DVDA version was back then with Vegas 4, or if it had multi angle capability. Of course, I've been hoping the solution would eventually be with DVDA5.
Everything works fine in preview in DVDA5... cruelly, teasingly so. It just seems to fail in render... and after nearly an hour! The failed experiments were unfortunately time consuming.

The only multi-angle disc I made was several years ago and was in the first version that added that capability. it did work well at that time. The only other thing I could think of checking is making sure there's plenty of disc space where the temporary files are created which defaults to your C drive.

The only other thing I could think of checking is making sure there's plenty of disc space where the temporary files are created which defaults to your C drive.

84.8 GB free on my C drive.
Thanks for the idea.

Any suggestions for soliciting free, timely comments from Sony? I requested their help many days ago, but no response to date. If it's the program's glitch, i wish they would address it on their dime.

I was one of the posters on the Sony Support forum, trying to get DVDA5 to successfully author an alternate video track. Ran out of time but I suspect the feature is buggy in that version. I even tried another DVD authoring product and they required a continuous alternate track, whereas I wanted to put snippets in at different places and have gaps in the track. You can't always get what you want ...

The other side of this is that many of my users are not very sophisticated about switching the view to a 2nd track. And some of the DVD players are not able to navigate the tracks reliably. Then I would get returned discs and support calls.

Ran out of time but I suspect the feature is buggy in that version... You can't always get what you want ...

...The other side of this is that many of my users are not very sophisticated about switching the view to a 2nd track. And some of the DVD players are not able to navigate the tracks reliably....

I consoled myself with the very same thoughts...
but still feel disappointed that I couldn't achieve my goal for this special project,
AND
disappointed that Sony's program is falling flat on its face on an advertised feature.
Sometimes it's hard work for me to learn to use more features in this great program. I wish they'd work a little harder to make it work on their end. I spent days trying to figure out what i may have been doing wrong (as i often must do), while they've had this out for over a year (two?), and apparently have still neither addressed it nor at least admitted to it to save us from wasting time trying to use it.
sigh...

Thanks for sharing your experience.