MEP is converting your files into Mpeg2 to make the DVD, it is also making the menu and creating any additional files needed for the DVD project.

Time depends on many factors. The size of the files both in data size and resolution, the number of clips, the complexity of the project and the different types of files.

If you have MOV's, AVI's and other formats on the timeline then MEP is jumping from one to the other and converting them. If you have several effects, MEP is also having to generate them and convert them. Plus screen sizes are being converted.

Depending on your system and processor speed it can take time to complete all of these tasks.

Is this DVD more complex than the others?

Here are some tips that may help:

After you complete your project and are ready to burn the DVD, save your project and reboot. Then with nothing else loaded, restart MEP and start the burn process. This will insure MEP has all of the resources of your computer to work with and is not competing with any other software for processor use. make sure the only software you have running is MEP.

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Just before you select the Burn button look up and locate the Encoder selection on the DVD burning menu. This is the box that opens just before you select the final burn button and start the burn process. You will see a slider control from Low quality (fast) to high quality(slow)
It is probably set to 10.
You can go lower and speed up the burn process but you will lose some resolution. You can crank it up to 15 and get fantastic results but it will take longer to encode the DVD.
If speed is more important than quality, slide it down below 10. If quality is important, slide it up to 15. The burn will take longer but the results are worth it.

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Another thing you can do is export the entire movie (FILE/EXPORT) as a Mpeg 2 file. This will take some time but less time than burning a DVD. Close the movie and restart MEP. Then place the Mpeg2 file on the timeline.
Set up your chapters and burn as usual. Because the movie is already converted to Mpeg2, the burn process will be shorter.  There is no need to encode the movie as Mpeg2 as it is already encoded.
However, audio sync could suffer if the mpeg2 file is long & huge, and this is a work around to just letting MEP take its time and do the job.

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One more thing. The 7 hour display is an estimate MEP is making to determine how long it "thinks" it will take to burn the file. After encoding part or all of the movie it may actually take much less time. Did you let it go the entire 7 hours?
You may find that after 45 minutes (more or less) it may readjust its estimate and complete much sooner.


I do hope this has helped you and I apologize if its confusing. Its not easy to explain in text the whole process MEP is going through to make a DVD. :-)

Perhaps these tips will work. :-)
J.