@Robert-Swope

Hi

In addition to @emmrecs comment,:

If the DVD disc has already had an attempt at burning to it, then it may not be 'clean' state ie the discs has started to be used however did not complete, additionally using unbranded 'store' economy discs may result in a high level of failure or disc not recognised errors.

Do note that DVD-R discs tend to have a higher reliability than DVD+R

To avoid disc wastage I recommend using a DVD-RW disc for the initial burn and testing in a player

Iin case there are changes required the disc can be re-used, once the DVD is correct the DVD-RW can be copied to DVD-R and the DVD-RW re-used.

John EB
Forum Moderator

Thank you both for your suggestions. As Jeff suggested, I downloaded the latest Magix Burn Routines and tried to burn the disk again. Still no success. The blank disc is in the computer for about 10-15 second and then ejects. I am asked to insert a blank disc, which I do again, with the same results. I am using Memorex DVD-R discs.

@Robert-Swope

What about the other questions I raised?

• Do you have other disc burning software on your computer? Does it "work"?
• If it does, have you tried the "Image Recorder" option?

And, one other thing I should have asked yesterday: what is the make and model number/name of the actual DVD Burner you have?

Jeff

Edit: I notice you say The blank disc is in the computer for about 10 - 15 seconds and then ejects. Can you clarify this, please? You would normally insert the blank disc before any processing of the video actually starts. In your original post you say that you see a message "Loading Disc Information". Again, I would expect to see this before any processing of your slideshow actually begins.

So, when exactly, does this ejection occur? What you write suggests it occurs even before the processing has started.

@Robert-Swope

Hi

. . . . The blank disc is in the computer for about 10-15 second and then ejects.  . . . . Memorex DVD-R . . . .

This sounds like either:

• the discs are faulty, this is not unknown as I have had issues with this brand
   
• not compatible with the DVD burner - what is the make/model of the DVD writer.
   
• the DVD burner is faulty.

Do you have any rewritable discs? If not i would suggest you get a couple for initial writing to avoid creating 'coasters' - I use Verbatim DVD-RW

John EB

Okay, I will try to answer your great questions. I start the burn process and it goes on for at least 45 minutes (and an hour after I downloaded the latest Magix Burner Routines-- Version 13-something) through Cuts 1 to 5. At that point, it indicates that it is "loading disk information" and that I should insert a recordable disc, which I do at that time (in other words, I do not insert the disc prior to that prompt). And as I mentioned, the disc ejects after 10 to 15 seconds. I have tried different discs (Memorex DVD-R and Memorex DVD+R) but with the same results.

I do not know the make and model of my DVD burner-- sorry, it is simply part of the computer I have that was "built" by my local computer shop. I have burned other DVDs previously using Photostory Easy that I purchased in 2013.

And no, I do not have other software packages that allows for burning DVD.

One other thing you should know-- While all Photostory programs (Easy and Deluxe) allow for the creation of menu templates, I never have done so. In other words, my slideshows start with the first photo. However, should I create a menu template-- would that possibly have an effect on burning a DVD?

Not sure what "coasters" are. I can certainly purchase different discs if there are problems with Memorex. I have seen Verbatim products on the market.

While I have you, I have another issue with the same Photostory Deluxe slideshow. At the end of the slideshow, my last photo ends with a fade-out transition. And then, suddenly, the slideshow "bounces" back to a previous photo, most often to the next-to-last photo or the first photo in the show. I'm not sure how to fix this and whether this is an issue related only to the playback on my computer or whether the bounce will also occur on the disc I am trying to burn.

I appreciate all of the help you are providing-- thank you.

@Robert-Swope

Thank you for all this additional information. It really is helpful!

I'm going to offer one or two ideas to you, but perhaps in a different order to the one you used in your latest reply.

• The DVD Burner make and model: you can find this by right-clicking on the Windows Start icon and choosing Device Manager from the list that opens. Once Device Manager appears it will look something like this. (This is mine on my computer, yours will be different).
  
• Click on the entry for DVD/CD ROM drives. You will then see the installed DVD Burner drive. I have three listed on my machine, you will almost certainly have only one. (This is mine below).
  
• Right-click on the name of yours and choose Properties. The screen that then opens will tell you, on the General tab, whether it is working properly.
• Assuming it is, go to the Driver tab and click the button that says Update Driver. Allow Windows to search. It may find nothing. If so, it could be worth going to the manufacturer's website, entering the model name/number and checking for an updated driver.

For the problem of the ejected disc: try inserting the disc before you begin the export process. Does this make any difference to the problem?

If you have no other disc-burning software, and to test whether your disc burner is working fully, you could download and install the free ImgBurn. Yes, it is quite old software but it works! Then use the Image Recorder option in PS to create the .iso file of your slideshow. Once it is created and saved to your computer, open ImgBurn and choose the option "Write image file to disc".

On the next screen point to where the Image File (the .iso you've just created) is saved and then click on the burn icon at the bottom of that screen to begin the burning process. This is what it looks like on my computer

At this stage don't worry at all about any of the many other settings that are available in ImgBurn; we simply need to establish whether your disc burner works!

I honestly don't know the answer to your question about the "bounce-back" at the end. Clearly, this is happening when you playback the show in PS; it will be interesting to see whether the exported show also does this. I suspect it may not.

Disc menus; I have always created a menu to accompany any DVD show. I do not think it is "compulsory" but there would be no harm in you creating a simple one to test this, assuming that all the above ideas make no difference and you still cannot burn your DVD.

One other thought, to emphasise something that @johnebaker wrote, for these "test" burns, use DVD+RW rewritable discs. The "coasters" which John refers to are what you are left with if you use non-rewritable discs and the burn fails; the resulting useless discs are suitable only to use as drinks coasters!

Sorry for the length of this post but hopefully, we may finally be able to help you to resolve this.

Jeff

Regarding my DVD Burner, I followed your instructions and discovered that my burner is TSSTcorp DVD+-RW SH-216CB (I believe that it is a Microsoft product). The General tab under Properties indicated that it is working properly. Under the Update Drive tab, it indicated that "Windows has determined that the best driver for this device is already installed".

I will work on the ImgBurn shortly.

@Robert-Swope

Thanks again for this update.

One other thing that might be relevant here: on the screenshot where I showed how to access the Image Recorder, does yours default to showing the name of your DVD burner? It should, if PS can "see", and therefore use it.

Doing a little research on the actual burner I see it is now rather old and there appear to have been no updates to its drivers since 2006, and certainly none that are specifically for Win 10 so Win 11 is definitely not catered for! This page seems to list the latest drivers for it.

How old is your computer? Unfortunately, it may be that the drive is too old to enable you now to use it, sorry!

Jeff

My computer is brand new-- "built" by my local computer shop about one month ago (I thought I was upgrading to accommodate PS Deluxe). However, I will look into updating the burn drive.

I need one clarification-- earlier John recommended using a DVD-RW disc for the initial burn and testing and later John recommended using a DVD+RW disc. Does it matter which one I use?

One question I didn't answer-- yes, the screenshot shows both Image Recorder and the name of my DVD burner.

@Robert-Swope

Hi

. . . . earlier John recommended using a DVD-RW disc for the initial burn and testing and later John recommended using a DVD+RW disc. . . . .

That would be very unlike me if I did recommend the + versions of write once or rewritable discs - I did say: Do note that DVD-R discs tend to have a higher reliability than DVD+R

If the ImgBurn option also fails then I think the drive is faulty and may be replaced under warranty, in which case as it is a Toshiba/Samsung model and burns CD and DVD discs only, would suggest you look at the LG Blu-Ray drives, I have these in my PC and they have proved to be very reliablevery reliable for me.

HTH

John EB

I am going to my local computer shop tomorrow to have them check on my current DVD burn drive and to either update for my current use or to replace it with something better/newer. If there is still a problem, I will try the ImgBurn option. When I took a look at that option yesterday, I went to the ImgBurn website and clicked on Download and it redirected me to Wondershare and something called DVD Creator. Is this where I want to be?

How long will this forum be open? I may be only a few days from resolution (hopefully) but it has been very helpful and I want to continue having access to you guys.

@Robert-Swope

Hi

ImgBurn is no longer available from the original web site, however it does have links to official mirror sites where it is still available - see here.

John EB

I took my computer to the local shop on Monday to check on my current TSST DVD burner. They found it working and that the most recent update had been installed (not sure of the date of the update). To demonstrate that it was working properly, they burned a DVD of about 12 individual photos from my slideshow-- granted, they did not burn the slideshow (including the 270 photos, transitions between photos, and the background music) but they said that the burning process worked fine.

I will try to burn a DVD this afternoon-- using my recently purchased Verbatim DVD-R disc that you recommended. I will provide you with notes on the process so that you are able to determine that I made all of the appropriate selections along the way.

I wanted to give you the promised full report on another failed attempt to burn the DVD.

1. The first screen shot is "Disc Selection"-- I choose DVD-- and at that time, I inserted the clean Verbatim DVD-R disc into the computer.

2. The second screen shot is "DVD Burning". a. The burner identified is E:TSSTcorp (my burner). b. Disc Information-- "Media Type-- Not a blank CD" (not sure I understand that?). c. Burning speed is 1x. d. Disc Format-- MPEG Encoder Setting-- I choose "Standard DVD NTSC Widescreen". e. I choose "Apply anti-lace filter". f. Burn Options-- I choose "DVD-compatible write at least 1 GB", "Turn on burner defect management", and "Check data after burning disc".

3. I clicked on the "Start Burn Process" button

4. I received a pop-up message asking if the "Existing File Should be Used for the Film"-- I choose "Encode All" (other options were "Encode", "Use", or "Use All".

5. The burning process went through Cuts 1, 3, and 5 of 5. At the completion of that process (roughly 22 minutes) and was about to "Load Disc Information", the disc was ejected from the computer and a pop-up message instructed me to "Please Insert a Blank Recordable Disc" (remember that I had originally loaded the Verbatim DVD-R disc at the beginning (#1 above). My options were "Okay" or "Cancel"; I choose Okay. The disc was automatically reinserted into the computer. The disc remained in the computer for a few second and was again ejected. The pop-up came again and I repeated-- before finally throwing up my hands and aborting the entire burn process.

Is there something I am doing wrong? If not, the only solution I can see is to install a new burner. This just shouldn't be this difficult!!

@Robert-Swope

Hi

. . . . Is there something I am doing wrong? . . . .

AFAICS everything you are doing is correct, it is the burner response to the disc in step 2b and 5 that is an issue.

A bit of a long shot - use Windows Explorer to browse the DVD drive and check if there are any files there that are ready to burn - if so delete the files, they will block Photostory using the burner.

Did you try the Image recorder option and then burn the ISO image to disc using Windows Explorer - right click the ISO image file and select Burn disc image.

HTH

John EB

I wanted you to know-- when I took my computer to the local shop, the technician pointed out that I do, in fact, have software on my computer that I can use for disc burning-- Windows Media Player. I burned a Verbatim CD-R disc today and it worked like a charm. Could the burner burn CDs but not DVDs?

@Robert-Swope

Hi

. . . . Could the burner burn CDs but not DVDs . . . .

Not unless it is faulty.

The TSSTcorp DVD+-RW SH-216CB is a DVD burner and supports most DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD_RW, DVD+RW and some DVD_RAM formats.

The Windows Media Player burn test is not a valid test as it only burns audio discs or a 'data disc' neither are true DVD discs with menus etc.

Did you try the ISO (Image recorder) DVD burn and then burn that to DVD-R disc using ImgBurn or Windows explorer as previously suggested.

John EB

Wil try that suggestion now.

I was finally able to burn a DVD of my Photostory Deluxe slideshow. It seemed that much of the problem was related to outdated hardware. I had to purchase an LG DVD Writer to by-pass the burner in my computer and then a new Sony DVD Player to replace my outdated 9-year old unit. The problem now is the quality of the slideshow; none of the photos are sharp. I am burning to a clean Verbatim DVD-R disc. The computer folks who have been helping me here have suggested that the picture quality issue may related to the various settings of the software. As a result, I want you to know what settings I am using:

Slideshow Settings-- automatically select thumbnail

Project Settings-- Use 16:9 aspect ratio (my TV screen is 57" X 32.5"); 4K/UHD resolution; automatically adjust new media to fill monitor

Program Settings-- Options-- Video Standard-- NTSC; Export-- automatically preview exported clips; Other-- update thumbnail in the background; save project automatically; automatic preview when changing transitions; send analysis update to Magix

Device Options-- video mode-- Intel (R) UHD Graphics 630

Other setting options during the burning process were included in paragraphs 2 and 4 of my message dated August 3 (3:28pm). Are any of these settings affecting the quality of the photos? Should I change any of the settings?

@Robert-Swope

It’s excellent news that the original problem is now resolved so thank you for the update. To be honest I’m not surprised that the original burner was too old for the task. When you stated earlier that this was a “new” computer both John and I were surprised by the inclusion of that specific burner, given its age!

On the question of the quality of the slideshow I think we need to establish what was the source of the images? If they are pictures taken with a camera what resolution are they? Since you are viewing the show on a UHD TV you really need the source images to be High Resolution, at least!

If the images are scanned from any source this High Resolution is even more vital! I have recently completed a slideshow for a client where the source images were slides. I scanned them at 600dpi resolution and then used a third-party app to double the resolution of each image. Because the project actually consisted of three different shows on the same disc (and because I am rather more used to working with Video Pro X) I used that app to complete the task. Even with the increased resolution I still needed to add a degree of sharpening to at least some of the images.

One other very important fact to note: the DVD standard is always and only “Standard Definition”. It is a common misapprehension that a DVD is High Definition! So your TV is having to attempt to upscale SD to UHD. I am honestly not sure whether such a degree of upscaling is even possible?

HTH

Jeff

@Robert-Swope

Hi

. . . . burn a DVD . . . none of the photos are sharp. . . TV screen is 57" X 32.5" 4K/UHD resolution . . . .

As @emmrecs has commented - 'your TV is having to attempt to upscale SD to UHD'  to put this into perspective, DVD NTSC resolution is 720 x 480 pixels with the horizontal dimension of the pixels being stretched to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio, which is being upscaled 3840 x 2160 or approximately 5.3 x magnification, or ~28 times the area.

Blu-Ray discs will fair better upscaling to 4K UHD providing the source images, and any video used, are at least larger than 1920 x 1080, and the player supports Blu-Ray.

HTH

John EB