# DeVeDe, a video DVD creator

# FAQ

Current version: 3.8c

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### Generic

1. DeVeDe creates an ISO (or BIN/CUE) file instead of burning a CD/DVD. How can I create the final disk?

   For ISO files, under GNOME, the fastest method it to just right-click in the ISO file and choose "Burn to CD...".

   Or you can use:

   growisofs -dvd-compat -speed=4 -Z /dev/dvd=FILE.ISO

   Where /dev/dvd is the device which corresponds to your DVD burner (in some computers it can be /dev/dvd1; to be sure, just type ls /dev/dvd* to see the right value).

   For BIN/CUE images you can use CDRDAO:

   cdrdao write --device ATA:0,0,0 --driver generic-mmc --speed 16 NameOfCUEOrTOCFile

   Finally, you can use your preferred CD/DVD burner program like GnomeBaker, Brasero or K3b.

2. DeVeDe is very slow compared to Mencoder alone!

   By default, Mencoder uses fast options, but DeVeDe uses high quality options. If you want speed, just go to the tab Quality options (in the Advanced options section) and there disable Trellis and choose Use MBCMP. Now DeVeDe should be as fast as Mencoder with default options.

3. Why can't I use a VFAT/FAT32 partition to create my DVDs?

   VFAT and FAT32 file systems doesn't understand uppercase/lowercase letters, and shows everything in lowercase. Unfortunately, the creation of a DVD tree is case sensitive.

4. DeVeDe does not start in windows

   First you need python 2.5. Then you have to make sure you have gtk for windows installed. It is more easy to get the Gtk+/Win32 Development Environment (runtime, devel, docs, glade) version. Then you need pygtk. Now you need to install python 2.5 extension pywin32. Any of the needed programs such as mplayer that are not already installed should now be automatically installed next time you run mplayer. Or you can wait for a win32 installer to be made (any voluteers in the room?).

5. I can't add more than 12 titles

   That's the current limit for DeVeDe, to allow to use one single menu. With more titles there should be need more than one page for the menus. But if people really, really need it, I'll implement it.

6. I adjust the bitrate to use the 100%, but the final size is smaller.

   Unfortunately is impossible to accurately predict the disk's final size, because you specify a bitrate, but Mencoder can decide to use an smaller value in certain parts if it can compress it more without quality loss (like in very static scenes). That means that the final size can be smaller than the estimation made by DeVeDe, but never bigger.

   Anyway, version 3.7 has improved this.

7. What kind of disk is CVD?

   It stands for China Video Disk. It's an alternative format to SuperVCD, using a resolution of 352x480 (or 352x576 in PAL), which can result in better image quality in some players, because the widht and height are compatible with DVD standard (SuperVCD uses a width of 480 pixels, which can result in some picture artifacts in some players).

### Subtitles

1. I preview a video with subtitles and the text looks bad (text colors are inverted)

   Don't worry, it's a bug of MPlayer when showing DVD subtitles from a file instead of a true DVD. In the final disk they will look fine.

2. I preview a video with subtitles, but it doesn't show the subtitles...

   Some Mplayer/Mencoder versions seems to fail to show the subtitles when you watch an MPEG file from hard disk, but they are there. SVN versions seems to have this fixed.

3. I dislike the font used to render the subtitles. How can I change it?

   Just choose a TrueType font you like and copy it in $HOME/.spumux directory, renaming it to devedesans.ttf.

4. I tried to create a DivX file with subtitles, but in the tab it says it's not possible. How can I add subtitles to a DivX?

   DivX format doesn't allow embedded subtitles, but nearly all software players (MPlayer, VLC...) and a lot of hardware players can render them on-demand if you put the file with the subtitles in the same directory than the movie, and rename the former with the same name than the later (this is, if your movie file is MYMOVIE.AVI and your subtitles are in .SRT format, just put the subtitles file in the same directory and rename it to MYMOVIE.SRT). The player should allow you to enable/disable them with the same button used for DVD subtitles.

### Menus

1. I created a DVD with two titles, but when I insert it in my player there's no menu, so I can watch only the first one. How can I watch the second?

   Be sure that you have checked the option Add a menu with the titles.

2. How can I add a menu to a VCD/SVCD/CVD?

   Currently you can't with DeVeDe.

3. The menus created by DeVeDe are simplistic. Will you add a menu editor to allow to create more complex menues?

   Probably not. My intention is to maintain DeVeDe as an easy-to-use tool. If you want to create complex menues you have excellent tools like DVD Styler, Q DVD Author or PoliDori.

### Bugs

1. When I click on the Properties button to change a film's properties, sometimes the button with the filename is empty, so I can't change them, but sometimes it works fine.

   There's a bug in GTK 2.12.0 (the one used in Ubuntu 7.10) that produces that behaviour. I already reported it, but developers need time to fix it. Until then, there's only one workaround: pressing cancel and clicking again the Properties button, until the filename appears in the filebutton. The same if you use Drag&Drop.

2. I tried to create a disk but the sound is pure noise.

   Version 1.0-rc1 of MPlayer/Mencoder (the one released, at least at April 20, 2007 with Ubuntu Feisty and other Linux distributions) is buggy and doesn't work fine. While they don't launch a fixed release, just download the file mplayer_fixed from DeVeDe's homepage and follow the instructions there. Or, if you are brave and experimented, you can compile MPlayer/Mencoder from SVN.

   Update (21 Nov. 2007): Mplayer/Mencoder 1.0 RC2 is out and fixes this bug. You can find .deb packages in the GUTSY-BACKPORTS repository.

3. I created a DVD and my DVD player is unable to play it, but other players can.

   Go to Advanced options->Misc, and mark the option Use a GOP of 12 frames.

4. I created a 5.1 DVD marking the Create DVD with 5.1 channel sound option, but the channels are out of order.

   If your source video file has AC3 audio, use the This file already has AC3 sound instead.

5. DeVeDe fails to create watchable videos, or makes a 0-byte ISO file

   Be sure that you are using the last version of MPlayer/Mencoder (at least 1.0Pre8, but later is better). The very common version 1.0Pre7 has some bugs that can lead to problems with DeVeDe. But warning with version 1.0-rc1.

6. I receive an error when I try to create a DIVX/MPEG4 file

   Be sure that your MPlayer/Mencoder version is compiled with MP3lame support. The creation of DIVX files needs it.

7. DeVeDe still fails. How can I report a bug?

   Open a terminal and launch DeVeDe with this command:

   devede > output.txt 2>&1

   When it fails (or when it fully ends), take the files OUTPUT.TXT and XXXXXX.XML (you will find the later in the destination directory), and send both to raster@rastersoft.com.

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