G5 Can't Export To Divx

[cortig]

Hi All,

 

 

I looked through the forum and failed to find a post mentioning a similar problem.

Whenever I try exporting a .vob file or VIDEO_TS folder to a DivX from Toast on a dual 2GHz G5 (MacOS 10.4.5), the app starts exporting but nothing ever happens: the progress bar stalls and the file generates is 0KB. Toast is actually using near 0% of the CPU (I took a sample of the process just in case)

If I do the exact same thing from a PowerBook G4 with a very similar setup: no problem.

I tried multiple different settings, 1 pass versus 2, etc and it still fails to export. Normal MacOS X troubleshooting (fsck, repairing permissions) make no difference either.

As far as I know, everything is perfectly up to date on both Mac:

 

Toast Titanium 7.0.2

DivX codecs 6.0.2

MacOS X 10.4.5, 2GB RAM

 

Any idea why it fails on the G5??

 

Hi All,

I looked through the forum and failed to find a post mentioning a similar problem.

 

Correction: I just found one: http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?...ic=1181&hl=DivX

At least it shows I'm nt the only one, but the thread didn't go very far since the original poster did not provide additional information

FYI, when I use a VIODEO_TS folder, I do select the proper MEPG files. Again: no problem doing the exact same thing from a PowerBook.

[tsantee]

Thanks for your reply. I have no problem selecting the proper files to export. As I was saying, I even have no problem exporting from my PowerBook. On the G5, the selected movies begin the export process, then stall and eventually hand the entire app.

The VIDEO_TS is always on my drive. Using the Media browser doesn't make any difference and .VOB import also leads to the same problem

I was afraid that is the case. I've been able to do this with my 2 ghz G5 iMac under 10.4.5 so I'm afraid this is one of those issues that may be specific to your Mac. What is the source for your VIDEO_TS folders? Mine are ones that were encoded and authored either by Toast or by my standalone DVD recorder.

[cortig]

I was afraid that is the case. I've been able to do this with my 2 ghz G5 iMac under 10.4.5 so I'm afraid this is one of those issues that may be specific to your Mac. What is the source for your VIDEO_TS folders? Mine are ones that were encoded and authored either by Toast or by my standalone DVD recorder.

 

 

I've used VIDEO_TS and .vob from multiple different authoring software. I even tried last night using plain mpeg2 fiels and the problem remains. I hope a future version will address the issue. I'm just affraid that if the problem doesn't affect many different models, it might go under the radar :'-( I posted a similar question in the DivX.com forum, we'll see if they have an idea

[cortig]

Well it looks like the good people at DivX.com found out what's wrong:

http://forums.divx.com/groupee/forums/a/tp...651/m/521106762

 

They analyzed the Shark samples and it appears that Toast actually spends all its time trying to decode the MPEG2 file. The problem never arises with other formats. It looks to me like the MPEG2 decoder has a problem on these G5s.

 

I suspect we'll need an update to see this one fixed

[cortig]

Well it looks like the good people at DivX.com found out what's wrong:

http://forums.divx.com/groupee/forums/a/tp...651/m/521106762

 

They analyzed the Shark samples and it appears that Toast actually spends all its time trying to decode the MPEG2 file. The problem never arises with other formats. It looks to me like the MPEG2 decoder has a problem on these G5s.

 

 

Well reporting the issue to Roxio is not as trivial as I thought. After Palying with their automated system for a while, I had a "create a ticket" link but it failed over and over from Safari.

Live support never ever ever shows Technical Support online, there is no link to send an e-mail and there is no way I am ever going to pay $35 to report what appears to be a bug in the app.

I wonder whether Roxio people ever read these forums I sure hope so, because I'm starting to run out of option

[freshburn]

Sounds like a problem with your source files on the G5, or a system problem. I don't have any problems with Toast on the G5 doing the same thing.

[cortig]

Sounds like a problem with your source files on the G5, or a system problem. I don't have any problems with Toast on the G5 doing the same thing.

 

 

That's what I thought at first, but I don't see the problem using the exact same fiels as source on a PowerBook. Also, I have the same problem with all MPEG2 files I managed to lay a hand on no matter what authoring software was used.

G5s come in different flavors. I don't see what else could explain what I'm seing

[John at Roxio]

Maybe it is a Problem with the OS. One thing I can think of is that you may want to download the 10.4.5 combined updaer and re-apply it. I have seen that fix some quirky things before.

[cortig]

Maybe it is a Problem with the OS. One thing I can think of is that you may want to download the 10.4.5 combined updaer and re-apply it. I have seen that fix some quirky things before.

 

Just to make sure, here is what I just tried: I have an external FireWire hard drive with a boot volume on it. I installed my copy of Toast, copied a .vob file and connected it on the PowerBook. I rebooted from the hard drive and tried to export the file: no problem.

When I do the same thing with the PowerMac (booting from the same hard System on the Hard drive: it fails

 

It doesn't look like it's either the file or the system

 

Actually, I'm not sure how the System could affect MPEG2 decoding since the codec is built into Toast, but you're right, it was worth the try,

[tsantee]

So to summarize: the same MPEG video booted from the same startup volume hangs at the start of the DivX export on the G5 but not with the Powerbook. So the only variable is the G5 PowerMac itself. Can you export the same MPEG to anything other than DivX using Toast on the G5 or is it unable to decode the MPEG to anything else?

 

Not that I expect anything to show up, but have you run the extended hardware test on the G5?

[cortig]

Can you export the same MPEG to anything other than DivX using Toast on the G5 or is it unable to decode the MPEG to anything else?

 

I just tried to export to H.264 and again,the application hangs (which concurs with the idea that it is indeed MPEG2 decoding that hangs the process).

 

Not that I expect anything to show up, but have you run the extended hardware test on the G5?

 

I actually have last week. TechTool Pro did not detect anything.

[tsantee]

In Toast 7 you must first use the Media Browser to extract the MPEG from the VOB set before exporting to DivX. Don't drag the VIDEO_TS folder to the Video window. If the VIDEO_TS folder is on your hard drive, drag it to the desktop and then it can be seen in the Media Browser. From there you can drag the video to the Video window to extract the MPEG. If the VIDEO_TS is on a DVD or disc image then all you have to do is mount it for the titles to be seen in the Media Browser.

[cortig]

Thanks for your reply. I have no problem selecting the proper files to export. As I was saying, I even have no problem exporting from my PowerBook. On the G5, the selected movies begin the export process, then stall and eventually hand the entire app.

The VIDEO_TS is always on my drive. Using the Media browser doesn't make any difference and .VOB import also leads to the same problem