I sent this to Roxio:
Folks,
I just purchased and downloaded Roxio Creator 2011. Last year I purchased Roxio Creator 2010.
There are some fundamental things that I’m amazed you guys still get wrong. These are really basic:
1. Autosave — when working on a project it’s easy to become very involved and forget to save. And then VideoWave goes into la-la land (again) and everything is lost. The system should autosave and give me the option of how frequently.
2. File storage — there are no options for where files are saved. The defaults are preset–one place for the .dmsm files, and rendered videos in another. C’mon, guys! Let me keep all my project files in a directory of my choosing without having to pick the path every stinkin’ time I save! I can’t tell you how many times I initiate rendering and then can’t find the rendered file! Please allow me to keep my project files together.
3. Render options — you offer “simplified” options–such as for the iPad or whatever. Yet the only way to find the actual file extension is by rendering! If I want a file that’s .m4p and is 720i, then let me select those options, rather than having to render several different ways to see what comes out! It would be so easy to fix this by putting the file type in parentheses after the option. If you think doing this would confuse neophytes, then make it an option!
4. Stability — I use Windows 7 and I can count on VideoWave crashing several times during a session. Tonight the first crash occurred when I tried to copy a text effect to another place in the production so I could keep all the formatting. It’s absurd how much the product crashes. You’ve got a good name and I like to tell people I use VideoWave to create my productions, but I will tell you if I could find a comparably priced alternative that was more stable I’d switch.
5. SmartSound — Hey! What happened to the music that came with last year’s Roxio Creator? It all disappeared. I paid for it, I’d like to keep using it. Don’t take away from me things I think I own, like last year’s SmartSound files. There was nothing in the EULA that said I was just renting them.
6. Text — When I add a text effect, it seems as though every single word is its own object. Trying to get all the text to format the same way involves endlessly picking a bit here and a bit there. Be like all other text processing systems–if I pick the frame, then I really mean I want *all* the text in the frame to be changed together. This seems so simple! This evening I tried to put a translucent box behind the text, yet VideoWave *insisted* that each row of text get its own box! And how about some text pre-sets so I can set my own default, usually white text–why do I always have to start with black?
7. Creating some little modules — I start nearly every video with a black background and my website in white. Yet I have to re-create this effect each and every time I use it. Why can’t I just store it and drag it onto the timeline?
I’ve been in and around computers and IT for the last 30 years. I think I have a pretty good feel for what’s “normal.” You have a stunningly good video editing system, yet you trip over the CS-101 stuff. How about a fix?
Dave Casler
P.S. Even considering the functionality, a download that’s greater than a GB seems excessive. Are you sure there isn’t some dead code in there somewhere?
BTW, I’m posting this on my blog in the hopes others will see it and suggest the same thing to you.
[Update Nov 2012: I use CyberLink PowerDirector 11 for my videos now.]
I can’t even open the VideoWave component without crashing it with messge: “This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.” Re-install did not resolve it. Windows 7 home premium with 2GB RAM, 183GB available disk space. Done with it. [Ray, that sure sounds frustrating! I use and recommend CyberLink PowerDirector 13. -Dave]
I have a few problems with videowave that can really eerk me. I have to remember to save often as you know. I also have this heatwave anomaly in the playback screen but it’s only there and not in let’s say WMPlayer. I also have glitches if I use the pan and scan option on stills. Jerkiness and the like but I’ve been able to work most of those kinks out if I go to the hardware option in the rendering screen. My current problem is a slight freeze up on over lapping text or scrolling text when they fall even to or close to a transition. Just when I think I’ve figure it out it comes back. I go to storyline to put my transitions in or redo them but I have to be careful not to forget the trim time for each transition. Sometime I get perfect renders and other times it gets glitchy as hell. I just finished a Lord Of the Rings in 25 minutes project with around 500 stills and around half that many sound bites but God forbid I try to do pan and scan or I’d be still working on it and pulling what’s left of my hair out. I supposed I’ve given enough reason to go to some other editing software. I guess ome people are glutton’s for punishment without getting into specs I have enough of everything in my PC to handle this software and some. It’s just seems to be hit or miss. Also if you by another PC and you want to transfer everything to the new computer Roxio has proxy fills were the images are stored other than where you add you images from. They are in C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\Roxio\EMC13\VideoUI\Proxy as well as other much needed stuff when you make that move. Sound Editor does the same thing. I believe you have to OK yourself to open hidden files to find them. Thanks for letting me vent. I have two YouTube channel’s under David Duggan and Insight200801 if you care to see my projects.
Hi Ross,
I gave up on Videowave a long time ago. I’m now using CyberLink PowerDirector. It’s far more stable and predictable.
I am having problems with Videowave.
It is not joining my MTS AVCHD Files properly when rendering.
As the Video from my Panasonic Video Camera SD Card Files reaches the Next File, the Picture Flicks and the Sound Cuts Off and On.
Should this happen when playing the video on the timeline before rendering?
It is happening after rendering anyway.
Almost like it is trying to start or recognize the beginning of the next file.
In other words, the program is not stitching the two Files together.???
This is absolutely not acceptable in the middle of a Song.
I have tried adding the SD Card Files both directly from my Camera using USB connection and also from a Two Terrabyte Hard drive using USB Connection.
Does Videowave store the files in its program and work on them independently?
or does it have to have them stored somewhere on my Computer?
Because when I put SD Card files on my Time Line for processing it seems that the Camera or Harddrive have to be left connected.
If I disconnect them, (pull out the USB Connection) the files freeze, and wont play.
I wondered if the fact that the Files are being streamed over a USB link serially is the reason that the Videowave program cannot link the files smoothly without a break.
What am I doing wrong?
I have seen previous comments by people that suggest: Change from “Hardware Rendering” to “Software Rendering”. (I thought Videoware was Software Rendering; Confused!!!)
Kind Regards,
Ross Sakey
ross.sakey@gmail.com
I can’t get my songs to play one right after the other in Creator 2011 Special Editon. When I try to drop a new song on the internal track it says you can’t put it there so I have to move it over a bit and it leaves a space between songs in my movies. does anyone know how to fix this?
Tim, I tried to do as you suggested, but VideoWave keeps crashing before I can even get to the Tools / Options settings!
I was able to eliminate VideoWave 2011 crashes by switching hardware redering to software.
Switch Render mode to Software.
1. Launch VideoWave.
2. Go to Tools -> Options.
3. If Render using is set to Hardware, switch it to Software.
4. Close and re-launch VideoWave.
I run Win 7 pro 64bit using Roxio pro 2012 and updated it and videowave crashes every 5 minutes.
I am so d..n sick of Roxio ripping us off that I will never use this s..t ever again.
The bells and whistles are what kept me from 2007-2012 but the stability is why i am leaving.
There is no support. Its a b……t product done by seemingly interns learning programming. Every Roxio product since 2007 has been really Beta on the final release.
They should be banned from selling c..p until its fixed [edited for language, though I agree with the sentiments—that’s why I changed to CyberLink PowerDirector—dc]
Al, check out this link at Wikipedia. If you still have the Roxio software on your PC, it should be able to burn the .iso images. At present I have both Roxio and Cyberlink software on my PC and have had no issues with them interfering with each other.
Dave, thanks for the info. I emailed Cyberlink about the .iso files and they indicated that the program does not burn in that format. But you have it and you can burn old Roxio .iso images to DVD via PowerDirector ? Also, do you know whether I would have a compatibility issue if I had both Roxio and PD installed on my computer?
Al, you’re in luck. The .iso format is a standard format, so any DVD burning software should be able to create discs with the .iso image. I made the change to CyberLink PowerDirector Ultra 64-bit and am quite satisfied. It is soooooooooooo much easier to use than Roxio VideoWave!
Same issues here. I am ready to switch to Cyberlink PD. That said, my concern is with all of the .iso images I have saved with Roxio. Will I be able to burn those images with Cyberlink’s software?
I recently gave up on Roxio and moved to CyberLink PowerDirector. I like it a great deal more than Roxio VideoWave. For example, it rarely crashes, it backs up your project automatically, you have far more choices about how video is displayed (e.g., transitions, etc.) and in general it’s much easier to use—although that doesn’t mean it’s super easy—it does take work. But I’ve been willing to put that work into the product to learn it and am quite excited about what I’m able to do. One thing where Roxio had an edge was in audio processing—it comes with SoundSoap which very nicely removes audio hum and things like that. Well, that was no problem because Roxio installs SoundSoap as a stand-alone program, so I was able to use it with a track that had hum and then paste the audio back into PowerDirector. That means you probably have SoundSoap too. Plus, Roxio installs SonicFire Pro separately, which is sometimes more convenient than the embedded version PowerDirector has. However, it turns out that SonicFire Pro is a free download, so you can use it without a problem. Hope this helps!
Good reading. I’m looking all over for solutions to my problems with Roxio. Their support is terrible with no phone support. I have to wait a day or two for responses and they send me things I have already tried and did not work. I run Windows 7 also and can’t even get an edit in without a message that video wave and stopped working and it shuts my project down. I thought purchasing the 2012 upgrade would help, but it still does the same thing. I’m willing to take the loss and purchase something else, but I don’t know if another software would do the same thing. What do you know about Nero? Is that likely to work?
Great post, Dave!
I do very simple videos. Take my vacation photos, overlay some music tracks and burn to DVD. With ACDSee Create Video I could accomplish this in a heartbeat. With VideoWave it’s always a struggle. Add to your simple things that get forgotten list:
1. When I add a music track, perhaps I might want it automatically added to the end of the ones I already have on the track? Why do I have to keep moving the cursor?
2. When I have multiple music tracks, might I want to snap the new track to the end of the previous track? Why do I have to grab it and slide it, only to get the “you can’t place it here” stop sign. This should be a simple snap function.
3. Fit Video to Audio only seems to go one way. If I add more music than the length of my pictures it automatically truncates the music track.
Maybe I just don’t know how to use this tool. It seems to have more bells and whistles than the average person can handle. Projects take forever to save, and the program constantly hangs for minutes on end. If you find an alternative, please let me know.