How-To Geek

I've been downloading youtube flv videos and trying to convert them to WMV formats. I made some screen shots of the process.

Step 1 - Start the Format Factory

Step 2 - Drag all the files to Format Factory and choose the Format you need.

Step 3 - Checking my Settings. I don't see anything wrong here.

Step 4 - Click Ok

Step 5 - At This point I was testing just one file. I burned the DVD and everything went ok. So I decided to erase the DVD and do the rest of them.

Step 6 - I tried to burn the DVD, and somewhere in the mix something failed.

Step 7 - This is inconvenient, but I had to put all the files into Windows Live Movie Maker, and save it all as one. I would have preferred to have kept them all as individuals so that I could have each file as an individual scene. But there was too many files and I needed to save time.

* Before I tried to burn the DVD I tested the WMV files with Windows Media Player. They all play Ok. They all show up and play ok with Windows Live Movie Maker, and yet something in them is wrong for the Windows DVD Maker. Also there is a strange sound at the end of every WMV file. The strange sound isn't in the original FLV files.

- I like all the options in Format Factory, I just can't understand why I can't seem to get it to always output a wmv that is compatible with windows DVD maker. I had the exact same problem on my windows vista 32 machine. Now I'm having the same problem on a Windows 7 64 bit machine.

I tested it with AVI files. It works great with those, and they are compatible with the Windows DVD Maker. I suggest making them, before burning your DVDs. The sound is better too. If you need a small wmv with better sound, you might want to try a different converter.

I don't think it is important that we can burn DVDs from every format type, although that would really be nice, and great time saver. But I think the DVD Burner programs should recommend the exact Audio Video Format it works best for. That way it would save us time trying to figure out what works. The Audio problems I was referring too, showed up in the WMV files even on the computer. It was like Format Factory wasn't sure how to end the audio. It sounded like someone driving a car, and all of a sudden realizing they need to stop at a stop sign. I haven't had this problem since I switched to AVI files. But there are many different combination of AVI files. I only want to stick to what keeps my DVD and Movie makers happy. Thank you for the DVD Flick recommendation. I will check it out. I'm glad nobody thinks I was bashing Format Factory. I think all in all it's a good program, I am just puzzled by how come Prism seemed to do a better job with making wmvs, then Format Factory, which seems to more equipped. Also sometimes I get puzzled why a program like this seems to perform better on some computer's then others. When I mention this, I am thinking deeper then normal. Most people would say "duh some computers are better then others" But that's not what I mean when I say this. I mean when two computers are well within the program's specs, and yet it fails on one and not on the other. Ever since I switched to this laptop, I can crop my videos, where as If I did it with my old desktop, things would just crash. These computers are not that much different. But evidently just enough different. Perhaps it's the difference between Windows, or maybe it's the little difference in speed. It's hard to say. But I still think the issue is weird. lol

Gregoryshock125, back a few years ago I ran into a problem similar to yours while trying to combine & burn a DVD of several video clips I had made.
Each time I tried to burn the project it failed but gave me no error message I could use to find a fix.
Finally I stumbled across the solution by reading everything I could find on google.
The fix was -- Each clip MUST BE converted to the same bit rate before the burning software will burn a project successfully.

Not sure if this info will solve your issue but here's hoping it will.

Jim