Windows Movie Maker (UHG)

[Chad Coleman]

Okay, I'm ready to toss this program even though I love using it. I can make
the nicest videos in a the shortest amount of time with Windows Movie Maker.
It's all I ever really needed. Now I've been trying to use the Vista Version
on my full Home Premium version on a computer wtih 2gb of RAM a GeForce 6800
video card and a 3.2 Athlon 64 rig. I can edit the video (WMV's) without any
problems as it's stable as rock, but as soon as I go to render it, the video
which is only 3 and half minutes, it crashes within seconds. I've heard that
Nero is a fault, I've unistalled that, I've disabled the capatibility codecs
in the program to no avail. The weird thing is when I just drop my clips in
there without any transition or music or cutting all together it will render
it. But if I drag and drop clips have fades and music, it chokes.

What can I do? I've tried removing the music and leaving everything
else...didn't work, I tried removing all transitions, it didn't work. Is
there a solution or something else to try? PLEASE!

 

[Adam Albright]

Okay, I'm ready to toss this program even though I love using it. I can make
the nicest videos in a the shortest amount of time with Windows Movie Maker.
It's all I ever really needed. Now I've been trying to use the Vista Version
on my full Home Premium version on a computer wtih 2gb of RAM a GeForce 6800
video card and a 3.2 Athlon 64 rig. I can edit the video (WMV's) without any
problems as it's stable as rock, but as soon as I go to render it, the video
which is only 3 and half minutes, it crashes within seconds. I've heard that
Nero is a fault, I've unistalled that, I've disabled the capatibility codecs
in the program to no avail. The weird thing is when I just drop my clips in
there without any transition or music or cutting all together it will render
it. But if I drag and drop clips have fades and music, it chokes.

What can I do? I've tried removing the music and leaving everything
else...didn't work, I tried removing all transitions, it didn't work. Is
there a solution or something else to try? PLEASE!

You get what you pay for. I think that Windows included Movie Maker is
mainly intended to give you a taste of what video editing is all
about. Its like learning how to ride a bike...on training wheels. It
just can't do much. The problem you're having is probably the
rendering aspect. That requires decent encoders or you'll run into all
kinds of problems.

Just for kicks I tired the crippled version that's part of Vista
Business, you can't even burn a DVD in this version in spite of
Microsoft telling you Business is the preferred "upgrade" path from XP
Pro. Pathetic marketing BS.

I tired the included demos, bear and butterfly, wow, I'm impressed.
Not! I next try to inport a MPEG-2 file to the storyboard. This is the
DEFAULT DVD source file type. Oops, Vista says you can't, it switched
to timeline mode, oops, only accepts the audio track. I say skip it
then import a mpeg-1, then go to render or what they call publish...
double oops pops up and says I need DVD Maker and either the Home
Premium or Ultimate version to make a DVD.

In a word, just a toy. Apparently it even has trouble doing a simple
task like transcoding between file types.