Ulead DVD Workshop 2: Sub-Title Truncation Bug Lives!

[Jerry Jones]

The sub-title truncation bug lives in Ulead DVD Workshop 2!

And it lives in spite of the update patches.

I really wish Ulead would fix this once and for all.

Here's my experience.

I install DVD Workshop 2.

I then install the multitude of patches.

The truncation bug goes away for awhile.

Then the truncation bug mysteriously comes back!

Next, I uninstall and reinstall the program and all of the patches.

The bug goes away for awhile.

Then the truncation bug mysteriously comes back!

How about a ***REAL*** patch, Ulead?

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

By the way, I've spent a considerable sum of money on the DVD Workshop product over the years and this really upsets me that a simple bug like this goes on forever without a real fix.

Very annoying.

I might switch to TMPGEnc as a result of this idiocy.

Is anybody using TMPGEnc?

Doc?

Opinions?

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[cDynamics]

What is the resolution of your source files? I remember seeing some truncation when using Half D1 resolution (Full D1 was fine).

[Jerry Jones]

It doesn't matter which resolution I input.

The sub-titles don't work.

This buggy piece of software is coming off my machine.

I'm not going to recommend this to anybody anymore.

What a shame; this should have been fixed by now.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Brian Ellis]

What exactly is your problem? I have used sub-titles extensively in several languages and have never had a problem (at least with Latin character languages: some non-Latin languages work, others don't)

[Jerry Jones]

Brian,

It's the same problem that has plagued DVD Workshop 2.0 from the very beginning.

You type a sub-title.

But after you type the sub-title text, the sub-title text disappears leaving only the empty text box on the screen.

The sub-title text that disappears on the screen remains visible in the track pane.

This bug is detailed as "fixed the subtitle truncation problem" in the "DVD Workshop 2.0 Update Pack (Build Number: 2.231, Release Date: 2004/10/06)" here:

http://tinyurl.com/c7lt9

And users continue to fight it:

http://tinyurl.com/ylyll7

Yes, one can uninstall and then re-apply all of the patches and the bug goes away temporarily.

But -- without fail -- the bug returns on my system after time passes.

I'm sick and tired of having to uninstall and re-install all of the patches.

Sick to death of it.

I paid a lot of money for this software and this really angers me.

This type of annoying bug should have been worked out of this product by now.

There's NO EXCUSE FOR IT.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

I'm willing to let go of my DVD Workshop 2.0 for $50 to anybody who wants a cheap copy and a valid serial number.

If interested, contact jerry@jonesgroup.net.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Brian Ellis]

I've never experienced that or anything like it, up to now. Which OS are you using? I use the XP Pro without SPs. Could it be something introduced by the XP SPs?

[Jerry Jones]

I'm using Windows XP Home.

I doubt it's a service pack issue.

I think it's a bug in the Ulead software that is somehow re-activated -- in spite of the patch -- by some unknown process.

When I was a consultant working for Ulead full-time, I would literally get dozens and dozens of e-mails from customers all over the world who were wanting technical support for various issues.

When my contract expired, I kept getting the e-mails and I still try to help these people.

Apparently, they are *not* satisfied with Ulead's official technical support team.

(At least, that's what they tell me in their e-mails.)

And this issue affects quite a few people.

I got an e-mail from a user only four weeks ago and he wrote that he couldn't get his sub-titles to work, in spite of the patches.

So I decided to check my own installation, which also included all of the patches.

Lo and behold, the sub-titles didn't work on my system either.

So I uninstalled the program and then re-installed and then applied all of the patches.

The sub-titles worked again.

But only for a couple of weeks.

I tried using them again about three days ago and -- blast -- they're not working again.

Ulead DVD Workshop 2.0 has a brilliant workflow and a brilliant design, but this type of bug really makes me angry because the program has been out for a long time and there has been plenty of time to fix this issue.

And one has to wonder.

If the program code still suffers from "little" bugs like this one, what else might be lurking?

In addition, the program did cost a significant amount of cash and to find out that the sub-title functionality is compromised -- at best -- is disappointing.

I have to be honest, I love the newer Ulead programs.

Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8 and -- especially -- Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus are absolutely fabulous.

Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus has a DVD authoring module that lets you do the typical video thumbnail motion menus, but it also now allows you to do fancy text menus and it supports HD DVD authoring as well.

The scrubbing in Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus is superb -- every bit as good as an Avid.

Better, in fact.

And everything in Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus seems to work without a hitch.

The same is true of Ulead MediaStudio Pro 8.

DVD Workshop 2 falls short of what I now expect from Ulead.

They need to consider a new version of that program pretty soon.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Brian Ellis]

OK, Jerry, please answer me this:
How is it that tens of thousands of users (myself included) have not complained about this problem and. perhaps, a few tens (yourself included) have? Does that not tell you something?

[Jerry Jones]

It tells me you're not willing to face the truth.

It also tells me you can't do basic math.

Tens of thousands.

Yeah, right.

And the fact Ulead has admitted to the bug on the update patch Web page should tell you something.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Again, all one has to do is visit the Ulead Web Board to read the many posts from people who've encountered the problem.

Then, there's usually a response from Brian that suggests he doesn't understand the issue.

Then, there's advice given by other users to re-apply the patches.

But, as I've pointed out, the patches work temporarily until the problem occurs again.

I've removed the program and written it off as a poor purchase decision.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net