iPod Media Studio 2.5 - the most frequently asked support questions

  Your top 25 questions… And the solutions…
1)

 

How do I redownload and/or re-activate the software  

  • You may re-download the software by logging on to your account. If you bought directly from Makayama or one of it's affilliates (all powered by Regnow), your login page is here.

    Activation keys may expire. If you need a new activation key, please email orders@makayama.com and include your original purchase confirmation data (such as order reference number, your original serialnumber, address, etc). After verification, we send you the new activation key (usually within 24 hours).

2) No sound or wrong audio issues
  • If you have no sound when you convert a DVD, press the Advanced button. Then click Next 3 times. Then choose a different sound track in the second listbox. For example choose AC3 instead of DTS. Or LPCM instead of AC3.
  • If you have a wrong soundtrack/language when you convert a DVD, press the Advanced button. Then click Next 3 times. Then choose a different sound track/language in the second listbox.
  • If you have no sound after converting a video file from disk, it's possible that the source video contains unsupported codecs. The software converts most AVI, MPEG and DV video files, however, there are video files that use non-standard file formats and compression techniques (so called 'codecs'), which our software does not natively support. Use other tools, often freely available, to convert your video to a compatible format (such as DV or MPEG) before you convert it with Palm Media Studio.
  • If your sound is out of sync. Some DVDs have a new form of protection that our software can't handle. This may result in sound sync errors. In general 90% of all DVDs should work. Try different DVDs to verify this
3)

Error: This DVD can't be converted in high speed. Cyberspeed will now be turned off
  • This error could occur in version 2.0 of the software, but has been solved in version 2.5. Check your version number in the Help Menu \ About. See issue 1) for instructions how to upgrade/redownload the software.
4) Error Message: this video has unsupported codecs
  • AVI files can contain many sorts of compression. Most of these are supported, some are not.
    The only workaround is to use a third-party application (for example Pinnacle Studio, or widely available shareware/freeware tools) to convert the source file to MPEG and then use our software to convert it to the iPod
5) Step 1 doesn't complete, it hangs. Or it gives a 'cyclic redundancy' error.
  • Your DVD disc is damaged, dirty or scratched. Please try different discs.
  • Your DVD drive is bad. If it makes much noise or ticks, it's not good. Try a different DVD drive, or different PC to check.
6)

I receive a ‘iPod Media Studio has encountered an error and has to shut down' error.

7)

I cannot transfer the file to my iPod

 

When conversion is finished, your file will be on the desktop. It will be the same name as the DVD, if the source file was a DVD, and if it was from another source it will have the same name as the original file, but with a .mp4 extension. For example a file called 'home movie.mpg' will be called 'home movie.mp4'.

You need iTunes to transfer your video's to your iPod. You can't just drop it on the iPod disk icon from within Windows: it won't show on the iPod playlist then.

iTunes will automatically launch when file conversion is finished. You will be prompted to choose the File Menu in iTunes and then 'Add File to Library' (or the Control-O keyboard shortcut). After you've done that, choose ' Update iPod 'from the same menu. The video file will be transferred to your iPod. You will find it in the playlist: Videos\Movies on your iPod.

Warning: if you delete the file from the desktop, after it has been transferred to the iPod, it will also be deleted from your iPod next time you connect the device to your PC. iTunes will always keep the content on your PC and iPod in sync, so it will no longer see the file and your PC and then remove it from your iPod also.

8) I'm getting black bars on top and bottom when I play a movie on my iPod.

iPod screens and a movie theater screen aren't the same shape. Movie screens are much wider. Today, films generally come in one of two basic widescreen sizes (called aspect ratios): 'Academy Standard' (aspect ratio 1.85:1), and 'Anamorphic Scope' (aspect ratio 2.35:1). Films in 'Academy' are widescreen (like English Patient, Toy Story or Silence of the Lambs), but do not appear quite as wide as Scope films (like Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia, or Apollo 13). Pocket PC screens and TVs have a (1.33:1) aspect ratio.

1) To display a movie in a zoomed mode, cropping the picture from left and right, choose Zoom in the Advanced Settings. This will blowup the picture and remove the black stripes.

2) To display a movie or tv-show in its original aspect ratio, without zooming or squashing, choose that setting when asked.

3) If you want black stripes, and your original is Cinemascope, choose Correct Stretching, this make sure the widescreen aspect ratio is maintained..
9)

My DVD holds multiple episodes, such as tv-shows, but only one gets converted.

 After opening the DVD, click on Advanced and press Next three times. In the upper listbox, a default episode is chosen, change this to the episode you would like to see. Then press Next again and then Action.
10) After I press 'Action', nothing happens.
  • Restart your PC to reset all resources (cold boot).
  • If you're using subtitles, make sure that you see the preview running in the onscreen iPod before you press Action.
11) I'm getting a 'Disk Full' message

    You need at least 4 Gigabyte of free space on your temporary disk drive. Choose the drive from the DVD Settings menu. Delete unused files if you don't have enough free space left.
12) Can't install the software
  • Please unzip the package to your DESKTOP, then install. Don't use some temporary directory and don't launch it from within Winzip.
  • Make sure you have Windows XP
  • Make sure you have a C:\ disk
  • Make sure you have the latest Winzip version from www.winzip.com
  • Don't break off the installation too early.Don't press 'cancel' at any time during the process. Wait for all items and installation windows to disappear from your screen, this may take up to 2 minutes.
13) Norton Anti-Virus or Firewall software reports iPod Media Studio accesing the internet. Are you sending information about me or my PC back to your company? Our software seeks access to the Internet on the following occasions:
  • To activate the serialnumber on first startup
  • From the Help Menu to display the online manual
  • From the Help Menu to display this online error database
  • From the Buy Menu to connect to the Makayama Store
  • From the Help Menu\About to connect to the Makayama website.

All other firewall alerts are false. Our software does NOT connect to the internet to store or process information about your system, your personal data, your video files or DVDs.
14) I'm trying to convert a video file, but it won't convert, it crashes, or it has no sound. The software converts most AVI, MPEG and DV video files, however, there are video files that use non-standard file formats and compression techniques (so called 'codecs'), which our software does not natively support. Try downloading a codec package, such as the K-Lite Codecs, to extend the media subsystem of your PC with many exotic codecs.
15) I cannot activate my serialnumber, the software cannot connect to the internet.

Five possible causes:

A) You have no active internet connection. Make sure you can browse to
websites etc. using Internet explorer
B) Javascript is disabled. Enable JavaScript on your Internet Explorer

1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2. On the Security tab, click Internet.
3. Click Default Level, and then click OK.

C) Security levels too high. Open Internet Explorer.

1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
2. On the Security tab, click Internet, and then click Custom Level.
3. Under Active scripting, click Enable or Prompt.
4. Click OK, and then click Yes.
5. Click OK.

D) You have a firewall. Turn it off during the activation procedure.

E) You're in China. Chinese government sometimes blocks access to our
server. There's nothing we can do
14) Does your software work on Windows 2000?
  • If you have a software DVD player on your Windows 2000 machine (like WinDVD or PowerDVD) and if you can succesfully play DVD's on your PC, then you should also be able to convert DVD's to your iPod with our software.
15) Where do I find free movies on the internet?

There is lots of of free content on the internet, which can be downloaded and converted to play on your iPod. For example, check out these cool websites
16) Cannot find MSVBVM60.DLL
  • You see to be missing a file that is normally part of Windows XP
    please download the file (click here) and unzip it to your c:\windows directory
17) When I choose subtitles, the conversion is very slow
  • Subtitles need to be rendered in the video file, this is a time-consuming process. When no subtitles are chosen, the first step can go much faster.
18) My DVD won't open, it's not recognised
  • Restart your PC (cold boot) and try again
  • Make sure you use a factory DVD, not a DVD-R(w)
  • Clean your DVD disc

 
19) My problem is not in this list

Contact tech support and provide your serial number (mail support is for registered users only)
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updated 20-june-06