Softni won't run on Vaio Vista: "No overly mixer" Thread poster: Carla Smallwood
|
|---|
Hello all colleagues. I've been working on Softni Subtitle Suite since forever on computers running on XP. However, ever since I installed it on a new (back then) Vaio running on Vista, I get the message: No overlay mixer available, Check video adapter and DirectX installation. IP people from my client's side who own the Softni license couldn't figure it out. The people from Softni tried a few tricks (like reinstalling the System32 folder) which didn't work either. Now I'm stuck not being able t... See more Hello all colleagues. I've been working on Softni Subtitle Suite since forever on computers running on XP. However, ever since I installed it on a new (back then) Vaio running on Vista, I get the message: No overlay mixer available, Check video adapter and DirectX installation. IP people from my client's side who own the Softni license couldn't figure it out. The people from Softni tried a few tricks (like reinstalling the System32 folder) which didn't work either. Now I'm stuck not being able to upgrade my XP desktop and laptop because I still need them just to run this application. Has anybody come across this, and did you find a solution? Thanks in advance. Carla, from sunny Mexico City ▲ Collapse
| | | | Carla Smallwood 
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Additiona information | Dec 13, 2009 |
I must add that all video formats run on all other media players installed on my Vaio.
| | | | | If all else fails... | Dec 13, 2009 |
Carla,
I have no idea on Softni, never saw it. I subtitle with Subtitle Workshop, burn the subs with VirtualDub, and get great looking videos. I understand that your clients may have their reasons to demand specific software.
However I know that sometimes things get "passé", and there won't be a way to make them work with state of the art stuff.
I recently had to scan several hundred pages, to translate a book. My present scanner is the typical USB junk th... See more Carla,
I have no idea on Softni, never saw it. I subtitle with Subtitle Workshop, burn the subs with VirtualDub, and get great looking videos. I understand that your clients may have their reasons to demand specific software.
However I know that sometimes things get "passé", and there won't be a way to make them work with state of the art stuff.
I recently had to scan several hundred pages, to translate a book. My present scanner is the typical USB junk that's found nowadays, i.e. S--L--O--W. Fortunately I had kept a 15-yo SCSI speed demon scanner, whose latest driver was compatible with Win 98. So I put together some hardware "junk" I had around, assembled a top-of-the-heap Pentium MMX 233 MHz in no time, and installed Win 98 and the scanner. In two hours or so my scanning job was finished.
Maybe you'll have to run your subbing software on some old jalopy you had before under Win XP, until Softni and Microsoft manage to work together again. They make a living on that, you make a living on subtitling, so don't waste time, but keep following up on the issue with them.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Carla Smallwood
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | BUT it runs on other computers with Vista | Dec 13, 2009 |
Thanks, José Henrique. Yes, the worst that can happen is me keeping my old computers just for this application. However, it baffles me that Softni appears to work on OTHER computers running Vista EXCEPT Vaio. I'm no computer whiz (nothing close to it!) but I get the hunch that it mustn't be so complicated to get the video to run. Perhaps a particular codec, or DirectX up/downgrade? And wouldn't you know it... Softni doesn't have a support forum on their site. Sometimes it's users who come up wi... See more Thanks, José Henrique. Yes, the worst that can happen is me keeping my old computers just for this application. However, it baffles me that Softni appears to work on OTHER computers running Vista EXCEPT Vaio. I'm no computer whiz (nothing close to it!) but I get the hunch that it mustn't be so complicated to get the video to run. Perhaps a particular codec, or DirectX up/downgrade? And wouldn't you know it... Softni doesn't have a support forum on their site. Sometimes it's users who come up with solutions, not so much the people who make the software.
BTW, I also use Subtitle Workshop among others, but like you say, my client has reasons to prefer Softni, and the conversion tool there doesn't actually work. It has to be tweaked and tampered with before you can actually open a Subtitle Workshop file on Softni, and then it's still not perfect and needs to be adjusted on Softni, which means I have to be able to run it anyway! ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| Then it might be a Sony (mis)feature | Dec 13, 2009 |
I assemble my own computers since the 386, and never had a branded one, though my present motherboard proudly displays a Toshiba logo onscreen at startup. Sometimes I help a friend with their famous brand ones, and I've noticed that the pre-installed OS has often - always, in the case of laptops/notebooks - been modified.
I'm not advertising for them, I never had a Dell computer in my life, but nobody has ever asked me for help with a Dell computer. It's always some other brand. Pe... See more I assemble my own computers since the 386, and never had a branded one, though my present motherboard proudly displays a Toshiba logo onscreen at startup. Sometimes I help a friend with their famous brand ones, and I've noticed that the pre-installed OS has often - always, in the case of laptops/notebooks - been modified.
I'm not advertising for them, I never had a Dell computer in my life, but nobody has ever asked me for help with a Dell computer. It's always some other brand. Perhaps they use the standard OS.
So maybe you could ask Sony tech support about it. If you are lucky, your rep might exclaim, "Dead right! I told Steve not to delete that DLL in our customized Vista version!". Hopefully he'll give you some directions, and you'll be back on the road again. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Carla Smallwood
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | You are absolutely right! | Dec 14, 2009 |
Guess what? My desktop is a Dell XP and I couldn't be happier with it! If I knew how, I would keep it forever and just add memory to it, and a DVD writer. Anyway, I searched in Microsoft Vista forums and in subtitling forums, but one resource I didn't think of looking into was Sony. Maybe Steve did delete something after all! You're so clear-minded on this Sunday afternoon/night. It must be the flu that's interfering in my head. Thanks again. Carla
| | | | | Sony may be unaware of it | Dec 14, 2009 |
Be prepared for Sony not knowing about it. What are the chances of their 'Steve' (there is always a Steve in any tech support department) never havig heard about Softni?
I'll tell you a story. I used a now defunct software named Astound Presentation. It was so good that if a more marketing-aggressive company like Adobe owned it, PowerPoint would be dead and buried long ago, or at least would be as popular as the lousy MS Publisher. In fact, Astound was able to import PPT files so th... See more Be prepared for Sony not knowing about it. What are the chances of their 'Steve' (there is always a Steve in any tech support department) never havig heard about Softni?
I'll tell you a story. I used a now defunct software named Astound Presentation. It was so good that if a more marketing-aggressive company like Adobe owned it, PowerPoint would be dead and buried long ago, or at least would be as popular as the lousy MS Publisher. In fact, Astound was able to import PPT files so the developer could enhance presentations beyond limits.
However Astound v8 (the last one) had a number of glitches their tech guys couldn't solve, and power users around the world developed workarounds for them. Unable to fix these, Astound Inc. gave up, phased out that software, and changed name and business focus still in the days of Win 98.
I was scared at the idea of moving to Win XP, as I had too much going on Astound then. However I took the plunge, and a miracle happened: under Win XP, 99.9% of the Astound flaws simply vanished, as if they had never existed! But it was already seven feet under.
As I guess you'll ask, no, I don't develop presentations in Astound any more. Interactive DVD is the answer, as it works on a PC, Mac, or even a standard DVD player, and it's failproof when properly built. Nevertheless, when I have to create a lot of DVD screens, I still use Astound to do it, and export them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Carla Smallwood
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Good old Steve... | Dec 14, 2009 |
Oh yeah, I've heard of Astound, although I never saw it. I myself don't work much on PPTs, but I get your point. I'm surprised you haven't worked on Softni, since its System III was the default subtitiling system in the whole of Latin America throughout the end of the eighties and all nineties; the first system that ran on a 386 PC and which a translator could operate by her/himself. Don't even get me started on how we used to turn in our subtitling scripts before System III! It was a real brea... See more Oh yeah, I've heard of Astound, although I never saw it. I myself don't work much on PPTs, but I get your point. I'm surprised you haven't worked on Softni, since its System III was the default subtitiling system in the whole of Latin America throughout the end of the eighties and all nineties; the first system that ran on a 386 PC and which a translator could operate by her/himself. Don't even get me started on how we used to turn in our subtitling scripts before System III! It was a real breakthrough.
Well, I am curious enough not to let my Vaio off the hook so easily. I shall follow your suggestion and contact Steve. If and when I can finally solve the mystery, I will be sure to tell you just for the fun of it. In the meantime I'll keep my beloved Dell XP as well as my HP XP laptop. I might just have myself a computer collection pretty soon.
What kind of work do you do on Interactive DVD, anyway? ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| Interactive DVD | Dec 14, 2009 |
These are my ideas (with some accomplishments so far) on it:
http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/delin_-_en.html
Re Softni, I began translating for subtitles late... in 2004. Six months later I realized that with digital video I didn't need a Betacam editing suite nor a CG with a genlock to subtitle videos, my computer could do the whole nine yards. That's why I skipped this phase... See more These are my ideas (with some accomplishments so far) on it:
http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/delin_-_en.html
Re Softni, I began translating for subtitles late... in 2004. Six months later I realized that with digital video I didn't need a Betacam editing suite nor a CG with a genlock to subtitle videos, my computer could do the whole nine yards. That's why I skipped this phase.
I began translating video much earlier, in 1987, but for lip-sync dubbing only. In those days I used an Apple II, not even a PC. It took me quite a while to adapt my m.o. to subtitling.
Maybe you'll find some interesting stuff on my Video Guide http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/guide.html or in any of the articles under the Miscellaneous | Articles section of my web site. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Carla Smallwood
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | We have similar paths | Dec 15, 2009 |
Cool. I've done some translating for dubbing as well with lip synching, but in Mexico it's even more underpaid than subtitling. I also author my own DVDs and offer that full subtitling and authoring service to clients. You're right, things have changed so much and so quickly since the times I had to rent a studio with an operator to deliver subtitled Betacams. Today I mostly work for broadcasting companies, so I just turn in my translation and they do the rest; and the largest companies use Soft... See more Cool. I've done some translating for dubbing as well with lip synching, but in Mexico it's even more underpaid than subtitling. I also author my own DVDs and offer that full subtitling and authoring service to clients. You're right, things have changed so much and so quickly since the times I had to rent a studio with an operator to deliver subtitled Betacams. Today I mostly work for broadcasting companies, so I just turn in my translation and they do the rest; and the largest companies use Softni. I use Subtitle Workshop, Substation Alpha and ConvertX to create my own DVDs. Over the past eight years I've combined audiovisual translation with that of technical manuals managing a group of translators, with CAT tools, of course. But that's a whole different area. So it seems our paths have been similar. I see our languages are similar as well! How about that? I grew up in Sao Paulo. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Carla Smallwood
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
I took a look at your material - quite extensive. Thanks! I will have to take special time off in order to look through everything. Please check out my Website at comosatranslations.com
| | | |
I was born in Sao Paulo and still manage to live here!
The total cost of a dubbed video in Brazil is about 3x of the same, subtitled.
I charge the same rate per minute of playing time for either purpose, but I see that most people don't. I don't care so much if they provide a script or not, since most of the time it doesn't match the final cut. The script is helpful indeed for the correct spelling of proper names (IF the transcriber gets them right). Finally, I make no ... See more I was born in Sao Paulo and still manage to live here!
The total cost of a dubbed video in Brazil is about 3x of the same, subtitled.
I charge the same rate per minute of playing time for either purpose, but I see that most people don't. I don't care so much if they provide a script or not, since most of the time it doesn't match the final cut. The script is helpful indeed for the correct spelling of proper names (IF the transcriber gets them right). Finally, I make no difference if it's EN-PT or PT-EN.
However as you probably remember Portuguese you can get an idea of the suggested translation rates in Brazil at:
http://www.sintra.org.br/site/index.php?p=c&pag=precos
(multimedia is down below). ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Carla Smallwood
Mexico
Local time: 08:06
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I took a look at the suggested rates in Brazil... | Dec 22, 2009 |
...and boy, rates for audiovisual translation here in Mexico are really low! Anyway, thanks for all your help and have yourself great holidays and a productive 2010.
| | | | | Rates in Brazil | Dec 22, 2009 |
It must be borne in mind that these Sintra rates are suggested by that ailing union. It is more an exercise in wishful thinking that actual figures. Some translation agencies actually get that much from end-clients.
I am not affiliated there (it's Rio-based; little - if any - presence elsewhere). However it seems to me as a good response for any translator having their rates challenged: Sintra suggests... See more It must be borne in mind that these Sintra rates are suggested by that ailing union. It is more an exercise in wishful thinking that actual figures. Some translation agencies actually get that much from end-clients.
I am not affiliated there (it's Rio-based; little - if any - presence elsewhere). However it seems to me as a good response for any translator having their rates challenged: Sintra suggests BRL 10, I'm asking for BRL 6. On what grounds do you say I'm too expensive? ▲ Collapse
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Softni won't run on Vaio Vista: "No overly mixer" | TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
