Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro FAQ

This FAQ page answers technical questions regarding Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro.

General Questions


Installation and Update Questions


Usage Questions

General Questions

Q: What's the difference between Cinematize 3 Pro, Cinematize 2 Pro, Cinematize 3, and Cinematize 2?

A: Both Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro include the following major improvements over their predecessors, Cinematize 2 and Cinematize 2 Pro and much more:

  • Synchronized preview of any combination of video and audio tracks
  • Dramatically improved user interface with a large resizable window
  • Support for more direct output formats
  • Faster extraction speed
  • Better quality video output (when decoded)

In addition, Cinematize 3 Pro includes the following and much more:

  • Synchronized preview of any combination of subtitles along with video and audio tracks
  • Batch Extraction with the same of different settings
  • Ability to save and load Extraction List and settings for reuse

Please visit the Product Comparisons page for Cinematize 3 or Cinematize 3 Pro to see a comprehensive comparison chart among the 4 products: Cinematize 3 Pro, Cinematize 3, Cinematize 2 Pro and Cinematize 2.

In addition, please visit the Cinematize 3 Features page and the Cinematize 3 Pro Features page to see a list of all the features in each product.

Q. What are the system requirements for Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro?

A: For a complete list of system requirements, please see the Cinematize 3 System Requirements page or Cinematize 3 Pro System Requirements page.

Q. Does Cinematize come with any instructions - a user guide or online help?

A: Yes. Both Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro come with comprehensive user guides as well as full online help.

A PDF version of user guide is included in all versions of the full installer. For the Mac version (a .dmg file), the user guide is can be found in a folder named “User Guide” once the disk image is mounted. For the Windows version (a .exe file), the user guide is installed automatically with the application. You can find it by locating the Cinematize 3 or 3 Pro folder in the Start menu and choosing Cinematize 3 or 3 Pro User Guide.

The User Guide includes everything from a getting started guide, how to select a clip, how to choose options for video, audio, subtitle, and output, to recommended settings for different goals as well as an introduction to DVD structure.

A subset of this User Guide is available as online help from within the program. To access the online help, choose "Cinematize Help" or “Cinematize Pro Help” from the Help menu within the program, or click on any of the question mark Help buttons.

Q. Do I have to be a video professional to use Cinematize 3 Pro?

A: No, you don't have to be a video or audio professional to use Cinematize 3 Pro. Miraizon believes in combining advanced features with ease-of-use. While it is true that many video and audio pros use Cinematize Pro because it produces pro quality video and audio output, we also have many non-pros who rely on our software because it is so easy to use. The Pro version includes many timesaving features (that are not available in the standard version) all users can enjoy.

Installation and Update Questions

Q. Should I uninstall a previous version of Cinematize (e.g. Cinematize 2 Pro, Cinematize 2) before installing Cinematize 3 or 3 Pro? How about the demos?

A: Yes, we generally recommend that you uninstall any previous versions of Cinematize as well as any demo versions. Please follow the instructions in Chapter 1 of the User Guide to uninstall.

Q. I am unable to successfully apply the updater. Why is this and what can I do?

A: If you find that the Cinematize 3 or 3 Pro updater is not working or is giving you an error message, here are some suggestions.

- If the updater incorrectly says the program is not installed

This typically occurs in two cases.

  • The program was not installed using the installer
    The program may have been installed by copying over the application from another computer or hard drive rather than by using the installer. As a result, there is no installer "receipt" on your machine indicating that the program is installed. Copying over the application rather than installing it using the installer is generally a bad idea because the permissions for the application will not be set correctly. The solution is as follows:
    1. Locate your original installer
    2. Run the uninstaller that is included with the installer
    3. Install the program again
    4. Apply the update

    If you have lost your original installer, you can request a new download link using our online request form.

  • The program was installed on a separate volume that also contains a version of Mac OS X
    In this case, the receipt for the installation was stored on the other volume, not on your boot volume. The solution is simply to boot off the volume that contains the application, apply the update, and then reboot back to your main volume.

- If the updater indicates that the update failed

This can occur for a number of reasons. Here are the most common ones.

  • You may have moved the application after installing it
    If you installed the application somewhere other than the default "Applications" folder on your system drive and then moved it, you will need to make sure you select that same folder in the updater. Otherwise the updater will not be able to find the application.
  • You may have changed the application file name
    If you have changed the name of application file, the updater will not be able to find it. Make sure that the application still has the same name as when it was installed.
  • You may have a permissions problem
    If the permissions on your installation folder get sufficiently messed up, the updater may not be allowed to perform the update. Here is how you can fix this problem.
    1. Go to your /Applications/Utilities folder
    2. Run the tool Disk Utility
    3. Highlight your hard drive on the left and click Repair Disk Permissions
    4. Wait for the process to complete (this may take a few minutes)
    5. Reboot your machine

    Then, try installing the update again.

Q. I keep having to re-enter my serial number whenever I start the program. Why is this?

A: This type of problem usually occurs on a Macintosh machine when the permissions are incorrect on your system. Here are the steps to do a repair permissions operation:

  1. Go to your /Applications/Utilities folder
  2. Run the Disk Utility tool
  3. Highlight your hard drive on the left and click Repair Disk Permissions
  4. Wait for the operation to complete (this can take a few minutes)

After this, try running the program and entering your serial number.

If you find that you still have trouble, it is possible that your permissions were messed up enough that your original program installation also got installed with the wrong permissions. In this case, you will need to uninstall and then re-install the program as follows:

  1. Run the uninstaller supplied with your installer
  2. Run the installer to reinstall the program
  3. Launch the program and enter your serial number

Usage Questions

Q. I am new to Cinematize. I need simple instructions on how to get started.

A: Both Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro come with complete user guides. The first chapter ("Getting Started") covers all the basic concepts and includes step-by-step instructions to get you going. Highly recommended reading!

Q. The clip I extracted using Cinematize 3 Pro does not come out with the settings I selected. I cannot extract my clip in the output format I selected using Cinematize 3 Pro. Why is this?

A: Cinematize 3 Pro allows each segement in the Extraction List to have completely different settings associated with it, and those settings are stored as part of the segment. This is a difference in the way the Cinematize 3 Pro behaves over Cinematize 2 or 2 Pro. Even if you change things on the Segment, Video, Audio, Subtitle, or Output tabs, it will not affect any of the settings stored with each segment in the Extraction List. If you want to change the settings you have stored for a segment, you have to highlight the segment and click Replace to change the stored settings to match what you have on the tabs currently. In general in Cinematize 3 Pro, it is best to select your segment and your extraction settings on all the tabs before you add the clip to the Extraction List. Additional information is available on our Product Tips page.

Q. I need to know the best settings in Cinematize for my specific goals (i.e. to use in Final Cut, Premiere, PowerPoint, iPod, etc.).

A: Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro make it easy for you to select the best settings for your goals by providing Output Type choices. Select the Output Type that best suits your extraction goals, whether for high-quality output, TV display, presentations, the Web, portable devices, or some other purpose.

In addition, both Cinematize 3 and Cinematize 3 Pro come with comprehensive User Guides that include a section entitled "Examples" (Chpater 9 for Cinematize 3, and Chapter 12 for Cinematize 3 Pro). This chapter covers recommended settings for a variety of different purposes (presentations, editing, web, etc.).

Q. Why are my extracted files so much bigger than the original DVD?

A: When video is stored on a DVD, it is stored as highly compressed MPEG-2 video, which is not editable. In order to re-edit the material, you use Cinematize 3 or Cinematize 3 Pro to extract it out and save it in a format like DV (e.g. using the DVCPRO25 codec) which is only slightly compressed. This format is editable in editing programs like iMovie, Final Cut, Premiere, or Vegas, but the file size will be larger than the original DVD. Depending on the codec and output format you choose, it can be as large as xx times to xx times the original DVD size.

Once you have completed your editing, you may then want to compress the video back down to a smaller size again. For example, you might want to create a new DVD or you might want to create a web video or a video for an iPod. Then, the compressed movie will go back down to a smaller size similar to the original DVD (or even smaller if you are creating web or iPod videos).

Cinematize also allows you to extract out the original raw compressed data from the DVD, storing them as elementary streams or an MPEG-2 Program Stream. In this case, the data will be the same size that they were on the DVD but will not be editable. This type of output is often useful if you are creating a new DVD and no editing is required.

Q. I cannot locate what I want from my DVD in Cinematize. What's wrong?

A: Cinematize and Cinematize 3 Pro are capable of extracting out any portion of your DVD. Unfortunately, no two DVD discs are authored in exactly the same way, and some discs can be quite complex. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to locate what you want.

DVDs are organized into File Groups, which are listed in the File Group menu in the lower left corner of the main window. Each File Group can contain one or more Titles, which are individual movies or recording sessions. Each Title can contain one or more Chapters. Check carefully among all the File Groups and all the Titles, and among the different Chapters of the Titles. Some Titles can even point to portions of the same movie information.

Cinematize 3 Pro users can consult Appendix A in the user guide ("Finding What You Want on a DVD") for more detailed information on the structure of typical DVDs.

With Cinematize 3, you can extract any portion of the main video. If you cannot locate what you need in the main video, you should check a different Title, Angle, or Chapter. While Cinematize 3 Pro has no restrictions, Cinematize 3 cannot extract the following: DVD menus, DVD subtitles, Video Manager Files, and DVD-VR discs.

Q. My extracted movie does not have any audio. Why is this?

A: This type of behavior happens typically in two situations. First, if your original DVD has audio and the preview plays that audio, then most likely you have selected QuickTime Movie as your Output Format with the QuickTime Movie Type set to Reference Movie. The Reference Movie setting breaks out the video and audio tracks as separate files and saves a separate small reference movie file that points to the tracks. Playing the small reference movie file will play both tracks. If you want everything in one file, set the QuickTime Movie Type to be Self-Contained.

The second situation in which this can occur is if you have selected an audio track that is not present in the portion of the DVD you are extracting. You can test if a particular audio track is present using the preview function. Depending on how a DVD disc is authored, only a certain subset of all the audio tracks may be present at any given time.

Q. When I try to store extracted clips on a portable HDD I get an error. Why is this?

A: Many portable hard drives come pre-formatted in the Windows FAT-32 file system. This file system does not support files larger than 4GB, so if you try to save an extracted file larger than that to the drive it will give you an error. Reformatting the drive in a file system that supports large files will solve the problem.

Macintosh users:

On a Macintosh system, you can check which file system the drive is using by highlighting the drive on the desktop and choosing File > Get Info from the Finder menu. If the drive says "Format: MS-DOS (FAT)" or something similar then it is using the FAT32 file system. We recommend that you copy all the data off of your portable drive and reformat it in the "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" file system which supports large files.

Windows users:

On a Windows system, you can check which file system the drive is using by right-clicking on the drive letter in an Explorer window and choosing Properties. We recommend that you copy all the data off of your portable drive and reformat it in the NTFS file system which supports large files.