Dropping Frames - Help

erandle · Post by **erandle** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 10:43 pm

If anyone can help me, I would appreciate it. I'm using the VideoStudio 9 trial version, and whenever I try to capture video from my camcorder, the program drops frames like crazy. The camcorder is a Canon Elura 85, I'm using a firewire cable to transfer the video. If I play the video through the software, it works fine, but as soon as I press capture, the video gets choppy. Here are my Project Settings:

Project Settings:
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 16:9, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1

Video Properties:
Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 16:9, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1

Here is my system info:
Windows XP Service Pack 1
AMD Athlon XP 2200+ processor
512MB DDR SDRAM PC 3200
120GB SATA 7200 RPM Hard Drive - about 80GB free
ASUS Radeon 9600SE 128MB DDR Video Card

If anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate it.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:09 pm

Do you have any other video software which you can test to see if it drops frames with that too? If so, then it could be a faulty cable or something wrong with the camera.

If you don't, then do a Google search for the free and very small program called WinDV, which does little more than capture DV, but it does it well and usually with no dropped frames.

Earle Jacobson · Post by **Earle Jacobson** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 12:06 am

Hi . . . I might be able to help you , because i had the same problem.
Do you still have the book that came with the softwere ? Not the User's guide instruction book !! This is titled Digital Video basics.
On page 13 it talks about DMA, or Direct-Memory Access mode. this was not enabled on my drive ! It cured my problem of dropping frames to almost zero !
Hope this will work for you !
Earle :ljavascript:emoticon(':lol:')
Laughingol:

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:01 am

Hi erandle,

it does sound like it might be a hard drive problem, although that's odd since you have a SATA drive, which should handle the 3.6Mb/sec almost without noticing it. It doesn't sound like the kind of drive that came with your system, looking at the cpu, however, so you might try checking it's sustained data transfer rate. An easy way to do that would be to use Sisoft Sandra Lite, an 8.1Mb free download. http://zdnet.com.com/3000-2086-10018691.html That should easily confirm or disprove the problem hard drive theory.

I used to swear by disabling write caching on my capture drive, which is only an IDE 7200 rpm unit, until I tried capturing with write caching enabled, so I doubt if that is a factor.

You should make sure that DMA is enabled, however. For my IDE drives, in "Device Manager" >> "IDE/ATAPI Controllers" >> "Properties" >> "Advanced Settings" and set "transfer mode" to "DMA if available". I don't yet have any SATA drives, but I imagine the procedure is similar for SATA controllers. (if I'm wrong on that, I'll soon be corrected by other posters!)

One last thing - the only time I ever suffered dropped frames was when I inadvertently captured video with my screensaver enabled. When it tried to kick in, I got a load of dropped frames. Make sure your screensaver is disabled, and that you are using an "always on" power setting. Also turn off your firewall and antivirus programs.

With your cpu, it will also be worth minimising the number of Windows services running. When capturing, I get mine down to 12, including VS and Task Manager.

Good luck!

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:45 pm

There are a few more suggestions on this page
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/Tutorial ... rVideo.htm

Duif · Post by **Duif** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 6:25 pm

Hi,
Just got ourselves a Canon Elura 100.

Hooked it up with Firewire cabl, works fine to pick the clips, put them in order, etc using Video Studio 9.
Then when i choose to do the finished product and it downloads the clips again, it drops frames and looks like we are watching an old Charlie Chaplin movie, you know, everyone moving slightly faster.
i have put all my stats in the 'system'. Can anyone advice what i am doing wrong?
Pulling my hair out, spending way too much time trying to do this, as i was told it is 'so easy'
thanks
Josh

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:34 pm

I am very confused by the work flow you describe. When you say you "Hooked it up with Firewire cable, works fine to pick the clips, put them in order", that implies to me that you actually captured video from the camera -- how else could you 'put them in order' with VS9 unless they were on your computer? But then you say that you 'choose to do the finished product and it downloads the clips again'. This is where you lose me. If you have the video already on your computer, why would you be capturing it again? Have you read the top sticky post on this Board on recommended procedures?

Otherwise, and ignoring what you actually said, I would be wondering whether your have your DV capture set to the (stupid) installation default of Type 2 Encoder, which for many computers causes the sort of capture you describe. Can you check what DV Encoder you have set by going to the Options cogwheel icon on the Capture pane of VS9. If it is set to Type 2 Encoder, change it to Type 1, which is where Ulead should have set it in the first place but for some strange reason, did not! Good luck.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:35 am

skier-hughes wrote:There are a few more suggestions on this page
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/Tutorial ... rVideo.htm

Graham, thanks for the link I've placed it in our list
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 0208#60208

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 11:16 am

Steve -- I assume you noticed the date on Skier's post...?