VS8 AVI Capture jerky, unclear, shudders, stripes ETC!

[debgary465]

HELL..... I hope someone can help me! there's a lot of unresolved forum items around this issue, concerning VS7 and 8. I've been searching here for 5 months to try and get the solution, so now I post.

Using Video Studio 8 (ALL 3 patches installed), on a PIII 800, 512Mb RAM, c:11Gb, NTFS free space & d:40Gb, NTFS free space with a 16Mb Voodoo Banshee (yep the banshee is still screaming along and the drivers are wonderful - so no problems there) under Win2k (every patch known to man is applied) with a Firewire to Dv-Avi on my JVC DV video camera.

DMA mode is enabled
Write cache for both HDD's is disabled

Recently formatted HDD and reinstalled everything from scratch and it's buzzing along with a nice clean registry, no more Microsoft updates left to install as they're ALL there now. Defragged to perfection after deleting the swap file and booting to Safe mode (yep I remembered to reinstate it 1024Mb to 1200Mb). This is one happy puppy with her system at full speed ahead and it is STILL quite fast....!

I've got everything set to PAL for Australia - here are the settings as per VS8 automatically detecting them after the first clip was captured:

Microsoft AVI files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 4:3, 25 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 2
PCM, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

Changing to DV Video Encoder -- type 1 makes it worse.
Changing to Frame based makes no difference.
Changing to MPEG works well, but darn it I hate the transcoding and it's a painful exercise in time consumption/wasting.
Changing to VS5 also works well, but I SHOULD be able to use exactly the same settings for VS8 and capture without so many problems!
Pinnacle Studio 9 trial captures like a dream (wish I'd bought that instead).

I've got dropped frames, jerky capture with stripes wherever motion appears on the video, choppy sound and a headache.

If you can resolve my issue, you can probably help everyone else with the same solution. I've got a nagging feeling there's a problem with VS7 & 8 because I haven't come across a single post where the user has claimed their problem is fixed, just work arounds ARRGGHHHH!

simply Deb

[THoff]

UVS 8 requires DirectX 9 and compatible video drivers -- you may want to run DXDIAG.EXE and see how your card and its drivers fare.

How is the CPU utilization when things slow down? Have you kept an eye on it using Task Manager?

[debgary465]

Thank you for taking the time to inquire.

UVS 8 requires DirectX 9 and compatible video drivers -- you may want to run DXDIAG.EXE and see how your card and its drivers fare.

How is the CPU utilization when things slow down? Have you kept an eye on it using Task Manager?

I have Direct X 9.0c and the very nice DXDIAG.EXE showed no problems for either system, directX, or display (3D isn't available under W2k with my drivers) and direct draw etc is just fine. In fact everything checked out beautifully and thanks for the tip on the utility.

I'm not using the W2k Banshee display drivers, from Microsoft because they won't run install programs or autorun progs and don't have 3D capapbility under W2k anyway. My current W2k display drivers are very well supported by the huge Voodoo community, and while the 3D display is a requirement for album transitions in USV8, it's hardly even an issue for me and I don't mind that it can't be implemented under W2k.

The CPU I will check.

However the issues I've described are evident after a cold startup and with only UVS8 running for a short time ie: first minutes of capture. So I don't think the
CPU usage is an issue to get side tracked on. As mentioned capture is fine with other settings and even other programs. It's UVS8 that's my issue and getting the correct settings. I'm currently forced to use UVS5 or the Pinnacle 9 trial (little beauty it is).

Thanks anyway for your attempt to assist. I'm feeling very desperate and thinking of selling USV8 on ebay then buying Pinnacle 9.

[THoff]

I doubt that it's the Direct3D support that UVS requires, I'm sure it's the DirectShow improvements, so the problem could well be with the video card drivers.

I'm not entirely sure what you are capturing from or how you capture, but if it is a DV device, try capturing using WinDV to see if that has problems, too. WinDV is a very minimalist utility, and it does what it does very well. Besides, it doesn't take over the entire display, which is a huge bonus in my opinion...

[debgary465]

I doubt that it's the Direct3D support that UVS requires, I'm sure it's the DirectShow improvements, so the problem could well be with the video card drivers.

Direct 3D is required for the album transitions in USV8. My DirectShow is perfect according to the directX report. There are no problems with the video cards operations or drivers. They're well and truly time tested and function extremely well. This is confirmed and not an issue.

I'm not entirely sure what you are capturing from or how you capture, but if it is a DV device, try capturing using WinDV to see if that has problems, too. WinDV is a very minimalist utility, and it does what it does very well. Besides, it doesn't take over the entire display, which is a huge bonus in my opinion...

I'm capturing from a JVC DV movie camera, using firewire 1394 and have successfully tried WindDV in AVI format. Thanks anyway.

It's recommendations on the settings in USV8 that I really, really, really, want. I've paid for it and can't see why it won't work for me in AVI capture as per it's own detected settings............

Please don't stop making suggestions and I hope you haven't run out of ideas yet:?:

[THoff]

I didn't mean to imply that it doesn't use Direct3D, I tried to say that UVS probably doesn't need the DirectX9 improvements to Direct3D.

Are you using the same DV type in UVS as in WinDV? Writing Type 2 files is more demanding, and that may be causing the poor performance. Also, are the problems you have mentioned only evident during the capture (in the Preview window), or also in the captured file when viewed using Windows Media Player or another application?

[debgary465]

Hey again Thoff, sorry to waste your time with the misunderstanding and thanks heaps for the assistance so far. Every suggestion that's discounted is one less piece of info to ponder.

CPU usage during capture is maxing out at 80-100%.
Usage during playback is 20-50%
Memory is almost unaffected.

Unedited captured AVI plays choppy/jerky in Windows Media Player 9, the same as USV8 previews. I've not added any transitions or extras.
After rendering, and saving as AVI, then playing WMP it's still choppy of course and I know there was no real need to render, but I'm at the stage where I'll try anything twice.

Here are the properties for the freshly captured AVI file without any changes to it.

FILE
Microsoft AVI Files - OpenDML
Framerate 25.000
Datarate 2088.91
VIDEO
DV Video Encoder Type 2 (note type 1 has a worse result in USV8, but in USV5 it's ok)
24 bit 720x576 4.3
AUDIO
PCM 48000 khz, 16 bit, stereo

Again just to reiterate I'm using 1394 firewire, MS1394 Device Control settings, Ulead Direct Show Capture Plugin, JVC DV movie camera, have all settings as per USV8's own detection of them.

I can use AVI capture in anyother program apart from USV8!

Hope you'll continue to assist me even though this is looking bad

[THoff]

Check your Preferences to make sure you didn't select "Preview Windows and DV Camcorder" as your preview target -- it should be "Preview Window" only.

Aside from that, I'm starting to run out of ideas...

[debgary465]

Preview window is what's selected.......

I've pretty well decided to cut my losses with the program I think. I've got another PC that I'll be building with the latest and greatest on it (HT, 1Gb RAM, 128 video etc), but that won't be for another 2 months, AND I don't like my chances any better with a new PC. This is based on the number of people experiencing similar problems.

One post, for a similar topic, has an enormous number of views (over 1300 at last look) and clearly shows the extent of the problem with the software on some machines.

Thanks anyway.