Newbie Question - Preview Project runs verrrrry slowly

Skooz · Post by **Skooz** » Wed May 02, 2007 2:03 pm

I have looked in the User Guide and in various places on this site but have been unable to find an answer to this (I am sure) simple question. I know it is a user error, but cannot find what I am doing wrong or what settings to change. I get the same results in version 10 and 11 (both trial versions).

When previewing in the Video Studio editor, if I preview the clip it runs perfectly; but if I preview the project the video stops, starts, stops starts---I would use the word "jerky" but that implies more motion than what is going on. The timeline smoothly scrolls, but the video does not.

When I save the project and play it back, and when I burn a DVD, I get the same result.

The same thing happens whether I make the project in the Video Studio Editor or the Movie Wizard.

The files I am using are QuickTime movies downloaded (not captured) from a digital camera.

Any help will be gratefully accepted. I just built a PC with the horse power for video editing and I am searching for a program to use. If I can get by this problem, I will buy version 11 when the trial expires.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed May 02, 2007 2:09 pm

Right click on a clip and post the properties here. We also need to know the project's properties.

Skooz · Post by **Skooz** » Wed May 02, 2007 2:12 pm

Thank you. I am at work right now, but will do so when I get home.

Skooz · Post by **Skooz** » Thu May 03, 2007 12:36 am

This is for one of the files that I am using. This is typical and all of the files act exactly the same way.

Properties:

File Format: Quick Time Movie Files
Movie Size: 320X240
Duration: 234.824 seconds
Track Counts: 1 video track 1 audio track

Video Track 1

Compression: MPEG-4
Attributes: 24 bits, 320X240
Total Frames: 4,704 frames
Frame Rate: 20.032 frames/sec
Duration: 234.824 seconds
Start at: 0.000 seconds

Sound Track 1

Compression: Law 2:1
Attributes: 12.000 KHz, 16 bits Mono
Total Samples: 2,817,884 Samples
Duration: 234.824 seconds
Start at: 0.000 seconds

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:00 am

I strongly suspect that the problem is because your video is in MPEG4 format.
These are very highly compressed and thus hard to work with - though not impossible.

I tend to convert them beforehand to MPEG2 format
Here is a Google Search of various MPEG4 converters.

Skooz · Post by **Skooz** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:36 am

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

Skooz · Post by **Skooz** » Thu May 03, 2007 2:24 am

That fixed it.

I downloaded a shareware app called Yasa MPEG Encoder, encoded the MPEG4s into MPEG1s and the project runs smooth as silk.

A thousand thank-yous, sir.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu May 03, 2007 2:50 am

If you are burning a DVD, why are you converting to mpeg-1, rather than to mpeg-2 which will give you a (much) better quality when your burn it to disc?

Skooz · Post by **Skooz** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:16 pm

Because I didn't know (until just now) that MPEG-2 will give me a (much) better quality when I burn it to disc?

Thanks for letting me know.

I am converting a batch of .mov files into MPEG-2 and will use those rather than the MPEG-1 files.

Now, if I can just keep the Video Studio from shutting down every time I open it. It just started that. I downloaded version 10 three days ago and then version 11 yesterday. Version 10 seems to work fine (no shutdowns) but version 11 crashes every time I use it. It just disappears. Frustrating.