Slow skippy video in project timeline playback

backert1 · Post by **backert1** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:49 pm

Hello,

I know that I have read the answer to this somewhere in the forum before but I can't find it searching right now.

The issues that is frustrating my wife and daughter while they are editing a VS 11.5 plus project is - onve they have added a number fo clips and music segments to coordinate with the video, thye would like to review it the editing mode using either the clip or project play function. Whlie the clip/project is playing, the music continues fine but the video update is eitehr slow or choppy and you can't tell how well the music matches the video. Sometimes short (2-4 sec) clips, transitions, or pictures don't even appear in the playback at all - they are just skipped. If you take the time to render out the project, then review the rendered file, all parts are there just fine. Nice but really useful for real time editing. They are using a combination of AVI clips, Jpg pictures, and MP3 audio. I know that there can be synch problems with mp3 files,butg that does not seem to be the issue here. Is there a setting to correct this (lower res video?) or is this just to slow a system?...

If this is a system speed issue, I do have a new sysytem arriving in ~2 weeks (Dell XPS630 with intel 9450 2.66MHz 12 mb cache, 1333MHz bus, quad core processor with 4GB memory and a GeForce 9800 512 MB video card. Will this same issue be a problem on the new machine? Will I have any compatability problems with VS11.5 plus and the new hardware?, or with Vista Ultimate? I have ordered the VS XP2 upgrade - all things ok with this combination?

Thanks,

Todd

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:35 pm

You don't tell us anything about the clips involved, except that they are AVI, of which there are literally hundreds of varients. Please right click on a clip and copy its properties here.

Also, some types of MP3s have been known to cause some problems (but not choppy playback). Converting to WAV seems to fix that. I must say, however, that I have recently converted my CD library to my iPod, so all of my music is in iTunes, as MP3s, and I have not had any problems using those.

dlaundre · Post by **dlaundre** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:15 pm

I am having the same problem without even adding any sound. I just add a few clips which play fine and then try to play the project to see the transition between clips and it's very choppy....

here's the post i posted asking for help just a few minutes ago:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?p=167452

any help is appreciated...

Thanks,
David

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:23 pm

Please don't double post, it will only lead to confusion. I didn't respond to your post because you mentioned HD, which I don't use. I'm sure someone that uses HD will respond in due time.

dlaundre · Post by **dlaundre** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:30 pm

Sorry about double posting - just saw after posting that someone was having the exact same problem, and I figured that it would helpful to give my stats and information in order to further assist you in your analysis.

backert1 · Post by **backert1** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:03 pm

I will check the clip properties tonight and add them to the post. I can tell you that I captured all video clips into Ulead 11.5 plus as the default DV-AVI parameters (netting about 13GB per hour of video). The capture device was a ATS pyro-555 unit connected via 6 pin firewire. That may be enoug to help until I confirm those tonight.

backert1 · Post by **backert1** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:06 am

So here are the particulars. Also as I replayed one of the projects tonight I noticed several things. 1) there was more delay and miss-timing of the audio with the still pictures than with the viseo clips during project play, 2) the amount of time errors were minimal on the first fresh play through. on repeating the play through with no other computer activity done in between, the number and size of the miss-timings grew vastly, and 3) during subsequent replays the video falls far enough behind that at times some pictures are completely skipped. hope that sheds a further light on the type of problem.

all video clips (size varies of course)
format: microsoft avi - open dml
size: 10,547 kb
frame rate: 30.000 f/s
duration: 5.2 s
data rate: 2027.33kbps
Video: MJPEG compressor
Attributes: 24 bit, 640 x 480
total frames: 156 frames
Audio: PCM 44.100kHz, 16 bit stereo, 229320 samples

MP3 audio clips on music track (length varies of course)
format: mp3 audio files
size: 5.137KB
duration: 219.37 s
type: MPEG Audio layer 3
ttoal samples: 9674496
attributes: 44100Hz, 16 bit joint stereo
layer: 3
bit rate: 191kbps

still pictures
data type: RGB true color 24 bit
size: 3264 x 2448 pixels
resolution: 72 pixels/in
size: 23,409KB
format: JPEG file interchange format
compression: JPEG compression
color mode: YCbCr (YUV)
encoding mode: YUV4:2:2
sampling factor: YUV 4:2:2

That seems to be it. Does this help enough to answer my questions? Your help greatly appreciated.

Clevo · Post by **Clevo** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:53 am

I would try converting you mpeg audio into a .wav format to eliminate compression clashing with your Video.

Make sure your project properties match those of your video... though, if you are wanting to create a DVD you might experience some difficulties with the 640x480. Can I ask the sourse of that video format?

Post by **lancecarr** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:51 pm

Your video properties show you have captured using the MJEPG codec. Unless you have loaded that codec specifically then VS will have trouble with it. It is an old codec and these days usually appears when someone has taken video from a digital camera.

You may want to try loading that video on to the VS timeline by itself and rendering it out to DV AVI Type 1 which is much more condusive to editing.

backert1 · Post by **backert1** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:55 pm

Ok, Now I am a bit confused. I have approximately 60 hours of video recorded from our old camcorders that we are in the process of editing and archiving on DVD. I captured all of that video using an ADS pyro 555 capture box connected via firewire using the captrure function in VS 11.5 plus. That original source of that video is split rought 1/3, 2/34 between an old panasonic VHS camcorder and a Sony hi-8mm camcorder. When I captured it the first time I captured it in MPEG-2 format. After I had some issues vith quality of the rendered video after edit, the forum experts advised me to capture it using the DV-AVI format. No problem, just lots of time and it was done. Videos redire out with fine quality for DVD playback. In either case, nowhere do I see any where to select the Codec used by the system when video is recorded. I am toally confused about the Codec mess. What Codec should I have specified and where do I do that in VS? We now have a new DV-8mm camcorder which I connect directly via firewire for video transfer to VS. I do not see anywhere to call out a Codec here either. I have ready countless posts about Codecs and unfortunately I still don't get it......

Help really appreciated.

Thanks - Todd

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:19 pm

As far as I am aware the Pyro box normally converts an incoming analogue signal from either of your analogue camcorders, to DV using an embedded chip. The DV is then conveyed to your computer via Firewire. When you first connect the firewire, and open VS, then in the Capture page, it should indicate the device it is capturing from, and the format being captured. Normally, with a firewire device, it would automatically default to 'DV'. Once that is showing, you don't have to adjust any other settings (though you can click on the Options icon on the Capture page, and choose Type 1 or Type 2 DV Encoder settings. VS appears to prefer type 1, but I use Type 2 as well with no problems... In any case, there is essentially no difference. Type 1 captures the video and audio in a single stream; whereas Type 2 capture them in two separate streams, but within an single file. Professional video photographers and editors appear to prefer Type 2.)

I am at a loss to understand how you captured in MJPEG (Motion JPEG) format unless that is an option in the Pyro I was not aware of. And it would have shown as that in the VS Capture window if it had been set for that.

So really the options are to do as Lance suggests, or else capture a small bit of the original analogue again, but make sure the setting for capture reads 'DV'. Then contemplate the awfulness of capturing everything again if that works!

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:30 pm

Further to my previous post, I have now been looking at the Pyro entries on the web via Google, and they confirm it automatically converts incoming analogue to DV video. Nowhere is MJPEG mentioned. MJPEG predated DV, and the main selling point of the Pyro (and similar devices) was -- and is -- that it produced in the then new and high quality DV format...

You can download the product Manual from this page: http://www.adstech.com/support/ManualsA ... 20ELEMENTS The one I downloaded has settings fixed to Adobe Premiere Elements (the original version) which apparently came with the box. But otherwise, the processes are the same for VS. And the important thing is that nowhere is MJPEG mentioned ... only DV.

backert1 · Post by **backert1** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:41 pm

Your comments are directly in line as to why I bought the pyro unit in the first place. I don't have any idea why the format would be that listed as MJPEG. The files are *.avi as recorded and appear to be digital video so I really don't get this either - unless...........mmmm the short clips were trimmed from the original full length video using the multitrim function and the settings were rendering to mpeg2, then thee trimmd clips inserted in the timeline? I'll check that out. But the question remains as to why the greatest video stalls and jumps occur around the still pictures. Is it just a matter of time to load the whole image? Is there a setting to only load thumbnails rather than the full resolution image and speed that up? Just a thought.

Thanks,

Todd

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:02 pm

The MJPEG codec is very specific and unusual these days. It is not installed as part of Video Studio or any other mainline video editing program I am aware of. It is not installed as part of Windows either. In fact, I actually had to buy mine! It has to be very specifically installed by something else, and these days, as has already been noted, the main way it can get on a computer is installation of a utilities CD that may have come with a digital still camera which uses the MJPEG codec for its video function.

So all I can imagine in your case is that, somehow or other, the MJPEG codec got onto your computer. And then, either when capturing or later converting the original video, you inadvertently chose MJPEG instead of MPEG, not realising there was a difference.

Otherwise, without some human intervention, I can think of no automatic way, with the devices and programs you have used, for this to have occurred.

Clevo · Post by **Clevo** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:05 pm

Could the Mjpeg be introduced via Codec Packs?