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I've just started a new project with my VS ProX2 and am having a terrible problem with video clips freezing up. This seems even worse if I add a transition. I only have about 4 minutes on it so far, but it's becoming impossible to work with.

Some basic information:

Windows XP
Sony mini-DVD Handycam (2-yr old model)
Sony Cybershot 6.0 still camera
Emachines computer, 3.33 GHz, 384 MG of Ram
C: drive total size, 144 GB, free space 111 GB
Recovery (D) total size 4.43 GB, free space 2.23 GB

Project properties:
NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720x480, 29.97 fps
Upper field first
DVD-NTSC, 16:9
Video data rate Variable (Mac 9100 kps)
Audio data rate 448 Kbps

Viedo clips are MPEG-2 Video, Upper field first, 720 x 480, 16:9,
29.970 frames/sec

I've done several other projects and had a few minor problems with freezing at times, but nothing like this.

Any suggestions? Do I need more memory?

Thanks in advance

Also having this on my video. Weird

One of your source video files is probably corrupt, or you've got a format (or format variation) that Video Studio doesn't "like". (Sometimes a slightly corrupt file will play back fine, but cause trouble when you try to edit or convert it.)

Does your Cybershot camera shoot video? And, are you using video from that camera? If so, that's most likely the problem. Stills (and audio files) can sometimes cause trouble too. It usually requires a process of elimination to figure-out what files are causing the problem.

There may be some work-arounds, but first we need to determine what file/format is causing you trouble.

No, I'm not using any video from my still camera, just still shots. All video is coming from my Handycam.
I actually uninstalled and then reinstalled VS earlier tonight, thinking that might help. I don't think it did much good. I also read in a post somewhere on this forum to check in preferences and see if the "target" for my playback was the preview screen. In fact, something called "dual heads" was checked instead so I changed that and it seemed to help quite a bit.

Still, I keep having to stop during playback to give things a chance to "catch up." I did use a VS stock background video for the intro/title - could that be incompatible with my other videos? Just a thought, since it's the first video in my timeline. Can't wait to see what disaster happens when I try to render it to DVD!

Hi

Can you confirm your Ram size, you say (384 MG of Ram)???????

If you were to start a new project and add all the video from the library and may be the images.
Would that play ok, or do you still have problems.?

If that plays ok then suspect your projects content.

Sorry about that - it's supposed to be 384 MB of RAM.

After I reinstalled the VS program, I had to recapture the video and stills needed for the project. At first it was moving along fine, but the more transitions and data I added, the more trouble I encountered. That's why I'm suspecting my computer.

I really don't see how you can have 384 MB of RAM. 256Mb, 512Mb, 1Gb, 2GB. That's the normal sequence of RAM modules.
If you really only have 384Mb then you don't have anywhere near enough. I think the minimum spec for VS12 is 1 GB and then it will be a bit slow!
Hewre's the min requirements for VS12
Minimum requirements

Intel® Pentium® 4, AMD Athlon® XP (equivalent) or higher recommended
Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2 Home Edition/Professional, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Vista®
512 MB of RAM (1 GB or higher recommended)
1 GB of available hard disk space for program installation
Windows-compatible sound card (multi-channel sound card for surround sound support recommended)
Windows-compatible DVD-ROM for installation

Just been thinking about these numbers. You can get 384Mb if you have one module at 256Mb and one of 128Mb. If this is what you have, check with Belarc Advisor to make sure. Its nowhere near enough for VS12. Then check your motherboard to see what the maximum RAM it will support.

Its nowhere near enough for VS12.

I would agree.

Thanks to all for your input. I was afraid that was my problem. It's off to see the computer guys for me!

Before you go off spending money, just download Belarc from here:
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
and just keep hitting "Run" you will finish up with a page showing everything that is on your PC. Its perfectly safe and its free. Its what your Computer Engineer would do to start with anyway and that would cost!

mitchell65 wrote:Just been thinking about these numbers. You can get 384Mb if you have one module at 256Mb and one of 128Mb. If this is what you have, check with Belarc Advisor to make sure. Its nowhere near enough for VS12. Then check your motherboard to see what the maximum RAM it will support.

You get odd looking amounts of RAM when you have a motherboard with integrated video. These steal RAM from your RAM chips, as compared to dedicated Video Cards that have their own dedicated RAM built into the video card.

You can often adjust the amount of RAM "given" to the built in video card from your system BIOS.

Let us compare the following systems both fitted with 512MB of RAM:

1. Onboard Video Card with 128 MB given over to the video card
512-128 = 384.

2. PCIe Video card with 128 MB RAM
512 - 0 = 512.

To find out how much RAM you have installed and also the maximum amount you can install plus which chips you need to purchase, simply download and run the scanner tool found in this link

Thanks John and Steve for your recommendations.

John, I did the Belarc analysis as you suggested and this is what it found:

Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 3 (build 2600) GATEWAY T3508 400
System Serial Number: GRC6740009604
Enclosure Type: Desktop
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
3.33 gigahertz Intel Celeron D
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Intel Corporation D101GGC AAD54032-301
Serial Number: BTGC62103NRT
Bus Clock: 133 megahertz
BIOS: Intel Corp. GC11010M.15A.0030.2006.0707.2039 07/07/2006
Drives Memory Modules c,d
160.02 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
121.44 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H552D [CD-ROM drive]

Generic USB CF Reader USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 2
Generic USB MS Reader USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 4
Generic USB SD Reader USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 1
Generic USB SM Reader USB Device [Hard drive] -- drive 3
ST3160212A [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 5LS4AP2A, rev 3.AAE, SMART Status: Healthy 382 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM2' has 512 MB (serial number 0x04046315)
Slot 'DIMM3' is Empty
Local Drive Volumes

c: (NTFS on drive 0) 155.26 GB 119.05 GB free
d: (FAT32 on drive 0) 4.76 GB 2.40 GB free

Network Drives
None detected

Of course, there's much more info, but thought this is what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, none of it means anything to me! Can you make anything of it?

Steve, I plan to follow your recommendation shortly, will let you know the outcome. I'm so glad the world has smart fellows like you all in it!

Hi

A while back on my old pc I increased the ram from 1 to 2 Gb

It made a lot of difference to the editing time, reaction times of VS during editing.
It will not however increase the render times when creating video files.
At least that¡¦s what I found.

System Information can be found from many sources on your pc.
Try running dxdiag (Start¡XRun)
OR
Internet explorer Help-About Internet Explorer shows a window with a button for System Info.
The Total Physical Memory shows the Ram size.

From your post Slot DIMM2 512 Mb is your installed ram.

I can't find the capacity of your motherboard but Crucial memory will probably find it. That's Steves link. If it does find it I would recommend Crucial Technologies as well as I have used them on a number of ocassions and have always had good value and service!