Length of Video Clips are shorter than they should be

[MPH711]

I recently updated to Videostudio Pro X2...and got a new computer...plus the Flip Mino HD video camera.

In making my first video with all my new stuff I have found that the short MPEG4 video clips that I am importing in VS are shorter than my original clip file on my hard drive. For instance, a 15 second clip is only 7 seconds after I add it in Videostudio. It's cutting off every video that I add (and not just a few frames...many seconds long...yet on the original file, it's all there!)

Any ideas on what's wrong?

[MPH711]

In studying all the clips I added...it looks like when I import the file in it only is taking in the first half of the video. Example - if the clip is 62 seconds on my hard drive, when I import it only the first 31 seconds are there. If the clip is 28 seconds, only the first 14 seconds are imported.

I have used many version of Videostudio but have never run into this problem.

[Ken Berry]

How are you importing the clips? Direct to VS? Or have you copied the files to your hard drive first and then opened them in VS from there? If you haven't tried the latter, I would suggest you do and let us know if that improves things...

[MPH711]

I imported the clips from my hard drive.

The clips are widescreen HD from the Flip Mino that I downloaded into my hard drive. On my hard drive in looking at "Properties" and details it says one of the clips is 15 seconds long, 1280 x 720, Data Rate 9088kbs, total bitrate 9220kbs and 30 frames / second.

When I go to import that clip into VS and I look at the Properties of the same clip thru VS it says the "duration" is 7.574 seconds, 24 bits, 1280 x 720, 16.9. Frame rate: 59.940 frames/sec and data rate of 16000kbs. Then when I import it into VS, those stats are true...it's not the full clip.

I don't know why there is this difference between the two. I can play the full clip on my hard drive but that same clip becomes shorter in length when importing into VS.

[MPH711]

Ken - I just shot a 15 second video on the Flip Mino. I added it to VS directly from the camera and the clip imported into VS was just the first 7 and a half seconds. I then took the clip from the Mino and put it on my hard drive and added it to VS. Same results, it's only 7 1/2 seconds long.

My new computer is Windows 7.

[Ken Berry]

This is possibly going to sound a little confusing, but your Flip evidently films in what is called 720p mode, with the 'p' meaning progressive scan high definition. It is similar to frame based video in standard definition video. Every frame is complete in and of itself and this in fact is what gives it such high quality/definition. Interlaced video, by comparison, (or with an 'i' instead of a 'p' as in 1920 x 1080i) has every frame made up of two scans or fields, with (in high definition video) the Upper set of lines being scanned first (1 - 3 - 5 etc) and then the Lower lines (2 - 4 - 6 etc). All this happens so quickly that in playback the eye perceives the scanned lines as constituting a solid ('interlaced') image...

With NTSC progressive scanned video you get a speed of 59.94 individual frames per second. With interlaced video, you are in effect only getting half that because of the two fields being scanned (or 29.97 fps). 30 fps is often given as a near approximation of this latter speed.

I also suspect that Windows Explorer/My Computer is not set up to read the distinction in a file between progressive and interlaced video, and is thus giving you that confusing read-out.

But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. When you play back a clip is anything you specifically remember being filmed not played back? Or better still, with all this in mind, film something new: for instance pan around the room you are in. Then open that new video in VS and play it back. Does it stop halfway through the pan so that you get only the first half of the room or the whole room?

EDIT: I was writing the above when you posted your last message. So all I can ask is -- are you sure you filmed for 15 seconds? And is there anything missing from it that you know you filmed? And does it appear to play at the correct speed?

Otherwise, the only think I can think of is that in Windows 7, X2 may be extracting every second frame from 720p video... I mention this as a possibility since, completely by coincidence, a couple of hours ago I was playing around with some 720p 59.94 fps AVCHD video under Vista. The video was all there (no missing frames!) and played back fully and smoothly. The only downside with it is that VS does not allow output in the same format once you have edited it. You have to substitute interlaced H.264 mpeg-4 for it. The quality is quite good, but you could get some interlacing artifacts if there is rapid motion in the video...

[MPH711]

Ken - the speed is correct..I know because I shot a clock with a second hand for 15 seconds. Instead of the video stopping at 15 seconds past the minute, it stops at just after 7 seconds. (These are MPEG4 videos)

Before I go to bed, I thought I would try one other thing...I shot a 15 second video on my old camera I always used to use (not HD). It makes an "AVI" file. When I imported this one, all 15 secods are there.

It's something with the MPEG4 or HD type video that's not right when going into VS.

[mitchell65]

How about trying a process of elimination.Windows 7 doesn't ship with Windows Movie Maker but there is a free download of the latest version with special reference to Win 7 here:
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/vid ... 22658.aspx
How about downloading and installing that and importing your 15 sec clip to see if that shows the same problem. If it does then that elminates Video Studio. If not have you installed the Win7 Video Studio patch SP2 from this sticky above:
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php ... c&start=15
It just might help. Look for the SP2 that's the patch for Win7.
If none of the above helps can you upload the 15sec clip onto a site that we can download from. I have four video editing progs on my system and I could try your clip on them all on an XP PC. That would show if it is a problem with the actual file.

[MPH711]

Thanks Mitchell and Ken. I went and added the patch and that now has corrected the problem. Because it said I should add SP1 before SP2 I did that. I added both patches. I originally didn't add it because on Corel's website it said with Windows 7 I didn't need it.

Thanks for all your attention.

[MPH711]

Now for the bad news...now the program keeps shutting down with an error when I'm playing something in the timline. It plays for a minute or so and comes up with a Windows message that there is a problem. I may need to reinstall.

[mitchell65]

Not sure what to advise here. Perhaps best wait for Ken to join us again for his advice. I suppose if you have to do a re-install you will need to re-install the patches. I wonder if you will need to do a "clean" re-install which means going into the regisry to un-install first. Ken will arrive soon I'm sure!

[Ken Berry]

...But can't offer any better suggestion, I am afraid!

[mitchell65]

So next step is a re-install. If you need help with a cleanun-install see this:
Re-installation of Ulead Products
Fngers and everything else crossed, good luck


Post edited by Admin Ron P. Link was too long to be used in web forums.

[MPH711]

OK here is what I hope will be the end of the problem. First I uninstalled VS and then re-installed. Next, I added patch #2. Once again my video clips were all short by half their length. Then I added patch #1 and the clips were now the correct length. I was able to finish my project without any unexpected program shutdowns.

Hopefully that will be the end of it all. Thanks again.