Blackout

[Phil]

Hi,

Has anyone came across a problem when dragging a clip into a project and for some reason half way through the clip, the video goes black but the audio continues?? It's happened a few times for me when the clip is particularly large eg High Def, 4gb, 25mins long (AVCHD). It makes editing impossible because my VSP x3 crashes when I try to play that clip. When I click the edit bar to the good part of the clip, I get the usual "still picture" at that point, but in the faulty segment, I still get a black preview screen for the "still".

Splitting the clip doesn't help so I'm presuming there's a proxy file problem. Anti-virus was switched off and I allowed sufficient time for the clip to move into the project. A real nuisance when trying to preview & edit.

Help!

[Black Lab]

Splitting the clip doesn't help so I'm presuming there's a proxy file problem.

Are you using proxy files? If you drag a HD clip to the timeline and immediately try to play it, you are not playing the proxy clip, as they take some time to render. Therefore, that may be your problem.

[Phil]

I gave the clip time to generate a proxy by observing my CPU
reading. I thought I was hurrying on previous occasions, but this time I was patient. (Is there an alternative to proxys that might solve it? )

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Phil

View Settings – Smart Proxy File Manager to view files that have been created.
View Settings – Smart Proxy Queue Manager for files that are being rendered/created

It will take some time to create a proxy file from a 4Gb file.
If you close VS before the render is complete then it will be terminated and the proxy file will have to be made again,
Either by adding the clip to the timeline or right click a clip and select Create Smart Proxy File.

Viewing the timeline/library, a small double icon is placed on the clip indicating proxy file have been created. (that’s the best way I can describe it as a double icon)

[Phil]

Ok - let's recap

Settings are at "Enable smart proxy" - 1/ Should this be left on?
Preferences are at "Enable smart proxy when video size is above 720x480" - 2/ Should this be left on?
Auto generate proxy template is also checked - 3/ Should this be left on?

2 x large HD clips have now been loaded to timeline. One blackens out halfway through (double icon shows) and the other is fine (no double icon).

Eventual render will be SD DVD Pal 720x480

4/ How can I load the clip so I can see it and edit it?

5/ Of the 70 odd clips in my project loaded so far, about 10 have proxys . Any reason why?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Phil

Yes your Proxy settings are correct.

You may have two issues here, the generation of the proxy files although this should work ok with the settings used.

It may be that X3 or your PC is having problems reading the larger HD files. AVCHD is notably difficult to edit.

If your final output file are to be SD NTSC 720 x 480 then I would suggest you convert the original to a more suitable editable format.
I would choose DV – Avi (13Gb per hour)
Edit the video in this format then render the project to DVD compliant files. (SD NTSC 720 x 480) using these files to burn a dvd.

You could try X4 File--Batch Convert to create the new files to:-

Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 16:9, 29.97 fps
Upper Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1
PCM, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo


Post Edited-Phil
There has been a post by stormcab
Smart proxy not working on files over 1GB
Maybe worth a read