Video studio Editing problem

[rugbysec]

Using VideoStudio Pro X2
Computer: Dell Dimension 9200
Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 Processor (2.13GHz, 1066MHz, 2MB)
Windows XP Media Centre Edition 2005
Memory 2 x 2 GB dual Channel DDR2
Video Card: 256Mb ATI Radeon X1300 Pro PCI Express graphics card
Hard drive 320GB plus External HD 1TB
Video camera: Panasonic HD X800

Editing downloaded video is virtually impossible because the picture does not run smoothly but keeps freezing and then jumping to next freeze frame. Sound also exhibits similar problem. What is causing this problem? did not have it with my old non-HD Panasonic camera.
Downloaded trial version of Video Studio X5 and still had same problem.
Spoke to Corel technician and deleted lots of Toolbars etc and lo and behold it worked OK - editing was possible and video ran smoothly but when i turned on my computer next day then it was back to old problem!!

Panasonic camera came with its own software HD Writer AE4.1. This is video editing software but inferior to Video studio when it works properly. However, it runs my HD video smoothly!!
So it cannot be my hardware - or can it - so what software is causing problem?

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

Your camcorder films in AVCHD format, which is perhaps the most demanding on computer resources of all consumer video formats currently available. Your computer is at the bottom end of those that can play and edit AVCHD and that undoubtedly accounts for the jerky playback while editing. However, when you render it out, the new video should play back smoothly.

The Panasonic software is of course tweaked by Panasonic to work properly with their cameras. The added gloss is that Panasonic (and Sony) were leaders in introducing AVCHD onto the market several years ago, but they have continually tweaked the codec in ways which are at slight variance with the international standard.

If you want to have smooth playback while editing in VS, you will need to use its SmartProxy feature. This makes temporary copies ('proxies') of the AVCHD but using a much smaller and easier to use codec. You do your editing in that, then when satisfied, the edits are applied back to the AVCHD just before you render the project. Note that the process of creating the proxies takes some time, so you need to be patient.

[canuck]

Did the Toolbars return the next day when you turned your computer back on?
How much free space on the hard drive? Have you defragged it lately.? What other program do you have running while editing?
Your computer is near the low end of specs but should do the job.

Comparing the two camcorders is meaning less since since you are comparing HD video to standard video.

[rugbysec]

Thanks for your prompt replies, which generate a few answers and more questions as follows:
Toolbars did not return next day as far as i can see. I do not know what changed to stop it working correctly.
I have about 40Gb left on my hard drive after downloading the video from my camera. If this might be the problem, then I can soon create more free space.
I have defragged it recently - overnight - but could do it again if you think that is the problem.
I do have Smart Proxy enabled during my editing.
I have nothing else running on my computer except VS Pro X2 (unless there is something running in background which I am unaware of such as McAfee Security Software).
You are correct, if I do not edit the video with titles etc or names of places visited, and just render it out and burn it to DVD, then it produces a satisfactory DVD to watch. Frequently my videos are rugby games and the total length is about 1hour (I edit some during play by stopping and starting the camera when there is action and no action) This takes about 5 to 6 hours to render and burn to DVD, so do it overnight. Is this normal?
What do you mean by 'Note that the process of creating the proxies takes some time, so you need to be patient'?

Can I upgrade my computer by fitting, say, a new graphics card or would you recommend a complete new desktop?
Tried up grading my RAM from 2x512Mb to 2 x 2Gb to see if that fixed problem some weeks ago but it did not.