capture, "flushing DV Transcode Buffer"

ssake · Post by **ssake** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:19 am

Usually I can capture as much as 18 minutes of video before the "flushing DV transcode buffer" function starts. I don't use it because when it "stitches together" the video after it completes that process, there's always a glitch at that point.

Sometimes, however, the "flushing DV transcode buffer" kicks in after only a couple minutes of capture. Why? What is the "transcode buffer"--can I increase the size of it? Why would the length of video before that function starts up, change?

And, does anyone know how to make this work properly, so that you can capture longer stretches of video and have them "stitched together" seamlessly, like I think this is supposed to be doing?

Thanks,
Steve S.

htchien · Post by **htchien** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:24 am

If your hard disk file system is FAT32, then you will get this message when you capture the DV AVI about every 18 minutes. This is because the FAT32 file system will have an 4GB file size limitation for single file and DVDMF needs to create another DV AVI file when the original DV AVI file exceeds the file size limit.

If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, convert the hard disk file system to NTFS will break the file size limit and you can capture seamlessly.

You may also try some tricks and tips from http://www.videoguys.com/Windows_Tips.html .

Hope this helps.

H.T.

ssake · Post by **ssake** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:28 pm

This is helpful--and it explains why normally I can get a longer capture by switching to variable bit rate instead of constant bit rate.

However, right now I'm only able to capture about 3 minutes! Why would it switch from capturing about 18 minutes to only 3 minutes?

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.
Steve S.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:11 am

What are your computer specs?

ssake · Post by **ssake** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 1:37 pm

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this.

I've been working with customer support, and they directed me to uninstall, delete the relevant folders, re-install, and then install the patches. That increased the length of time before "flushing" to 30 minutes for the first instance (it then decreases to 22 min. and 12 min, respectively, on a 58-minute capture).

However, there remains a glitch at the "stitch" point, most noticeably in the audio. I would like to get this feature to work properly so that I can capture an hour's worth of video at 7,000 VBR resolution.

I have a 1.1GB PC, AMD motherboard and I've installed the VIA chipset "4-in-1" drivers for it. I have 512 Mb RAM. I'm running Win 98se and the FAT32 file system. I can create files up to 4 gig (the one I just created in my 58-min test was just under 4 GB). I've recently cleaned up the system while troubleshooing video export problems, so it's running well in all other respects (FYI, if you download free music from the Kaaza network, they put spyware on your computer that even the spyware programs don't find--I had to Google each exec. file in my Windows and Windows/System folders individually to identify it).

I have a Soundblaster sound card--if you need the exact model I'll have to look it up.

Let me know what other info you need or if I need to run a diagnostic and get exact specs.

Thanks,
Steve S.
ssake1@yahoo.com

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:14 pm

Average speed today is around a 2.4gig machine and running Windows2000
or Windows_XP.

The computer specs are not fast enough to perform "Real_Time" Mpeg2
conversion.

The only way I know of going by your computer specs is you should be
capturing via the DV(firewire) input and capturing to a Dv(avi) file.
Being Windows98se you will have to split the file sizes to span across
the video. Change the settings in the capture screen to do this, 4gig maximum
for "Fat32".

This is the longer way to create a dvd. It's the best way though because
real-time capture on the computer is very cpu intensive. Usually best to have
a hard_ware addon device to help with the conversion/compression.

Hope this helps,

MD

ssake · Post by **ssake** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:40 pm

I tried a lot of different methods. I never was able to find a program which would convert .avi files to mpg2 without artifacts. The only clean method I found was importing and converting to mpg2 on the fly as you say, and my computer is able to do it, now, in 30-minute increments (after installing the Movie Factory patches), at 7000 VBR resolution quality.

The problem I'm having now is that when the program stops to flush the dv buffer, and then automatically stitches the captures together, it creates a glitch, especially in the audio, where it "stutters". I don't think this is a problem with system performance??? Can I increase the buffer somehow?
Steve S.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:48 am

Steve,
As far I can tell when the cpu can't perform all the encoding to Mpeg2 in
time it buffers to the computers memory. When the memory is full it's
supposed to pause the capture and flush the dv buffer from memory to
disk. Not to many people can get that to work right without a hitch.
It must take awhile for the buffer to flush?

I would capture the file in DV format and then transcode to Mpeg2.
Capturing in Dv(avi) format / edit / transcode to Mpeg2 dvd spec is the
most common and reliable method to author a dvd video.

MD