Still have a audio dropout when printing back to tape at 2:05

[Hulk]

I posted regarding this problem about a year ago and am still having the problem. When I print to tape or simply play back the time-line to my DV camera, after the video plays for 2:05 there is a brief audio drop out. If I start at the beginning of the file the glitch occurs at 2:05. If I start it at 1:00 the glitch will occur at 3:05. See what I mean?

Last time I posted regarding this everyone thought it was probably something in the set up of my Gateway computer. I don't think so because now it's doing the exact same thing with my Dell. The only shared hardware between the two systems is the g450etv video card.

Of course the playback file is on a fast secondary, defragged hard drive. I can do huffyuv captures no problem so speed isn't the problem.

I thought it might be the auto-insert notification but I can't get to gpedit.msc, when I run it I get a "can't find" error message. But, I remember turning off auto insert on my Gateway and the problem persisted.

I'm running XP Home. Any tips on how to solve this problem and reduce glitches when playing back to the camera would be greatly appreciated.

All drives are running in DMA mode 5 and I can't think of anything that would be polling the system 2:05 after play back has started.

- Mark

[Hulk]

BTW. After receiving this computer from Dell I did a clean wipe and reinstall of XP to remove all Dell junk.

[wkulecz]

Try a different video card. Being the only thing in common between old and new makes it immediately a suspect.

This sounds too strange. Are you saying only the audio glitches when outputting DV over 1394? Are you uisng DV type 1 or type 2? I'd be hard pressed to see how this could happen with type 1 where the audio and video are fully interleaved -- meaning hard to see how something could mess up the stream in such a way as to only affect audio. If type 2 then there are two streams so its easier to see how only one could be affected.

--wally.

[Brian Ellis]

1. If the file is a 720 x 480 DV-1 with the audio at 48 kbit/s, captured from the camera and played straight back to the camera from the timeline, does this happen?

2. Is the file captured via Marvel from whatever format and converted to DV-1 at 720 x 480 with audio at 48 kbit/s?

3. Have you tried it with a different camera? Some cameras are known to give problems from the timeline.

4. What camera are you using?

5. You don't keep trying the same tape, do you?

6. Can you Export a DV AVI file correctly?

[Hulk]

Brian,

1. Yes, the file is DV type 1, with DV audio. Clips were captured from my Optura Pi, edited, rendered to a DV file, and then loaded into the timeline for playback to the camera.

2. No, native DV clips.

3. Have not tried with a different camera. Will try to get a hold of one.

4. Read above.

5. Glitch occurs at 2:05 even if the camera is not recording. I can hear the dropout from the camera's speaker during playback.

6. By export you mean print to tape a DV file? No, all DV files have this glitch at 2:05 from the start of playing the file.

[Hulk]

Okay guys I have some more detailed info on this glitch problem I am having. BTW, thanks for helping me out. I really want to get to the bottom of this.

I created another DV file. It's about 4 minutes long
Rendered file is DV Type 1, 48khz audio.
Load it into the timeline.
Play back the timeline from the beginning with the camera connected or use print to tape function, same result either way.

EVERYTIME I get an audio drop out between 2:04 and a half seconds and 2:05 and a half seconds. If I start playback at 10 seconds then the audio dropout occurs 10 seconds later.

I have tried it at least ten times now. Same thing every time. There is NO video glitch with the audio drop out.

As I said above I have a minimum of junk on this system. I am careful to keep my system lean. Also, I can play back this or any other video from the timeline into my camera while browsing the net, opening Outlook, and NOT cause a glitch.

I remain stumped!

[Brian Ellis]

Hulk

Do not open your captured file into MSP. Instead, just start up the editor without anything on the timeline, click File|Export, choose whichever DV Recording device you use, choose the filename, if necessary, position the start, Next, then the red button. Please report back what happens.

I'm aware that various problems have been reported with some devices for timeline printing, including some Canon cameras and some Sony DVCAM devices (but not all) but Ulead are trying to get to the bottom of it. I have difficulties with my DVCAM drive and have tried various modified dlls, received through the good offices of Jerry, but without success to date. However, I can Export without problem.

If you can borrow a non-Canon camera and it works with that, we'll be one stage nearer identifying the problem.

[Hulk]

Brian -

Thanks for the advice. I tried it using the export function and the same audio drop out occurs at the exact same time.

I'm beginning to think the only way to figure this out would be to format the drive, install XP and MS Pro and see if the drop out is still there. If it is not I could install apps and drivers one at a time, testing after each install. What a fun day that would be.

Thanks again,

Mark

[Hulk]

Okay, some new information.

My primary drive is a WDC 600BB - that's a 60GB, 7200rpm drive
Secondary is a WDC 600AB - 60GB, 5400rpm drive

Using the secondary drive I get the 2:05 audio dropout after the start of play when playing from the timeline OR using the export function.

Using the primary drive I get the 2:05 audio dropout playing from the timeline BUT NOT USING THE EXPORT FUNCTION.

This is really strange.

If the problem is the 5400 rpm drive (perhaps some type of recallibration or something) then you would expect the 7200rpm drive to be okay when using the export function OR playing from the timeline.

Now, it seems as though the problem exists in the timeline playback (hence the problem with the 7200rpm drive) AND with an interaction with the 5400rpm drive (hence the problem exporting and using timeline playback on the 5400rpm drive).

I am going to get rid of the 5400rpm drive and get something faster. I'm thinking the JB series from WD, then again many here use Maxtors with much success.

[Brian Ellis]

Hulk

Bizarre, but I still would not discount the camera. I know that Export is much more tolerant than timeline playback to DV.

I assume that the time is exactly the same, no matter the clip? I also assume that the drives are (U)DMA-enabled etc. Have you Sandra-ed your two drives? If so, what are their sequential write/read speeds? I equally assume that both drives are Masters on IDE 1 & 2 (0 & 1 on some systems), using the master plug (using the slave plug can sometimes cause difficulties, even if the drive is jumpered to M). What slave devices do you have on the two lines? I take it none are working while you are playing from timeline.

ANyway, if at all possible, I urge you to beg, borrow, buy or steal a non-Canon camera and see whether it does the same. I'd give a 70% chance that it wouldn't! If it is the camera, there is no workaround that I know of, at the moment, but I know that Ulead are working on the problem, without any promises at this stage.

[Hulk]

Brian,

Yes, the dropout occurs at the same point in time no matter the clip. Both drives are running DMA mode 5 but, I did notice that my secondary hard drive is the slave to my DVD burner. I will change that and report back. I haven't run Sandra but I have run HDTach. Secondary 5400rpm has max 29MB/sec, min 14.5MB/sec transfer rate. Primary drive has 49MB/sec max, 26MB/sec min transfer rates.

Mark

[Brian Ellis]

OK, Mark, my guess is you can discount the drives, but I do urge you to make the DVD burner your slave (making sure you use the right connectors). If you are not using the IDE 1 slave position, it would even be better to use it for your burner, so that your video drive is not sharing the IDE 2 channel. Odds are now 75%

[Hulk]

The arrangement of my drives is not too flexible in my Dell 4550 case, I'm going to have to get a longer IDE cable to make the DVD burner the slave on IDE 2. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

[wkulecz]

IDE cables over 18" in lenght are out of spec for DMA operation.

It may work or may cause more intermittent troubles.

I'd pull the drives form the case and play with the cabling. Dell generally uses cable select jumpering so make sure your DVD burner is set right.

--wally.

[Hulk]

Wally,

Thanks for the info. Yes, they do use cable select. I'm going to have to figure a way to make it all work out using the "stock" cables.