Dropping frames with Pinnacle Studio 8

[Fozj]

Can anyone tell me how to find out why I'm dropping frames. I used to capture without dropping, but now I drop 200 to 500 in a 30 minute DV. I've defragged,run enditall,etc. I watch task manager while capturing and and Studio CPU useage is around 5% and the balance of CPU is in system idle process. Thanks for any help. Fozj

[Soulhunter]

- Is your HD's DMA mode activated ???

- Have you switched off the overlay mode while capturing ???

- Is the A/V device working @ the same clock speed ???


Bye

[Fozj]

I'm not real familiar with computers. Here is a link where I tested this computer at PcPitStop with a lot of information about this Dell 8250. http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress...XBAWZG97MSFJ7X
I also don't understand some of your reply, could you be a little more detailed on the following.
Have you switched off the overlay mode while capturing ???
Is the A/V device working @ the same clock speed ???
I have 2 HDDs both are using UDMA mode 5, and I recently D/L the Intel Application Accelerator drivers for my 850E chipset. But this did not help. Thinking about uninstalling these drivers and going back to what I had. Any comments on this? Thanks for you interest. Fozj

[Soulhunter]

Originally posted by Fozj
I'm not real familiar with computers. Here is a link where I tested this computer at PcPitStop with a lot of information about this Dell 8250. http://www.pcpitstop.com/techexpress...XBAWZG97MSFJ7X
I also don't understand some of your reply, could you be a little more detailed on the following.
Have you switched off the overlay mode while capturing ???
Is the A/V device working @ the same clock speed ???
I have 2 HDDs both are using UDMA mode 5, and I recently D/L the Intel Application Accelerator drivers for my 850E chipset. But this did not help. Thinking about uninstalling these drivers and going back to what I had. Any comments on this? Thanks for you interest. Fozj

Hmm, maybe have a look here...


Bye

[dvfsep]

Originally posted by Soulhunter
- Is your HD's DMA mode activated ???

- Have you switched off the overlay mode while capturing ???

- Is the A/V device working @ the same clock speed ???

Hello Soulhunter. May I take up the discussion from this point. I also have a terrible frames dropping problem. My HDs are in UDMA 5 and 6. While capturing I totally suppress preview. But I can not understand your last remark about clock speed. With what shall I compare the clock speed of the A/V device. I assume by that you mean the capture card. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks for help. Cheers.

[Soulhunter]

Quote from the Capture FAQ @ Doom9's

- When TV and sound device are not working at the same clock speed or the computer is not fast enough, VirtualDub will drop frames during the capturing session. The captured movie will not contain such frames. Ideally you will get no such frames. But let's for a second assume that you do. In PAL we have 25 frames per second. If 75 frames (corresponds to 3 seconds of video) have been dropped during a 3h recording session you will not be able to notice the difference visually but with audio you will notice that the movie will get asynch. Therefore in VirtualDub you should always activate the adjust video clock option (in Virtual Dub: Capture -> timing -> activate Adjust video clock) which ensures that video and audio stay in synch.

If you like to know more about dropframes:
English Language (rather funny) or the original in German Language

In other programs there are other options to avoid drops or to get audio and video in sync afterwards.

[setarip]

To Fozj

If your O/S is WinXP, do a system restore back to a time before you started dropping frames...

[Fozj]

Finally got my frame dropping cured. I had 359 files in my IE
favorites, I copied this favorite folder to 2nd HDD, and deleted the
favorites in IE down to 63 files. I captured two 30 minute DV tapes without
dropping a frame. Fozj

[setarip]

Congratulations on resolving your dilemma!

Sometimes the obvious answers are the hardest to find...

[dvfsep]

In my case the problem is partially sorted out. I started using VirtualVCR on a partition that is totally empty. By miracle the frame drop is zero. Then I tried the other partitions that are defragmented and contain around 40% data and on separate IDE channels. The same good result. Only one problem: I still get 16% frame loss when I use VirtualDUB on the same partitions. I would appreciate if I can get help or explanation for this phenomenon. Cheers.

[rsquirell]

I've had people report an end to frame dropping when they switched to short gold plated firewire or rca composite cables...and lubricated the connection points.