DROPPED FRAMES

[Pqtrick]

Dropped Frames.

Does anyone know the cause of ‘dropped frames’ in Premier CS3? In a ten-minute continuous capture, slowly, 18 dropped frames were counted with a MINIdv tape.

There are some signs of picture disturbance in the recording. My camera is relatively new, so I hope it is not an early sign of a defect.

Any ideas?
PS I'm pleased that the £ to RAM rate has now been resolved, it was possibly due to the low value of the £ !!

[Dave Watterson]

The problem could lie in several places. Your mention of other disturbance in the image suggests the problem might lie at the camera end of things, but ...

1) Check all the connections are firmly in place (I speak as one who transferred a whole tape recently without sound!)

2) Make sure your computer is not doing much else while you transfer.
(This is an increasing issue as so much modern software goes online automatically to look for updates. It may be a good idea to unplug from the net, then turn your anti-virus off, check the settings for programs like QuickTime, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Nero, Windows Media Player which all often go on line. You can usually specify that they only try to go online when you tell them to do so. Some software likes to defrag your hard disk or do other tidy-up work when it thinks you are not using the computer - and you may have software like BOINC if you are helping one of those big efforts where people all over the world donate their spare computer power to medical or scientific research. If so try stopping those programs.)

AFTER THE TRANSFER DON'T FORGET TO RE-START YOUR ANTI-VIRUS BEFORE PLUGGING IN TO THE NET AGAIN!

3) Double-check that the CS3 project and capture settings match what you are putting in - sound frequency is sometimes a cause of problems.

4) Run a tape-cleaning cassette for ten seconds in the camcorder before trying again.

Try it.

If there are still problems try another tape in the camcorder ... it may be worth buying a more expensive one for this test.

Sorry if all this is teaching granny to suck eggs ... I hope it proves to be just an odd glitch that is not repeated.

Dave

[billyfromConsett]

Sounds like the tape is a dud. Try another tape, play the clip on a TV, see if the picture and sound work, then if ok, try a capture.

Some people say the start of tapes may be more prone to drop-outs.

[Roy]

This site gives reasons for dropped frames. It may or may not help you
http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/cap ... frames.htm

[Pqtrick]

Belated thanks for the comments. I have tried several ways to resolve this, my main concern was that it maybe a fault raising its head with my camera.

I captured the same eighteen minute clip into ‘Magix’ and there were no dropped frames. Why, you may ask, have I a long continuous clip but that’s another story?

Back in the editing suite, I find I don’t have the patience to output to DVD using Encore. Anything I want to finalise as a DVD I tend to use Magix. And yet this has latterly proved a bit of nonsense. Why do things go wrong when you are desperate to finish something at the ninth hour?

My 16:9 DVD’s were coming out 4:3 that is not compressed, just with the sides of the picture cropped. After more than three wasted discs, I found that a default value in one of the palettes had changed. One click and it was corrected. Annoyingly I can’t remember even looking at it before and yet had not had any problem.

I have been having that many problems with my computer and sending error messages to the Microsoft, that I expect to find Bill Gates on my doorstep with a big bundle under his arm asking ‘Why are you sending me all these?’ Strangely, many of the members at the club I now belong to use ‘Macs’ Mmmh!