External HD Started dropping frames.

This problem just started. Client using our Emac 1ghz machine captured 90 minutes of video from dv tape via firewire. We edited the project and went to print it to video. Video stops about an hour into the tape. Message says it stopped because it dropped frames. We might want to consider turning off unlimited Real Time, lower compression data rates, closing open sequences (only one is open), increasing the speed of the system (not with our budget), lower preference for Real Time audio tracks. I tried just running it from the timeline. Same problem.

I thought it might be the computer but when I tried running it on our G-4 tower it did the same thing. When I look at that area on the canvas it shows me 9 frames that are nothing but a green background. Before I throw the dive out the window and start over again I thought I'd float it by y'all. The drive is a 60 gig Lacie firewire drive.

rb



Do you really wanna know the problem,
or do you just want me to fix it? - McGyver

The original clip has green/missing frames, or the final edited timeline?

Koz

I double click on the clip to bring it up in the canvas. That's were I see the green frames, so, I'd say it's the original.



Do you really wanna know the problem,
or do you just want me to fix it? - McGyver

<<<I double click on the clip to bring it up in the canvas.>>>

Double clicking should bring the clip up in the Viewer.

If you have damaged original clips, you have no choice but to capture again. Didn't the capture complain about dropped frames?

Sometimes you can get better captures by capturing to the internal drive and then push the video off to the LaCie.

LaCie drives do not have the best reputation here, but I don't think that's what happened to you. Many people have trouble capturing with only one FireWire port serving both the camcorder *and* the external drive. Try leaving the drive disconnected until the capture is completed.

Koz

Is the drive properly formatted -- Mac OS Extended?

Are you using the right interface? You can't use USB external drives, for example. You have to use at least FireWire 400.

Did you chain the capture device (camera/deck) with the drive?

I will check on the formatting.

The emacs have two firewire ports. The Sony DSR11 is plugged into one, the LaCie into the other.

This configuration has been working fine till now. The only difference is the projects have been 30 minutes or less. This project is 90 minutes in length. The LaCie is a 60 gig drive with only about 20 gig used.

I just checked the disk, it says "Macintosh PC Exchange (MS-Dos)".

I will do a search for Mac Extended format. I have a whole box of these drives. I'll reformat all the unused ones and start wiping the others as they are turned in.



Do you really wanna know the problem,
or do you just want me to fix it? - McGyver

PC formatting can give you a 2G file size limit. There's also one at 4G, so one of those may be burning you.

Yes, get rid of the Microsoft formatting. Clean everything off and reformat Mac OSX Extended, non journaling.

Koz

And stop trying to capture in 90-minute chunks. It's suicide. The recommended size of individual clips is 15-20 minutes.

The whole program is 90 miniutes. The clips are all less than 15 minutes. One of our clients followed a deligation from Japan around on a sister city mayor's exchange day visit. City Hall, Library, strip club. Then they had to stop to buy film and batteries



Do you really wanna know the problem,
or do you just want me to fix it? - McGyver

I reformatted two of the empty hard drives. Before the reformatting I was not able to move the files. I kept getting an error saying the file size was to large. Well, I just started with the newly formatted drive and it's copying without a problem. So, you all may have solved the problem. I may still have to recapture the clip it kept getting hung up on since it has the 9 fames missing. Better that than recapturing and re-editing the whole thing only to run into the same problem. Thank you.

rb



Do you really wanna know the problem,
or do you just want me to fix it? - McGyver