Video freezes, dropped frames and green lines

Hi, everyone:

I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if this specific question has been answered before. I have a Dual 1 GHz G4 Power PC with 1 GB of RAM. I don't know how much memory I have on my video card, I don't know how to check this (it says VRAM is 56K, I don't know if this helps). I bought it in 2002 with Final Cut Pro 3.0. I have just started using this equipment for video editing. I am capturing my video from a mini DV player attached by Firewire. Both when capturing and during playback, the video images will freeze on a frame for a few seconds while the audio continues to play properly. If I save clips only a few minutes long, it still does this. Sometimes (only sometimes) when I playback, it tells me I have dropped frames. On the canvas, equidistant green lines will also appear across people's faces.

My questions are:
1. What can I do to view the video during capture and playback exactly as it appears in the camera? Do I need to buy RAM, change preferences, or what?
2. What causes dropped frames, and how can I get stop this?
3. What are those funny green lines, and how do I get rid of them?

I would be very thankful for the answers to these questions. I know they are basic, but they are preventing me from doing anything with my recording.

<<<1. What can I do to view the video during capture and playback exactly as it appears in the camera?>>>

That's not possible on capture and it is possible on play back, but it's not recommended.

The Mac is up to its eyeballs with the tasks necessary to correctly play and capture. Making it also manage the screen (and speaker) is just begging for trouble. You can connect a monitor directly to your camcorder or deck.

<<<2. What causes dropped frames, and how can I get stop this?>>>

You left out a bunch of important information. How many drives have you got, where are they, and how full are they? Do you also get the Spinning Beach Ball Of Death?

<<<3. What are those funny green lines, and how do I get rid of them?>>>

That's damaged video. You can't recover from that. There's no video "behind" the green lines. That's the digital equivalent of snow or static in analog.

Koz

You could upgrade your Video card you could find one on ebay for probably $40.00. I was looking at Mac Tracker and it said those machines have either cards with 32 64 0r 128 MB of vram. Mac Tracker is a program that lists almost every Mac and their specs very handy to have.
What version of FCP are you running now? I don't think that a different card will help with your specific problem, it may help with others though.
Don't forget to check the FAQ Ranch most of your problems will be answered there. Click on the pony.

>>1. What can I do to view the video during capture and playback exactly as it appears in the camera?<<

I think it's possibly this : Stuttering video

2. What causes dropped frames, and how can I get stop this?

Read this one : I'm getting dropped frames

3. What are those funny green lines, and how do I get rid of them?

Probably this : Green zebra lines on video (green checkmark)

Thanks for everyone for helping me out. It turns out the problem was I had the external HD hooked up to a hub via USB. I replaced the USB cable with a 400 firewire cable directly from the HD to my tower and the staggering problem was completely solved.

What is amazing is that some people at Apple told me that in order to solve the problem, I should by a new G5 and update to FCP 5.

Thanks again,
Outdated Mac User

Ahhh.. that's what makes this stuff so hard. If one of us was physically there we would have spotted that immediately. USB is no good for video transfer. It does actually say that in one of the FAQs but it's not very clear. I'll fix that today. Thanks for reporting back.