video freezes during playback

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Dutch12000 Author

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video freezes during playback

I have been having this same problem of the picture freezing and the audio continuing to play for months and have not been able to solve it.
the picture freezes on my external monitor, but not on the computer monitor. The decks that connect to the Sony monitor are the only things on the firewire. I am on OS 10.4.11, FCP 5.1.4, Quick Time 7.6. I have 4 external data drives in a FirmTek SeriTek/2eEN4 and a 320 GB drive in the computer, in addition to the boot drive. The RAM is maxed out at 1.5 GB in my G4 Dual Processor. I have trashed my preferences and even gone so far as to do a clean install of both the OS and FCP. I have been through the preferences over and over, but see nothing wrong... No luck.

It does not matter if I capture to the internal or external dives, the playback problem still occurs every once in a while. Even if I am only playing back a clip that has just been captured in the viewer and there is no timeline to overlap on the screen. I can stop, backup and play over the same spot just fine, so the problem isn't long frames in the HDV I'm capturing as DV.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Bill

G4 dual process, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on May 28, 2009 6:12 PM

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Answer 1

May 28, 2009 10:28 PM in response to Dutch12000

You've captured as DV-NTSC (or PAL) and you are working in a DV-NTSC (or PAL) sequence?
Clips in timeline are completely rendered? (no coloured line above)
Your viewer and canvas windows are set at "fit to window"?
None of your FCP windows are overlapping?
The drives you've captured on have 15% free space?

You might also do a search here to find what versions of QT work best with FCP 5.1.4

rh

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Answer 2

Dutch12000 Author

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Jun 1, 2009 4:10 PM in response to Dutch12000

Randy,

Yes to all the above. The problem persists even immediately after a clean boot and trashing FCP preferences. The deck is the only thing on the firewire. I have two decks & the freeze occurs no matter which. As far as I know, Quicktime 7.6 is the best for FCP 5.1.4, but if there is a difference of opinion, where would I find it?? I'm beginning to suspect that it is comingcown to some sort of a firewire issue, but have no idea what that would be.

Any ideas?

Anyone?

Bill

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Answer 3

Jun 1, 2009 4:15 PM in response to Dutch12000

Make sure you turn off any extra overlays in the Canvas window; Title Safe, Excess Luma, Wireframe, etc. Also make sure that none of FCP's windows are overlapping or slightly off screen and that you're not using live scopes during playback.

-DH

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Answer 4

Dutch12000 Author

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Jun 17, 2009 6:26 PM in response to Dutch12000

Freezes only on the external monitor. Could this be a hardware problem?

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Answer 5

Jun 17, 2009 8:04 PM in response to Dutch12000

Just to be certain... you have captured in DV and not HDV correct. To get HDV playback to an external monitor without extra hardware, you'll need FCP 6 which, I believe, will convert it to a DV signal on the way out to a monitor. FCP 5.1 you will only get a freeze frame on the external when the playhead is parked.

rh

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Answer 6

Dutch12000 Author

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Jun 18, 2009 10:19 AM in response to Dutch12000

Thanks Randy,

Yes, I have captured in DV, down-convert from HDV. The image, for the most part, plays on the external monitor, but occasionally freezes...while it continues to play on the computer monitor. this problem is getting worse over time. I've been trough all the usual suspects from overlapping windows & timelines through trashing FCP preferences and repairing permissions on the hard drive. I've even reinstalled my OSX Tiger and Final Cut (twice actually as at one point I lost my boot drive & had to replace it) I have two different decks, and it doesn't matter which deck the firewire goes to, the monitor freeze happens with either one. ( I have no problems capturing, by the way) Since this is the second HDV project I have had on this equipment and did not have this problem on the other project, I am beginning to wonder if this might be a hardware problem.

Any ideas??

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Answer 7

Jun 18, 2009 3:34 PM in response to Dutch12000

Got me. FW bus output problem? I know you said you've tried two decks with the same result but have you tried Print to Video to one of those decks? If so does it freeze on the recording?

rh

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Answer 8

Dutch12000 Author

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Jun 19, 2009 5:57 PM in response to Dutch12000

good thinkin' It does freeze on the small LED monitor on the deck, so I suspect it is a bus problem of some sort. Sound is now dropping out as well when the picture freezes. Things are getting worse. I think I'll work backwards and start by replacing the firewire itself. Next step, if that fails, the firewire card?? Any expertise in this out there??

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Answer 9

Jun 20, 2009 8:51 AM in response to Dutch12000

Might try new cables first.

rh

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Answer 10

Dutch12000 Author

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Jun 30, 2009 2:57 PM in response to Randy Holder

soooooo now I got both 400 & 800 cables all new, I get output to deck with both, BUT still freezes on monitor same as before.

what comes before firewire wire on the through-put?

Anybody have any idea what to check next?

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Answer 11

Rienk

Level 4

3,155 points

Jun 30, 2009 3:05 PM in response to Dutch12000

Bill,

What decks (one at a time I suppose) do you have connected).
And I assume it is using a FW400 cable, right?

You started this thread by saying there's nothing else connected over FireWire.
So why did you replace the FW800 cable? You do not use FW800, right?

Rienk

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Answer 12

Dutch12000 Author

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Jul 2, 2009 7:31 AM in response to Rienk

Rienk,

iu have either a DSR 11 or HVR M10U connected to the computer. I've always used FireWire 400, but just took a flyer & tried 800 also to see if it would solve my problem.

the HVR deck operated with both 400 & 800, but the image froze up either way.

No, there are no other FireWire drives or anything else connected except the deck.

SOOOOOOOO what do the FireWire ports come directly out of the motherboard. I so, it is probably time to get a new box.

Anyone?

Bill

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Answer 13

Jul 16, 2009 6:51 PM in response to Dutch12000

Hi Bill -

I had the same problem. My external monitor would only display freeze frames. I found a discussion board that appears to have the answer (it worked for me):
http://forum.matrox.com/mxo/viewtopic.php?p=6339&sid=01322f8ea07f83a5e5f42c85ca1 e3507

Let me know if this works for you!

Fred
fred@harmonydmc.com

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