Strange corruption on video footage in FCP and more - need more VRAM?!
 

I'm having some strange problems with video footage on my computer.

I notice it largely in FCP, when working with footage from my Sony EX3 camera XDCAM EX.

I download with Sony XDCAM transfer software (via cable), and the clips look fine when I'm previewing them in that software. I then open my FCP project and import the clips and there's sometimes a fine line-based corruption on the image.

My inclination is that it's a playback issue, as often when I export quicktimes it doesn't seem to export the problem (however when I import the quicktime back into FCP I see it again, in the same places).

I'm on a Macbook Pro 10.4.11, 2.4GHz, 2GB 667 MHz Memory, 256 VRAM.

But it's not a simple playback issue. I get exactly the same issue when I play full screen desktop. I've also toggled between the various playback settings - dynamic, high, medium, low, and see the same thing happening on each setting.

The corruption isn't there on still frames - sometimes appears on scrubbing, but not on the still frame. So I must assume it's not on the original material, but how my computer is reading that material.

I've just noticed that it does sometimes export it, as you can see in this film:
YouTube - An information film from the B.H.S.
If you watch in hi-res, at around 1'53". The guy walking alongside the traffic. The picture seems to beak up ever so slightly.

Strange thing is - I still can't be sure that this isn't my computer messing up. I watched the clip on another computer and I didn't notice it. But how can that be - that even when I've posted on youtube only my computer has trouble with a specific part of a clip (that was also troublesome when it was on my machine..)

I've exported a full-res quicktime, so you can see what I'm talking about.

Link to file: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/650689492...b9104a879bfc45

The strange thing is however, that when I watch the clip in Quicktime I don't see the corruption (or don't think I see the corruption). When I import the clip back into FCP I then see it again. Other users have looked at this clip and told me it looks fine. If that's the case, what can I do to fix the issue I'm having on my computer?

I'm now very wary of using my camera and laptop for pro work until I know what this is. And whatever the problem is, I'm also concerned that FCP will export it with the film when I'm done editing.

Am I going crazy?! Could it be that my VRAM isn't large enough? Should I upgrade my quicktime (currently 7.6).

Can anyone advise at all?

Much appreciated in advance.

Jamie Kennerley

I'd say your VRAM is way too small - 512mb would sure give your system some help.

Paul

Jamie, What version of XDCAM Transfer are you running, it is now at 2.8? What version of QuickTime, it now at 7.6? What version of FCP, it is now at 6.0.5?

Sony does recommend "OS 10.4.11 or later" and "QuickTime 7.3.1 or later" to run XDCAM Transfer 2.8. However, as you indicate, there are several software components at play here. FCP updates since 6.0.2 did change some Quicktime elements to address XDCAM issues. The original versions of XDCAM Transfer itself were buggy. Then you are still using the Tiger OS.

I am pretty sure that QuickTime, XDCAM Transfer and FCP software updates are highly optimized for Leopard now at 10.5.6. Leopard in itself has made significant changes with its Core Video and Core Audio technologies.

So in all there are six possible software components that need to work together properly. I'd tend to think that your VRAM issue has more to do with one or more of these components. It is also safe to say that 256MB of Video Memory should be more than sufficient.

If you can try to get your system working with all of the current versions, especially your OS. Good Luck and Cheers.

I have the same problem, couple times I've seen that line of enlarged broken pixels (that's what it looks like to me) across the frame , I was thinking it's my hard drive, cuz I don't see the deffect right after I transfer the footage, but some time after that.

Hi guys,

I'm on XDCAM Transfer 2.8.0 , FCP 6.0.5 and 7.6 Quicktime Pro, which I'm pretty sure is the latest of all those programmes.

And yes, I'm still on Tiger. Although I only bought my Mac last June, it was an older model (forced on me by the insurance company in a like-for-like claim!).

Maybe an update to Leopard is in order, although an unexpected expense...

Buba - that sounds exactly like what I have, yes. Is that with EX3 footage in FCP too? And it only occurs in FCP or does it export the problem into .movs or other exports etc?

Did you ever get to the bottom of it or is it safe to live with?

And how very odd though that I see that problem in the youtube video, but when I checked on another computer I couldn't really notice it. If it is a computer issue it seems quite an intelligent one!

no, I'm on PC, and I see the issue in WMV, AVI and even MXF files, but again, not right after transfer, but after some time, I open my old files , and I saw couple times that kind of a problem, files were shut on SxS cards, not sure if I saw the same corruption on SDHC media.
strange,