new computer DV problem
 

Whenever I run DV captured files on my new computer the image stutter.
This happens in Premiere or even with Windows Media Player. Other media files work ok. It never happened in my old computer. I'm using the same Firewire card.
New: Intel P4 3 GHz (775) processor
Intel Avalon 915 motherboard with 1 GHz ram
On board video GMA900
Old: Intel P4 1.5 GHz
Intel 845 motherboard with 512Mb ram
ATI AIW Radeon video card
I guess it has to do with the graphic card (have the latest drivers)
but the Intel's should be better than the 3.5 years old Radeon.
I'll appreciate Any idea as I'm going nuts by now...
Thanks

I'm a bit puzzled. Does this stuttering happen while you are capturing (and
looking at the capture preview) or when you play back the captured file?

Does it tell you it has dropped frames?

If this happens during playback, what are you using to play the file?

Did you built this system yourself or did you buy a complete system? Two
important things to check are:

1. make sure (if not using SATA) there is no other device on the same cable as your harddisk

2. make sure DMA mode is enabled on your IDE controller (check device manager in Windows) where the harddisk is attached to

Thanks Rob for the quick response.
The stutter is in capture and when playing.
no dropped frames. I'm using Premiere for capture and video work.
The system was built according to my specification.
I'm using 2 Sata drives.

As long as there are no dropped frames during capture everything should be
fine with your footage. It's just the playback that seems messy.

If you right-click on an empty spot on your desktop and go to properties,
go to the final tab (settings) and click on advanced and go to the troubleshoot
tab. Is hardware acceleration set to full?

Make sure you have the latest and correct display drivers installed for your
video card!

Does the playback in stutter also happen outside of Premiere? For example
when you play back the captured file with Windows Media Player?

Are you running any tasks that may be interferring like anti virus or anti
spyware tools that are running at that moment?

Hardware acceleration set to full, I have the latest display drivers.
Playback is stuttering outside Premiere too. even in Windows Media Player.
I've stopped all anti virus etc in the background.
It seems that when exporting to tape, the playback from the tape is ok
also when I make DVD.
I've just found that In WMP options, when I cancel Video acceleration totaly it stops stuttering, but than I get blocks and other problems with picture.

This starts to sound like a problem with your video card (as in the card is
not good) or a problem in the combination of video card and mainboard. If
you can I would try another graphics card, see what that does.

Yes, this is what I'm stating to figure out.
The thing is that the video engine is on board the motherboard and it is difficult to convince the people I bought the computer from (although they tried to help) to change the motherboard. I'm planning to install a separate video card and see what happens. It might be an Intel problem.
Just thought someone had a similar problem and have any conclusions by now.
Thanks.

Did you install the correct chipset drivers as well?

Indeed, I would first try out an extra card. In the end you should be able to
play those files. So if they don't believe you just bring in the system, have
a DV file on the desktop and tell them to get that file to playback smooth
with WMP for example.

The strange thing is that this happens only with DV files.
All other files play ok (mpg, divx, other avi).

Do keep in mind that DV files require a larger datarate than most other files
you mentioned. DVD is max around 10 mbit/s, whereas DV is around 35 mbit/s.

But this does sound it might not be a problem with the graphics card... now
it sounds more like it can't read the data fast enough for some reason.

Do a google search on "HDTach" and download it. Run the read tests (the
write tests will DESTROY data on your harddisk(s)!!!!) and see what kind of
datarates you are getting from your harddisk(s).

What do you mean by "the write tests will DESTROY data on your harddisks"???

The "HDTach" program (used to measure harddisk performance) also has
write tests (to test the write speed of your harddisk). Since it needs to
actually write some data to do write tests this will destroy any data on it.

However, since you are having problems with playback the read tests are
sufficient. These just read data/sectors of the disk and tell you how fast
it did this, without any data destruction (of course).

HDTach is used by a lot of people for serious performance testing of harddisks.

Dan it is unlikely that the Intel on board is better than the 3 year old ATI. On board video shares the main memory and although I don't know your motherboard it probably only uses 64M of memory maximum, probably half what the ATI has on board. In the bios see if you can increase the amount of memory the video uses as the default may only be 32M. IF this doesn't work buy a video card. Most of the Intel boards with on board memory also have a video slot, probably PCIe for the 915 chip set. Find a video baord with at least 128M or 256M if you can afford one. On board video is not recommended for video work.

Ron Evans

Thanks Ron.
The on board Intel's video has up to 224MB shared memory.
(my old ATI had 32....) In all other aspects it works fine (the only "game" I play sometimes is Microsoft Flight Simulator and the performance is far better than I had with the ATI). Unfortunately I can't put my old ATI even just to test, as it is AGP and the 915 doesn't have that slot anymore...
In the bios the amount of memory the video uses is 32M.
The frustrating idea that it all work perfect on my old computer...
Eventually I will test a separate video card.


Now to Rob:
I've tested the drive and the average read is: 51.6 MB/s

Your drive and the connection etc. should be fine then! Very strange this
just happens with DV files...

The fact that it will export to tape seems to point to the combination of processor and display rather than disk drive or 1394 interface. Try changing the amount of memory the video uses in the bios. Try setting at 128. I just put together a cheap PC just for the internet and it has on board video. At 32M it had limited color and was also slow. I have now set to 128 and all is fine.

Ron Evans

I have faced similar problem and did three different thing

1. I used another drive to test if the same jittre things takes places while recording/plaback of the same footage. And found out that yes the same is happening, ie the drive is ok and i just changed the SATA or IDE drive data cable and it started working fine. It so happened when using such cables in coputer we unknowingly fold or tweak them to fit in the box & thereby we break some pin or wire or something which causes the problem.

2. I changed the PCI based firewire cards from all slots to check if it is conflicting with the recording/playback. It worked when it was a problem cox of the sme. I faced this problem only once and since then i kept the Card on the slot bets suited.

3. AND YES main culprit once was the Hard thing it self ... it had ba sectors & I got it change from teh Seagate Warranty.

Try any of the three tests & you will know what is wrong 50:50 chances that you surel will be able to solve the problem.

As it did !

let us all know what was the result.

- B.

Thanks Ron,
I will check again the video memory.

and thanks Bankim Jain.
1. I have tried with 2 other drives - no luck. haven't checked the cables yet.
2. Have moved the FW card to other slots - no luck.
3. As far as I know the drives are ok.

Anyway, the minute I solve the problem I will lt you know.

Thanks a lot.

Hi Dan,

My be you should try changing the cables now... that the max I could think off in the abscence of any hardware knowldge from my end !

listen here is your problem in a nutshell
first open your box and check for a agp or pci express slot:
if one is there then do the following
go to local store or online Ie: newegg or tigerdirect
buy an nvidia card 64-256mb graphics card
install it go online download latest drivers for it
and that should solve your problem.

you see your problem is the onboard video is sucking up system resources
and your card may not be able to handle the avi files during playback because
it was not designed to do any decoding.

What OS are you using? and are you using DX9?I have seen this problem with media player and caused by mismatch of Direct x

Thanks Felix, Yes, I plan on checking with a different video card.
Thanks Jack, I'm using XP SP1 and DX9.0c

Sounds like Felix maybe right.You could try knocking down the display from 32bit(if it is set at 32) to 16 or 24 and retest

I've tried changing the display to 16bit before, but with no luck.
Thanks

OK, I'm back. hopefully you're still here....
 

So I've put in a new graphic card - NVIDIA Geforce 6600 with 256MB.
The problem remains...
When playing dv files (captured in premiere, winDV etc.) the image stutter.
I've tried to lower the acceleration while playing it on WMP. It helps but than I get interlaced lines on the image.
If I export the project to DVD or Video it works ok on the TV screen.
More ideas (accept wrapping the computer and throwing it to the sea...?)
Thanks

question: are you capturing and editing on the same drive?
2: if you have two drives, did you set the scratch disk in premiere to the second drive? this also could be the problem:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/329340.html

Thanks Felix,
Yes. I have Premiere on one disk and the video on the second.
any captured DV files in any program stutter.
I'm looking now into the acceleration feature in XP. I think there may be the problem.