no, check one more place.
Confirmation. 'no bridge too far'

Yashica Electro 8 LD-6 Super 8mm
Asrock TaiChi X470, AMD R7 2700X, W7P 64, MSI GTX1060 6GB, Corsair 16GB/RAM
Dell XPS L702X i7-2860QM, W7P / W10P 64, Intel HD3000/nVidia GT 550M 1GB, Micron 16GB/RAM
Samsung Galaxy Note3/NX1

Just updated to patch v3403 last night because of a popup telling me the benefits while opening pd12. Just checked now and all my preference settings stayed the same as before the update. Mine is set at 30fps drop code yes. Insure yours is at this setting. Close PD. Wait a minute. Open PD again. Check the preference. The 30 fps drop code =yes should stay unless you inadvertently hit cancel each time. If yours is drop code=no, then review your actions. More than likely you imported a 30fps cell phone video and allowed it to change your settings. That is the more likely reason for the drop code change from yes to no.

Change that drop code back to yes. click okay. Close PD. Open it again and check in preferences that the drop code is yes.

My understanding is that 30 FPS with dropcode "no" will result in a frame rate of 30 FPS. With a dropcode of "yes" it will result in a frame rate of 29.97.

Am I wrong? (Been there before, so no offense if I am...) Regards,
Dan
Power Director 21-Ultimate
v 21.0.3111.0
XPS-8940, Win-10 64-bit,
Intel Core i9-10900 processor
(10 core, 20M Cache),
32GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD, 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD,
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB GDDR6

Yes, you are right about that. Since I only updated PD12 last night, it is too soon to tell if the problem will show up in my updated PD12. I agree that it should not happen.

My PD12 is set to 30fps ntsc drop frame=yes. Imported a true 30fps clip and got the Frame Rate Conflict message. See the attached screenshot. I then checked the preferences/general and it was not changed. Place the clip on the timeline 3 times, added transitions, saved as a project, exited pd. Opened PD, opened the project, got no frame rate warning, check preferences/general and it is still set for 30fps ntsc drop code which means 29.97fps.

I am at a loss as to why it happens on your PD. I'll watch mine carefully. I sort of remember that PD offer to change the frame rate for you but have 3 versions of PD installed on this computer and did not check the other versions, only PD12.

"My PD12 is set to 30fps ntsc drop frame=yes. Imported a true 30fps clip and got the Frame Rate Conflict message. See the attached screenshot. I then checked the preferences/general and it was not changed. Place the clip on the timeline 3 times, added transitions, saved as a project, exited pd. Opened PD, opened the project, got no frame rate warning, check preferences/general and it is still set for 30fps ntsc drop code which means 29.97fps. "

If I understand your underlined quotes above, you imported a true 30 fps when your preferences were set for 29.97. You got an appropriate warning. You don't say that you then changed your preferences to true 30 fps. Therefore you should have continued to get the warning, no?

My case is different, in that I am getting the warning when there shouldn't be one (i.e., the clip and preferences are both true 30 fps). Regards,
Dan
Power Director 21-Ultimate
v 21.0.3111.0
XPS-8940, Win-10 64-bit,
Intel Core i9-10900 processor
(10 core, 20M Cache),
32GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD, 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD,
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB GDDR6

Good job Richmond Dan. You found a bug !!! It is a bug both in PD12 and PD11 but not PD9 which gives no warning of frame rate conflict so far. My normal preferences/general settings are 30fps ntsc drop frame = yes. I changed the prefs to include PD12 sample clips for this test below.
In PD12 I drag a true 30 fps camera avi file to the timeline and get the warning. Changed pref./gen./ to drop frame = no. Dragged that avi clip to timeline and get the same frame rate conflict warning again which is wrong. Exited PD. Started PD again and the result is the same. Dragged Nature.wmv (PD12 sample clips) to the timeline and get no frame rate conflict message which is wrong. Changed pref./gen. to drop frame yes and dragged that avi file to the timeline and get the frame rate conflict message again which is correct. Dragged Nature.wmv to the timeline and don't get a frame rate conflict message which is correct.

My test consist of a 4x3 640x480 30fps camera avi file and the 16x9 1280x720 29.97fps Nature.wmv (PD12 sample clip). When I imported a 1920x1080/60p avchd to the timeline, get the correct frame rate conflict warning.

Set the pref./gen. to 60fps ntsc drop code = yes. both the avi and now the wmv sample clip gives the time frame rate conflict warning which is correct this time. Get no warning with the 60p avchd clip which is correct.

Observation:
The Camera 4x3 30fps avi clip gives a frame rate warning regardless of whether 30 or 29.97fps is set in pref./gen.
The Natures29.97 16x9 mpg clip gives no frame rate warning regardless of whether 30 or 29.97fps is set in pref./gen.
Both clips above gives a frame rate warning when 59.94fps is set in pref/gen.

This bug exist in both PD11 and PD12 in my tests. Never check into this before because normally I use a different software for standard def. DV, avi, and mpeg editing. Looks like when the bug shows up depends on whether the video clip is avi, wmv, or avchd.

P.S. further test in PD12 show no frame rate conflict warning when a 1920x1080 29.97fps avchd clip is placed on the timeline when pref./gen. is set to either 30 or 29.97 but do show the warning when pref./gen. is set to 59.94fps. Thanks for being persistent. You can report this bug to Cyberlink

Quote: Observation:
The Camera 4x3 30fps avi clip gives a frame rate warning regardless of whether 30 or 29.97fps is set in pref./gen.
The Natures29.97 16x9 mpg clip gives no frame rate warning regardless of whether 30 or 29.97fps is set in pref./gen.
Both clips above gives a frame rate warning when 59.94fps is set in pref/gen.

P.S. further test in PD12 show no frame rate conflict warning when a 1920x1080 29.97fps avchd clip is placed on the timeline when pref./gen. is set to either 30 or 29.97 but do show the warning when pref./gen. is set to 59.94fps. Thanks for being persistent. You can report this bug to Cyberlink

All you observations are correct and as they should be. These simple reads may help http://www.ecuad.ca/~mrose/pdf_documents/timecode.pdf or this https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=D%26section=6%26tasks=true Although competitor docs, PD appears to function the same way.

For 30 NTSC, PD is expecting NTSC compliant 29.97 fps for no conflict, drop frame timecode does not and should not affect this. If what you add is not 29.97fps, PD will simple add or remove frames to make compliant during a 29.97fps NTSC "Produce" or "Create Disc" function. Been discussed on the forum several times over several versions.

Curious to hear what tech support thinks of the bug, post response, maybe it will clear things up for others searching.

As a side note, you can easily see the drop frame timecode adjustment. Set pref to drop frame yes, drop a clip of 10+ minutes in the timeline, underneath the preview window type in 00;01;00;00 to try and find 1 minute in the footage, you can't, that's the drop frame (just in the display of time, not a actual video frame drop). Use the "," and "." to move back and fwd a frame. You will see 00;00;59;29 and 00;01;00;02. This will also happen at 00;02;00;00 and so on, not at 00;10;00;00 though.

You will also notice the overall video length of time of clips in the timeline and "Properties" of the clips in the workspace also change when you toggle drop frame yes and no, as they should, however, fps will not. Additionally, PD uses the ";" as a timecode separator to note you are in drop frame timecode vs the traditional ":" for drop frame set to no.

I've got one application that I need to make exactly a 5 or 10 min clip that's queued automatically between other segments, if I'm long in time it trumps the next queued feed, if short, dead space, drop frame very valuable for this.

Jeff

Okay, I read the links you provided Jeff, but don't pretend to understand them well enough to be able to explain them to someone else. In my case, I'm just trying to figure out what to do when I get the error message saying that my source material and PD are not in sync...i.e. one is 30fps and the other is 29.97.

Is this something I need to worry about? Do I need to do something to correct this? I'd appreciate a real-world recommendation, even though I may not appreciate the subtleties. I'm not using PD for anything remotely professional, but at the same time would like to avoid a crummy looking product.

Thanks in advance for your help... Regards,
Dan
Power Director 21-Ultimate
v 21.0.3111.0
XPS-8940, Win-10 64-bit,
Intel Core i9-10900 processor
(10 core, 20M Cache),
32GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB M.2 PCIe NVME SSD, 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD,
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB GDDR6

Quote: Okay, I read the links you provided Jeff, but don't pretend to understand them well enough to be able to explain them to someone else. In my case, I'm just trying to figure out what to do when I get the error message saying that my source material and PD are not in sync...i.e. one is 30fps and the other is 29.97.

Is this something I need to worry about? Do I need to do something to correct this? I'd appreciate a real-world recommendation, even though I may not appreciate the subtleties. I'm not using PD for anything remotely professional, but at the same time would like to avoid a crummy looking product.

Thanks in advance for your help...

Based on the limited info in OP, sounds like you have 30fps source footage, then, "Produce" your project at a 30fps profile and you will have no frame rate conversion. Intelligent SVRT in "Produce" may even help you out with a proper profile.

If timeline has both true 30fps and 29.97fps source content, then a choice to make, one set of source footage in final produced project will be compromised in some fashion because any "Produce" profile is a constant fps. "Produce" to 29.97fps profile and a few frames will be dropped from 30fps source, "Produce" to a 30fps profile, some frames will be added to 29.97fps to make it compliant. Either way, often unnoticed by a casual observer, it really depends on source footage and individual eye. Hence why some recommend to turn the warning off and go blindly about. Again, Intelligent SVRT in "Produce" may even help you out with a proper profile. Generate a profile with only 30fps source content in timeline and another profile with only 29.97fps source in the timeline. "Produce" your final timeline to both profiles and see which one suites you better.

Above comments all independent of drop frame setting, set to whatever suites your fancy.

Jeff

Jeff - read the good info you supplied. I don't have a problem with any of this. For Natures.wmv, win explorer/properties correctly show 29 fps, Mediainfo show 29.97, Vlc/tools/Media Info show 29.970000. They all show 30fps for the avi file tested. PD12 at least in the latest build could not determine the frame rate properly and give the user incorrect frame rate conflict warnings. This is why Dan posted. It seem that it didn't happen in the earlier PD12 builds from what he described. A 30fps clip gives a warning that his pref. was set to 29.97fps when it was already set to 30 in pref. to begin with. This to me is a bug.

I remember seeing earlier posts from users who seem not to know their video frame rate and were told that they can safely ignore the warning and can turn the confirm prompt for it in prefs. Dan and I know our camera's frame rate and I can check it with other tools. Maybe it is too small of a bug to get fixed. At least I know it is not a user error all the time when they post about problems. If I get an error or warning message then I will check whether it is correct or not.

Quote: I just began having this problem. I import a clip (into an empty project) with a frame rate of 30 fps. I get a pop-up telling me of a frame rate conflict when I drag it onto the empty timeline...that I need to change the frame rate of 29.97 set in General Preferences. Yet when I open General Preferences, it shows the frame rate to be 30 FPS (NTSC) with drop-frame selected as "No".

I've tried closing and reopening PD12 and tried with different clips, but keep getting the message. This didn't happen for the first several weeks using PD12. Could it be related to the update to v 3403?

As far as I know 30 FPS is rounded value to 29.97 FPS.

You should ignore the PD error message. in this case.

If you want you can disable this message, Preferences / Confirmation / 1st line clear / OK. AMD-FX 8350 / 8GB DDR3
SSD SUV400S37240G / 2-HD WD 1TB
AMD Radeon R9 270 / AOC M2470SWD
Windows 7-64 / PD16 Ultimate

PlaySound - Thank you for your input. My prefs is normally set at 29.97 while editing 1080/60p avchd video and it does not matter since my final output is BD. I ignore the framerate conflict message. Others users claim that editing such video is smoother if the frame rate matches the settings in prefs. I do that only when the source and final output is a 720p60p BD.

The framerate setting is important and must be changed in prefs. if one has pal video and wish to create an ntsc compliant DVD and vice versa.

Found a post where a user reported this bug and another user said an update fixed it for him : http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/30222.page#165580

Finally, I am satisfied in this post where a user had the same problem as posted by Richmond Dan and a senior contributor said in the 2nd thread: "Firstly, you can turn the frame rate warning off in Preferences (I have), It's the first checkbox under Confirmation. Secondly, sometimes PD can throw up a "false" warning. I wouldn't be too bothered by that. Just import and add it to your project.". See this link: http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/38489.page#198416 .This is a bug that has been acknowledged by others :

I am getting this message, and ignoring like suggested would not be a problem, except that the final product is a clipping, jerking mess.

System:
GTX 780 3GB
i7-4770k @3.5GHZ
16GB RAM
1TB SSD

PD 12, v3403

THIS IS A BUG AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY CYBERLINK.

I mean look at this thread, look at it...

...it's ridiculous that there is this much technical mumbo jumbo back and forth about a problem that exists in no other video editing software, even basic free ones. This thread should not exist and the people posting in it never should have wasted their valuable time posting and writing in it, this problem is a blatant case of the developers being lazy and not caring about their product.

I think there are two things going on here:
1. The developers don't give a rat's ass about this or any other problem, they got their money from you, 'see you later sucker'
2. The people on these forums, while friendly and knowledgeable, are far too close to the technical minutia trees to see the outline of the functional forest, which is, no one should have to dive into advanced tweaking and problem solving immediately after buying a brand new video editor.