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GZ1967 - Powerdirector 8 Ultra, 3022 build. Video preview stops/freez
[Post New]
Hi everyone. just purchased Powerdirector about 2 weeks ago via online download from site. Having issues editing AVCHD M2ts files. It freezes at transition points and if I add any video effects like Speed or other effects. The audio continues. I have to constantly pause for several seconds then resume in order to edit. We all know how fun it is editing this way!!

I have tried everything mentioned in previous posts and uninstalling and reinstalling. Any help is appreciated!

Video cam - Sony HDR SR11 AVCHD, Rec mode AVCHD 16M HD FH

Shadow Files-OFF (tried both on and off)
GPU-OFF (same as above)



 Filename
GZVideo Sceen Shots - Test Video.zip
[Disk]
 Description
 Filesize
876 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
410 time(s)
 Filename
GZvideoDxDiag.txt
[Disk]
 Description
 Filesize
32 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
414 time(s)
 Filename
20090603135336.m2ts
[Disk]
 Description
 Filesize
20736 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
322 time(s)
Are we there yet?
Dafydd B [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline
[Post New]
Hi Goran,
Please can you attach the screenshots (rather than the zip) - png, jpeg are the preferred choice?
I'm currently downloading your sample video .
Thanks
Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 09:26

Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
Hi there GZ1967,

Welcome to the forum,

I use the Sony HDR SR12 camera which is basically the same camera as yours and before I upgraded my PC I had the same problem editing. It sounds to me like your PC is struggling to keep up with what is being placed on the editing timeline. But your PC seems adequate at first glance.


Regards,

KEvin

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 09:47


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[Post New]
I used the Problems Steps Recorder in Win. 7 to capture the screen shots..hmmm..I'm not sure it gave me an option to save in other format. Will try it again. Gotta go work so I could pay off this monstrosity of a computer. Will try to repost before I'm out the door.

KEVIN- It better be adequate!! I7 x980 what more could I get!!! I guess I could OC but I did not think I would need to. Since you have same Handycam..how has your experience been editing raw AVCHD files in Cyberlink? Anything special you do to the files before editing? I was considering getting Edius Neo Booster 2.5. I downloaded the trial and man, it is amazingly fast and accurate. I had no hangups editing the raw files with the trial version. Was hoping to get that with Powerdirector. Any advice is helpful!! Are we there yet?
[Post New]
Ok, see if this worked. I tried to change the extension to jpeg but it would not open. Thanks for looking at it Dafydd.
 Filename
GZ Screenshots Problem_20101114_1612.mht
[Disk]
 Description
 Filesize
1838 Kbytes
 Downloaded:
410 time(s)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 14:20

Are we there yet?
Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
Yes "adequate" was a poor choice of words....your PC is exceptional!

I am thinking about your problem...

You said:
GPU-OFF (same as above)

was this a preference setting that you changed? I am not exactly sure what this reference was.

Definately have the Shadow Edit file creation turned off....I think this would be best.

I am running an ATI graphic card, so I am not that familiar with the Nvidea....but there are many members here that use the flavor and have great performance during playback in the preview window during editing.

Does this happen(the pausing) when you just have several video clips on the timeline and nothing else?

Have you tried monitoring your CPU during playback while editing? Does the CPU spike in usage when it hits each clip?

Sorry that I am just digging for more information. Something is very odd here. We will keep at it.

Kevin


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Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
Dafydd or anyone else:

His monitor reolution is set to:
1680 x 1050 (32 bit) (59Hz)


Would that affect things negatively? I changed my monitor resolution to this setting with no ill effects.

The only other thing II can think of might be havine a codec pack installed on your PC. I have installed a 32-bit pack and a 64-bit pack from K-lite and this might improve the playback. I am certainly not an expert when it comes to video codecs, but it is suggested many times when files can't be played back.

Just google a search for the K-lite package.....I think that FFDshow is another suggested codec package to install as well.

I am digging deep for ideas.

Kevin
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[Post New]
Thanks for quick reply Kevin!

I tried the GPU setting both on and off.

The preview plays fine with no problems when only the clips are in the timeline. It is fine with simple transitions and titles.
It stutters and freezes with complex transitions and other effects from the Power Tools munue. I have not had a chance to isolate all the effects it could potentialy have trouble with. But I bought the program specifically for the purpose of editing with certain effects.

Almost any simple editor can play avchd files on a timeline!! Even some for free. Heck...my Windows Movie maker can do that. I was hoping for a editor that could do more....

Did you get a chance to download the screenshots in a few posts above?? All i have on the timeline are a few clips and simple transitions and one Dominos left transition...where the hang up starts! Are we there yet?
Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
I notice that you are using a Corsair 60GB SSD drive. Is just your OS sytem installed on this drive and nothing else?

Which drive do you have Power Director installed on?

I also notice that you have a USB drive connected. Are your Sony video clips on this drive? The best place to have your video clips installed on is an internal drive....this would have a much faster data rate. A USB connection, while good for backups, is not sufficiently fast to edit video files from it.

Just trying to confirm where your video clips are located on your PC.

Kevin
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[Post New]
I will look into the codec pack suggestion a little closer. Will do some investigating and see. I need to be off to work for now..thx a bunch everyone!! Will check back in 10 hours. Then will not have time for more troubleshooting for few days. Hope we can fix this!! Are we there yet?
[Post New]
Good one Kevin. Did not think that having my video footage on external drive would hinder the editing process.
Will transfer some over to my internal drive and try editing again..oh boy..looks like I will be running late for work..lol...oh well..I gotta figure this out! It is driving me nutts! Are we there yet?
[Post New]
Yes, the Corsair SSD has my Windows 7 and few programs installed. That is all. I have a 1Gig internal drive that I will be using for projects. I was hoping to use my external for Footage. But will try your suggestion and see if editing is smooth with video files on that drive.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Nov 19. 2010 17:20

Are we there yet?
Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
That is why we LOVE DxDiag files, it provides lots of information!

It might not be your solution.....but it very well might be.

Let us know how it works when you transfer some files to one of your internal hard drives.

I plan on testing this out on one of my USB drives to see if I get similar results.

Kevin

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 14:26


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Dafydd B [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline
[Post New]
I'm monitoring the postings here and letting Kevin do the asking and observing You're doing a grand job Kevin.

The mht file format is what I'm having issues with in the screenshots. See Part F below.

An alternative to (after you've tested) moving video from an external is to "ping" them regularly to stop them going into idle mode. I use a software to do that and have my data on two externals with duplicating backups. [xSleep]

I'd go for FFDShow rather than K-Lite which has a program (option within to install) that has caused problems for PD if the end user installs it.

Dafydd

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 14:32

Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
Although,

Is the external hard drive connected via USB 3.0, which your PC is equipped with?

This would be a much faster connection than USB 2.0 like mine.

So then this may not be the problem. Son of a gun...he shouldn't be having this problem.

Just covering my bases.

Thanks Dafydd for the feedback. I wasn't sure which codec pack to install.

Kevin
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[Post New]
Ok. Just tried to edit about 1 min. project. I transfered those files to my internal drive.
Imported into editor and timeline. Added 1 transition effect..Dominos Right. Opened my coretemp utility and monitored cpu usage.

Right at the transition point..same thing. The preview stops and audio continues. I pause the preview. The program freezes for about 5 seconds. It starts again where it left off in the audio segment where I paused it.

I did this with coretemp open and closed. Same issue. My cpu usage at the transition point goes down to about zero!! While the clips are playing before the transition point it is around 4-1o%

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 14:44

Are we there yet?
Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
I have a 1Gig internal drive that I will be using for projects.


Keep in mind, that Power Director does not import the ACTUAL video clip into your project. The pds file the PD8 creates is simply a pointer to WHERE your video clips are located. So the file size of the pds file is very small. So some words of advice...don't move your video clips once you give them a home. If you do, you will then open a PD8 project and will have to "browse for them again, because PD8 doesn't know where you have moved them to. You will only have to do this once and then resave your project with the new location information now written to the pds file.

So you can dedicate, like myself, your 1TB internal drive to house your video clips. I then use my USB frive as a duplicate backup of that drive.

KEvin
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[Post New]
That's all the time I have for now...will download the codec pack when I get a chance and try editing again.

Dafydd- My windows recorder will not save to jpeg or the other format. I tried to unzip it and it only gave me the option i attached. I will look into downloading one that you suggested and repost screenshots.

Thanks for all the help...was not expecting to have issues with this program..but should have known better. I have tried every nle out there except the real spendy ones like CS5 and Edius 6. Although the Neo 2.5 trial has had no issues that I could detect.....yet!!!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Nov 15. 2010 16:24

Are we there yet?
[Post New]
I think I will try to capture new footage from my Handycam to my internal drive and try editing that with the same transitions/effects. See if I notice same issue.

Talk to you all later!! and big TY to you both!! Are we there yet?
Cap'n Kevin
Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline
[Post New]
One other pointer:

You probably installed the Sony PMB software to playback and import your video files. It can be very useful. You can drag video clips from this application into Power Director, which I do all the time. It is helpful because you might have grouped your clips in a special way and then can easily select all thes and drag them into PD8.

Just thought I would pass this along.

The most recent version of this is

PMB Version 5.3.01.09273 it has some new features that may not be on your original version that came with your camera.

Kevin
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