I think this was a problem in some older builds of PD7. I encountered it, too, but things didn't get out of synch until about 9 minutes in or so.

The cure was to download the latest patch to build 2227c. Of course I had to start over on the timeline.

You might try "locking" the audio track and try sliding part of the video and see if you can get it back in synch. If sliding the video seems to try to leave a total blank space on the timeline which PD7 may not let you do, you may have to insert something like a black colorboard which you keep adjusting the length until the video and audio come into synch.

Work with a "stretched" timeline so you can make adjustments in small increments and when done you can "cover" any black with a video "cutaway" placed on the PIP track.

I did download the patch and I've managed to create another 18 minutes of movie, but the out of sync demon prevailed again. I wish I knew what causes this so I can try a different approach.

I'm still learning about Power Director and I'm not sure how to lock the audio. And I inserted a colorboard in the past, but I'm drawing a blank when I try to remember how I did it.

Can you give me some direction on how to lock the audio? I considered extracting the audio and making it fit the video, but if I do that for the entire movie, it will be too time consuming.

I have a personal deadline of the end of January for finishing this movie. I have had to re-create it at least 6 or 7 times.

Hi Susan,

We're going to need more information here so the folks on this forum have a better feel for what's happening to you.

First your quad core machine should be more than capable of editing for you, but go ahead and list the specs. For instance mine is a Dell with Intel Core 2 quad Q6600 running at 2.4Ghz. 4 GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 8800GT grapics card with 512MB.

OK...Locking tracks. There's a possibility you may somehow have inadvertantly locked one or more tracks, on the left edge of the timeline each track has an icon and to the left of that is a "padlock" symbol. Normally all of those should show the hasp open or "unlocked". Click on that padlock icon to change it.

Next we need to know what kind of media clips you are trying to import and edit, such as AVI, MP4, or one of the various "flavors" of HDV, or AVCHD files.

When the audio goes out of synch is it all of a sudden, wham, in one jump? Or does it "drift" and is the drift slow or quite rapid? Does the change in synch occur after use of a specific effect or transition?

Maybe the answers to these questions will give someone here some idea of what may be done for you.

Hi Susan,

I can't really help you directly with your specific problem, but can offer you this advise. If you haven't been doing so, try saving new versions of your project after nearly every major edit. I would give you project a name and add the number 1 at the end. For the next save change the 1 to a 2 and continue from there. If the audio sync problem occurs after save 24 then maybe you can go back to step 23 to avoid the problem. Once your entire project is completed you can give that version its final name and you can delete all the previous edits.

A related solution would be to render small projects separately and then combine them all at the end. For example maybe after a 10 minute segment you can render that file into your desired format. When you are done at least you'll know that that segment is in sync. After completing each individual segment you can added each back into the timeline, perform and any additional editing, render your final video.

Good luck. Q9300 2.5 GHz
4 GB Ram
Nvidia 9800 GT

Quote: Hi Susan,

I can't really help you directly with your specific problem, but can offer you this advise. If you haven't been doing so, try saving new versions of your project after nearly every major edit. I would give you project a name and add the number 1 at the end. For the next save change the 1 to a 2 and continue from there. If the audio sync problem occurs after save 24 then maybe you can go back to step 23 to avoid the problem. Once your entire project is completed you can give that version its final name and you can delete all the previous edits.

A related solution would be to render small projects separately and then combine them all at the end. For example maybe after a 10 minute segment you can render that file into your desired format. When you are done at least you'll know that that segment is in sync. After completing each individual segment you can added each back into the timeline, perform and any additional editing, render your final video.

Good luck.

I had the same problem as Susan when I produced a 30-minute movie. Thanks for your suggestions (and I had the final patch update too). I'm working on a laptop, so don't have the memory or RAM that some of you do, so the version saving (1-24) seems like an easy help.

I have a question about your last suggestion, about rendering the small projects. I have 8 discs to go through to create another movie. So after I render (produce?) the smaller, 10-minute segment...how do I add that rendered / produced segment back into the timeline? Would I import it just as I did the various discs?

Many thanks. Good Luck Susan.

Hi Gary (and Susan)

The concept of breaking ones project into smaller sections or chapters if you will, is a sound approach to creating what one might call a “full length” production. Employing this method, or philosophy of project construction, has many advantages. And especially if one is, like me, working on a laptop and not a fully pimped out desktop.
Forum member vin800rider has an excellent post on this subject at ...

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/4200.page

As well as his fine tutorial at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuK7Fhawaf4&feature=channel_page

Good Luck!



Click here PDtoots for a collection of PowerDirector Tutorials and Tips

Hi Cranston:

Thanks so much for the help, really appreciate your kind assistance and link forwarding! I'm working on a laptop as well, not a "pimped out desk top" as you referred! LOL!

Best-

Gary

Bif, I have pretty much the same set up you do. Your video card may be slightly newer than mine. I did discover how to lock the audio but it seems I would have to split it from the video to do that. I started my movie over and I extracted the audio from the video. It was hunt and peck through the footage and the audio and then match up the individual clips. It was tedious but I got 24 minutes of movie done that way. And it seems to be holding. Oh, and I had to mute the video track to make it work. And I do a save about every 30 seconds.

I used Roxio for a little over a year, and I kept having to re-install it after every 2-3 times I used it. With PowerDirector I'm getting a message every so often that Power Director has encountered a problem and needs to shut down, so that's why I save often. But it's way less frustrating than having to re-install the whole program so often.

To the others: I like the idea of saving 10 minute segments and I like the idea of saving 1-24. I will try those on my next project.

Thanks for all the good suggestions.