Do you have any other effects/transitions etc applied to your project?

I have this problem if I use PIPs and transitions with Magic Fix (to take out shaky camera syndrome).

The work around is to apply Magic fix then produce your project. Import the produced file and apply your PIPs to the new file.

Also, is the pause in the preview screen or in a finished file that you have produced? Sometimes your PC can't handle previewing the video smoothly.

If neither of these are your problem, hopefully someone else can help you out.

Hi Mary,

Spartan asked a very good question, with regard to whether or not this "stutter" is also noticeable after you've Produced (or Burned) your project, and now view it in say... Widows Media player, or other media players.

The Preview player in PD, is just that, a preview player that eats up computing resources. Stutters seem to most often occur if your computer is a little on the under powered side for video editing, which will be reflected in the preview player's performance.
So... your Preview playback, is not necessarily and accurate representation of what your project will ultimately look like once it's produced/rendered to it's final format, and played back on a dedicated player.
If you haven't already, do a few tests to see if a Produced file (to say, Mpeg2, WMV HD Standard, Avi, etc.), still has the stutters at transitions in the Produced format.

If it does, report your findings, and the forum can help you from there. But first, let's eliminate the most common Preview player symptoms first.
Have you tried to lower your Preview's resolution to see if that helps with a smoother Preview playback? (click on the "Snapshot/Select Preview Quality" button/icon, in the Preview Player's controls section)

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Thank you both for your help. I do have transitions and used Magic Fix in the project also. I didn't notice the stutter once it was produced, so I believe it was (as you say) apparent only in the preview mode.
I've had such a time with this project I apologize for
prematurely anticipating a problem with the final product.
Mary