Black Monitor Window/Play Button Hangs

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Hello. Anybody...help....

[A***@adobeforums.com]

What is your computer configuration?
--------------------------------------------
Aanarav Sareen, ACE
Adobe Certified Expert, Premiere Pro

[m***@adobeforums.com]

O.K here's what's what:

HP Media Center with XP media center edition w/SP2, 1024 MB ram, Pentium 4 3ghz with hyper thread, Radeon X300SE 128MB DDR video card, 200 Gig drive for building the video, 120 Gig for programs.

Thanks for you response,
Michael

[Jeff Bellune]

Your source clips aren't mpeg or divx are they?

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Well, for this project the footage originated on HI8. The conversion put the clips into Mpeg. I did not convert in PPro. I used the editing software "Intervideo WINDVD Creator" that was on my machine. The PPro software did not recognize my camera. I guess because it was not a digital format. I really don't know.

Also, for what it's worth, if I start a new project and build segments individually, it seems to be O.K. as long as the project stays small. I have not tried importing the smaller project into the main project since the upgrades.(see above) Before the upgrades when I did this... well, forget about it.

Please don't tell me I have to start all over again...I might actually cry.

[Jeff Bellune]

michael,

Here's a tissue...with my condolences.

Editing mpeg as a source video is a bad idea for lots of technical reasons, but mostly because of the issues you have encountered.

Search the PPro forum for mpeg and compressed and you will get more than a day's worth of reading.

The MPEGPro plugin from MainConcept might save the day for you if you'd rather spend $250 than start your project over with editable DV avi files. Install the plugin, then import your old project into a new MPEGPro project.

Another way to tackle this is to use VirtualDub to convert your mpeg files to DV avi files. But then you'd have to unlink/relink all your source video in the project. The upside is that VDub is free. Google for it.

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the tissue, I'll use it to stop the bleeding where I slash my wrist...

Anyway, if I do the virtual dub thing, what exactly do you mean by unlink/relink my source video in the project, and is this a complicated thing to do? Also, if I go the MPEGPro plug in, is that a for sure fix?

Thanks again,
Michael

[Jeff Bellune]

Michael,

I typed a long response about unlinking/relinking media but my browser dumped it when I tried to post. Check the help files in PPro. All you will do is offline the mpeg source video with the unlink media command, then relink all of the selected clips in the Project Window to the corresponding converted DV avi files.

MainConcept has a demo of MPEGPro that will put a watermark on rendered/exported video, but otherwise it's fully functional and should let you find out if MPEGPro does the job for you and if it is worth the money.

Cheers,

Jeff

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Hey Jeff,

I've not been able to try these things out yet (time issues, with no light (time),at the end of the tunnel in my near future), but I wanted to at least let you know that I appreciate the input.

I will keep you posted on the progress as I go.

Thanks,
Michael

[Jeff Bellune]

Thanks for the update. I wish you a nice, bright light very soon. ;)

Jeff

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Hey Jeff,

Well I have downloaded the mpegpro plug in (trial version) and exported my existing project into the new mpegpro project. I had to do it several times before it would completely import it without a crash. Finally, when I did get it all imported, it just wouldn't allow me to do much. I did not try to import any single or new clips, I just tried to render a portion of the project. It would either shut down the program, lock up, or only render partialy.
For the new project, I was using the main concepts ntsc standard for dvd setting, seeing as how I do plan on putting this on a dvd when finished. If I ever get it finished. Hopefully that was the correct setting. Any wisdom?

Michael

[Jeff Bellune]

Michael,

It sounds like you may have a corrupted project file. Do you have any auto-saved versions of the project or versions that were saved using Save As... that you could try?

If you have any other PPro projects that you could import into your new MPEGPro project, try importing one of them. Seeing how MPEGPro behaves when you do that might help shed some light on what's going on.

Also, if you just add video clips and still images and audio to the new MPEGPro project that you created, how does it perform?

-Jeff

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Good evening Jeff,
I don't believe I have any save as or auto save projects.
I'll try to add some clips to create another "sample" project
and see what happens. It will have to be fairly big (30 min. or so) so as to compare to the pre mpegpro project and the size at which it was starting to mess up. Once again, time is at a premium, I'll do it as soon as I can and keep you posted.
Thanks again,
Michael

p.s.- I've decided to remain calm, and when it's done, it's done. Then and only then, may we do the dance of joy!

[D***@adobeforums.com]

There should be a Project-Archive folder in your WinXP user area with older versions of your project that you can try if you wish.

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Hello again,

Well, I tried the "new project idea with no success. After loading about 15 minutes or so of clips, I hit the render button (enter) and the work area began to play on the desktop instantly. Apparently no rendering was needed. However the clips had some areas that jumped or just did not play smoothly. Remember I'm using the downloaded version of the Mpeg pro plug in. I then tried to put a dissolve transition between each clip, I hit the render button, and this time the render window came up and only the transitions rendered. The play back was still the same, poor and semi-chunky. Then I used the "force" render option, (I read about it in the manual for the Mpegpro) and the entire project rendered this time. Playback was awful! Stalls and audio echoing and sync problems as clip played on. Then lastly, I removed all transitions, turned off the "force render" option, basically started over, hit the go button. This time the clips played smoothly, but just before the next clip would start, the end of the prior clip would do "like a freeze frame" (half second or less)before continuing. That's when I let out yet another huge sigh, and turned off the machine. Will I ever finish this project? Will I ever enjoy editing again? Tune in next time...

Please help,
Michael

[M***@adobeforums.com]

Sigh... Michael, The problem that you are experiencing with the black video is a result of a crappy MPEG decoder hanging out on your system (probably from WinDVD). If you want to fix it, prepare to roll up your sleeves, ‘cause it’s going to get messy. Google an app call Graph Edit and download it onto your system. Next, Google another app called RadLight DirectShow filter manager and download and install it. Once both apps are installed, open Graph Edit and drag/drop one of your MPEG clips into it. Graph Edit will build a DirectShow filter graph to play the MPEG clip. Take special note of what MPEG video decoder is being used. Open RadLight filter manager and navigate to the DirectShow filters, then to the MPEG decoder listed in Graph Edit. Set the merit value of the decoder to low. Now navigate to the MainConcept MPEG video decoder and set its merit value to preferred. Once both values are set, reboot your system. Open Graph Edit again. Drag/drop the MPEG clip into again and let it build a filter graph. If Graph Edit now shows MainConcept, your problem with black video are resolved. If it shows some other MPEG video decoder, go through the above steps again until you finally get the default MPEG decoder to be MainConcept.

Now that you've fixed the black frames problem, you've just opened the door to others. You really shouldn't be editing MPEG files, they just don't edit well. Finish this project and work with AVI files in all future projects (you'll have fewer gray hairs).

Mitch411

[m***@adobeforums.com]

Hello,

The black frames are no longer an issue, this was cleared up with some previous fixes.
What about this current problem with mpeg pro? It was supposed to be the remedy product for m-peg($250.00 worth). Luckily I only got the trial version.

If it's not the remedy, and they claim it is, than how do I get my files to avi? Is V-Dub, as mentioned earlier, the way to go? Or what?

As always, I appreciate the help,
Michael