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Home: Video University Forums: Tech Q & A:
PP video problem

carol
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Mar 13, 2006, 9:31 AM

Post #1 of 15 (1705 views)
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PP video problem	Can't Post

This project is really becoming a problem for something so easy. I'm doing a montage with still pictures. I wanted to add 3 video clips taken from a still digital camera. They are in avi format. They show in my project window, but they only show black in the timeline. I've never had this happen before. Why would they show in the project window, but not in the timeline. Makes no sense.

Carol

videobear
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Mar 13, 2006, 10:55 AM

Post #2 of 15 (1702 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

I had a similar problem with Vegas. I think it's because of the reduced resolution and/or frame rate of clips from (most) digicams.

Try importing the clips into Windows Movie Maker, and export them from there as full size, full frame rate video. Then try the exported clips in Premiere.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

carol
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Mar 13, 2006, 12:12 PM

Post #3 of 15 (1700 views)
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Re: [videobear] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks Doug, I'll try that & let you know if it works. Weird how it plays in the project window, but not the timeline.

AndrewMSV
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Mar 13, 2006, 4:01 PM

Post #4 of 15 (1688 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

It can also be a video card issue...
what video card do you use? do you have dual monitors? if so, try switching the primary monitor to the other monitor and/or switching the placement of where you put the preview windows... e.g., move it to the other screen etc.

Cheers

Andrew
m o r n i n g__s t a r__v i d e o g r a p h y
sf chapter, vu california crew
I think we should turn that whole region into one shiny piece of radioactive glass. - CartoonChris

carol
User

Mar 13, 2006, 8:08 PM

Post #5 of 15 (1679 views)
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Re: [AndrewMSV] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

No, I don't have dual monitors. I've never had this problem before, but then again, I haven't been using PP for very long. I just think that its very weird that I can view it as an avi on the drive, I can view it in the project window, but not on the timeline.

Carol

AndrewMSV
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Mar 13, 2006, 8:29 PM

Post #6 of 15 (1676 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Is the timeline accepting the clip but not showing it in your preview monitor or is it not accepting the clip at all?

Andrew
m o r n i n g__s t a r__v i d e o g r a p h y
sf chapter, vu california crew
I think we should turn that whole region into one shiny piece of radioactive glass. - CartoonChris

carol
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Mar 13, 2006, 8:31 PM

Post #7 of 15 (1673 views)
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Re: [videobear] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Doug, I did what you said, and it works beautifully! Thank you so much! What would I do without you!!! You've helped me so many times! What would many of us do without you.

Carol

carol
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Mar 13, 2006, 11:35 PM

Post #8 of 15 (1670 views)
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Re: [videobear] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Help again! This project is going to drive me over the edge! I'm only into a little over three min. on my first song and it keeps freezing up on me. I put the music file in a wav format. I'm using mostly stills. The avi transferred over & worked fine. They are in the 2nd min. of the project. But for some reason now, when I go into the project I do one thing & it freezes. Can anyone tell me what I can do. I tried powering off my machine, no better luck. I removed the preference file out of the app folder, no better luck. I'm so frustrating, I'm powering down & going to bed.

Carol

videobear
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Mar 14, 2006, 10:39 AM

Post #9 of 15 (1652 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

OK, that's tougher...I was going to suggest trashing the prefs file, but you already did that.

You might look at a couple of things:

1. Sampling rates of your audio clips. If you have some of those .wav files at 48KHz, and other audio (from an .avi clip, perhaps) at 44.1 KHz, Premiere might take exception. It's easier for your NLE software if all the audio is at a sample rate that also corresponds to your project settings.

2. Size of the still images. If they are very large scanned photos, they could be taking up too much memory. You could resample them in Photoshop to something closer to video resolution, about 1 - 2 MB per image.

3. What drive do you have specified for saving renders? That'll be in your preferences, and hopefully is your A/V drive(s), not C:\.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

carol
User

Mar 14, 2006, 4:13 PM

Post #10 of 15 (1641 views)
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Re: [videobear] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

The first thing I did was trash the pref. file. There were 3 files in the folder and I only trashed the one. It didn't seem to make a difference other than when I went to open my project, it was not automatically listed. Should I have trashed all three files? One file was a "preset" file and I think the other file was a log file.

I have the program file on my C drive and I had the project file on an external hd. My render files are on the same drive as my project. I thought maybe the ext. hd was my problem, so I transferred it to my F drive and that didn't seem to make a difference. Then to make matters worse, this morning I started all over again with trying to figure out the problem and now the audio (wav or mp3) will play in the project window, but not the timeline. I tried starting a new project, brought in a wav file, put it in the timeline, no sound, but the mixer is showing that there is sound. Sound icon is on, speakers are on, sound plays fine in the project window.

So I went to my presavs and grabbed a file from 3/9 (prior to my changing the video files over to wmv) deleted the video files, because they weren't much anyway, and began editing from that point and it seems to be working fine. Maybe the audio was different on the avi files that I changed over compared to my wav files because the problem seemed to start on the 13th when I tried working the avi files into the project.

I'll get through this project -- eventually-- but am concerned if I do a future project, there will be no audio in the timelines. Maybe this project just got corrupted. I was so frustrated last night, didn't sleep well (hate it when my computer doesn't work correctly) and was up 6 a.m. trying to figure it out. When I'm finished this project, I'm wiping out anything that has to do with it, crossing my fingers, and hoping that my next project won't be so frustrating. In the future, I'm converting all audio files to wav like Spence suggested!

Thanks a million for your help! YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE!

Carol

videobear
Veteran

Mar 14, 2006, 4:56 PM

Post #11 of 15 (1639 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Glad it's working, Carol.

If you have to trash the prefs file again, do it just the way you did...only delete the file with the .prf extension.

It's not a bad idea to make a copy of this file when all is working well. That way, if you have to delete it, you can rename the spare prefs file and use that, instead of having to manually re-enter all your settings.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

carol
User

Mar 15, 2006, 8:57 AM

Post #12 of 15 (1626 views)
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Re: [videobear] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks, I'll do that. I finished my project late last night. This morning I tried to start a new project and I'm back to having the problem with the audio in the timeline. Yesterday I searched the adobe boards and it seems others have had this problem, but I haven't found a fix yet.....

Carol

carol
User

Mar 15, 2006, 10:15 PM

Post #13 of 15 (1621 views)
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Re: [AndrewMSV] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

Drew, The timeline accepted the clip, but it's just black. I ended up just taking them out of the project. They didn't add much anyway. Thanks!

Carol

drsanchez
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Mar 22, 2006, 3:46 PM

Post #14 of 15 (1597 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

This all sounds like a memory problem and, if so, you will get the same problems again. It seems random, and that could be because your computer is running different processes at different times. Is there something in the background that's running when your timeline clips go black? What are your specs? I don't know exactly how Premiere works, but I have a feeling it puts as much as it can into RAM (very fast) and if you run out of memory, it needs to use your swap memory (sorta slow), in which case Premiere may just ignore some clips.

Premiere will run on as little as 256 Mb, but no one in his right mind would recommend it. How much memory do you have? More memory is better, always. RAM is sorta cheap these days, so get as much as you can.

--------------------------------------------------------------
son of a midwestern bureaucrat.

ssvp
User

Mar 22, 2006, 8:41 PM

Post #15 of 15 (1594 views)
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Re: [carol] PP video problem [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Drew, The timeline accepted the clip, but it's just black. I ended up just taking them out of the project. They didn't add much anyway. Thanks!

Carol

One you import those clips into your project window you can try a few things.. Premiere doesn't deal well with Alpha Channels or should I say with Formats and Alpha Channels. For example using Editors Toolkits from Digital Juice anything you export and bring to Premiere you have to iinterpret the footage and IGNORE the alpha channel. Otherwise the clips just shows and plays BLACK. You could try that on those clips you imported into premiere. Before putting them in the timeline right-click on them in your Asset/Project Window and choose interpret FOOTAGE. Then choose ignore alpha channel..Just a thought..