dropped frames

[penmanila]

folks, a friend working on a video project in FCP4.0 is experiencing dropped frames. the warning sign doesn't hel;p much, even of she's already done what's supposed to be done, like tweak the RT stuff (sorry, i know absolutely nothing about video).

can you give me a simple explanation for dropped frames--why it happens and how to avoid it? is there a simple button (my friend swears she saw one) that says "no dropped frames" somewhere in the program?

thanks in advance!

[Henjie]

Originally posted by penmanila
folks, a friend working on a video project in FCP4.0 is experiencing dropped frames. the warning sign doesn't hel;p much, even of she's already done what's supposed to be done, like tweak the RT stuff (sorry, i know absolutely nothing about video).

can you give me a simple explanation for dropped frames--why it happens and how to avoid it? is there a simple button (my friend swears she saw one) that says "no dropped frames" somewhere in the program?

Sir Butch, what kind of setup is your friend using to capture the video? Is she capturing to the system drive (internal) or to an external hard drive (Firewire or USB? USB 1.1 or USB 2.0?). How large is the scratch disk? How much free space? Is the drive optimized or fragmented?

Most of the time, dropped frames can be traced to the hard drive. The hard drive (because it's nearly full, badly fragmented, or both) can't keep up with the amount to data being sent its way causing it to "miss" some of the data.

The amount of RAM can also be a factor. Try to give FCP all the RAM it can have via its preferences (System Settings -> Memory & Cache). If using an iBook/PowerBook, make sure System Preferences -> Energy Saver is set for max performance.

It's also recommended that you close all other applications while capturing video. Turn off things like Bluetooth or AirPort (or disconnect from the internet if using a wired connection).

As for the "no dropped frames" button, maybe she's thinking of the "Report dropped frames during playback" or "Abort capture on dropped frames" settings in FCP's User Preferences (General).


~Henjie

[jofab]

Hi Butch,

Just tell your friend to go to Final Cut Pro>User Preference and uncheck the report dropped frames during playback and abort capture during dropped frames options.


[Edited on 1-10-2005 by jofab]

[jofab]

Dropped frames can occur for several reasons: hard disk is full or slow, system bottleneck, Real-time rendering is too much for processor to handle, not enough RAM, buggy FCP software, tape has a corrputed portion which cannnot be captured, etc.

[penmanila]

thanks for your quick answers, guys, will pass them along. i did read something about fragmentation problems, but i just reinitialized the hard disk (imac G4800, 512 mb ram, 60 gig drive with an 80 gig external) and did a clean install of panther 10.3.7. is 512mb just too small for FCP?

[airjunkie]

Sounds like you need more RAM than 512mb try at least 1gb of memory and things will move a bit faster:2cents:

[peter_ob]

Although more RAM is always welcome 512 mb would suffice.

Follow these recommendations to help Final Cut Pro work smoothly on your system.

Don't use your computer as a server. Using your system as a server can impede Final Cut Pro's performance, causing dropped frames and other problems.

Leave the Processor Performance setting in System Preferences at Highest.

Don't use Final Cut Pro while connected to the Internet via modem.

Turn off AppleTalk when capturing or outputting to tape. Turn off AppleTalk when you're using the Log and Capture window or when outputting your program to tape to prevent the possibility of dropped frames. For more information, see Mac Help.

Limit your use of third-party extensions. Some users prefer to install Final Cut Pro on a system that doesn't have third-party extensions for anything other than video editing. However, depending on how your system is set up, you may need other extensions, such as drivers for USB-to-serial adapters, USB-to-ADB adapters, and printers and third-party video capture cards. Avoid installing extensions for increasing memory or performance, customizing your pointer, or modifying the behavior of your screen or desktop. If you need memory, buy and install more RAM. If you need faster performance, consider a faster computer. If you must install third-party extensions that may interfere with the smooth operation of Final Cut Pro, set up extension sets to use for various purposes. Use the Extensions Manager control panel to create a set of extensions for use with Final Cut Pro that excludes unnecessary third-party extensions. When you use Final Cut Pro, you can start up your computer with the appropriate set of extensions. For more information, see Mac Help.

You can find more of this
here

I hope things work out for your friend.

[Edited on 1-10-2005 by peter_ob]