First frame freeze when playing out

[Rob Forsythe]

This list contains about everything to try to enable:
a. External Monitor VIDEO and AUDIO via FireWire & DV deck or camcorder.
b. Viewing in the Canvas window on the computer screen.
c. Being able to record on the external FW DV deck or camcorder.

Try things in this order until you find the “cure”:

1. Make sure you have only ONE (1) FireWire deck, camcorder, DV capture “card”, or D-to-A converter or video device attached to the computer at a time. Any more than one DV device can cause loss of signal and control.
2. Make sure you have View (Menu) > External Video> All Frames set.
(If the ALL FRAMES option is grayed-out… jump to step 6 below and continue.)
3. Make SURE your Canvas window (right window) in FCP is set to “Fit to Window”… AND that it has not been “pushed off” the edge of the computer screen.
4. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu (Box Icon with broken sides) is checked on Image or Image+Wireframe… NOT just Wireframe.
5. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu is checked on RGB… NOT just Alpha.
6. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Easy Setup… is set for DV-NTSC (or DV-PAL, if that’s where you are).
7. Some camcorders/decks work better under “FW (NTSC/PAL)” -or- “FW (NTSC/PAL) Basic” control (in the capture settings). Try either setting to see which works best for your device.
8. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Audio/Video Settings > A/V Devices (tab) > Mirror on Desktop > must be CHECKED. (If not, playing video will not appear in the Canvas.)
9. Make sure the “Log and Capture” Window is CLOSED and not just “hidden” behind other windows.
10. Turn off the power to the Camera/Deck/Converter Box, then turn it back ON.
11. Make sure the camera is in VTR mode… or the deck is in DV (DV, iLink, or FW) input.
12. On a Sony camcorder or deck, make sure the menu setting “A/V > DV Out” is set to OFF.
13. Re-check that your FW cable is well-connected at both ends (or try a new cable).
14. Important: Quit FCP, then Restart FCP.
15. Now again, make sure you have View > External Video > ALL FRAMES set…

If it still does not work. “Trash” the FCP Preferences on the Mac
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html

“FCP Rescue” is a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences.
It will also restore your user settings afterwards.
Download:
https://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14729

>Then, start again at my “step 1” above.

And, you should always MIXDOWN your audio before you play your sequence.
First, SELECT ALL of your audio tracks (highlight them) on the timeline, then:

Sequence Menu > Render Only > Mixdown.

This can help with all kinds of “sticking” playback problems, audio and/or video.

[Heringji]

I had a similar problem once. I’d Print to Video (out to a DVD recorder) and when I’d get to the first transition I’d make- like a dissolve- then the video would start jumping all over or just freeze up for a few minutes and then carry on. The advice I was given was to delete all my render files for the project and rerender the whole thing. Apparently my render files were corrupt and that fixed the problem.

I’m not sure exactly if you are Printing to Video but maybe this will help!

~Jill

[Nicolas 24]

Thanks Jill,

How did you delete the rendered files? I have a lot of subtitles and surely I don’t have to delete them, or do I?

Thanks again.

Nic

[Heringji]

Hi Nic,

Everything you render should be going to a file somewhere on your computer called “rendered files”. Mine is just right next to where i have my “captured file”, “autosave vault” and “audio-render files”. Maybe you weren’t even aware you had it. Click onto your destop and go to File: Find and locate the file “rendered files”.

When I had to go through this I realized that the “rendered files” folder was full of rendered files from projects I’d long finished. By putting everything from the rendered files folder in the trash- you’re only losing the rendering- and not the actual project file. (You probably already know this but you don’t want to trash anything from the Captured files unless you’re absolutely want a project gone.) By trashing the Render files, it just means you’d have to go back and re-render the project you’re currently working on, and nothing else- And that you’ve cleared up a lot of disc space.

Have I said too much? 🙂 You won’t be losing the subtitles by deleting the rendered files either. You’ll just have to go back and re-render the subtitles that were already in your project. I hope this helps. Let me know if you need any clarification.

Thanks!

Jill

[Nicolas 24]

Thanks Jill,

I’ll try tonight, hopefull it will work.

Thank you.-

[Nicolas 24]

Hey guys,

I’ve tried everything you suggested and it still doesn’t seem to work. I checked and there’s 30 frames per second on my canvas – so I might have been working on NTSC (?) thinking that I was on PAL (?).

If I try playing out on PAL it freezes the first and last frame when I play and stop the timeline on the canvas. Whereas if I playout on NTSC it plays the images all pixelly and slower audio.

What have I done?? More importantly, how do I sort this out? I should be playing out on PAL.

Many thanks

[Scott Rokosny]

I had the same problem where the first frame freezes when playing the timeline and then it will not show a different frame until you pause the timeline.
I fixed the problem by going into view where it was set to”wireframe.”
I set it to “image” and that solved my problem .

I hope this helps.