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Video plays, then freezes on playback, audio fine
Specs: Relatively new iMac (bought last summer) running most updated Snow Leopard. FCP 6, full project on a 1TB external. Never encountered this problem. Footage shot in 720p60 from Kodak Playsport, converted through Mpeg Streamclip to several different QT formats – tried ProRes 422, Apple Intermediate Codec, HDV 720p60… I’m trying not to lose my HD quality (or maybe I don’t have to with another option?)
Problem: I play the footage in the viewer – not even in timeline yet, though it does this in canvas too with sequence settings auto adjusted on first clip insert – and it will play for a bit, but then freezes. The audio keeps going. I think (I’m at work now) the scrubber bar/playhead freezes too. I should note that I’m also using an external monitor and freezes there too, which doesn’t surprise me. Every few seconds video will catch up with audio and play but only briefly before it freezes again.
I’ve tried trashing prefs, trashing old render files, restarting, refreshing A/V devices, changing sequence settings, re-converting via MPEG Streamclip…
I don’t have RAM info but I believe I have the newest iMac, standard (smaller display – 24”?) – this has never happened. AND I recently cut a video using the same camera, slightly different MPEG Streamclip conversion for 1080p30 footage and it was fine.
Thanks for any suggestions in advance!
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8 Replies
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Is the video playing back at 60p? Or have you interpreted the footage to 30p? (or 24, 25, etc.)
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I’m 97% sure it’s playing back at 60 fps. I remember looking at the specs in the browser and seeing my clips listed at 720p 60fps.
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So it’s playing 60fps in real time. That could be the problem, although it’s never been an issue for me. Then again, the whole point of shooting 60p is to slow it down, so I can’t say I’ve tried it much.
If you shot 60p for slow motion, then it needs to be interpreted (I use Cinema Tools). If it’s shot to play in real time, then you have twice as many frames as you need. This could potentially, overwhelm your system, and cause a glitched playback.
It sound like you are doing just about everything right, so that is where I would start.
You could also lower your RT settings to safe.
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This makes a lot of sense. But if my sequence settings is set to work with 60p, wouldn’t it perform accordingly? Or not? Should I change sequence settings to 30p? Or should I re-convert in MPEG using a 30p setting.
I haven’t tried slowing the footage to see if it plays ok. I guess I can take my first dip into Cinema Tools tonight.
I guess I chose (stupidly, I think now) to shoot in 60fps to have smoother video. I shot 1080p30 for a different project not too long ago and hated the jerkyness, so I thought, better at 720 60p than 1080 30p? Or have I got it totally wrong?
Anyway, I don’t need to slow down footage for this project. What should I adjust to make it playable in real-time? Thanks so much.
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When you do your transcode, set it to 29.97 and progressive. Also, stick to Prores 422 (or Prores LT if you have FCP7).
Recording 60 frames per second requires a lot more in-camera resources and limits your exposure time. It usually ends up looking really “video-ish.” Unless there is a 24p setting, 30p is as good as you’re gonna get with that camera.
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Seems like the next logical step. Really appreciate your help. I’ll be trying this in a couple hours. Thanks so much.
Now I’m kicking myself for shooting at 60fps.
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[Gaby Houston] “full project on a 1TB external.”
Hopefully not a USB drive. FW 800 minimum is required.
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group -
I’m having this same issue on a late 2009 iMac. Playback seems ok but when I make a cut in the angle view during playback, I get the wheel of death and video freeze for 10-20 seconds (audio continues). Then, the system recovers. Did you ever get to the bottom of this?
I’m editing an offline proxy of a 9-camera multicam live concert shoot. Here’s the strangest part: I was missing the dual-system audio yesterday when I got the media so, I used reference audio was able to cut the first too songs, flawlessly. As soon as I added the 800mb stereo wav file back into the project, I started having this problem.
Even deleting the dual-system audio and playing back with reference audio isn’t working now. It really doesn’t seem like that one wav file is pushing me overboard on resources, anyway. Am I wrong?
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