#problems w/ video
14 messages in this thread
I have and love ER1.0, but have run into a new problem. I have a p90 w/ a
Stealth 64 pci card. When I play my output avi's or Fli's I get blue & green
pixels only! If I switch back to 256 colors vs my standars 65k, it's fine? Any
suggestions?
>>I have a p90 w/ a Stealth 64 pci card. When I play my output avi's or Fli's I
get blue & green pixels only! If I switch back to 256 colors vs my standars
65k, it's fine? Any suggestions?<<
PMFJI,
You're using MS Video 1 compression, right? I have a Matrox Impression+ & the
same thing happened to me in 65k, but then it "fixed itself". Now I'm back to
blue & green again! If you make a different window (other than the AVI) active
and overlap the AVI window slightly, the colors will be correct. This is the
only work around I have found so far.
You can also use a different codec. Try Cinepak, it makes _MUCH_ smaller files
and they play back better (speed-wise). Quality is comparable to MSV1 if you
use the correct (!) settings.
Hope this helps,
Rob
(another user of this _AWESOME_ package)
I have to concur. The correct choice of video compression coupled with the
proper output resllution make all the difference. Keep your output at 160×120
or 320×240 and all the compressors should work ok but many of them will choke
on 640×480 or bizzare resloutions like 423×278 (or whatever).
Chris Edgin
ERI tech.
>>I have to concur. The correct choice of video compression coupled with the
proper output resllution make all the difference.<<
I totally agree w/you. The problem that William described matches a problem
that I had. I wasn't trashing MSV1, just trying to help. The disk file (AVI)
is ok, but there is some interaction between the 64k driver (on my board, and
his too, it seems) and the MSV1 decompressor. I cannot isolate the problem.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't The problem does not occur in any
other color depth when playing the same AVI.
This is a VfW problem, not an ER problem. I think you misunderstood my
message.
>>160×120 or 320×240 and all the compressors should work ok but many of them
will choke on 640×480 or bizzare resloutions like 423×278 (or whatever).<<
Indeo 3.2 doesn't like large files. The rest of the codecs don't seem to mind
them. As long as your output res. values are divisible by 20 (160×120,
320×240, 400×300, 800×600, etc), there shouldn't be a crash problem, according
to Microsoft and my own personal experience.
I still think the Cinepak codec offers the best combo of speed/quality/file
size, as long as you keep the quality setting at 100% and use a high data rate.
MSV1 can achieve excellent quality, as long as you don't mind relatively (sp?)
large files.
Sorry to ramble. Keep up the great work, and long live ER!
Rob
Chris,
Media Player does choke on certain sizes of AVI files. Other than 160*120,
320*240,
what are the other sizes allowed? I need something bigger but do not like to
try all the possibilies…. too time consuming.
Thanks.
Mei-Tien
Mei-Tien,
It isn't only Media Player you need to worry about. Each of the different
codecs you might use also have their own size quirks. Most of them will
simply not go beyond 320 by 240 and give any reasonable error message about
why they're screwing up. They simply screw up. This type of unreasonable
artificial limitation is among the worst programming practices one can
commit. Especially when the artificial limitation is bound to be hit with
the inexorable march of progress.
A previous message said to try only values which were multiples of 20. This
is not likely to produce valid sizes since most coding errors in this type
of code centers around being multiples of 8 or 16 or 32. Remember to try
values which are in the 4:3 ratio as 160:120 or 320:240. Try bumping up
the width by 80 and computing the corresponding height to fit the 4:3 rule (ie:
add 60 to the height). (ahhh, by adding multiples of 20 as a previous message
said, you'll be a multiple of 8 half of the time which is why it seemed to
work for the poster of that message).
Jason
Numerologist Extraordinaire
Jason,
Thanks so much for this useful trick. One can never imagine that popular avi
could have such a Major Problem.
Thanks.
Mei-Tien
Rob,
What machine are you using? I'm still using my 486/33, *at least untill I here
that the P90's can count* with a matrox card, and have had no problems at all
with the video, using both the compressors and full frames. I wonder if it is
a cpu problem?
Ken
>>What machine are you using?<<
A P90 w/32MB ram & 1.6 gig hd.
>> *at least untill I here that the P90's can count*<< (you mean divide)
Hey. Cut that out!
Seriously, though, what color depth do you run?
The 'problem' is not an issue for me as I always use Cinepak.
>> I wonder if it is a cpu problem?<<
I sure it is a video driver problem.
Thanks,
Rob
65K Rob, actually if you look at the range of colours that a tube can actually
produce, and the range of colours that can actually be printed, even using spot
colours to increase the range, 65K amply covers it.
The reason I wondered if it was a cpu problem was that I have an architech
friend who does big projects like modelling airports, and he reports that he
had to chane back to a 486 machine recently because he was getting some very
strange results on a p90. He would render a scene and get an error, re-render
and it would be fine…he was seriously concerned about the chip…..
What drivers are you using? I'm using the 1.42, and I've had no problems with
any of the compression modules.
Ken
>>What drivers are you using? I'm using the 1.42<<
I'm using v2.11 (Impression+ PCI).
Like I said, this isn't an issue for me, I was just curious. Thanks for your
interest.
Rob
I use Cirrus Logic video drivers w/o problem.
Chris edgin
ERI tech.
It actually seems to be a tie between the compressors and media player. We have
not found the CPU to make a difference (and I have a 486 DX33 myself).
Chris Edgin
ERI
Williams,
Sorry, I just saw your message today and I am not familiar with the problem you
mentioned.
Mei-Tien