720x480x32 --- what's the 32?

thrillcat wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:04 PM
Something is wreaking havoc with my system, and, while the project properties are set for 720x480x32, something has gone through and changed all my video files to 720x480x24. Playback on the timeline sucks, it only runs at about 6fps even with just a raw file on a new timeline. When I open a project it pops & crackles and the video looks to be running in slo motion.

HELP!!!!

Comments

JakeHannam wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:13 PM
I think the '24' and '32' refer to color bit depth which is determined by your video card. Check your display settings and make sure you are using high color 32-bit.
scottshackrock wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:17 PM
why make sure we are using 32?

If we right click the desktop and go to properties, and go to 32 there - is that making our video better? or, is it just making the colors more "true" on the screen... I always assumed the latter.
thrillcat wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:26 PM
I'm set to 32. The project is set to 32, but the files all show 24. I didn't have any problems with these files on Saturday, everything was running smoothly. This morning when I tried to open these files, all is not well. Every project I try to open has the same problem.

Sony? Any ideas? All the files were captured with the Vegas Capture utility.
thrillcat wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:31 PM
ok, maybe the 32 doesn't have anything to do with it. I just opened a video file on my laptop which is 720x480x24 and it plays fine.
Grazie wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:47 PM
Sometimes, just sometimes yer just learns stuff everyday . uhuh! .. . thnx .. grazie
BarryGreen wrote on 6/1/2004, 12:57 PM
The 32 should refer to the "bit depth" of the color in the image. Typical DV would be 24 bit, allowing 8 bits for red, green, and blue. 32-bit images are typically those with an alpha channel... like, a Targa image with no alpha channel would be 24 bits, but a targa with an alpha channel would be 32 bits.
stormstereo wrote on 6/1/2004, 3:56 PM
BarryGreen is correct.
Best/Tommy
RexA wrote on 6/1/2004, 9:33 PM
>uhuh!

How do you read that... u-huh or uh-uh? Makes a difference me thinks. Couldn't find a reference in my dictionary.
rdolishny wrote on 6/1/2004, 10:21 PM
A very practical and useful application for video with 32 bits is Quicktime with the alpha channel enabled, only available with the Animation or None compression. It's unique in that you can create a Quicktime file from Lightwave or Max or After Effects and drop it onto a timeline in Vegas and the transparency will be perfect! You'll need to enable the alpha channel in the clip properties but that's it.

It's handier than importing TGA files sometimes.

Regrettably, no AVI codec (that I'm aware of) supports 32 bit AVI video files yet.

- Rick
Grazie wrote on 6/1/2004, 11:17 PM
{RexA, you really shouldn't give me an opportunity . .} " uhuh! " a very tired exclamation, acknowledging the shallowness of my own understanding on things digital . . This also holds for the English language - yeah? This is different from the "32" or "24" depth being spoken of - uh-huh? < BIG wink >

Grazie
farss wrote on 6/2/2004, 12:06 AM
Uncompressed AVIs are 32 bit if you include alpha channel. You can render these out of Vegas as well as import them.
RexA wrote on 6/2/2004, 2:35 AM
>RexA, you really shouldn't give me an opportunity . .} " uhuh! " a very tired exclamation, acknowledging the shallowness of my own understanding on things digital . . This also holds for the English language - yeah? This is different from the "32" or "24" depth being spoken of - uh-huh? < BIG wink >

Grazie,

We sorta went through this before once. I'm still at a loss about how to pronounce uhuh. Not that it is really a word, but it means nothing to me unless I can't put it in a context I understand, and I can't.

I don't want to stifle your creativity, but sometimes I really do find it really hard to get your meaning, and sometimes (like this) I really don't know what you are saying. The "kings english" is popular because of it's tendency to avoid this sort of stuff.

-Rexie
B_JM wrote on 6/2/2004, 3:04 AM
huffyuv is 24 or 32 bit and supports full alpha channel

there are some others also


AlanC wrote on 6/2/2004, 5:20 AM
Ah-ha!
PDB wrote on 6/2/2004, 5:39 AM
Came across yesterday evening...sounds very similar to what you are describing...
In my case not only did it crackle/hiss (sounded like the sound file was corrupt or something)...it also froze for a long number of seconds...Actually thought I had a virus on my system so ran the anti-virus...nothing...

Then re-opened the project and it started working really smoothly...for about half an hour...then I started getting a message about windows' virtual memory was struggling (Vegas was the only app working at the time) and was trying to set a new value...from then on, playback on timeline was jumpy...(and this was on an internal preview screen of "preview auto")

I have no idea what is going on...but one thing I'm pretty sure about...it didn't happen with vegas 4. (I checked disk space on my system drive and have over 3 gig of free space fwiw)
runing on a P4 1.8 and 768 ram

Any help would be appreciated,

regards

Paul.
thrillcat wrote on 6/2/2004, 7:57 AM
I think I've finally tracked down my problem......

We had a power outage here on Monday night. Something at that point screwed up my D: drive. It's now running in PIO Only mode, not DMA. It is set to DMA if available, but it won't run in DMA mode.

This is causing the timeline to use all my CPU power while playing from the timeline, which is stuttering and spitting.

Anybody have an idea of how to troubleshoot this one?

guns1inger wrote on 6/2/2004, 10:24 PM
Right click My Computer and select properties. Click on the Hardware tab, then Device Manager. Open up the IDE branch, then right-click on Primary IDE Channel and select Properties. Click on the Advanced Settings tab. For noth Device 0 and Device 1 you should have a drop down called Tranfer Mode. Set both of these to DMA if available. Click on OK. You may have to reboot for these to take effect.

If you cannot change these options, then go to the driver tab and uninstall the driver. Reboot, and then repeat the steps above. You should hopefully find DMA is set again, and if not, should be able to set it correctly.

Depending on your drive configuration, you may need to repeat this for the secondary IDE channel as well.


(Disclaimer: there is always a risk of losing data when performing actions such as these. Back up before hand if you don't do it regularly. The author can in no way be held resposnible for any misfortune that may befall you or your cat if you follow these instructions)
thrillcat wrote on 6/3/2004, 6:58 AM
Right, I've tried this stuff with no luck. The drive just wouldn't go into DMA.

In an effort to not put any more money into this computer, I pulled out an old 250 gig drive I had sitting around, replaced the 200 gig drive that wouldn't go into DMA with it, and reformatted it, did every drive test and diagnostic I could, and it seems to be okay. I just dropped the 200 gig into a firewire enclosure and I'm now copying the files to the 250 gig so I can finish up these projects.

And, I hate to say, while one of the drive diagnostics was running yesterday, I went out and bought a Mac. I've gotten way too tired by all the problems I've had since the start of the year. Not with Vegas, but with WIndows machines in general. If Sony ever puts out Vegas for Mac, I'll step right up and buy it,

I'll be running both systems. Hopefully I'll be able to get some work done on the Mac while I try to figure out what the deal is with my Windows system.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 6/3/2004, 7:14 AM
Don't expect them to put out to mac buddy. Friends of mine in the "industry" say that the scuttlebut is that Vegas is trying to take mac down a notch or two by investing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and I mean $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ into R and D to improve Vegas while leaving the price virtually the same to take a cut out of FCP's market share, just becuase it's fun.

Anyway, like I said I wouldn't expect to see Vegas on a mac anytime soon.

But hey, enjoy the MAC, they say you can just do it on a mac, (not been my Families experience) but maybe you'll have better luck.

P.S. what Did you get, out of curiosity? DUAL G5's? or what?
thrillcat wrote on 6/3/2004, 7:20 AM
No G5, I don't have the Bill Gates checkbook yet. I got a G4 on ebay, dual 1.25ghz processors, 2 gigs of RAM, OS X and Final Cut HD installed for $1700.