The link is probably just corrupted, please try this one

Looks like a fault in the monitor, there's another slight error further down the frame as well. The only thing I can't figure is why it's not there when she uses the trimmer but does the trimmer feed to the external monitor?
Or are the project properties wrong? That'd perhaps cause the wrong video format to be sent to the external preview device, the internal preview will cope with anythhing.

Good thoughts Bob but apparently none of them are applicable.
I asked her a few more questions and here's the response:

I have a dual-monitor setup and it's the same on both monitors. Plus, if you re-size the playback window or drag it up or down, the black bar always stays in the same position in the playback window (if it's covering someone's head, it covers their head if I make it small or large, and it will stay covering their head if I drag the window up
off-screen so I can't see the black bar any more).

Any more ideas?

Mike

I gather they're both CRT monitors?

What about if she puts say some generated media on the T/L, how's that look. Is it specific to just this tape or everything in general?

Got to admit I'm grasping at straws on this one.
If the black bar extended right accross the screen I'd say monitor for sure but it doesn't, wierd, very wierd. Also trying it with an LCD would be another approach. Also what if she changes the preview from say Preview to Best. In one mode it's progressive and the latter interlaced, just another wild idea.

Bob.

Some thoughts and observations:

#1 - The Safe Areas have been reduced to ZERO. Why? In any event not good practice.

#2 - As the BLACK Bar - this is the one I can see on the rear wall of the gym? - moves when the Preview window is moved it is unlikely that it is the monitor. Plus it can be replicated on BOTH monitors. Highly unlikely it is a simultaneous fault to BOTH monitors, but stranger things have happened.

#3 - As it IS happening on T/L and NOT Trimmer AND the clips render and deliver fine then it HAS to be with the T/L. In which case I'd be looking at an adjustment to the Track Header; a corrupt way the Track is being interpreted to the Preview or BOTH! In any event it does appear like an UPPER third. I just tried the FX Cookie Cutter to try and attempt to re-pro, kinda there, but not quite.

Bob, this IS ringing bells for me .. somewhere in the deep dim past . . ???

What version BUILD of V5 is she using? At the end of the day a Ctrl+SHIFT on opening Vegas might just cure it. You will loose your settings, but might be worth it. Anybody been rummaging about in those internals that must not be said or spoken of?

My money is on a corrupt interpretation of the Timeline to Preview. Nothing wrong with monitors nor clips. Has to be a thing going on with the interpretation of the Timeline. Aint no programmer here, but when all else fails: Ctrl+Shift!

.. oh yeah? get them Safe Areas back?!? Worries the hell out of me.

Good Luck!!

The only thing I can think of is to try changing the preview quality.
It might not be the monitors, it could be how the video card is handling what's being sent to it.

However it could also be that some FX is being applied in the track header. Those FXs and Track Pan/Crop are bypassed when the clip is being played back from the trimmer. But as Grazie has said pretty hard to imagine just what in the track header could be causing the problem. But here's a guess, that looks for all the world like a background for an upper 3rd, sure there isn't more than one track that's been overlooked, like she's scrolled down the tracks and lost sight of one above?

Ah bugger, I forgot. This dang things not in the rendered output!!!

Also worth just opening a new instance of Vegas and dropping the same clip into the new project, see what happens then.

I give up, without being in front of it, very hard to diagnose, doing it through a 3rd party, brain strain time.

Nope, not in the rendered output. Soooo.. that's why I'm holding out for some badly corrupted T/L to Preview thing. Well, if there was a corruption to the process then maybe an upper 1/3 is being Bypassed by the FX bypass but then not being seen within the render.

And yes try and re-pro with fresh Vegas and Fresher media! Always eat Fresh Veg!

Sorry for the delay guys but I just woke up over here in Canada :-)
After checking your responses, I checked other emails and got this response from my friend. Emphasis added by me. BTW, her kid is 7 months old.

I had checked my timeline for something I might have missed and what he said made sense. But I couldn't find anything there. So when I was checking out the video preview icons and saw "FX bypass", I clicked on that and sure enough, off popped the black line! How on earth I applied that and did not notice is beyond me! Must have been distracted by that darn kid of mine - I'm often trying to squeeze in some editing time with him playing at my feet and often my brain is in two places at one time (not to mention sleep deprived). Now I kind of feel like an idiot but am sure glad for your help and everyone's input on the forum.

I'll add my sincere thanks as well for the help. I know I'm not alone in saying that I've been bitten by the "FX bypass" bug in the past.

Mike

I just have to ask, at least so Grazie can sleep soundly tonight.
What FX was bypassed to cause that?

Grazie will have to go without sleep then :-)
Her answer was:
I have no idea! Once I got the black line off the screen, I then clicked on the "select left half, select right half" to check them out. After that, I could not get that black line back on the screen again.

Mike

Ooooh felt me ears burning.

Well the answer is . .. nah not gonna tell yah ..






















oh, ok. You can "draw", left button HOLD with your mouse ANY rectangular shape directly ON the Preview window. This is very useful if you wish to compare a section of a Clipboard with what you are correcting. I've used it often. However, it can lead one well up the garden path. Clicking OFF the icon, of course removes the "rectangular" selection. Now 'cos you did even have any FX then nothing was there. Well, actually the impression of black was there not nothing so to speak - HUH! Lol .. . Just re-draw in the Preview screen and you WILL get the black box back - if you wish . . To re-pro you would have to have had to copy say a balnk piece of T/L and then compared that, by using the direct draw.

I knew that Grazie wouldn't let it go until it was resolved to his satisfaction. :-O
Now he can go to sleep a happy editor.

Mike