Thanks for your reply,
I am using avi files from a digital camera (fujifilm s602, vga640x480, 30fps).
When I view the avi files thru WMP, Quicktime or VF no problem, but when I save (make movie) to microsoft avi (which I believe is the best quality, as far as option available) that is when the problems starts to occur.

Far as format of source from digital camera, motion jpeg (which shows as avi. file extension). But I can play these files from WMP and QT with no problems.

I am not sure I understand DV template question. When I import my dig camera avi files into VF they play fine, but when I render (make movie into microsoft avi) this is when the problems start. So I tried troubleshooting by saving the same file onto both drives as mpeg1 with no problem or difference.

Now I am not sure about your compressed question. I do not change the original files(avi) until I render (make movie).

I hope I am using the right terminology.

Hopefully I am making sense, Thank you for your help.

Tom

When you Make Movie / Save it to your hard drive, the third field on that screen is Template. The usual choice is NTSC DV which is the compressed version you should be using. However from the description of your playback problems it sounds like you may have changed this to Default Template (uncompressed) which would create vastly huger files.

The Fuji 602 is technically not a DV video camera, but a still camera that takes motion video. Motion video is in the MJPEG format, as I understand it so, when you capture your video, capture it as an AVI with the MJPEG codec.

You should be able to do all your editing in this format and the quality should remain high. (No reason to save it as an uncompressed AVI - which will just use a lot of hard drive space and, as you've experience, tax your system during playback.)

If you do a search of this forum for MJPEG, you'll find a lot more discussion of this format.

Chienworks,
Did a litle more research, tried saving in different file formats ( mpeg, avi, avi NTSC DV) and the conclusion is that on my 2nd hdd mpeg works fine, avi and avi NTSC DV works fine as long as I saved to 1st hdd then copy to 2nd hdd.

When I tried saving directly to 2nd hdd as avi (ntsc dv - uncomp) doesn't work well ( choppy). I spoke to my local computer dealer (non franchise store), his comments that given the hardware configuration, that I should not have any speed issues playing back from 2nd hdd.

By the way avi or avi- uncompressed had same issue on 2nd hdd.

Any further advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Tom

Grisetti,
I don't capture in VF, Fujifilm has its own capture thru usb, and saved as default mjpeg avi. I use this camera because of convenience. I also use Sony digital camcorder.

I have not tried to capture the fuji camera in VF. I don't think I can but will check into.

Thanks for your reply.
Tom

I could be way off, but sometimes there's an issue between varying rpm with hd's with dv editing. On some systems there's no prbs but others which have, say, a 7200 hd and another at 5400 could experience data-flow issues. BTW is the 120gb fat32?

Laz,
Yes, 120gb fat32. Primary hdd is 5400rpm, secondary hdd is 7200rpm.
Don't know what prb's are.

Tom

If your os is xp then converting 120gb hd to ntsf may improve things. If you're 98 then partitioning into smaller chunks, say 3 partitions, may be better. (xp likes ntsf better than fat32, and 98 has probs dealing with larger partitions).