Odd problem with black frames

Cheesehole wrote on 8/5/2004, 8:31 AM

As usual the weirdest things happen to me...

This time I posted screen shots. I'm getting strings of "black" frames using DivX 5.1 pro source files.

00:13:25.09 / 12,084.000 abs frames
http://www.benorona.com/vegas_problems/blackframe_divx/screen1.jpg

Again at twice the first distance:
00:26:51.03 / 24,167.976 abs frames
http://www.benorona.com/vegas_problems/blackframe_divx/screen2.jpg

And again at 3 times the first distance - this time I realized the frames aren't actually black, but transparent. I can see the lower tracks' video content through the black frames on the upper tracks.
00:53:42.06 / 48,336.000 abs frames
http://www.benorona.com/vegas_problems/blackframe_divx/screen3.jpg

These drop-outs don't show up in the original source, or the DivX file when I play it in media player. It happens when I put it on the track in Vegas, and they show up in anything I render from the time line.

My project properties match my source file properties (15 fps).

I'm stumped... and I have to deliver these tomorrow so I'm thinking of duping the last good frame and just hoping the client doesn't notice the hiccup. They'd definitely notice the black stuff.

So has anyone seen this? Any clues based on the times they occur? Thanks!

Comments

SonyEPM wrote on 8/5/2004, 11:42 AM

You can probably work around this problem by rendering the DIVX files, start to finish with NO edits, to .avi and then relinking to the .avi's in Vegas.

Cheesehole wrote on 8/5/2004, 1:01 PM

Thanks I actually had that thought, but these are just laying on the time line with no edits. I'm essentially using Vegas as a recompression tool. I tried using Vegas 3 and Vegas 5 with the same results.

The DivX files themselves were rendered from Vegas. We're using DivX as an intermediary format to send files over the net (compressed with integrity protection).

Cheesehole wrote on 8/6/2004, 6:04 AM

I wonder if I should bother with support... or will they tell me they don't support DivX on the timeline...

Cheesehole wrote on 8/6/2004, 8:32 AM

More info:

Upon further investigation I discovered (to my dismay) that the black frames appear not every 12,000 frames but every 4,025 frames (approximate).

I tested it on multiple systems and multiple versions of Vegas with the same results. Something about these DivX files are not agreeing with Vegas...

Cheesehole wrote on 8/6/2004, 9:25 AM

VirtualDub saves the day. I am recompressing the files through Vdub as IYUV AVI, then opening them in Vegas and there is no sign of the black frames.

Strange that Windows Media Player and VirtualDub can read these DivX files flawlessly while Vegas 3/5 inserts strings of black frames every 4,025 frames.

?????