PC hang when loading mpg files to project media

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/17/2008, 8:35 AM

Hi all,

Very appreciate if anyone can help me.

I have 9.27 GB mpg files (from my Sony Handycam), which I need to load into one project Vegas file.

I did to load those files part by part from Explorer tab to Project Media tab and Timeline track inside my Vegas application (Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum ver 8.0d (Build 139)). However, my Vegas application is hang (not responding - if we see it from Windows Task Manager) after I loaded some mpg files.

I have also tried many times to repeat to load the mpg files. Sometimes my PC like hang and I leave it for some minutes and it shown the error message like "an error occured opening the media file" with three options to proceed.

Currently, I cannot proceed to load the rest mpg files into my project file because of this hang " weird" problem.

Here is my PC configuration :

- Pentium dual Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 2.4 GHz with RAM 4GB
- Window XP pro SP2.
- Graphic card GeForce 8600 GT 256 MB.
- nVidia WDM Video Capture (universal)

My XP OS and Vegas application are in the same hardisk but the video files are in other hardisk.

Thank in advance for your help to share the resolution or guidance.

Cheers,
Axel

Comments

Eugenia wrote on 5/17/2008, 10:15 AM

Record for me a 3 second mpg clip with your handycam, upload it somewhere, and send me the URL. I will test it for you and suggest a next move.

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 5/17/2008, 10:23 AM

There is nothing wrong with your system.
Have you tried 'import' under file?

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/17/2008, 12:17 PM

Hi Ivan,

I have not tried to use "Import" under File menu option. Instead, I did to select some mpg files by high-lighted them and copy-paste from Explorer tab into Project Media tab.

If I re-open my project file after hang ( I terminated Vegas aplication after hang) then Vegas application will take long time to load all the last successful files in Project Media and Timeline track. Thereafter, it will show the message like "an error occured opening the media file" with three options to proceed.

Please advice. Thank you for your attention and help.

Cheers,
Axel

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/17/2008, 12:51 PM

Hi Eugenia,

I just sent you the sample of video clip to your hotmail. Thank you for your attention and help.

Cheers,
Axel

Eugenia wrote on 5/17/2008, 1:30 PM

The mpeg file you sent me works PERFECTLY with Vegas Platinum 8. Make sure:
1. You have updated Vegas to the latest free update.
2. You don't use a pirated version, as the pirated versions don't have the mpeg decoder cracked.
3. If problems persist, re-install Vegas.

Eugenia wrote on 5/17/2008, 1:31 PM

Also make sure your don't use an external USB drive for the footage or otherwise, some times these doesn't work well with Vegas.

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/17/2008, 1:46 PM

Hi Eugenia,

I have been using the original software and latest update ver 8.0d

I have been using USB port only for Microsoft wireless mouse and keyboard. Are they also the root caused ?. Thank you,

Cheers,
Axel

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 5/17/2008, 9:31 PM

Were your files originally recorded on a (mini) dvd on the sony handy cam? If yes, the normal procedure is to 'import' them into Vegas from the dvd while it is still in the handycam, I think. . If you still have the original dvds, you should try this first. It should work. Alternatively, you should try to 'import' an mpg file from your harddisk and watch the result.
You see, the 'import' function will change some of the video code of the file, so that it can be edited with Vegas.

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 5/17/2008, 9:33 PM

Eugenia, did you use 'import'? If you didn't, Axel can forget this line of thought.

Eugenia wrote on 5/17/2008, 10:31 PM

No, I just DnD the file on Vegas' media bin, it worked fine for me.

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 5/18/2008, 12:40 AM

Then Axl most likely didn't register the mpg codec properly. So he must uninstall and reinstall Vegas.

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/18/2008, 9:52 AM

Hi Eugenia/Ivan,

I have downloaded those 9.27 GB mpg files from my Sony Handycam with hardisk to my PC using Sony's utility HDD Handycam. Therefore, I have not tried to use import file option. Instead, I just drag or copy-paste a particular mpg file from Explorer tab into Project Media tab inside Vegas application.

I have tried to uninstall and re-install my original Vegas Platinum 8.0 and also downloaded with the latest update 8.0d. I have also installed ffdshow and mpeg splitter as Eugenia advised.

However, the result is still hang! after I open my project file, which has been created by Vegas version before re-install. Once I open such project file then my Vegas looked like busy long time to process and got error for a particular mpg file that I have loaded into project file previously. It shown error from Timeline track. Here is the error messages :

An error occurred opening the media file

:My Documents\My Video\20070616135101.mpg

What do you want to

. Specify a replacement media file
. Ignore error and leave media file offline
. Ignore this and all subsequent errors

OK CANCEL

Could it be that my PC or Vegas application could not handle many mpg files to be shown or loaded ?. Or anything wrong with parameters/options of my Vegas application ?. Please let me know the valid parameters/options to make best performance or to avoid hang condition like mine.

One more thing. How can I know to register the mpg codec properly ?. Please advise how to do that.

Thank you very much for both of you who want to help me and share your knowledge to assist me.

Cheers,
Axel

Eugenia wrote on 5/18/2008, 10:33 AM

Did you install ffdshow+splitters as I requested on my email? This is the only difference between mine and your PC.

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 5/18/2008, 10:05 PM

Maybe your project settings are in conflict with the mpg characteristics.
To find out, try this:
1) start a new project in Vegas
2) Under files go to properties
3) In that window, look for the 'template' line. Next to it, there are three icons. The third one is a folder-icon. Click on it and find one of the mpg file on your disk and select this. This will set the projectproperties to the specs of the mpg file.
4) click ok
5) Now drag some mpg files to the timeline and see what happens

One more thing: how is your harddisk formatted? If it is FAT32, then the maximum file size of a video file is 4 GB. Could it be that one such mpg file is bigger? (unlikely, I know)

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/19/2008, 3:44 AM

Hi Eugenia,

As I have mentioned previously that I have re-installed Vegas Platinum 8 and also intalled ffdshow+splitter. I could see ffdshow exist thru Control Panel-Windows Add or Remove Programs. Any thing else to ensure that ffdshow has been installed and recognized by Vegas ?. Please advice. Thank you.

Cheers,
Axel

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/19/2008, 5:31 AM

Hi Ivan,

My hardisks all formated under NTFS. I don't have mpg file size with more than 1GB. Just to remind you that I am having total mpg files size 9.24 GB (318 files).

I just tried to create the new project file and followed your instructions. However, I encountered the same error message again after I imported more than 159 of 318 mpg files. The file name is various but the same error message like :

Once I open such project file then my Vegas looked like busy long time to process and got error for a particular mpg file that I have loaded into project file previously. It shown error from Timeline track. Here is the error messages :

An error occurred opening the media file

:My Documents\My Video\20070616135101.mpg

What do you want to

. Specify a replacement media file
. Ignore error and leave media file offline
. Ignore this and all subsequent errors

OK CANCEL

I have not uploaded yet those mpg files into Timeline track. What is wrong with my problem ?, Is it caused by lack of RAM or invalid setting/parameter of my Vegas Application ?. Should it be the Vegas application able to load too many mpg files into one project file ?.

Thank you.

Cheers,
Axel

Ivan Lietaert wrote on 5/19/2008, 3:09 PM

Maybe that specified file (My Documents\My Video\20070616135101.mpg) got damaged in the original capturing phase and now crashes Vegas.
If that is the case, it is likely that the same message will appear when you just drag that specified file to the timeline. So give that a try.
If Vegas crashes, this indicates that the file is damaged and you should avoid using it in Vegas. You could recapture that scene, or simply not use it in your project.

I'm not sure about limitations of Vegas, but I do know that Vegas doesn't like mpg files for editing. The reason is that they are already compressed, unlike avi-dv which is recorded on minidv, and being compressed, they demand much more memory and processing power.
EDIT:
Dragging all 318 files (9.3GB) may indeed be too much for Vegas or your system. Why don't you make smaller projects? Such a big project won't fit on dvd anyhow.

alantodd wrote on 5/19/2008, 6:12 PM

Hi,

I have always had exactly the same problem.

I have a JVC HDD camcorder and I can get about 130-150 .mpg clips into a project, then VMS gives up.

To get around the problem, I break my project down into parts. Part1, Part2, Part3 ....

I do the editing etc here, then render as an AVI file.

I then create a Master project and drop these AVI files onto that, then build my DVD from that project.

It's a bit of a pain as you are effectively rendering the project twice, and I'm not sure that you don't loose some quality, but I have been advised by members on another forum that VMS, Plat 7 always had difficulties with .mpg files.

Hope this helps by providing one possible solution.

Better still, I hope this helps someone else solve the problem in a better way.

Axel Sahulata wrote on 5/22/2008, 6:37 AM

Hi Ivan and Alan,

Thanks for your kind advice and feedback. On the other hand. I have escalated this problem to Sony. Please find below the feedback from Matt. He is Sony Creative Technical Support. Therefore, I will do it again as your advice and also with input from Matt. Hope the information below will be helpful for all of us include Eugenia.

Cheers,
Axel

***********************

Hi Axel,

Thank you for contacting Sony Creative Software.

This is a known issue with Vegas and something that our engineering is looking into updating in a future release. Currently, on most systems you'll crash when you add a bunch of non-HDV MPEG-2 files to the timeline. In general, it depends on how much ram you have but most people see the problem starting at around 70 separate files.

The options for a workaround is to use less mpg2 clips in a single project or convert the files to DV .avi or similar.

To convert the files:

1. Add the clips to the timeline.

2. Go to File > Render As. The Save As Type should be set to "Video For Windows (*.AVI)" and the Template should be set to "HDV 1080-60i Intermediate". Now click Save. The files will be saved as an AVI that utilizes the Cineform HD V2.5 codec. It retains all the detail from the M2TS file.

After the file is saved, replace it with what's on the timeline. Now you'll experience smoother playback and more precision over editing the project.

If you still have a follow-up question on this particular incident, please feel free to update it. If you have a completely different question, please create a new incident.

Sincerely,

Matt K.
Customer Service & Technical Support
Sony Creative Software Inc
www.sonycreativesoftware.com