Print to Tape stutters

Chienworks wrote on 12/11/2002, 3:04 PM

Expect to receive several earfuls and more on this topic from Grazie ;) He struggled long and hard on this problem and did finally get it solved. It apparently boiled down to the BIOS function that controls the cooling fans. Every time the fans kick in it stalls the firewire output for a second or two. There is a free utility called fanGUI that you can download that lets you turn the fans on constantly while you're printing. Grazie will give you all the details. :)

Grazie wrote on 12/11/2002, 5:17 PM

ARRRRGGGGhhhhhhhhh.....

Enough detail?

Grob... I feel sorry for you! There is a solution-ish. It's now gone 11:00pm, I'm going to bed shortly - However stick in "fangui" into the search of this forum or "fans" or "inspiron" or "Dell" - and stand back! Of yes, I'll get you a website that explains that you are not alone. Again - however - I wouldn't be without my Inspy 8k - it is a dream machine.

Oh yes just as a quick test - turn down all the noise in the room you do your work. Sedtup PTT. Send PTT and listen to the fan/s in the top right hand corner of your machine. If you can do this at the same time as watching the screen on your cammy or external viewing screen - you will see a blank screen everytime the fan/s decide to turn off or on. If this does not happen then it is something else. But a £ will get you 10 I bet this is it. Try the test just to confirm this or not.

Speak soon,

Grazie

DGrob wrote on 12/12/2002, 5:33 AM

Hmmmm. Tried Search fangui and read considerable. Will try your suggested test. Where do I access fangui download? Thanks a bunch, hope is born anew.

Chienworks wrote on 12/12/2002, 6:48 AM

Grazie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you see what he said?????? ;)

Grazie wrote on 12/12/2002, 12:14 PM

Grob!

The original site:
http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/

Regards

Grazie

DGrob wrote on 12/12/2002, 8:30 PM

Got it, and what a nice piece of work it is too. Gonna PPT a 10 min project with and without auto control and apply your test suggestion. Will let you know. What a silly glitch. Many thanks again. Grob

Grazie wrote on 12/12/2002, 11:17 PM

It's a pleasure. I just bang on both fans and hit "apply". Make sure you have them working just prior to when you hit the PTT button - yes? If you don't, you will be back in the same position with the stuttering - yes?

I don't bother with the temp ranges - I found that the CPU control option tended to "freeze" my screen making mousey movements verrrry difficult - yes?

"What a silly glitch" - SILLY! It drove me mad - absolutely bloody BONKERS! Grob - I'm telling you - I was about to ditch this vid-ed stuff and take up basket weaving! SoFO hadn't heard of it either!

The Name's "Grazie"!

DGrob wrote on 12/13/2002, 10:00 AM

Oh woe is me . . . got the fan thing fine, did just as you said, but still getting the odd stutter, 4 in an 11-minute PTT. Did notice that the mouse pointer came to life with the old egg-timer display for a few seconds during the PTT, wasn't paying much attention so can't say if they coincide with my stutters. Maybe I'm still getting a spikes of CPU activity from something I haven't shut down yet. Hmmmm. Will look back over the forums to see if there are any checklists for exotic shutdowns and stuff like that there. I also noticed that the CPU monitor screen on the fan control window is showing residual 2% CPU usage with the odd spike as well. I sense a change in the "BONKERS" force around me. Is occasional crying a sign that I'm flirting with affliction??? Grob

Grazie wrote on 12/13/2002, 1:50 PM

I think you have gone to a deeper level in fangui than you need too. I did the same. I just let the Apply Fan/s command take over - yes? I just use the "Direct Fan Control" I played with applying ONE at SLOW and then HIGH - Then 2 fans at both speed settings. - I don't go to the next Window "Options" and use the "CPU" monitor option - I leave this blank - unchecked. It seems odd to do this, but for me it works. And yes, with the CPU Option checked I also got the mouse creeping and staggering over the screen - yes? Nothiong worse than a drunken mouse! Can't hold their drink - it's a known fact - Haven't you heard of the old English saying "As Pi?*$ed as a PC mouse" No? Well now you know....

Hope this helps

Grazie.

DGrob wrote on 12/14/2002, 1:49 PM

OK now. Fangui, both fans to high, CPU monitor off. PTT runs 99-110 degrees F. Norton stuff disabled. Screen saver out. Defragged. Output 11.5 min. dv to mini dv apparently clean.

The best single performance I've had so far.

Is there anything I'm missing to maximise CPU performance?

Thank's for the dialogue, You've been a tremendous help. I take it you're not from Colorado??? Grob

Grazie wrote on 12/14/2002, 4:15 PM

Grob - If this is your CPU temp -"PTT runs 99-110 degrees" - it seems a little high, don't fry your CPU - yes? Which makes me think that the cooling system is "registering" a higher than rated temp. - yes? NOW if this is the case - IMHO - maybe, just MAYBE, you have a "ghost" reading going on anyway! Does the output temp feel that hot? If this is the case then your original over-zealous fanning-about by your Inspiron could be, spuriously and irroneously turning the Fan/s on and off anyway - yes? Maybe a faulty tem. detecting thyristor device on one or more of the locations within the box itself - IMHO - this is only blind conjecture on my part - it would need a Dellboy to look at it - yeah right! However it is a thought. Have a look at DellTalk and you will see LOADS of stuff about BIOS and Fan/s and heating etc.

Nah - I'm grazie from London - UK - init? Not Colorado - I wish!

Oh yes Grob - Have you done the "Noise Test" yet? Y'know, the one where you try and listen to the fan/s switching on/off while you watch for the "Blue Screen Drop-Out", and see if it is happenning at the same time? Oh yes do you mean "99-110" PERCENT or TEMPERATURE? Big difference..... hello? I haven't seen a rating on fangui at this sort of temp.

Like with all Freeware - Fangui is installed and used at the user's own risk.

Grazie

Chienworks wrote on 12/14/2002, 6:09 PM

99-110°F isn't bad for CPU temp. Actually that's quite low. The CPU can probably run as hot as 155°F without being a problem. The case temperature shouldn't go much above 110°F though.

Now, on the other hand, if that's 110°C, then you've got imminent meltdown problems happening!

Grazie wrote on 12/14/2002, 7:29 PM

Doah - Chienworks I knew that! ;).... I was forgetting, you lot [Grob] in the Colonies don't do Metric. Wellll... "that's 110°C" could fry eggs on it - bit frightening.

Still I still want to know Grob's % success rate AND if S/he has done the "Grazie -Bent-Ear Test".

Grazie

Chienworks wrote on 12/14/2002, 8:09 PM

I'll go for sunny-side-up, thank you very much!

http://www.chienworks.com/webinfo/convert

Grazie wrote on 12/15/2002, 12:17 AM

You the Start! You the Star! - Chienworks, slipped that straight into my favourites browser menu. Thank you!

Grazie

ps: Now where did I out Chienworks' toast 'n coffee?

DGrob wrote on 12/15/2002, 9:50 AM

Received and mostly understood. As Chienworks notes, it's all in Farenheitm colonial-talk. One thing to add, I also unplugged the battery. I've noticed the charger indicator light blinks periodically during line power ops, so I thought, why not? Maybe another potential noise source. Haven't tried your blue screen monitor test just yet, probably try to squeeze it in tonight. Suppose that would be definitive, yes? (Oh my, I'm picking up the lingo.)

Grob

Grazie wrote on 12/15/2002, 12:10 PM

A "blue" screen on the screen of your cammy will indicate a drop in video stream - AS will no video - yes? I believe, thankfully! the battery don't go near the BIOS -but I could be wrong. Power management IS aBIOS thingy I think. Hey try DellTalk... there's loads of support regarding what's what - yes? And, yes - seeing and hearing when the 2 "results" happen will be definitive of the cause and effect.

It aint the "noise" you need to be exploring - "I've noticed the charger indicator light blinks periodically during line power ops, so I thought, why not? Maybe another potential noise source. " It's the BIOS being called on to do something that throws the DV flow - yes? But, all-in-all you are on the right track now. What I want to hear from you Grob, is that out of 10 attempts to PTT you have 10 successful sessions. That'll do it for me.

Well done... Grazie.

DGrob wrote on 12/15/2002, 9:12 PM

Yes I see. Go for ten and Amen. Thanks again. Grob

DGrob wrote on 12/22/2002, 8:50 PM

Hey Grazie, I been cruisin' with my PTT. Not up to ten yet, but five solid outputs ranging from 6 to 12 minutes. What a delight to just play again, and VF is really owning up to all the good things I've heard and read about it.

Curious thing . . . I've used the fan-dangio CPU history-gram to monitor CPU performance levels in "quiet" time. Aside from the residual 3% or so, every 2+ minutes (regular) I get a spike to 50% (sometimes a little two-headed monster) It hasn't appeared to effect my PTT, but do you have a clue what I might be seeing.

Hey, thanks for all the help. Grob

Grazie wrote on 12/22/2002, 9:20 PM

Grob it's a pleasure. Have you done that test yet?

Yes, I get the same. There are probably some "house-keeping" thingies going on that bite into processing time. I've WinME, and there is something called "Maintenance Schedular" - yes? If you view this you might find the "procedure" that is being called on. I know I've got one that every 5-10 minutes goes around and collects system data or information or summit like that. I aint no PC fundi, but know enough to know when to leave things alone - yes?

Anyways GOOD news on your success - I'm really pleased about that - For me it really drove me nutz for months - Drove our colleagues here nutz as well! But hey, they hung in with me . . . THANKS GUYS 'N GIRLS! . . ..

Oh the other ting it's called FANGUI - Had to laugh . . you made it sound like a cross between a South American dance AND a Spanish Formula 1 racing driver! "fan-dangio" - And taking the chequered flag - for the fifth time this year is the world champion, from Madrid Fan Dangio! You can understand why he lent his name to that famous dance" - "Thanks Murray - It's Fangui actually" - Oh - that last bit of chat was for the likes of IanG and other Murray Walker fans [ bl&*dy fan/s again! ].

Seriously though Grob - Good luck and have fun,

Grazie