PTT madness: please help a suicidal videographer

slacy wrote on 2/3/2005, 2:26 PM
Hi all,

I've posted on this subject before without solving my problem. Figured I'd try again to see if any new wisdom has emerged on the subject.

Here's my issue. I edit a monthly video for a nearby grocery chain. At the end of the process I print a Mini DV master tape using my VX2000. Problem is, some months I'm able to print to tape, other months I'm not. Just three weeks ago I printed to tape with no problem. Today, no go.

My best guess is that the firewire signal is getting interrupted somehow. The little record icon in the VX2000 screen blinks off erratically, and the screen goes white, and this happens maybe for a second every seven seconds.

I've tried everything. I've defragged all drive. I've put media on a different drive from my Vegas install. I've uninstalled the OHCI driver and reinstalled it. I've printed to tape from the timeline AND Vegas Capture. I've unplugged all other external USB device. I've rebooted about 25 times. Nothing works.

And the thing is, next month, it'll probably work just fine and I'll never know why.

Anyone who can point me in the right direction will be a deity for life.

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 2/3/2005, 2:39 PM
Nothing running in the background? Cable is good? No fan using an IRQ in the system? What card are you using? When you say OHCI driver, it raises a red flag. Your card should need no driver. Do you see the DV cam in the Control Panel/System/AVC devices?
Every seven seconds suggests a system resource being called on.
Have you tried ENDITALL? Run that before booting Vegas to print.
http://www.docsdownloads.com/Tier1/enditall.htm
slacy wrote on 2/3/2005, 2:48 PM
Hmmm. Maybe I don't mean "driver." What I'm referring to is the process of removing the device from the device manager and letting Windows XP find it and install the necessary software, which I thought was a driver.

There's not much running in the background. Not positive about the cable, though it seems like such an unlikely culprit (that said, my next move is to replace that as well).

I'll try the enditall and report back.
BrianStanding wrote on 2/3/2005, 2:51 PM
Bad cables and or firewire ports can create all kinds of strange behavior.

See this thread for my tail of woe, and pray that the problem is in the cable, not in your camera's firewire jack.

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=332628
flippin wrote on 2/3/2005, 3:23 PM
Slacy,

Is it possible that this is an intermittent problem in your vidcam? All the things you checked were on the PC side, no?

Do you have a different vidcam, even a cheapie, that you could substitute to find out if there is actually a problem in the VX2000?

Best regards,

Lee
tadpole wrote on 2/3/2005, 6:24 PM
Not trying to insult your intelligence.. but ya never know (it happend to me:)

I Would set up PTT before i went to bed - next morning.. error message, didn't work.. Tried again next night, same thing.

Duh.. i checked the power cord behind my desk, the AC camera power cable had come out of wall.. Each night i set it up, the battery had enough juice to keep it on till i went to bed - then autopower off.. doh


(oh also, i would defintitely get a cheapie camera to use as VCR.. don't wanna be putting hours on your vx)
Spot|DSE wrote on 2/3/2005, 6:36 PM
Don'tcha just hate it when you trip over that power cord? That doesn't happen with a Mac.
GaryKleiner wrote on 2/3/2005, 10:22 PM
>That doesn't happen with a Mac.<

LOL