Video clips intermittently don't play in project

carapace wrote on 6/11/2014, 7:09 PM
I have had this frustrating problem a number of times as I work through this first project on my new custom computer that was supposed to be great for video editing. That said I'm not very computer savvy, but have managed to do a number of hobby video projects that look great. I'm using Vegas Pro 11. I'm having intermittent problems with certain video files not playing back, often when the project gets to some "critical mass". I have troubleshot this with Sony (wanted me to try Vegas 13 but that didn't solve it) and Obedia (helped temporarily). My solution has been to render shorter videos which I will combine to my final finished project. Almost done now, but it has happened again and I'm just looking for help to avoid having to start this segment (hours of work) all over. The videos seem to be ones I shot using my Nikon P300 and not my Canon SX50. Any help would greatly be appreciated. I know this a codec problem, just don't know how to solve it. Tried converting the problem clips to AVI but couldn't even drag them into the project.

Thanks in advance Sony community!

Comments

videoITguy wrote on 6/11/2014, 9:12 PM
Sorry but generalizations just don't make this topic work - you need details, details, and more DETAILS!
carapace wrote on 6/12/2014, 7:41 AM
Happy to comply if you will give details of what information is needed to help. I am new to this forum and receiving help this way. Also not too computer savvy as I mentioned. Still very interested in receiving some guidance if that can be done with patience and detailed instruction.

Interestingly after I replied. I opened my project and all the problem clips where showing their video images, not black as before. However, when I tried to edit some text, the problem videos went black again. As I said this seems to happen when a "critical mass" is hit but that may have nothing to do with it. The fact that it is intermittent, as evidenced by the brief "fix" this morning, is confusing. I should have just rendered it but got "greedy" trying to correct some text.

PLEASE HELP!
carapace wrote on 6/12/2014, 8:38 AM
Here are properties of a problem piece of video:

General
Name: white-throated crake 4-19-14.MOV
Folder: E:\Panama\Camp
Type: QuickTime
Size: 154.09 MB (157,788,385 bytes)
Created: Saturday, April 19, 2014, 2:46:26 PM
Modified: Thursday, April 24, 2014, 11:45:20 AM
Accessed: Thursday, April 24, 2014, 7:56:30 AM
Attributes: Archive

Streams
Audio: 00:01:06.432, 48,000 Hz, 32 Bit (IEEE Float), Stereo, AAC

Summary
[GUDE]: {7BB3FE15-954A-4E75-B5E1-45EE98F74990}

ACID information
ACID chunk: no
Stretch chunk: no
Stretch list: no
Stretch info2: no
Beat markers: no
Detected beats: no

Other metadata
Regions/markers: no
Command markers: no

Media manager
Media tags: no
carapace wrote on 6/12/2014, 8:51 AM
From an another recent post:

"That is why if you use enough Quicktime MOV clips in a Vegas project, you will run out of memory even though you still have plenty of memory installed. It is a Quicktime issue that you would also run into with Premiere Pro or Edius."

This is exactly my situation, I think. When I refer to "critical mass" I think I have hit the Quicktime memory limit. Is there a creative way to save my project? i.e. can I copy 1/2 into a new project and render the first 1/2?

Apparently my intuitive "work around" of limiting the size of my segments, rendering and adding the rendered segments to the larger project is the way to go. Is there some other solution?
dlion wrote on 6/12/2014, 1:01 PM
you're on the right track. do save as. save as a new name, then delete the first half and the space. reopen the original, delete the second half.

you could also transcode your movs to a different format, like mxf or xdcam mp4 in vegas, or you could do it in batch with scripting or a third party add-on.
Laurence wrote on 6/12/2014, 2:58 PM
Turning off GPU acceleration may also help.
Gary James wrote on 6/12/2014, 7:37 PM
"I'm having intermittent problems with certain video files not .

By "playing back" I assume you are talking about Video Preview? Have you tried setting your Video Preview setting to something like Draft Auto or Preview Auto? This adjustment is made in the drop down list just above the Video Preview window. Complex video projects may tax the processor too much, causing it to hiccup or stop playing altogether. By setting the Preview resolution, it can help the processor along.
NickHope wrote on 6/12/2014, 9:31 PM
You could try uninstalling Quicktime and installing Quicktime 7.6.2 which has often helped with QT-related problems (but more so with older releases of Vegas such as version 8).

I get black clips / black frames working with some formats in VP10 (particularly UT Video codec, Cineform etc.). They are always solved by restarting Vegas, but they reappear again after I do stuff. So I always restart Vegas right before a render.
carapace wrote on 6/15/2014, 11:29 AM
All good info, thanks. I had tried the reboot several times to no avail. I do think it was overloaded memory, and so my solution was deleting text, then music, then only 1 video had to go before everything played and rendered correctly. Really easy then to add back text and music. Also, though I never tried changing the preview quality, the clips were black when trying to render so I doubt that was an issue. I also did try the quicktime uninstall, reinstall to no avail.

For others suffering the fate of the black video file, try rendering your project in shorter segments, then adding the rendered clips to a new "final project" as a decent work around.