Virtual Dub has trouble playing 640x480 capture

[timmo]

Anybody have any suggestions for curing s-l-o-w input playback in Virtual Dub on a 640x480 file? I never had problems working with 320x240 captures; had some minor audio delays when working with 320x480 files that I could fix by telling VDub to "drop frames when behind"... but with a 640x480 file I get occassionally jerky playback and VERY jerky audio (if at all) even tho other programs have no toruble playing back the same file.

I've tried every possible setting for graphic hardware acceleration and read-ahead optimization and looked all over VDub for a solution, without success. I can render without problems, but editting is a bitch when you can't hardly hear anything.

I'm using a Duron 950 processor, Windows98se, and a well defragged hard drive with 7200rpm & 8mb cache. I suppose a faster processor is one solution (that my motherboard won't support) but since other programs can handle these files, I have to believe there's a way to make VDub do likewise.

Any ideas???

[mgh]

As you guessed, it is your system. Virtualdub used to do the same when I had a PII, even with 352x288 videos.
In any case, it is not a playback software.

[timmo]

I've seen the "VDub is not a player" comment elsewhere, but if I have to use another program to make a simple edit, even to trim the beginning or end of a capture, it's going to make the whole process a lot more complicated and add another "generation" to the video. In most cases, all I want to do is make an edit that isn't in the middle of a spoken word, or not until after the audio fades. Am I asking too much? I like the VDub frameserver option and not having an intermediate file inbetween the capture and MPG rendering program.

[Gazorgan]

VDUB isn't an editing system either. What you want can be done in VDUB, but you'd have much better luck in Adobe Premiere (6.5 or 7.0) or the ULEAD studio suite.

Also, a Duron 700 may strain to render in realtime. I don't have the problem doing what you ask in VDUB, but I have about 4x the horsepower.

[FOO]

The fact that it won't play in real time has nothing to to with
editing.

[SLK001]

What kind of file are you trying to play back? Also, you are terribly underpowered for video.

[timmo]

I'm playing back 640x480 MJPG-caps made with with VDub or Avi_IO,
from either VHS tape, or a Hi-8 camcorder...then using Tmpge & VCD Easy to make SVCD's. I use Studio to edit if I'm going to export back to VHS, fade the video or do something beyond simple editting. But whenever possible, I prefer to make a few edits in VDub and then frameserve, or make a direct stream copy.

Editting in VDub was a snap at 320x240 and I assumed a 2-3Ghz processor might be needed to get the same results with larger formats, but since Studio, Ulead Video Studio, and Video Edit Magic can play these files more smoothly, I was hoping there was a way to make VDub do the same.

Thanks for the input.

[FOO]

Why do you have to play them to edit them ?

[timmo]

If I've just captured something in VDub, how can I trim the ends (as Avery suggests) or cut something out of the middle, if I can't watch that portion play back in real time...before and after the edit??? And if there's any kind of audio involved, I want to hear what I'm about to splice into. Granted, some edits can be made just by looking at the stills, but that's pretty limiting. While the program isn't designed to be a Player, it is designed Play files. I just wish I could get it to do that with 640x480 files using a 950Mhz processor, becuase more often than not, Virtual Dub is my tool of choice.

[FOO]

I edit with Vdub by scrubbing to get close and then holding down the
arrow key to step to a place. You can't hear the audio , however.

Go buy a new motherboard and CPU , If you avoid getting the latest
and greatest they are cheap.

[timmo]

A-HA!!!

There IS a solution... in case anyone else stumbles across this thread with a similar problem:

Adjust the VIDEO / FRAME RATE or (CNTRL-R).
Using the Source Rate Adjustment won't do the trick, but
Under Frame Rate Conversion, select CONVERT TO fps.
For me, knocking it down to 20 or so lets me hear everything while editting. Just remember to CHANGE IT BACK, before saving!