DV File Size Issue?

[Ron B]

Trying to work with an 8.0G DV file from a Sony TRV900 is causing Premiere 6.0 and the mighty Ulead VS6 to crash. I've tried converting the file with the Canopus DV Converter thinking that was the problem, but it converts about 5.5G of the file then stops, leaving an unusable file.
Any ideas what might be happening here? If the file size is too big to work with, any suggestions on what to use to chop the large file up?
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Richard_G]

I don't use Ulead VS but regularly load multiple files of up 13G each into Ulead Mediastudio Pro, so I don't think file size has anything to do with it. As the Canopus DV Converter stops part way through, maybe there is an error in the file? Try transferring it again and see if you get the same problem.

[Ron B]

I'll have to check that out. I've never had any issues transferring DV from the camera to the computer, I'll try another video file and see if it has the same problems.
edit-You're right on, corrupt file, checked it with G-Spot; corrupt AVI header. Thing is, I've worked with this file before, so somehow the file got corrupted while working with it in VS6 and/or Premiere6.0. Alright now, where did I put that tape?
Thanks for the advice.

[redwudz]

You could also try WinDV for the transfer and it may tell you if you have dropped frames that are causing the problem. Can you play the DV back with a software player with no problems?

If the DV converter is having a problem, then it sounds like the file is corrupt. That should only be about 35 minutes or so of video and those programs should have no problem with that.

[Ron B]

Check the edited post above, you're right, it's a fubared file. I should have checked it with G-Spot straightaway but since I'd worked with the file before without issues, I was a little confused.
Thanks for your assistance though. Another day, another learning experience.

[Ron B]

I was checking some of my AVI files with G-Spot, it says all the longer files(4-8G) have corrupt headers and are invalid. I haven't tried to edit all of them but all of them play in WMP 6.4, I re-transferred the one file I had trouble with that I described earlier in the thread and it works fine in VideoStudio6, even though G-Spot says it's corrupt.
Not sure what the dealio is now. I'll try a newer version of G-Spot.

[redwudz]

If it's just the header, I have had some luck re-encoding a video with VirtualDub Mod and the Panasonic DV Codec. You can also check for file errors with VD or VDM.

Most software players can tolerate a somewhat corrupted video file, so they aren't always a good way to judge the condition. Does it happen when transferring from the camera or after processing?

[ofbarea]

I've tried converting the file with the Canopus DV Converter thinking that was the problem, but it converts about 5.5G of the file then stops, leaving an unusable file.

If the DV converter is having a problem, then it sounds like the file is corrupt. That should only be about 35 minutes or so of video and those programs should have no problem with that.

Are you talking about the Canopus DV Type 1 to Type 2 Converter? If this is the case it will not convert files past certain size.

I have used other converters and there was one that works just fine. I just do not remember the name, but it is listed in the DV tools section of this site.

[Ron B]

Are you talking about the Canopus DV Type 1 to Type 2 Converter? If this is the case it will not convert files past certain size.

I have used other converters and there was one that works just fine. I just do not remember the name, but it is listed in the DV tools section of this site.

Yes, I use the Canopus converter to convert video files that won't fly with my older Premiere6.0. It's worked in the past, there are file types that are supposed to not have a size limit, but maybe not with every file.

The files appear to G-Spot as corrupted files right off the camera, but they work fine in most cases. I took a file straight off the camera and ran it through VideoStudio 6, as is, to process it as a DV NTSC file and it also read as having a corrupted header with G-Spot. VS6 is only an average video editor, but it renders pretty good files.
I think the one file I posted about was corrupted somehow(I've wrecked them by switching computers with my USB KVM switch while transferring DV from the camera to the computer), I re-transferred the video and it works fine, but still shows as having a corrupted header.
Still using an older version of G-Spot, I'll try to get the newer version installed and see what happens.

[Ron B]

I upgraded to GSpot v2.60. For the file in question, it no longer states that it has a corrupted header, but that it has "3.05GB unneeded bytes at end of file". Same results for the same file I ran through VideoStudio6 to create another DV NTSC file.
Not sure what to make of this. An 8G file has 3G of "unneeded bytes"?

[redwudz]

You could try VDM and see if you can fix it or edit it there.

[Ron B]

I've used the "regular" Virtual Dub for some time, guess I'll give the mod a try. I wonder if the long Type 1 DV files, especially from the proprietary natured Sony camcorders, is giving G Spot a bad read. I'm able to work with the files OK. TMPGEnc and Windows Media Encoder both turn out good videos from the original Sony DV footage.

[redwudz]

VD, except the latest version can't handle DV type 1. I just use VD Mod because it handles MPEG and I like how the audio is handled compared to the regular VD. But otherwise they work the same.

But usually if VD or VDM can't open a file, and you have the proper codecs installed, you have a major problem.