CCE crashing in Win XP Pro

[q1aqza]

I am having a real problem getting CCE SP 2.5 to run with Win XP Pro (I did previously try a demo version of 2.64 which was OK). It crashes with an AVIstream and disc read error always around 4-5 minutes into either transcoding (when using CBR) or creating the .vaf when using VBR. I have tried frameserving with vdub and using the AVI directly and it happens the same on both. My video files are created and encoded on a separate hard disk to my OS.

I have read on this forum that there are issues with the size of the AVI file in respect of a 2Gb or 4Gb limit. Some people say 2GB others say 4GB. I am using an NTFS partition so if this issue is related to FAT16, or FAT32 then NTFS should overcome that. Does framserving overcome any AVI filesize limitations? The AVI file I am trying to encode is 3.3GB and is created with Pinnacle Studio7 and is just camcorder stuff, no DVD rip.

My system:
1.4 Athlon (no overclocking) - that I am aware of anyway
512 DDR RAM
1 x 40 GB 5400 HD
1 x 60 GB 7200 HD
Win XP Pro

What I have tried so far:
Searched this and other forums intensely and tried nearly everything that has been suggested but most cases seem to involve frameserving from a DV rip whereas mine occurs with using a direct AVI file;
Defragged the partition I use for video editing/encoding
Disabled Norton AntiVirus
Tried the CRC patch
Tried the compatibility mode with WIn 98/Me, NT4, Win 2000
Uninstalled/reinstalled
My last ditch attempt was I restored a 'clean' XP build from a Ghost image that I had I created soon after installing XP


I would like to hear from anyone who has had this problem and found a solution. Otherwise I will give up and return to good ol trusty, reliable, TMPGenc.

Thanks in advance for replies.

[q1aqza]

UPDATE:

I have resolved it. I was able to get CCE to work fine by frameserving with AVISynth (I think I must have been doing something wrong when I tried using Vdub before). I believe the problem is due to the 2GBb filesize limit that I have read about on this forum, even though the file was sitting on an NTFS partition. To prove it I cut my 3.3Gb AVI file into to parts, one 1.9Gb and the other 1.4GB and both encoded fine without being frameserved.

Therefore I now agree with all those that have said the limit is 2GB.

Now I have got it working I am now having problems with the either the field order or interlace - I'm not knowledgeable enough in this to know which despite reading various guides etc. When I burn my CCE encoded MPEG2 to SVCD and playback on my standalone the result is very similar to when I tried using Top Field first under TMPGenc, I get a very ghosty/stuttery video with motion. In CCE I only select the Add sequence end code tick-box, I leave all the other boxes unchecked, particularly the Upper field first box. My AVI input is from my DV Camcorder so it is PAL and therefore I believe is Interlaced. How can I ensure Bottom field is processed first using CCE - I thought unchecking the Upperfield first would have been enough but it doesn't appear so?

I would appreciate advice from any CCE or AVISynth experts out there.

Many thanks.

[Truman]

No matter whether you check or uncheck "upper field first" (TFF), cce will encode always TFF. That may be a bug or not, it is annoying if you want to convert DV avi.
So you have to post process the video stream. Let us start with an easy solution. With ReStream you can change a lot of values of the sequence-header of a MPEG2-stream without re-encoding, e.g. change the tff-flags.
Open the MPEG-2 video stream (if you have multiplexed, you have to demux once again), leave all settings untouched but uncheck "top field first". Select an output file name and press "write".

[q1aqza]

Thanks for your reply. I tried following your link to ReStream but it does not seem to work. I tried a few searches with no luck. Do you have any other links I could try? Or other fixes?

Thanks a lot

[Truman]

You have got mail.
Another tool, that I can recommend is Easy changer, a tool, that comes with Darim MPEG encoder. You can download a demo here:
http://www.darvision.com/download/mpegenc.html#dvmpeg6

[q1aqza]

Truman, thanks a lot for the tip on trying ReStream. It has solved the Top Field First problem in CCE and I was surprised how fast it works.

Cheers,
Mark.

[uteotw]

Truman , I never had a problem activating/de-activating the First Field encoding option using CCE 2.62 or CCE 2.5. I'm not saying that q1aqza or you don't.

To encode my TV captures (huffyuv - PAL) I have to uncheck the option , otherwise the wrong field is encoded first and the end result is jerky. If I work from DVD rip then I select the First Field option , if I don't the end result is jerky.

Could the the First Field first problem be related to a codec (DV) problem ? For example I had a version of Morgan MJPEG codec which would always switch the fields when encoding and when playing a file.

uteotw

[q1aqza]

uteotw

You may be right. I don't know enough about CCE or the technicalities behind Field Order, etc. My AVIs are created by Pinnacle Studio 7 codec MiroDV300.. or something. They seem to be Interlaced with bottom-field first and CCE seems to always put TFF regardless of the checkbox. I am planning to try DVD Ripping for the first time soon so I will see for myself how CCE behaves with field order when using a different kind of video source.

[stanwebber]

the behavior of the upper field first checkbox is not a strictly a bug, but rather a very poor & vague naming scheme. the checkbox is meant to reverse the field-order of bottom-first material(i would guess dv) so that it is top-first with the tff flag on. since cce encodes with the tff flag on regardless of any setting the opposite will not work: feeding top-first material with upper field first enabled will result in bottom-first with the tff flag on. if your material is progressive then all of this is meaningless. it is a stupid implementation, but one way or the other you can get the fields to display in the correct, albeit reversed from original, order. you can read a short explanatory note + chart on my website. click on cinemacraft tff flag

[q1aqza]

Thanks for the info.