Defrag question

[ranvil010]

I use defrag program on windows xp just before i capture. THen after I use the defrag again and see this huge defragamented portion, which i think is the newly captured video file. My question is why is the video file fragmented?

Windows xp home edition
1.5 ghz intel pentium 4
400mhz front side bus
512mb pc-133 sdram
60 gb ultra ata/100

[andkiich]

Windows determines where it will physicaly put the data as it reads it, which, because of the nature of Windows may or may not be contiguous. More than likely the space in the middle of your capture was at that point in time being used for a swap file or virtual memory, then Windows wrote the remaining portion of your file to the next available block.

[ranvil010]

Would the video be better quality if the video was a contigious file? If so, is there a way to do it?

[RabidDog]

?? ?? ??

THen after I use the defrag again and see this huge defragamented portion, which i think is the newly captured video file.

This is the result you want to have or are you saying completely the opposite of what you mean? A defragged disc will not stay defragged. using one disc for both windows and capturing will result in a more fragmented disc. The quality will be dependent on many other factors (cpu mem res. codec source) b4 your disc comes into account.

[ranvil010]

Thanks for clearing things up.

[ranvil010]

codec source

I'm a big newb but what does that mean?

[lordsmurf]

I use defrag program on windows xp just before i capture. THen after I use the defrag again and see this huge defragamented portion, which i think is the newly captured video file. My question is why is the video file fragmented?
60 gb ultra ata/100

This is because it is saved to the OS drive, which also has variable-by-the-second SWAP going on. Capture to another drive. PHYSICAL drive, not just partition.

[ranvil010]

Where do you think i can get a physical drive?

[ZippyP.]

Where do you think i can get a physical drive?

At any computer retailer, it's a second hard disk. 8)

[overloaded_ide]

Where do you think i can get a physical drive?

I recomend newegg.com
80gig $75
Don't ask me where to get the $75 though
Ask the wife, or if you don't have a wife, get one then ask


Also take your car to the doc for a checkup! That would be a physical drive too

Only way the hard drive effects the quality would be if you drop frames anyway. As long as it can keep up no problem, drop frames that can cause jerky video, out of sink audio ect...

Now it could effect speed like for encoding, authoring etc.. if it is fragmented and has to do alot of searching for file pieces and swapping as the only drive ect.. it could add alot of time to your work. But when done it will be the same quality!

[ranvil010]

What's the difference between a physical drive and a OS drive like lordsmurf said?

[Poppa_Meth]

an OS drive is a normal physical drive, it just happens to be the primary drive on which your OS or operating system is installed.

[ZippyP.]

FYI, There's a difference between a logical drive and a physical drive. A physical drive is a hard disk itself which can be set up as one or more logical drives e.g. c:, d:, e: etc., all residing on one physical drive. The OS drive is usually c:.

Man, even I'm starting to get confused......

[lordsmurf]

Looks like I made confusion

IDE0 Master - C: (OS drive)
IDE0 Slave - CD-ROM or whatever
IDE1 Master - D: (capture drive)
IDE1 Slave - DVD-R or whatever

Best to capture to 2nd drive not on same IDE chain as the OS.

In my case, I've got:
IDE0M - C: (OS and software and MP3), G: partition (documents)
IDE0S - D: (photo and other work, overflow)
IDE1M - CD-R
IDE1S - DVD-R
IDE2M - E: (capture drive)
IDE2S - unused
IDE3M - DVD-ROM
IDE3S - F: (editing drive)

Any old hard drive will do. 7200 rpm are best. I like Western Digital best, especially the 8MB buffer versions.