slow card - bad transfer?

[Noek]

Is it possible that I keep get choppy transfers from my DV camera to my computer due to a slow video card? I'm using ATI Radeon 9200 128mb. Also, how do I know if I am dropping frames? Thank you!

[upshot]

If you consider that a "slow video card" I'd hate to hear what you would say about my ol' NT system with tha 16mb fire gl pci (the cats meow in 1995).... yuk yuk

Nevertheless, Unless your previewing the video as your captureing it shouldn't take a hit... In my experience the important hardware bits are the processor and the harddrive.

Need some more info tho: What are you transferring with? firewire? What software are you using to cap(or trans)? Are you using your primary drive to store the video?

You'll know if your dropping frames if your video skips or dashes or gives a strange audio bzzzp...

And IMHO... Your video card is "fast"

[upshot]

In your PM you indicated that you are using a 2.66 p4 (should be fine) and your caping via ulead video suite to your primary drive. You also said you were previewing while capturing.

So I'd suggest you give DVIO a try... It's free and simple. Use it to capture your video and then go into ulead for editing. I have a feeling that the editing software is paging your harddrive while you are caping which is causing the dropped frames...

[Noek]

Im using DVIO like you said, not dropping any frames according to it, but the end result is still not very crisp...it still produces jagged images when motion is on the screen :/

[upshot]

Realize that DV AVI is 720x480... If your running a monitor at 1920x1440 like me and you play the video full screen or 2x it will start to pixilate...

Also software playback can be the problem... The software has to decide how to deal with interlacing and in many cases the solution looks bad. So now on to the next question:

What software are you watching it with?

[Noek]

Im running 1024X768 on my desktop, however even my final burn to DVD on my tv looks crummy, but only when there is alot of motion on the screen. If I view it on my computer, I use WinDVD