What does a "dropped frame" mean and what causes it?

[videoconverter11]

I am using winDV and I see an average of 7-10 dropped frames per 2 hour hi-8 cassette I convert. What does that mean? Since it captures at around 25 fps, does that mean a dropped frame is just "losing" 1/25th of the "information" coming in? Also, who is at fault for the dropped frame? The cassette quality, the Digital 8 camcorder, or the computer software/computer? Thanks!

[jagabo]

Two hours of 25 fps video is about 90,000 frames. Of those you missed 10 frames. So you captured 89,990 of them. So you potentially have 10 little jerks in that 2 hour period. If the missing frames occurred during a still shot you probably won't notice it. If it occurred during a smooth panning shot you'll probably notice it.

Try capturing to a secondary drive. Ie, not to your boot drive.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/104098-Why-does-your-system-drop-frames

[newpball]

I am using winDV and I see an average of 7-10 dropped frames per 2 hour hi-8 cassette I convert.

That means your hardware can't keep up, either your CPU or your hard disk or both.

Run monitor to see if your disk or your CPU runs in the danger zone.

Needless to say that when you capture you do not want to run any other programs that take significant resources.

[videoconverter11]

I have a very good CPU and am capturing to another hard disk but still get the dropped frames. Is it possible that the dropped frames are originating from the Sony Digital 8 handycam?

[newpball]

I have a very good CPU and am capturing to another hard disk

What CPU do you got, how much memory and what kind of HD do you have? Also check the fragmentation status on the disk.

[videoconverter11]

I have an Intel Core i5-2410M 2.30 GHz with 4 GB of RAM. My hard drive is a Seagate Backup Plus 4 TB hard drive. Also, I am using a Sony Digital 8 handycam to play the video and transferring it into my computer, which is a Lenovo E420 Thinkpad Edge, by way of a expresscard firewire card.

I am using winDV, in general do people usually experience frame dropping? Thanks!

[VideoChunkster]

http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video/capture-dropped-frames.htm

[newpball]

I have an Intel Core i5-2410M 2.30 GHz with 4 GB of RAM.

That should be sufficient.

My hard drive is a Seagate Backup Plus 4 TB hard drive.

USB 2.0 right?

If so then that may be your problem.

[Skiller]

The Digital8 camcorder probably drops frames when there are drop outs or blank spaces on the Hi8 tape.

[videoconverter11]

When I do the capture multiple times on the same tape, it seems the dropped frames always occur at the same places. Is it fair to say that in my case the problem originates from the Hi-8 tape and that basically there is nothing I nor winDV can do at this point?

Additionally, the tapes are around 25 years old from 1990, so would age be an issue? I am using a USB 3.0 wire to connect my external drive to my laptop, but the laptop USB input is only 2.0, not sure if this would be a problem also. thanks!

[Skiller]

When I do the capture multiple times on the same tape, it seems the dropped frames always occur at the same places.

It's for sure on the tape, your capture setup is fine.

Additionally, the tapes are around 25 years old from 1990, so would age be an issue?

No, unless they were stored improperly, like in a humid basement or a dry and hot attic or near devices that emit magnetic fields. Or played back a couple of dozen times.

In that case you would have other issues than just dropped frames though.

Tapes in general last very long if stored properly.

The dropped frames may be caused by the start of a new recording on the tape, or other minor drop outs that probably were always there, so I wouldn't worry about it.