Intermittent motion blur

[ga_mueller]

.... and will just manually switch it from Bob to Weave.

Sounds like you are "down for the count!"

[keith_leitch]

How big was that drive? How fragmented. Thats a long time to reorganise files.

Why don't you run the MS defrag util and check how fragmented your recordings drive is? Maybe look at getting some type of idle time defrag utility as well.
Those recording drives get fragmented really quickly.

Actually, you're right; I should be more worried about defragging. However, there has been a rather amazing development.

After uninstalling ffdshow, Intervideo works very well. It didn't give me any HD video at all before. (I've edited this after discovering that it SOMETIMES misses a deinterlacing flag, particularly on Network Ten in Australia, which features every show I watch). It plays 1080i, 576i, 576p and 720p beautifully, and with only *slightly* more micro-jerking than ffdshow did. All of my progressive media (MOV and WMV) again plays without video tearing. Only three problems, one major:

1) Some FLVs play without sound (always did). The ones that used to play correctly now play without picture.

2) I DivX capability. Reinstalling the DivX codec solved that, though.

3) When recording, the recordings become unstable when I simultaneously watch another source. I realise that this could be a sign of poor system performance as suggested, but you all know how it is when a problem arises "suddenly"...I'd really like to know why.

[liteswap]

Not sure whether this will help you, but you're describing many of the problems I suffered for far too long until it finally dawned that I could juggle codecs and configs in their hundreds of different potential options until the cows came home and it would made no difference. Like squeezing a balloon: fix one problem and another popped up.

I was using the onboard ATI 3200 graphics subsystem, assuming it would be good enough. It wasn't. I solved all my problems by installing a reasonably powered and priced graphics card - the ATI 4650 (a silent, fanless one by HIS). No more tearing, no more jerky frame dropping, no more voice sync problems (doubtless caused by frame dropping). Wish I'd done it earlier.

[keith_leitch]

I solved all my problems by installing a reasonably powered and priced graphics card - the ATI 4650

Yeah, you're right...and I actually have a 4350. I'm just afraid of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," philosophy. (Despite how this thread seems, I actually have a working system, and I'm not keen to spend a week getting it back).

I will install the card, I'll just give myself a good deal of lead time to do so.

[hoborg]

1) Some FLVs play without sound (always did). The ones that used to play correctly now play without picture.

Can you provide small sample to test with SAF?

[gEd]

Another member had problems with broken recordings whilst another recording was in progress or watchign live tv. IIRC, it turned out that they needed to install the correct/up to date drivers for their motherboard so that the IDE/SATA controller was running correctly. Also I believe that it is important to have the disk controller set to AHCI rather than IDE in the BIOS. However, if this is not the case, a re-install of windows *may* be required.

Defragging: you only need to consolidate free space to irradicate fragmentation from your list of possible causes. If you do an "analysis" in defrag of the recording drives, it will show you how many fragments the most fragmented recordings are spread over.

[keith_leitch]

Can you provide small sample to test with SAF?

Yes, thank you, I will. My system is restarting right now so that I can try another Catalyst driver, but I will do so ASAP.

I'm glad you're here. Is SAF any good to me at all without the unlock code? I own an old copy of PowerDVD; I think that is the issue.

[hoborg]

@keith_leitch
You can use PDVD + *unlocked* SAF, but make sure you install SAF as last one.

[keith_leitch]

Another member had problems with broken recordings whilst another recording was in progress or watchign live tv.

I haven't noticed any problems with simultaneous recordings (even up to 4,) only with watching another source while recording. This is why I feel it is a more complex issue than just "slow disks" or similar; it seems to be activity in the video card itself that is causing the problem.

I would really like to put my finger on why this has happened so suddenly. I've done as many malware checks as I can, with only a few warnings about tracking cookies. It seems to have happened ever since I temporarily installed Catalyst 8.11, to check whether the drivers would work better for me.

Having said all that, it's on my list of things to do to check the DMA transfer settings. I have a VBscript somewhere that ensures they are set correctly; I really should run it from my startup script.

[keith_leitch]

@keith_leitch
You can use PDVD + *unlocked* SAF, but make sure you install SAF as last one.

so I do need the unlock code?