Various VT[3] problems

[Dick Nelson]

I've compiled a list of problems we've been having since installing VT[3]. I've posted some of these in other threads, and I know a couple are common, and that NewTek is working on the CG save problem. Has anyone else experienced any of these and have you discovered a cure?

1. Often get runtime error when starting VT[3]. Restart usually cures it, but have had to restart twice on one occasion at least.
2. CG locks up when saving project. Must restart VT[3].
3. In CG, when selecting file type for saving image file, wait time for the file-type pop-up menu increases each time you save a file. After saving about 30 files it has been as long as one and a half minutes. The problem is that each time you open this window it adds a new list of file types, so eventually you get the list of file types repeated over and over and over.
4. In switcher, auto transition skips DDR entries. Explanation: We have several clips loaded in DDR1 which is on switcher input 7. We have several clips loaded in DDR2 which is on switcher input 8. We cue up the first clip in DDR1 and the first clip in DDR2. We take the clip in DDR1, then click the “Auto” transition button to dissolve to DDR2. The switcher dissolves to the clip in DDR2 and then in a second or less jumps to the next clip in DDR2. This is intermittent but can happen in both directions. And it doesn’t bear any relation to where the clips are in the queue. It does NOT happen on a straight take, only on transitions, such as dissolves or DVEs. We suspected a homemade DVE, but deleted it from the DVE bank and it made no difference, even after rebooting. This makes doing anything live that involves video on DDRs an impossibility.
5. This has happened only once. A file rendered in VT Edit fails to save. I tried rendering the project at least five times, using different file names and locations, but the file simply disappeared each time. After the render is was nowhere to be found.

[tecnoponta]

I also had problems with DDR skiping videos like you told. The diference is that I was working with VT2 and the problem went out when I reinstalled all my system (win 2000, Pack 4 and VT2).

[Slarge]

No solutions, just company for your misery. We are plauged by problems 2, 3, and 4. VT3, XP pro. I hope the patch comes out soon!

[J_Camp]

Living in problem #2, #3, and #4 hades as we speak.

The sooner the patch, the better.

[Dick Nelson]

I really sympathize anyone who's trying to do a LIVE switch involving video clips on DDR. I think it would be practically impossible. We do an "as live" newscast, but since it's live-to-tape, we CAN stop, and often have to due to this problem.

Can anyone at NewTek give us any more information on how they're coming with fixes for this and other problems?

[PIZAZZ]

I do know for sure that an update is close. The update directly solves the quirks with the CG. I have not experienced the DDR skip problem. I willl try replicate that on one of my systems here.

hope this helps a little.

[Dick Nelson]

The DDR problem definitely is not a quirk in our system, because several people have mentioned it here, and our dealer has been able to replicate the problem on his system.

Not to doubt your word, but at this point I can't help being skeptical about these "I know for sure" statements about the imminent release of the patch. I've been hearing that--including from our dealer--for at least a month.


I'm from Missouri (really, I am--even though I teach at Kansas). Show me!

[J_Camp]

I hope that thing comes soon. The CG problem is bad enough, but the DDR issue causes us major problems, because I am using the VT[3] in a live switching environment. It's just insane.

I haven't been able to nail down what causes it and what doesn't. I thought I had it licked by being very cautious of the sequence in which I set up the buttons (Push "Pause" first, then "Cue"), but then that started not working. I've checked loads of things from the "Selection" and "Project" button and even selecting each clip/de-selecting the "Cue" button/then resetting the whole thing. (As you can see, I'm up to grabbing at straws to find the problem.) No Luck!

I'm with Nelson on the "I know for sure". It's been close since the week after it came out. I had a trainer come out three weeks ago and swear he had the Beta fix on the issue and that it'd be out soon, but no dice and words don't mean much at this point, sad to say. As someone who comes to this site each day to hopefully get news of the fix to the problem, I really couldn't care less about seeing anymore "LW-wins-at-Siggraph"-type stories and something telling me about a fix that will finally deliver the promised working product that I've already paid lots of money to own. I know that's a little harsh, but it's getting very frustrating here.

[Dick Nelson]

We've discovered that the DDR skipping problem does not occur if the DDR is on "Project," only if it's on "Selection." However, using "Project" causes other problems for us--not the least of which is that when the playing clip gets to the end, it automatically plays the next one. To avoid this you have to watch VERY carefully and make sure you switch to another source before the end of the clip. Needless to say, we screw it up fairly often.

We've also found that the problem does not occur when you switch from a non-DDR source (camera, etc.) to a DDR, nor when you do a ''take" rather an an auto transition. Only in switching from one DDR to another. But we do that A LOT.

[PIZAZZ]

believe it or not the auto take thing in the DDR in VT3 is a Feature?!?!? I agree it needs an option to be defeated or toggled. Not everyone wants or uses that "feature".

I just tested the problem on our system and yes it does it. Has anyone sent this into Newtek as a bug?? specifically to Andrew Cross?

Before I was only trying to share the information that I had been given. I am sorry that you are having problems. I hope we can work through them and get you up to 100%.

As far as the Lightwave at Siggraph thing.... This is very good for Newtek AND the VT product line. Newtek is just being proud. Just as you would if the same thing happened to you. I understand how it is to be frustrated but please keep the faith.

[J_Camp]

Pizzazz,

Thanks for the reply. Frankly, I really don't need an explanation about why Newtek puts articles about it's accomplishments on it's website. I completely understand that. My point was maybe the energy spent to whoop it up should be saved until your stuff is working. You know, kind of a, don't toot your horn about the cool stereo you personally installed when your car's engine doesn't run and your front quarter panel won't stay on the car (especially don't do this to the guy to whom you just sold the car).

That being said, I just hope the patch to fix comes through SOON, so I can enjoy working with this interesting and very promising piece of technology. I'm really chomping at the bit to get this integrated into what we do, but alas, at this point, I'm having to sit this star of the sidelines more than play him.

[edmellnik]

Has anyone noticed that if you shorten the audio on a clip you can not get the spline graph to go to the end of the clip?

ed

[wvp]

Per a post by Paul Lara on this page (http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9742&perpage=15&pagenumber=2), dated 09-09-2003 04:52 PM:
It will be posted in a couple weeks, in order that we may roll in a newer (friendlier) registration process for all users.

[Dick Nelson]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PIZAZZ
[B]believe it or not the auto take thing in the DDR in VT3 is a Feature?!?!? I agree it needs an option to be defeated or toggled. Not everyone wants or uses that "feature".


I'm not sure you understand which problem we're talking about. Yes, autotake to the next event in a project (if "Project" is selected), or to the source in the preview bank (if "Selection" is selected) is a DDR feature. And a good one (although you should be able to disable it). But that's AT THE END of a clip. The problem is that if you have "Selection" selected, OFTEN (though not 100% of the time) the DDR will play about one-half-second of the chosen clip and then jump to the next one. If THAT's a feature, it's the strangest feature I ever heard of.

[PIZAZZ]

No I do understand the difference. I was not sure if you understood that Newtek had added the autotake feature. No harm, no foul....

I spent 2 hours this afternoon experimenting with one of our demo systems. Yes there is a definite DDR bug. Found it after a while.

No particular reason that I can find that causes VT3 to do this.

Hmmmm.

There again has anyone sent this information to Andrew??

[Dick Nelson]

I believe our dealer has reported the DDR bug to NewTek.

[ACross]

All,

As with all bugs, I will gladly look into what the problem is ... this is the first I am hearing about this issue. Can someone email me a clear set of steps to reproduce this problem and I'll get a fix in.

Andrew

across AT newtek DOT com

[Wink]

Dick, I did report this bug to Newtek tech support, who said they would pass it on the the appropriate people, but here it is again, taken from your email to me...Frequently, though not always, when transitioning (dissolve, etc.) to a clip in the DDR, the DDR will play the desired clip until the end of the transition then immediately skip to the NEXT one in the queue, not the first one you had intended to transition to. In other words, you get about a half-second of the desired clip before it starts playing the next one. This seems to happen only when we are doing auto transitions, either by clicking the “Auto” button or using the keyboard (it NEVER happens on a straight take), or when transitioning from a clip in another DDR (it does happen if you’re transitioning from a camera or other external source). You can avoid the problem by using the “Project” setting rather than “Selection,” but that doesn't work well in our situation...I'll also send it directly to Andrew.

[ACross]

Wink,

Could you possibly email me some steps that you are performing, and what is happening and what you expected to happen. Jerm and I have been trying to reproduce it here, but have not managed yet. It might be that we are just simply overlooking something.

Andrew

ACROSS _at_ NEWTEK _dot_ COM

[Wink]

Andrew, it's on its way.

[lwaddict]

I guess I won't be upgrading the VT3 anytime soon. LOL.

I went through a lot of this with the VT2...literally chasing
me and my coworkers into the arms of Vegas Video.

We didn't need live switching...just a fast editing system.
Once you pull out the Toaster card and load Vegas...BAM

It figures that if you build a system as fast as is required
by the Video Toaster...you may just not need the Toaster
itself anymore.

In the meantime...
I'll just keep checking to see when Newtek is finished
with the Toaster and it's software.

By the way...
is this thing frame accurate yet?

[ACross]

Guys,

I think that I have reproduced this problem (finally ... thanks to the very helpful steps from you guys.) In any case, I am still not 100% certain, but I think I have a fix. I'll keep you updated.

Andrew

[Wink]

Sounds great Andrew. Let me know if you want to try the fix on my machine.

[Jim_C]

>>>>I guess I won't be upgrading the VT3 anytime soon.


That's a shame.

[Dick Nelson]

I hope this fix comes soon, because this problem is really driving us crazy.

There is another problem that I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced. After we save a desktop, if the program crashes the save is not really saved. Instead, when you restart the program and "Restore" the "stored" desktop it reverts to a save done in an earlier session. This caused us a big problem tonight when the system crashed just before our newscast. We had "stored" the desktop, but when we restarted and recalled the desktop it was an old one. So we had to reload all our clips and cgs in the DDRs. This happens consistently. In fact, what we have tried to get in the habit of doing is to save the desktop after everything is loaded, exit VT normally, and then restart it. That way, if it crashes later, the restored desktop WILL be the one we saved.

[J_Camp]

Yes, I've noticed this. Also, inputs in the switcher will come back in different positions in the switcher. Furthermore, DDRs will change places and numbers (what was DDR, will be DDR 5, etc...). This is very noticeable because I use several and color code each one, which makes that color show up in input name in the switcher.

I know this almost sounds insane, but it happens.

[Rob222]

I am hoping that we can get a fix REALLY soon. This is very annoying.

[Dick Nelson]

A request to NewTek:

Could someone make a list of all the known bugs in VT[3] and what's being done to fix them? We post these things here pretty haphazardly, and often don't know for sure whether anyone at NewTek is even aware of them, much less what's being done. It would be reassuring to know that something is being done to address them.

Also, should we be doing something else besides posting on this forum when we encounter a problem (I have had direct contact with support people on a couple of these things, but I hate to bother them if they're already aware of the problem and are doing something about it)?

[Paul Lara]

Originally posted by Dick Nelson
don't know for sure whether anyone at NewTek is even aware of them, much less what's being done.

Dick,
The best course is posting problems you encounter in VT Troubleshooting. Yes, we keep an eye on these reports, and they get sent to testing, for them to try to duplicate. Any bug that can be repeated in-house is quickly fixed.