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ping141
10-09-2006, 03:00 PM
Hi all! I´m looking for the secret mixture of drivers and software versions that will make my Decklink SP card work with Catalyst v3. It just keeps crashing.

Dual 2.5 ghz G5, OS 10.3.8

Thanks!

CatalystGirl
11-09-2006, 02:19 PM
What V3 build are you using? g21, h23... etc?

A software update to 10.3.9 may be a good idea but it's not a fix.

What are you doing/using when it crashes?

What exactly happens when it crashes?

-Leah

Mr_P
11-09-2006, 06:32 PM
I use OS 10.3.9 running (with all updates) Catalyst v3.32h25 with Decklink drivers: DeckLink_Macintosh_v4.7.1 - All OS.dmg
can be downloaded from their site - 25M though....
never had a problem - seems to work fine

if using 10.4.6 - use: DeckLink Macintosh 5.6 - 10.4 only.dmg

S

ping141
11-09-2006, 08:37 PM
I just installed the Decklink software, tried different versions. I push the video input "on" button in the Catalyst, seems to work, but if I try to turn it off again or change a video input setting it goes tumbling down... Crashes like any app in Os X crashes, with a message and an option to tell Apple...

Will update some software tommorow and see if it helps.

Which QT version is recommended with a Catalyst 3.3.2 h25(?), 6 or 7?

Thanks again!

Mr_P
12-09-2006, 09:08 AM
latest version of 6 works fine on 10.3.9... I use 7 - but in only with 10.4.6.... never tried it with 10.3.9

ping141
12-09-2006, 09:40 AM
But where can I find h25, I only find h24...

Thanks!

samsc
12-09-2006, 11:01 PM
does it crash when you try this version-

http://homepage.mac.com/goatee/.Public/Catalyst%204.05_m50UB_HD.zip

this is v4 - but its a much better test for me to see whats going on - please try this.

ping141
13-09-2006, 07:46 AM
After updating to 10.3.9 and using h24 things worked quite well. All crashing was gone. The only problem I encountered was a delay of up to almost 2 seconds on video in if I was running any kind of media on the other display.

So my solution ended up changing the G5 to another machine that has faster drives, 4 gigs of RAM, Os 10.4.6 and an x800 graphics card.

But now everything works!

BTW, does the graphics card have any significant influence on Catalyst performance?

samsc
13-09-2006, 09:13 AM
graphics card only affects things occassionally.

the nVidia 6600 is really poor. ( only on pcie g5's )
x800 seemed to have been good.
fast drives are really really important.

video input is buffered by the operating system - not me- so the delays are not mine. but are caused by general loading of system.

ping141
13-09-2006, 02:27 PM
Hi again!

Today I´m having new problems. Whenever I try to change a clip in a layer, the system dips a frame or two in black before showing the new clip.

This worked fine yesterday... Isn´t the system supposed to change clips in an instant?

The problem practically is that I now need to go "A/B roll" on a long sequence instead of just choosing the next clip on the same layer...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Mr_P
13-09-2006, 02:38 PM
its never successfully only using 1 layer with snap fades and movie files - you can only really get away with it using still images - even then, you can still get a 'flash' before the image is displayed, especially if its VERY large. Your best option is really to program it as an 'A/B roll' as you put it.

However, if you are still using a 0sec fade, depending upin the desk you are using, you may have to delay the intensity by 0.1 of a sec to allow the clip to load before you 'snap' to it.... this avoids 'flashes' when doing 0sec x-fades - also make sure you put the 'hidden' layer to zero - or none of the above will be effective.....

S

tharding
14-09-2006, 12:12 AM
You probably need to build a preload of your "B" clip into your "A" clip cue but be prepared for a dropped frame or so as it dumps into RAM.

samsc
14-09-2006, 09:55 AM
Hi again!

Today I´m having new problems. Whenever I try to change a clip in a layer, the system dips a frame or two in black before showing the new clip.

This worked fine yesterday... Isn´t the system supposed to change clips in an instant?

The problem practically is that I now need to go "A/B roll" on a long sequence instead of just choosing the next clip on the same layer...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

computer resources arent infinite - it takes time a little bit of time to load new clips. different codecs also load at different speeds.

if you dont want to A/B roll- make a longer movie with more of your clips in it-
its faster to access frames in a longer movie -than it is to load a new one.

in quicktime you can make a 'reference movie' which has file references but doesnt contain all the compressed frames - it refers to other files.

You do this in quicktime player.

Open all your clips in quicktime player -
then
1. Create a new empty file.
2. Start with clip 1 in front.
3. Type apple-A - select ALL - selects all frames
4. Select new empty file.
5. Type apple-V - paste - pastes all frames from clip one into new file
6. Select window with clip 2
7. Type apple-A - select ALL - select all frames from clip 2
8. Select new file -
9. Type apple-V - paste - pastes clip 2 onto end of clip 1.
10. ....repeat....

You have now created a new movie clip with all the clips in it.

Now save the movie - but select 'Save reference movie'.

This creates a small movie which references the other clips.

----

When you do this you must have all the original clips in the same directory as the Reference movie.

And total file cannot be longer than 65535 frames - a dmx limit on in and out frame values - which is about 43 minutes.

samsc
14-09-2006, 10:27 PM
there was one test build of software a while back that crashed when video input was turned on/off -