Long time member and reader of this site. However, this is my first post!!
I am in a huge crisis here, and the solution is beyond my knowledge base!
Before i describe my problem let me give the comp. config.

DELL XPS 410
PROCESSOR Intel® core 2 cpu 6420 2.13 GHz
RAM 4GB
HDD 1500GB
GRAPHICS CARD NVIDIA 512MB
VIDEO EDITING CARD MATROX RT.X2LE
Timeline: 50i
Camera: Canon Xh-a1 with Letus extreme

Ok, i have 2 phase problems! When my editor try to edit with Windows-Xp service pack2
operating system he couldn't be able to 'save' any project however rendering goes smoothly!!

On the other hand, when he tries to edit with Vista (32 bit) he would be able to save the projects, however, footage runs like choppy/stroeby/jerky!!

Btw, in both instances the editing software was 'CS4'.

Please, please help me out here!! BTW, this is my first feature here! Which i would not even
dare to attempt if i hadn't have the gillions of thought provoking and insightful resourses from
sites like 'dvinfo'. Wish me good luck!!!

Don't know if I can help you, but what happens when you try to save in xp2? Does it freeze, crash, do you get an error message?

First of all make sure that the editor has full administrative rights.

Second, the Vista choppyness may well be because the hardware is marginal with a Matrox in the system. Matrox have a very good reputation of messing things up. For editing HDV from the A1 you may need a faster PC. Even without Matrox it still is marginal and it appears you only have one disk. Even though it has a large storage capacity, for editing HDV it is generally recommended to use at least 4 physical hard disks.

Make sure you've downloaded and installed their MxTools ver.4.0 or latest drivers..
Double check the service pack requirements for CS4 and Matrox...

I noticed your settings are for 50i...Are you using PAL sources in NTSC settings?

Noticing that you're using a Matrox card, it could be an interlacing problem.

Matrox are strange in that they work upper field first, when the rest of the worl works in lower field first.

does your video look like something moves forward, then a little bit backwards, then forwards again? and can you see a sort of comb jaggedness on vertical lines?

Thanks to everyone!! My editor decided to stay with windows xp service pack 2 and
managed to keep working with smaller project and saving manually everytime!! However,
he is worried what would happen when the file size would become larger and color grading will be involved!!

Earlier, at the begining he was getting error message, but later on it kicked him off automatically from the project!! Yes, i am in pal-land and we do have pal settings!!

If i have to upgrade the pc, what should i have to do? We do have 3 seperate Hard drive,
2 with 250 gb and the other is 1tb. Please, let me know!!

Suggest you go to Adobe.com and search "Premiere system requirement". Adobe publishes their minimum requirements...but believe me, more is better. A recent post elsewhere -- Studio Daily, if I recall correctly -- suggested quad core 3.0ghz computer, 64bit Vista, and 16mb ram. 7200 rpm drives are a must for decent playback. Your system is somewhat marginal for what you are trying to do -- needs a faster processor, I believe that one is below the Adobe minimum -- sorry to say...best wishes! / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team