OK, Now What! :)
 

Well, after setting up a new email account, I finally got my Aspect HD update file.

After installing it, I tried to open my project again and it "Immediately" goes to an Adobe "Serious Error" screen and shuts down. Tried two different projects multiple times and both did it.

So I gave up and started all over again, recapturing footage and all. Guess what, I had problems with the capture and at one attempt it said that the camera driver was weak or something. I restarted the camera, captured the tape without scene detect and left it to render into Cineform files. When it got done, or before as I was not there, it crashed again with the "Serious Error" message. Remember, I did not change my Adobe PPro, I changed my CineForm, so why is it causing this now.

Now I can't work on any project. Who would think that a 20 second commercial could take two and a half days of effort and I have nothing.

So I'll contact support I guess, but I'm not sure I'll get the email responses! After all, I couldn't get the update emails.

What is going on here? I know, I know, delete and reinstall all programs on your computer.....

Another wasted day. Anyone know how to really fix this, without going to FCP and a MAC???? May have some licenses for sale soon.

Sorry I don't usually get angry like this, but I'm nearly at my wits end. Time is money and it running out, just like my patience.

Vent over--------m

This again sounds like an Adobe project corruption. When we return from holidays you are welcome to contact CineForm support, but the answer might be with Adobe. None of the syptoms are at all familar.

--

Random idea. Trying holding the shift key down while Premiere starts, this has nothing to do with CineForm, yet it gives Premiere a good smack, and tells it to reload all plugins. If that works I expect a Prospect upgrade order from you tomorrow. :)

Nope, didn't work. Checked further, I can't open any CineForm based programs, but I can open regular, "non-Cineform", meaning DV projects.

Mike

Mike, did you update ANYTHING else? Like an antivirus prog, or anything?

Sounds like a conflict or something caused by a disk error! Not excusing CF, but if you're the only one having this type of prob, it's pretty indicative of either a conflict from something that was loaded recently, or maybe a change made to a driver config?

I've been doing this for over 20 yrs and sometimes these odd probs are pretty tough to ever figure. Often, they've been caused by some stupid automatic system update conflict, usually one that's hard to roll back...

Hope you've made some progress.

To dovetail with Stephen's comments, you may want to try a system restore to a last known good configuration and work forward from there.

Thanks guys,

No, I did not change anything else. Just had that problem with one project and decided to go ahead with the CineForm update and then it went ape sh**! Now none of my HD programs work.

Yup, it's restore, reload, re-update all day long again. Just sick of wasting my time doing this. Until I get to the point of no more options I probably will not even write support. We all know what every support tells you to do, Right?

If you have ever had kids, it's like finding a broke window and asking them who did it. Each just points to the other and YOU still have to fix the window! :)

I mean no disrespect to CineForm, as they have always been good, but they are not sitting at my computer. All they can say is reload .........................."Premiere Pro!"

Thanks again------Mike

We've all been there... and usually it's the result of us breaking our own window.

Yup! Time for some Plexiglas! Restore did not work. Reinstalling everything now.

M

Mike... one thing that has helped in a pinch is to log on as another user to your OS.

Just trying to think of anything to get you by for your project, then you can take a little time to figure things out.

Just out of curiousity (and if you have CS)... can you import your troubled Premiere project into After Effects?

I'm the only user. I have about another week for this project, so I think it is best to bite the bullet and get it over with. Hopefully there will be no other problems, it works, and I can resume. Fingers croissed tha I don't loose other projects!

Thanks----Mike

I'm now confused as you said is an earier post that the problems started before upgrading your copy of Aspect HD. Please work with support, there are back at the office today.

We've all been there, so you have our sympathy! Wish we could help fix the window.

Like you said, bite the bullet, roll up your sleeves, 'cause you're the only fix-it man that can...

Let us know when you finally heal your broken Wintel wonder.

Mike, you're not alone. Based on the posts here, there are at least three or four of us having this problem. My support ticket has been open for a few weeks now and we still have no answer. It's not a great issue for me as I'm between projects for the moment, but I can see how frustrating it can be if you're on deadline.

I've found that reverting back to build 92 of AHD 5.1 solves the problem, but any build after that results in an Adobe crash anytime I try to load a project created in AHD 5.1.

Tried all the other tricks suggested above to no avail. Only solution for me was going back to Build 92.

Adam, please follow up. Jake has something for you to try.

This doesn't seem all related, as Mike's problem started before he upgraded.

I agree with David. From one perspective the problems sound similar i.e. update AspectHD, load old project, Premiere crash, the actual symptoms described are different from the symptoms I know Adam and I are facing.

Adam, do follow up as David indicated. I got some interesteing results from Jake's suggestions. I could import the old captures without crashing now. I can't use them but it does feel like a small step in the right direction to diagnosing the problem. Even though it's not an answer yet (sadly), multiple feedbacks from performaing Jake's tests can only help right? Especially if you are between projects so can afford the time.

I too can get along with build92 but I don't want to be limited to it so I'm happy to put in time to help diagnose the problem when I can. Being a s/w developer myslef I full appreciate how awkward it is to fix a (perceived) s/w problem you can't reproduce.

Thanks Alan. Yes we are try to isolate what changes (out of many) that are effecting yours Adam's and one others so far reported. I would love to have this solved before the end of the week, so you testing is extremely helpful.

David (and Jake), thanks for being so persistent with all this. I did load and try the new files as soon as I received them but still haven't been able to make it work.

I probably misunderstood but it looked like Mike had a different problem at first but then developed the same one we had after he updated.

Anyway, really appreciate all the time and effort everyone is spending to get this thing run down...

Mike, it doesn't look like you've opened a support ticket for this yet. Please open one and we'll try to help you from there.

Just to keep you all informed, there are actually 5 of you that have reported this issue. 4 of you all are running Pentium 4s with 2.5 - 3 GHz processors. The 5th user is using AMD processors. We don't think it has to do with that, but it was interesting that each of you have similar systems (with one exception). We're still focusing on the importer or the complier that creates the importer.

Thanks for your patience and for helping us with this one. It is a definite priority for us right now.

I just got these files from Jake, installed them in the 'c:\program files\adobe\adobe premiere pro cs3\plug-ins\en_us\cineform' sub-directory, and lo and behold, they work!

At least the crashing when importing or opening old projects is gone. Maybe they'll work for others with same problem.

I'm posting them here because last time we had an issue that Jake fixed, he said it was OK to post the files. Hope it still is.

Thanks Jake!

Hi All,

Sorry to have been away, but have been doing computer stuff!

I simply could not afford to be going back and forth between Adobe and CineForm and wasting time. I had a few days of down time before I'm going to be very busy. So, I have just finished doing a complete "do over!" I backed up my file on my c-drive and did a full recovery of the OS! I finished a uninstall and install of CS3 this afternoon and also a clean install of CineForm.

I have not had a chance to test anything out because I had to leave for the evening and I just got back, but I should find out tomorrow.

Fresh XP with all the new updates, fresh CS3 with all of the updates(three hours worth of down loaded updates after install), and a fresh install of CineForm.

If it messes up now, I'll get a hold of support.

Mike

Only just read this (while at work) so will hopefully find leisure to try these two new importers this evening. From Adam's tone it sounds like his problems are resolved so look forward to trying this myself.

I am concerned about the choice of phrase "At least..." though. Do you have other persistent problems Adam?

OK!

To recap! I have done a full recovery of my Windows OS, I have a fresh install of Adobe CS3 with all of the updates and then I installed CineForm 5.2.2 or whatever the updated version is.

Just opened a new project, actually I'm redoing of the 20 second one that kept messing up. I captured about 15 minutes of footage w/o scene detect. When CineForm finished its rendering of the footage, the whole system crashed with the dreaded "Serious Error" message.

I tried again, only capturing 1 minute of footage as a test, because the previous capture had of blank tape at the end. After CineForm finished rendering the footage, it crashed again with the "Serious Error" message.

I opened a new project, using only PPro's HDV setting and captured about a minute of so of the same footage. It played fine, scrubbed and played in real time----No Problems!

So, do we have a fix for this, or should I keep working in PPro? I have not even attempted to open an old project, but I can assume that it probably would not do me much good.

Should I try the patches or what?

I'll forward this to support and wait.

Mike

Unfortunately you have something completely new, so support is the only solution. Although, please try the new components, they are based on the latest code.

I can confirm that using either of the two importers that were linked to the latest build of AspectHD seems back to normal so this does seem like a solution. Well done guys.

Turns out maybe no!

I installed the replacement files and have tested old and captured to a new project without crashing. I opened an old version of a couple projects and it did not crash. I started a new project, the same 20 Second commercial, and imported the footage. It now seems to work fine too. No crashing and the files are sinked.

All seems to work fine right now, but I'll keep working and test further.

NOW, How about that free upgrade to Prospect!!!!!!!! :) :) I've invested about 4 days in this! :)

Mike

No, I only meant that I hadn't tried to do anything else, as these were old completed projects and I didn't play around with them further once I found they would load/import without crashing.

Great job, Cineform Dudes! No other software company in my experience has ever offered service like this.

They are always great and I've always recommended them! It is refreshing not being ignored!

Mike

P.S.: I checked and I still have the gaps in the timecode when using scene detect. Any idea what causes that? I posted this in another thread, but got no response.

M

No idea on the scene detect thing, that way I didn't comment. Tell support, if there a bug they can put it in the database.

Thanks David, but guess what! Now that the other issues are fixed my original one is back!

I edited a short 15 second group of scenes onto the time line, just the video and no audio and I'm back to it skipping and jumping all over.

The footage plays fine until I use it w/o the sound. The first time I had this problem, I had added the footage to the timeline and then unlinked it and deleted the audio. This time I added the footage from the source monitor with video only and the problem is still there.

Seems like it has something to do with not using the audio!!!! Of course when I add my audio tracks, it causes them to skip and jump with the video.

I'll send in another ticket, but this is really weird. Video with audio plays fine, video only is all messed up.

Mike

I take it back! I dropped the footage onto the time line with the audio and it still freezes and jumps around.

It all plays fine if there are no cuts, but with cuts it is all messed up.

Mike

Never seen that. It only that project still? Work with support.

I just submitted the ticket.

Getting very nervous here, time is running out. I was supposed to go to West Palm Beach today to scout for a shoot tomorrow, but skipped it to try and get this fixed. Now I'll have to go cold tomorrow and not even know what I'm going to do with the footage I shoot!

Thanks David.

Mike

One more note. Best I can tell it plays fine when I scrub, but when using playback it messes up.

M

Try CTRL+Spacebar for playback, it is slower but it may get you thru your edit.

That does make it better. Does not seem perfectly smooth though, does it change that slightly?

Just as additional info, when I hit play it takes about 3-4 seconds before it starts on the edited timeline. It starts in less than a second on the unedited timeline.

Even with the space bar fix, remember that when I would export a movie before, it was also messed up and jumped around.

Thanks---Mike

Which confirms it is Premiere project corruption of some sort, not a CineForm playback bug. The frame server for export uses Adobe internal database, we couldn't change that even if we wanted to. If think you going to have to build this project again, or see if Adobe has any ideas.

Couldn't it be in your conversion of the footage to regular AVI files from the CineForm codec? If I open this same footage in PPro and it works fine, what would that say?

M

It says project corruption, nothing to do with the codec. If your timeline is playing out of sequence (is that what you mean?) then it is the project not the media. If you media work fine in another project, again it is the project not the media.

This is a totally new project. I scraped the entire thing, all the work I did before and started fresh today. New project, new capture, new everything. What I'm asking is if I start a new project using PPro's HDV setting and it works fine, what does that mean?

Mike

It means you need to work with support, this 20 questions thing has not got us any closer. I have no idea what you PC is doing, as it is a completely new behavior, not being experienced by others. There much be a piece of information not exchanged yet. Please talk with support.