Dropped Frames during play back (slow disc warning) at DVinfo.net

Josh Swan · February 10th, 2009, 10:15 PM

I am using an Iomega 1TB drive usb 2.0 and after I rendered an HD project captured as HD then rendered into ProRes 422, it dropped frames during playback with the warning saying my hard disc was to slow. So I then copied the project onto my computers internal hard drive, and it played back with no problems.
Is my hard drive to slow or is it a formatting issue with the drive. I formated it as OS Extended (journaled) when I got it. I have used 10-15 Iomega drives in the past with no problems with SD footage. I'm new to HD editing so am curious how I can fix the problem. Do I need a different drive?

Shaun Roemich · February 10th, 2009, 10:18 PM

Despite what others report on here, USB is NOT ideal for video playback, especially an intermediate CODEC like ProRes which needs almost 1GB per minute of footage, depending on frame size and frame rate. Firewire, SCSI and eSATA are the only external desktop solutions that can be counted on (of course, fibre channel et al are HIGH end solutions; talking about desktop solutions).

EDIT: Also Journalling is not recommended for media drives. Your system drive, sure.

Josh Swan · February 10th, 2009, 10:41 PM

Ok. what do you format your discs as then, just mac os extended?

Shaun Roemich · February 11th, 2009, 08:50 AM

Yep, although one of the LaCie External FW400 drives attached to my computer that I sometimes capture and render to is Journaled. No issues capturing ProRes 720P60 to it, or playing back. Pretty positive your bottleneck is USB. USB is designed to be highspeed by sending packets of info; that is, the sustained speed isn't "guaranteed" like Firewire. You need a specific amount of data per second EVERY second for video (unlike file transfers).

Josh Swan · February 11th, 2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

Yep, although one of the LaCie External FW400 drives attached to my computer that I sometimes capture and render to is Journaled. No issues capturing ProRes 720P60 to it, or playing back. Pretty positive your bottleneck is USB. USB is designed to be highspeed by sending packets of info; that is, the sustained speed isn't "guaranteed" like Firewire. You need a specific amount of data per second EVERY second for video (unlike file transfers).

Interesting, I didn't realize USB wasn't a constant data flow, but that would explain it. So FW 400 is a safe bet? So what would you do if you needed 3 of the firewire drives up and running at once?
I've been reading that G-tech drives are good. But how much better are they, then say an Iomega FW 400?

Shaun Roemich · February 11th, 2009, 09:29 AM

3 drives: I have exactly this issue. Some FW drives have a FW pass-thru. Some of mine don't, therefore they are the last drives in the chain. I have 2 FW400 ports: one has 2 drives daisy chained and then the FW cable for capturing from camera or deck, the other port goes directly into the drive with no pass thru.

Noah Kadner · February 11th, 2009, 09:34 AM

G-Tech FW800 or ESATA are the way to go up to uncompressed and heavy ProREs HQ. Then you need a RAID.

Noah

Josh Swan · February 11th, 2009, 09:50 AM

Which drives of yours have the pass through?

Shaun Roemich · February 11th, 2009, 10:08 AM

One of my older LaCie's and the Western Digital I use for DVD images and other archives. My Triple Interface LaCies (I swap drives in and out, depending on the project) DON'T have pass through, at least at FW400. They DO have FW800 pass thru.

February 10th, 2009, 10:15 PM	#1
Josh Swan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scarborough Me Posts: 186	Dropped Frames during play back (slow disc warning) I am using an Iomega 1TB drive usb 2.0 and after I rendered an HD project captured as HD then rendered into ProRes 422, it dropped frames during playback with the warning saying my hard disc was to slow. So I then copied the project onto my computers internal hard drive, and it played back with no problems. Is my hard drive to slow or is it a formatting issue with the drive. I formated it as OS Extended (journaled) when I got it. I have used 10-15 Iomega drives in the past with no problems with SD footage. I'm new to HD editing so am curious how I can fix the problem. Do I need a different drive?

February 10th, 2009, 10:18 PM	#2
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Despite what others report on here, USB is NOT ideal for video playback, especially an intermediate CODEC like ProRes which needs almost 1GB per minute of footage, depending on frame size and frame rate. Firewire, SCSI and eSATA are the only external desktop solutions that can be counted on (of course, fibre channel et al are HIGH end solutions; talking about desktop solutions). EDIT: Also Journalling is not recommended for media drives. Your system drive, sure. __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

February 11th, 2009, 08:50 AM	#4
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Yep, although one of the LaCie External FW400 drives attached to my computer that I sometimes capture and render to is Journaled. No issues capturing ProRes 720P60 to it, or playing back. Pretty positive your bottleneck is USB. USB is designed to be highspeed by sending packets of info; that is, the sustained speed isn't "guaranteed" like Firewire. You need a specific amount of data per second EVERY second for video (unlike file transfers). __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

February 11th, 2009, 09:29 AM	#6
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	3 drives: I have exactly this issue. Some FW drives have a FW pass-thru. Some of mine don't, therefore they are the last drives in the chain. I have 2 FW400 ports: one has 2 drives daisy chained and then the FW cable for capturing from camera or deck, the other port goes directly into the drive with no pass thru. __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

February 11th, 2009, 10:08 AM	#9
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	One of my older LaCie's and the Western Digital I use for DVD images and other archives. My Triple Interface LaCies (I swap drives in and out, depending on the project) DON'T have pass through, at least at FW400. They DO have FW800 pass thru. __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

February 10th, 2009, 10:41 PM	#3
Josh Swan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scarborough Me Posts: 186	Ok. what do you format your discs as then, just mac os extended?

February 11th, 2009, 09:34 AM	#7
Noah Kadner Better than Halle Berry Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 435	G-Tech FW800 or ESATA are the way to go up to uncompressed and heavy ProREs HQ. Then you need a RAID. Noah

February 11th, 2009, 09:50 AM	#8
Josh Swan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scarborough Me Posts: 186	Which drives of yours have the pass through?