GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem at DVinfo.net

Alan Lilly · November 11th, 2012, 11:07 PM

Here is the freezing issue explanation... so keep that in mind when buying a new hero3...

Charles W. Hull · November 16th, 2012, 12:27 AM

Finally got my Hero3 Black delivered from GoPro yesterday. I'm not having any lockups after quite a few clips with and without Protune. All the clips are around two minutes.

When I did the product update the utility said I already had the latest software, so I don't know the s/w date or version number.

I'll try much longer clips over the weekend and see what happens.

Greg Bellotte · November 16th, 2012, 01:27 AM

I've had my Black Edition for almost two weeks. I did the firmware update right out of the box, it still says it is the most current firmware. I have not experienced any charging or freeze up issues so far. I have recorded clips as long as 25 minutes, in both 720P60 and 1080P30 formats. I have not tried ProTune yet. The WiFi remote works very well, although it did take several tries to pair it successfully with the camera.

I have noticed only two things not up to par so far...

1. The time-date on the recorded files are not correct. If I record a clip, then open the card in Finder, the clips have yesterdays date and a time about 14 hours prior to the actual recording event. This is making logging scenes a bit challenging. Yes, the gopro clock is set correctly :-)

2. The battery shows only one bar remaining after less than an hour of shooting. I am hoping the gas gauge hasn't calibrated yet. If the gauge is correct I will not make it to 90 minutes of battery life. Too new to know for sure yet...but my H2's go 2.5 hours most of the time.

Alan Lilly · November 16th, 2012, 08:16 AM

After talking to gopro support, I have concluded that my hero3 is part of a bad batch. I sent it in for exchange and we'll see if the freezing is gone on the new one. Another symptom I ALWAYS saw on mine was a hesitation. I set mine to auto-on mode and when I turn it on, the led starts blinking and the counter starts counting the seconds, BUT at 2 seconds, the camera seems to hang for 2-3 seconds and the led and counter resume at 5 seconds. The video appears fine once downloaded from the camera. Intermittently, this hesitation would never resume, hence the freezing.

Mike Dulay · November 17th, 2012, 11:12 AM

Got a Hero 3 Black Edition yesterday, so far so good. I noticed a bit of hesitation the first time I hit record but it's been consistently working since. I haven't patched, the java tool for update didn't work with my firefox, its whatever came with the unit. I'm using 720p 120fps with Protune turned on, my memory card is a samsung class 10 micro-sd that worked great on a TF300.

Ironically, it was my Hero 2s that froze on me. I took out the battery like recommended. What I've noticed, if I hold down the power button for too long (more than 3 seconds) and cause it to change from video to photo mode immediately after power on it to hung. It did freeze up for a while before protune firmware as well, so it must be an old power-up bug. Once I figured out the timing its been powering off and on without a hitch so far. It also still works in 3D mode with Protune. I have a Transcend and Patriot class 10 on each. Both cameras are setup for 720p 60fps.

Steve Maller · November 22nd, 2012, 11:26 PM

I'm not 100% sure that my situation could be characterized as "freezing".

In my case, when I'm trying to record in 1080T60 (1080P 60fps with Protune enabled), it'll generally record for 2-3 seconds, then just stop (as though I'd hit the record button again).

As I'm using it on a quadcopter, that's a big problem as I've made many a flight only to find the camera stopped just seconds into a flight.

I'm using the SanDisk Ultra class 10 HC 1, which I thought was the fastest card out there. And I have two of them, and it happens with both of them.

Alan Lilly · November 22nd, 2012, 11:44 PM

If you have to remove the battery to reset and make the camera usable again... then it is the same "freezing" problem I was demonstrating.

Harry Pallenberg · November 23rd, 2012, 02:07 PM

I've recorded a few 20+ minute clips in 1080 and 720 at 24, 30, 60 and 120 fps - no problems....

BUT last night I was doing a timelapse - 1 pic(7mb) every 2 seconds... and it froze after 1262 photos...

had to pull the battery.

Marco Wagner · November 23rd, 2012, 02:49 PM

Got mine Wednesday. Out of the box it had a couple freezing issues but I found that my PCs front USB ports weren't fully compatible as far as charging it. This may have caused some initial issues as I plugged it in to my PC right away to start charging. I pulled the and reset the battery, did the in-browser update, and watched it reboot a couple times while updating. Now it works flawlessly but will only charge from outlet or rear usb ports (something to consider if you are having any issues). I've captured photos, video in all res's and fps, and connected the wifi remote. So far it works perfect now. Off to run some more footage tests!!!

Renton Maclachlan · November 24th, 2012, 01:13 AM

I have a hero 2 and it isn't recognised via usb 3 ports...

Harry Pallenberg · November 24th, 2012, 11:53 AM

Was recording this time lapse of T-Giving dinner with Hero3 Black and it was my first freeze. After 1262 photos (7MB) 1 photo every 2 seconds - it hung. I did not notice right away as I was eating / hosting - but had to pull the battery to reset it.

Tim Bradley · January 23rd, 2013, 04:13 PM

I got my Hero 3 black in December and have no issues so as far as I can tell the issue has been sorted.

Tom Roper · February 15th, 2013, 03:30 PM

I got my Hero 3 two days ago. It has the freezing problem. It also stopped communicating with the Wi-Fi remote. I made repeated attempts to pair it again, but unsuccessful. The Android App continues to work fine, and it makes good video, but I'm returning it for exchange.

Ron Evans · February 15th, 2013, 05:14 PM

As I mentioned in my other post. Changing to using the GoPro charger has solved my problem. Still have some issues in getting the remote to work consistently but think that may be my finger problem!!!!

Ron Evans

Tom Roper · February 16th, 2013, 11:27 AM

The retailer exchanged my Hero 3, and the replacement unit was utter junkware. I took it back for a refund and he told me they had just received a new shipment, so I tried a third time. Third time is the charm, worlds better so far. It paired successfully right away with both the Wi-Fi remote and the GoPro Android App for my phone. I do have the 12vdc auto charger however it will still freeze upon occasion, but it always is related to some combination of circumstances, switching between Wi-Fi sources and power cycling. At least it does not freeze up while recording.

November 11th, 2012, 11:07 PM	#1
Alan Lilly Regular Crew Join Date: May 2012 Location: Holly, MI Posts: 30	GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem Here is the freezing issue explanation... so keep that in mind when buying a new hero3... GoPro Hero3 Freezing Fix & Hero2 - YouTube

November 16th, 2012, 12:27 AM	#2
Charles W. Hull Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Canyon Country, CA Posts: 445	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem Finally got my Hero3 Black delivered from GoPro yesterday. I'm not having any lockups after quite a few clips with and without Protune. All the clips are around two minutes. When I did the product update the utility said I already had the latest software, so I don't know the s/w date or version number. I'll try much longer clips over the weekend and see what happens.

November 16th, 2012, 01:27 AM	#3
Greg Bellotte Major Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: SLC, UT Posts: 291	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem I've had my Black Edition for almost two weeks. I did the firmware update right out of the box, it still says it is the most current firmware. I have not experienced any charging or freeze up issues so far. I have recorded clips as long as 25 minutes, in both 720P60 and 1080P30 formats. I have not tried ProTune yet. The WiFi remote works very well, although it did take several tries to pair it successfully with the camera. I have noticed only two things not up to par so far... 1. The time-date on the recorded files are not correct. If I record a clip, then open the card in Finder, the clips have yesterdays date and a time about 14 hours prior to the actual recording event. This is making logging scenes a bit challenging. Yes, the gopro clock is set correctly :-) 2. The battery shows only one bar remaining after less than an hour of shooting. I am hoping the gas gauge hasn't calibrated yet. If the gauge is correct I will not make it to 90 minutes of battery life. Too new to know for sure yet...but my H2's go 2.5 hours most of the time. __________________ Broadcast Audio Mixer / Owner - www.MambaFiber.com

November 16th, 2012, 08:16 AM	#4
Alan Lilly Regular Crew Join Date: May 2012 Location: Holly, MI Posts: 30	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem After talking to gopro support, I have concluded that my hero3 is part of a bad batch. I sent it in for exchange and we'll see if the freezing is gone on the new one. Another symptom I ALWAYS saw on mine was a hesitation. I set mine to auto-on mode and when I turn it on, the led starts blinking and the counter starts counting the seconds, BUT at 2 seconds, the camera seems to hang for 2-3 seconds and the led and counter resume at 5 seconds. The video appears fine once downloaded from the camera. Intermittently, this hesitation would never resume, hence the freezing.

November 17th, 2012, 11:12 AM	#5
Mike Dulay Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Somerville, NJ Posts: 304	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem Got a Hero 3 Black Edition yesterday, so far so good. I noticed a bit of hesitation the first time I hit record but it's been consistently working since. I haven't patched, the java tool for update didn't work with my firefox, its whatever came with the unit. I'm using 720p 120fps with Protune turned on, my memory card is a samsung class 10 micro-sd that worked great on a TF300. Ironically, it was my Hero 2s that froze on me. I took out the battery like recommended. What I've noticed, if I hold down the power button for too long (more than 3 seconds) and cause it to change from video to photo mode immediately after power on it to hung. It did freeze up for a while before protune firmware as well, so it must be an old power-up bug. Once I figured out the timing its been powering off and on without a hitch so far. It also still works in 3D mode with Protune. I have a Transcend and Patriot class 10 on each. Both cameras are setup for 720p 60fps. __________________ DIY, 35mm, HV20: http://www.primitivebuteffective.net

November 22nd, 2012, 11:26 PM	#6
Steve Maller Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Burlingame, CA USA Posts: 285	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem I'm not 100% sure that my situation could be characterized as "freezing". In my case, when I'm trying to record in 1080T60 (1080P 60fps with Protune enabled), it'll generally record for 2-3 seconds, then just stop (as though I'd hit the record button again). As I'm using it on a quadcopter, that's a big problem as I've made many a flight only to find the camera stopped just seconds into a flight. I'm using the SanDisk Ultra class 10 HC 1, which I thought was the fastest card out there. And I have two of them, and it happens with both of them. __________________ me@facebook: http://facebook.com/stevemallerphotography

November 22nd, 2012, 11:44 PM	#7
Alan Lilly Regular Crew Join Date: May 2012 Location: Holly, MI Posts: 30	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem If you have to remove the battery to reset and make the camera usable again... then it is the same "freezing" problem I was demonstrating.

November 23rd, 2012, 02:07 PM	#8
Harry Pallenberg Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 122	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem I've recorded a few 20+ minute clips in 1080 and 720 at 24, 30, 60 and 120 fps - no problems.... BUT last night I was doing a timelapse - 1 pic(7mb) every 2 seconds... and it froze after 1262 photos... had to pull the battery.

November 23rd, 2012, 02:49 PM	#9
Marco Wagner Trustee Join Date: May 2005 Location: Saint Cloud, Florida Posts: 1,043	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem Got mine Wednesday. Out of the box it had a couple freezing issues but I found that my PCs front USB ports weren't fully compatible as far as charging it. This may have caused some initial issues as I plugged it in to my PC right away to start charging. I pulled the and reset the battery, did the in-browser update, and watched it reboot a couple times while updating. Now it works flawlessly but will only charge from outlet or rear usb ports (something to consider if you are having any issues). I've captured photos, video in all res's and fps, and connected the wifi remote. So far it works perfect now. Off to run some more footage tests!!! __________________ www.facebook.com/projectspecto

November 24th, 2012, 01:13 AM	#10
Renton Maclachlan Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,180	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem I have a hero 2 and it isn't recognised via usb 3 ports...

November 24th, 2012, 11:53 AM	#11
Harry Pallenberg Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 122	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem Was recording this time lapse of T-Giving dinner with Hero3 Black and it was my first freeze. After 1262 photos (7MB) 1 photo every 2 seconds - it hung. I did not notice right away as I was eating / hosting - but had to pull the battery to reset it. Time lape of T-Giving with GoProHero3 FREEZE on Vimeo

January 23rd, 2013, 04:13 PM	#12
Tim Bradley Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 48	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem I got my Hero 3 black in December and have no issues so as far as I can tell the issue has been sorted. __________________ Tim Bradley - DOP / Cameraman in Sydney Australia www.mindseye.net.au www.sydneydop.com.au www.sydneycameraman.net.au

February 15th, 2013, 03:30 PM	#13
Tom Roper Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 1,891	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem I got my Hero 3 two days ago. It has the freezing problem. It also stopped communicating with the Wi-Fi remote. I made repeated attempts to pair it again, but unsuccessful. The Android App continues to work fine, and it makes good video, but I'm returning it for exchange.

February 15th, 2013, 05:14 PM	#14
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem As I mentioned in my other post. Changing to using the GoPro charger has solved my problem. Still have some issues in getting the remote to work consistently but think that may be my finger problem!!!! Ron Evans

February 16th, 2013, 11:27 AM	#15
Tom Roper Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 1,891	Re: GoPro Hero3 Freezing Problem The retailer exchanged my Hero 3, and the replacement unit was utter junkware. I took it back for a refund and he told me they had just received a new shipment, so I tried a third time. Third time is the charm, worlds better so far. It paired successfully right away with both the Wi-Fi remote and the GoPro Android App for my phone. I do have the 12vdc auto charger however it will still freeze upon occasion, but it always is related to some combination of circumstances, switching between Wi-Fi sources and power cycling. At least it does not freeze up while recording.