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  • Cannot "create video" with Marvel G200

    Having cracked the capture and edit phases of making a video using Matrox Marvel and Media Studio Pro 5.02, I am stalled at the “create video” process.
    Having followed the advice given in the Computer Video Media Studio Pro tutorial Part 4, in File menu I chose Create, then Video file, and entered all the settings, including Matrox MJPEG compression, on clicking on “Save”, I get an error message every time “cannot access codec driver”.

    To summarise, when capturing I set MJPEG to 704 x 576 (PAL), full size, High quality, Compression to No recompression, audio to CD quality, frame rate 25 frames/sec, capture audio, synchronise audio with video.

    I find I can Create Video using no compression, but rendering is very slow. Also, the data rate reads a hefty 9.6 MB/Sec. The results seem good, but according to the Data Rate Analysis, the video attributes are 8 bit 681 x 581, which of course is wrong.

    I have searched for the Matrox MJPEG codec 1.0 in the list of installed codecs in Control Panel, Multimedia, Devices. but it is not there.

    Strangely, when Video Capture is open (capture driver opened) the Matrox MJPEG compression configure pane is not available. When Video Capture is closed, the Matrox MJPEG compression Codec Version 1.0 configure pane is available to adjust between speed or quality. However, it makes no difference whether the codec quality configuration pane appears, I am still thrown out at the “Save”, when the codec cannot be accessed.

    So, what is happening. I have tried re-installing the Matrox software, but the Matrox codec is still not available.

    My system is 450 Pentium II, 128 MB RAM, 4.3 GB Primary, 17.2 Slave Maxtor Diamondmax hard drives, Matrox Marvel capture card, Ulead Media Studio Pro 5.02


  • #2
    Hi Peter,

    I've seen the message a few times, and it normally means that the matrox codec is missing from your machine. In your case, having captured and edited, this doesn't seem to be the case.

    Make sure that you are using a "reasonable" screen res (I use 1024*768 but you might need to drop to 800*600) and 16 bit colour depth (Marvel hates 24 bit).

    Also try a short capture using Matrox PC-VCR, "edit" this in Ulead (just cut of a couple of frames or something), then try saving the vid file. Does this behave the same ?

    Chris

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for your advice Chris,

      Following your suggestions, I have set the display to 1024x768, and then 800x600, and have tried capture with the PC VCR, but same message "cannot access codec", and "create video" cancels.

      I have also tried a thorough driver uninstall, following procedure found on the Matrox web site, and then reinstalled the Marvel G200 software. Result: no change.

      One curious thing, the "create video" process has actually worked on a couple of occasions, and a successful final video file was created. Then, immediately afterwards, the codec could no longer be found, using the same procedure as when successful. I have tried every combination, and am stumped.

      Any further ideas?

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Peter

        Ok, I'm getting a picture now. Before I pass this on to Tech Supp, can you tell me if you have ever loaded up any 3rd part MJPG codecs (such as Morgan etc), or if you ever had a different vidcap card in the machine ?

        Cheers

        Chris

        Comment


        • #5
          Also, what driver set and DX version are you using?

          When you get this error message, do ctrl-alt-del and list what items are loaded.

          If you are using win98, run msconfig and goto general\advanced. Is anything enabled?

          Then goto the system.ini tab and look under [drivers32]. Are there any other lines enabled that have dmb1 in it besides our entry - VIDC.dmb1=RRICM.dll

          Haig

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Chris,
            I have never loaded up any 3rd party M-JPEG codecs, or had any different vidcap card in the machine.

            Since my last post, I have carried out a thorough uninstall of Media Studio Pro V5.0(including finding all Ulead or Media Studio, and deleting, and deleting any Registry keys in Software relating toe Media Studio), then reinstalling.

            result: still get message "cannot access codec driver"

            I then tried reinstalling the Media Studio Pro V5.02 upgrade pack downloaded from Ulead Web site. Still no success.

            However, I am now actually worse off, since when previously I was able to play back files in Video Capture window, now when attempting to do that, the computer crashes! This used to happen before loading the upgrage pack to 5.02, but now happens every time.

            Further clues:-
            I tried other listed alternative compresion codecs to create a video file. I found a video file could be created using MPEG4 Codecs V1 and V2, but playback on the monitor was totally garbled, and no output to TV. Selecting Cinepac Codec by Radius produced a video file, which plays back on the monitor producing proper images, but very jerky, and no output to TV. Creating a video file with no compression, produces good results on the monitor, (with a whopping data rate of 9.491 Mb/Sec) but no output to TV. Selecting Matrox MJPEG compression does not work at all, as before (codec not found)

            Hi Haig!

            Thanks for your input. This is the information you requested.

            I am using the original Matrox drivers as supplied on their CD Rom with the Marvel G200 card. In Video Capture, this is identified as Matrox VidCap Driver Version 2.0.0.0. In Video Editor, MJPEG Codec Version 1.00 is identified.

            I dont know what "DX version" means.

            When getting the error message, the following items are listed after ctrl-atl-del

            Creative Launcher, Video Editor, Norton System Doctor, Explorer, Wpspsw, Realplay, Remind 32, Findfast, Swtray, Mediatet, Osa, Mgaqdesk, Directcd, Instantaccess, Hgcctl 95, Ctnotify, Stimon, Systray, Navapw32, Nprotect, Rnaapp, Ahqtb, Cg16eh, Mgactrl, Cgmenu

            I have tried shutting down everything except for Video Editor, Explorer, Mgaqdesk, and Mgactrl. Still the same error message.

            Runinning csconfig in Win98 revealed nothind enabled.

            In System.ini tab no other other lines with dmb1 enabled other than the RRICM.Dll

            Comment


            • #7
              I think I have to hand this over to Haig.

              When he is talking about DX, he means DirectX. Double click the monitor icon on your systray to bring up the Matrox display driver details and click on "information".
              You will get a list of driver revisions. Make notes of each entry and let Haig know what they are.

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Peter,

                here are a few things to try:

                1 - In control panel/multimedia/devices/video compression codecs

                Make sure that RRIcm[dmb1] is there.

                2 - Install Direct X 6.1 because you will need this with our next set of drivers.

                3 - UNinstall Ulead, delete the contents of the temp directory and re-install ulead.

                4 - Make sure that you don't have Quick Time 4.0 in your system.

                5 - If you have SB Live, get Liveware 2.1.

                6 - Only have Explorer, Pdesk, systray, rnaapp in your start up. Remove everything else out and reboot. End Tasking the other items won't help much since their drivers are allready loaded and might be conflicting somewhere.

                If this works, then add back your items in the start up one at a time until you find which item is causing the conflict.

                Haig

                Comment


                • #9
                  Peter,

                  In addition to the information that you already have make sure that you are loading the Video Tools into the default directory.
                  Boot into safemode and check the Device Manager for any conflicts, such as multiple listings of the Display Adapter and /or Monitor. If there are multiple listings remove them all and reboot and let Windows re-detect your hardware and install the drivers for it.

                  Olliver

                  ------------------
                  All comments and statements are purely of my own opinion and in no way reflect on my employer.
                  All comments and statements are purely of my own opinion and in no way reflect on my employer.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hi Guys,

                    Thanks for the advice. I can confirm the following.

                    According to Matrox display Properties the drivers installed are:-
                    Display driver 4.10.01.4260
                    VDD version 4.10.01.4260
                    Matrox Powe Desk version 4.26.032
                    Direct Draw Direct 3D Version 4.10.01.4260
                    Microsoft DirectX version DirectX6.0

                    However, I have downloaded DirectX6.1 and this is on the system (confirmed in Windows Explorer). I note in DirectX Diagnostics Tools there is a ! in triangle warning against two drivers listed under DirectX drivers: mgapdx64.drv and mgaxdd.drv both version 4.10.01 4260, with a note that these are uncertified, i.e. not tested by Microsoft Hardware Quality Lab.

                    I have uninstalled and reinstalled Ulead, and installed the upgrade to V5.02. Also uninstalled and reinstalled the Matrox software.

                    I have both QuickTime 3.0 and 2.1.2.59. I wonder if I should delete the latter.

                    I have downloaded and installed Creative LiveWare 2.1.

                    I have confirmed that VideoTools loads into the default directory, and deleted all display drivers followed by rebooting and allowing Windows to find and load the correct driver.

                    I am nervous about removing everything from Start up, so have not yet tried that, however, there does not seem to be a clash, more a problem in capturing some clips but not all

                    These are the clues:- I have recorded at highest quality permitted by Matrox (6.6 :1 ) a number of clips from TV and Hi8 camcorder, and attempted to create final video files. In some cases I have succeeded, and in others, Media Studio “cannot access the codec”

                    I have tried matching frame rate exactly or leaving this unchecked: I have tried different sound qualities, I have tried turning on the Video Capture mode before attempting to create video files, but nothing seems to consistently guarantee that the create video file will work every time. The clip properties seem to be identical, so far as can be determined from Media Studio dialogue boxes.

                    So, it appears that the codec is installed, but somehow cannot be accessed with certain clips, irrespective of their source. I have captured 15 short trial clips. Media Studio will successfully render final video files without fail, from around half of them, but the others result in the “cannot access codec” message every time. I have repeated the tests with identical results from the same clips, proving the problem must lie with the capture mode. I note the compression and frame rate seem is recorded as varying from clip to clip. However, irrespective of whether final video files can be created or not, the captured clips can be played back on the time line, in the Scratch window, or in Matrox PC VCR However, since reinstalling software, none of the clips can be played in Media Studio Capture window, where previously this was possible. The computer now crashes when this is attempted.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Forget it!

                      evil

                      ------------------


                      [This message has been edited by evil twin (edited 09-20-1999).]

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi Peter,

                        I have seen the error message you are getting when trying to Create Video using a frame size the Matrox codec does not support. The Matrox codec only supports certain specific frame sizes. For NTSC they are 704x480, 352x480, 352x240, 176x120. For PAL, I believe they are 704x576, 352x576, 352x288, 176x144 (I use NTSC myself, so I'm not 100% certain about the PAL numbers).

                        You mentioned that when you created an uncompressed video, it came out with some wierd frame size. Based on this, I am guessing that maybe you aren't specifying the proper frame size when you try to create a video in MSP. You have to go in and manually set the frame size (among other things) when you create a video from MSP. And don't count on MSP to retain the values you might have specified previously.

                        Rick
                        http://www.Hogans-Systems.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Also, what are the data rates for the clips that cause the "unable to access codec" error message?

                          You can get the data rate by right clicking on the click and going to the details tab all from within explorer.

                          When this message comes up, is it after a few hours of using the codec or when you close our codec and open it up again?

                          Haig

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Peter,

                            from the marvel CD goto Utils\Msp5.02\English
                            and copy the .dat files to your C:\Windows\Ulead.dat folder and try again.-

                            oh ya sorry about the forget it crack.-

                            evil

                            [This message has been edited by evil twin (edited 09-22-1999).]

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Haig,
                              The data rates for clips that cause the "unable to access codec" error message vary between 3105 and 3249 KB /Sec RRIcm. Out of 20 short clips captured, about half produced the error message, and the others all rendered satisfactorily to video files. I could see nothing differentiating them.

                              The time that the message comes up was apparently random, not time related.

                              Evil twin,
                              Thanks for your suggestion, it seems to have resolved the problem (althouth I do not understand how).

                              First, I tried your idea “from the marvel CD goto Utils\Msp5.02\English and copy the .dat files to your :\Windows\Ulead.dat folder”. This overwrote the Ulead.dat files. I then had more success, but still could not render certain clips. Also, the project settings (PAL, 704 x 576 size, frame based, etc) were lost every time.

                              Next, I reloaded Media Studio Pro, and restored the Ulead.dat files, but also copied the Marvol Msp5.02 dat files. To avoid overwriting, I renamed them with suffixes. I now have both Ulead and Marvel .dat files.

                              I deleted all the original captured clips, defragged both drives, then captured a 15 minute clip using the Matrox PC-VCR at maximum (6.6:1) quality. Success!! Trying a number of different preview sections with transition effects and titles, every one renders every time, and I have not seen the error message again.

                              Incidentally, is there any harm in having more than one each of Viotmp or Prjtmp files in Windows\Ulead.dat folder? I have more than one of each but, at the moment it seems to be the solution.

                              Now for a related problem: when I finally successfully rendered a video file, I discovered that with a setting of the Field Options to Field Order “A” or “B” produces very jerky transitions and titles, with strange blocky artifacts over the whole frame. Also, scrubbing on the time line is very hesitant. When set to Frame-based, scrubbing is fluid, and effects render beautifully.

                              Contrary to what I expected, this suggests that Marvel captures frames and not dual fields: is this the case?

                              Comment

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