Conflow

Ray, What PC are you using ~ Is it XP or Vista or Windows- ?? If it has locked you out ~ RH-Click the Task-Bar going across the bottom of the Screen ~ A window will open like Example (below) No-1 ~ select "Task-Manager" and another window will open No-2 (below) now select the Applications-Button on top and then press End-Process. That will close the running Program and un-lock you. I have absolutely no idea why that should happen !! ~ did you have Windows-Player open at that time and was the Track shown in the Playlist ?? ~ If so Windows stops you from modifying any Track ?? you're not the 1st who has been caught out with that. When editing always avoid Windows-Player it does things like "Digital-Rights-Protection" which is none of its business ~ If you want a small effective Player I can let you have one. The reason MP3-Prog "objected" to the Edited Track was because its Mp3/192.Kb/Sec where all the other Ripped-Tracks were Mp3/128.KB/Sec ~ As I had advised, all your ripped tracks MUST BE Mp3/192.Kb/Sec before processing. Brian.(Conflow) P.S. Above "Yachtsman~Eric is giving you good advice on Express-Rip".

Good Morning Ray, You wrote.." "I am having difficulty in describing the original distortion- it was not a lisping effect. It was not smooth, certainly annoying! Brittle and only occurring on the peak notes"... Yes thats what I was trying to describe ~ I call it "twittering" and it is a byproduct-artifact of Dolby-Surround when running unsuitable Sound-media which I have quite a lot of experience with. I was trained by the Sony Corporation in the 60'/70's and I maintained their equipment and Ampex and EMI and Dolby-NR-Systems which were incorporated into many (Hi-end) Audio-Reproducers ~and later~ Dolby-Surround in Television's. Your Sony is running Dolby-Surround-Sound Ac3(normal) and Dolby++Surround-HD which can handle up to 7-Channels but in Cinema-Film it can go up to 14-Channels. "Dolby-Surround is a very precise format" and it will not tolerate any divergence from what it was designed for...(Dolby)DVD-Film-Discs and (Dolby)CD-Music Discs. With (Dolby)CD-Music-Discs or copying any CD-Music-Disc for Dolby-usage it must be done to CD-Quality of 192.Kb/Sec (sampling-rate) with CBR(constant-bit-rate). Furthermore the Loudness-Level must not exceed 89.db. Note: Volume and Loudness levels are completely different things. Volume-level is an increase in listening level to the Industry-Log/A curve. Loudness-Level is a dynamic adjustment of the Acoustic (sound-envelope) where 'tiny' sounds are increased and 'creshendos' are reduced to prevent over-modulation. Dolby-SS is similar in that it increases the level of Hi-frequencies during Studio-Recording and corrects this in Playback thus reducing the Studio 'Tape & System Hiss' which is then virtually inaudible on your Sound-Systems.(Its complicated). What I done: I ran your Track in 'Audacity' ~ I reduced its Volume-level by -6.dB and exported it at 192.kB.Bit-rate which restored its missing data content (you note the No:6 File is larger) then I reprocessed it in the MP3-Program to below the 89.db (Loudness-default-level) and exported it to you. (essentially I re-created the CD-Disc Format in Mp3). So if anyone is using Dolby-Surround-Format please retain the 'Sampling-rate 192.kB/sec/CBR' and reduce the CD-Copy level by at least -6.dB (or use Loudness-Correction-Software) - that will work in most circumstances. Ray I hope this has sorted your problem, Brian.(Conflow) (To Readers:- Apologies for the long-Post but once you know your're O.K)

Hi Ray, Just got that Track directly from your Mem-Pen and I'm doing a few tests on it. Firstly, the Track played perfectly on my my Pc and Hi-fi System, but I would like to ask a few quick questions: About the distortion you are hearing,viz:- 1) Is this distortion a type of 'Lisping-effect' you are hearing on top notes ? 2) Or is is a barely perceptable (annoying) type of 'Twitter' on the top notes ? Brian.(Conflow) P.S. I attach a modified version of your Track and let me know if it works ?

Ray, Apology for the small delay ~ I ran your Mp3 through Audacity & MP3-Gain ~ it was just a little high of no signifance. See-Attachment-Report. Also attached is the Tech-Data-Sheet for the Sony:46HX703 ~Its a very nice machine~ and it claims to Play Mp3 Tracks in 2-Channel-Stereo and full Home-Cinema in Dolby-Stereo (5-Channels) so that leaves 3 things to check:- 1) TV-Settings: Sony Dolby-Stereo (Is 5-Channel AC3-Sound Format) yours is a Stereo-Mp3-File so try setting up the TV for simple 2-Channel-Stereo. If that works O.K...If not proceed below. 2) Put that Track (by itself) on to your Memory-Pen and send it to me directly from that Memory-Pen. Do as follows:- Select the Full-Editor-Reply when replying to this. Hit the Browse-Button and when the Window opens select 'Computer' and select the Memory-Pen from the list shown there. Now double-click its Icon and find the Mp3-Track. Click the Track then Open and in the Reply-Panel select "Attach" and then Reply. 2) If it does not work there is something wrong with the USB and if it does work its down to the TV-Set-Up or the PTE-Program which may be corrupted or perhaps there is a PC-Registry-error when writing to the Pen. Brian.(Conflow)

Ray, Yes ~ I agree with Dave on this one ~ if its already (overmodulated) "Clipped" there is nothing you can do about it..except re-record it again but this time use the "MP3-Loudness Software" to correct any chance of "clipping" thats if you dont want to use Audacity. If the Files are still "clipped" there is definitely something wrong with your PC-setup or the Sony-TV.(With Audacity try the default) Copy of the "MP3-Gain-Program" here attached. Dave, The above is a typical example for you ~ All 'Commercial-Playable-Media' use some form of "Compander" (Compressor/Expander) on the Studio side of things prior to any subsequent "Print-Burning" on to CD or DVD. Sometimes with 'cheap' Copies as in Supermarkets things go wrong, God knows why !!! ~ But in Ray's case he has many Mp3 sources ~ they cant all be wrong ? Ray, If you can oblige, I would like to have a look at one of your Tracks to analyze it and determine if the 'fault' is on your side or on the Sony side of things. Perhaps with a reply Post you could attach a small Mp3-File <3.Mb in size. Brian.Conflow) Mp3-Gain Software below: 625kB. (Windows.Zip File)

Ray, You wrote, Quote..."Thanks, that sounds interesting. No, I have simply downloaded music from a CD and used it straight into PTE. I know nothing about Normalization and do not use Audacity. But the problem I have is clearly related to clipping as much of the track plays OK- its only the peak notes that distort". Thats what I had suspected ~ it seems as if the Controls on your "Volume-Panel" are set too high or you had the CD playing 'too-loud' although you may not have noticed that if you had your Listening-volume set low. To get to your Volume-Card-settings simply double-click the 'Loudspeaker-Icon' down to the left in the bottom Task-bar. Set these Controls at Half-way:- Volume-Control ~ Wav-Control ~ CD-Control ~ All at half way. Check with Audacity which you should download (its-Free). See the "How-to" details in the attachment. Hope this helps, Brian.(Conflow)

Peter, You have taken my Post totally out of context ~ and to correct you on one item "0.db Signal level" is a Tone-Signal of 1000.Hz Sine-Wave at 0.775Vrms across a 600.Ohm load = 1.Millewatt of Acoustic-Power. (The ISO & CCIR Standard). In various sections of Audiometry the 0.db-Level refers to different things,viz:- * In one circumstance its the lowest level of Sound which a Human-Ear can hear. * In Radio & TV its the Peak-Signal allowed through the Mixers & Modulators prior to Transmission. * In Radio/TV they use a PPM-Meter at level 5/6 indicating the correct levels below the Peak-level.(BBC) * With NARTB-Tape Machines they use a VDU-Meter where the 0.db-level is shown as "0" and then +/-.(Sony etc) * In your Audacity the "0.db Level" is the "Max-Instantaneous-Signal Level" before clipping.(Like VDU Meter). * In volumetric "Loudness-Levels" 100.db is that level above Zero O.db to which Sounds can ascend/decend and reducing that by 6.db (2:1) one arrives at 50.db which is the Max-Dynamic-Range of DVDs+CDs+Tape+Discs as was shown in the "MP3-Loudness Corrector" (attachments) which I featured in my last Post. So Peter, one needs to know what Reference-Level one is talking about before criticising anothers Post and that detail was clearly shown in the attachments. And for the benefit of others atttached is an article from the Audacity-Forum showing how to set levels. Brian.(Conflow) (Unfortunately all this is digressing away from Ray's problem).

Dave, I accept what you say we have no argument about that. But firstly we dont know what PTE resources Ray is using nor his File-formats....He simply said:.."I have just transferred a set of my pte slide shows onto a USB2 memory stick for play back on a Sony TV (model 46HX703)"... Secondly ~ What Sound-Tracks he plays on his PC is a matter of personal choice and more to the point, has he got his "Volume-Card Levels" properly setup because the 'Listening-Volume Control' is seperate from the 'Wav-Control' which controls the Card-output on most PC's. "Normalisation" is a requirement for TV-Video and if its not correct you can easily overload the 'Sound-Discriminator' circuitry within the TV-Set. I certainly know that because I have worked in the Industry for over 40 years and its also a feature in 'Audacity' (for a reason) ~ and ~ its used in every Studio I have worked in.... So lets get the Answers first...And go from there. (Thats what my reply and attachments with examples were all about). Brian.

Ray, These may sound like stupid questions to others, viz:-On your USB-Pen.... Q.1) Are these PTE.Exe Slideshow Files with Mp3 Sounds ?? Q.2) Or are they Video-Files and what Video-Format (Audio:M3)??. Q.3) In both cases did you "Normalise" the Audio-Tracks before making your Files ? Thats a common fault as most Sound-Files must be below -90db for TV-input. See the 'Before' and 'After' attachments. Brian.(Conflow))

MAIV, It is as I had thought, your DVR is quite a modern system. I can't find your Model 49108 but its latest version is 49828. so its of the same production family. Note: The Images below are to identify which functions your DVR provides. As this is not a PTE-Project problem ~ one of our Administrators may pull you up and advise you of that fact ~ Now as you are aware Comelit-Corp is a very large International organisation and your're best advised to contact them directly. However I have enclosed some Fotos and a Link to their Agent-List below. The Video-Output Is Standard TV-Video via BNC-Connector which can be seen on TV-Sets with Standard-Video input or it may be recorder on Standard-VTR (Video-Tape-Recorders) or on Standard DVD-Recorders like BluRay etc. It can not be downloaded into Computers without a "PC.Video-Input-Adapter" (Inbuilt or External). The Video-Stream is (Hi-Definition) Mpeg4.Avc-H262 on a (Pal/Ntsc) Video-Carrier with signals up to 1~3 Gig per/Minute. Thats all I can do for you and the best of luck with it ~ its worth it. Brian.(Conflow) Link~ http://www.comelitgroup.com/modules_cms/ContPage.php?cp=M0b05000000

Maiv, Have just read your Post about your DVR (Security Digital-Video-Recorder) and I'm afraid you have not given enough Data,eg:...Make and Model and Year please ? Without that data its quite impossible to answer you as there are various types all with one thing in common...They are designed to be "Tamper-Proof" and many have "Security-Access Codes". ** Newer types have an (encoded) H264(MPEG-4.Avc) - Audio/Video output- again tamper-proof. ** The 'older' types have an .Exe-output also designed to be Tamper-Proof and usually that Exe cant be opened and run without the special Program which came with the DVR. Years ago I used to supply the (Lo-Light) Panasonic Security Cameras for those DVR's and the Cameras could go down to 1-Lux and even less with Black-Lighting. In some way I hope this helps you ~ but you do need the Make-Model and year if possible ?? Brian.(Conflow)

Hi BJC, Most DSLR-Cameras using "(Avi)Motion-JPeg" suffer from Video-latency when viewing the 'Video-Clip' directly after downloading it. Other download Formats have similar problems. The 'latency' problem is usually sorted out in good Media-players like VLC(Video-Lan)Player and Windows-Media Player(10+). The problem can be understood when one does the Maths ~ It takes (approx) 50.Millesecs to process each Video-Frame so by the time it processes 10.frames, 500.Millesecs have elapsed but the Audio has already preceeded the Video by that time factor. Its called "Video-Latency" and its quite a normal phenomenon. Television & Radio Studios also have these problems but to a lesser degree as the O/B & Studio Cameras run at 50/60 fps but still they have to use Latency-Filters to Sync the Audio/Video streams (Software-Systems) They also use many Hardware-Devices such as the "Behringer-Delay Modules" fitted to Microphones prior to the Audio/Video Mixers. (Average correction is approx minus: <150.Millesec)...(Behringer on the Web) In small-scale operations such as your Nikon/Canon Cameras etc; this problem can usually be fixed with the Camera-Software ~alternatively~ good Video-Converters capable of converting 'Motion-Jpeg' to some form of AVI/Mp4 will usually do the job. (PTE-conversions do a similar job). Hope this helps, Brian.(Conflow)

Mary, * Ran your 00028-Clip through my Analyzer ~ Your Camera-Software converted the (Sony)AVCHD into Mpeg2-Mine.mt2 extension. * It plays in Windows-Media Play but not good as there was considerable Camera-shake etc. * I converted it to a proper WMP-Avi (I always suggest that these are converted to AVI) for further usage. I enclose the following:- * Original 1920x1080 Screen-shot from the Clip.(Quality-check) * Reworked 1280x720 Screen-shot with Color correction. * Analyzer Data. * New WMP/Avi-Clip(Zip)Plays with WMP ~Download it then play it. * Converter Data. I would suggest that you download those AVCHD-Clips directly to your Desktop and convert to AVI for PTE. Hope this helps.. Brian.(Conflow)

Gayland, Yes that may happen with certain Anti-Virus Programs when they encounter a New-Exe.File or Zip File like Machete....its normal behaviour. However I can assure you that the Machete-Exe.File is absolutely clean as we always scan Incoming and Outgoing Files with Microsoft Security Essentials and Avast-Anti Virus. You may have to allow "exceptions" within your Trend Anti-Virus for downloading such Files from within the Forum. All the best... Brian.(Conflow)

Peter & Eric, Firstly ~ My apology to Peter, getting back to him about 'Zooming'. We had a major 'Radio-Broadband' failure on the 12.th (inst) but thankfully its all restored now. Here attached is an excellent (small) 'Video-Editing Program' called Machete-Lite ~ its only 1.4 Mb in size. Some Background 1) Instead of messing around with the "idiosyncratics" of MOV-Clips we always convert them to AVI or WMV Media. 2) From experience we have found that this method gives us a stable workable product which we can Edit. 3) The 'Machete Video Editor' although very simple works really well with AVI and most Windows WMF Media. Its up to you guys to try it out ~ In one of the attached shots it shows it working with our video-file "Wales-3" (All data, links etc, given below). Hope this helps.... Brian.(Conflow) Link http://www.snapfiles.com/get/machetelite.html

Hi Peter, I shall get back to you about Panning ~ Thats really a matter of 'Technique' rather than a matter of Calculations. There are 'Look-up Tables' available but they are complex depending on the type of panning needed in various circumstances. These take in consideration Camera-speed versus depth of field (F-Stop) which of course impacts on the Focal-range to your subject. Most of these are concerned with Film ~ But in general there are 2 types of Panning,viz:- 'Static-Panning'......For Land & Seascapes and static objects etc....Technique.1 'Dynamic-Panning'..For moving objects,People,Vehicles and such....Technique.2 This gets down to how much time is needed for the Camera to process its Movie-frames and more time to write data to its "SD(HC.HD)Memory Card ~ provided its the correct Card in the first place. There are a few simple Charts & Rules about this but I need a little time to dig them out. Will get back to you soon... Brian. P.S There a lots of articles about this on the WEB simply search for 'Camera-Panning'

Hi Lin, You wrote..."The problem I have with understanding the issue he is having is that when he puts his D7000 original MOV in PTE it plays jerky on his two systems. When David played SG's MOV on David's system it played perfectly"... Yes thats what 'fooled' me in the first instance ~ then he uploaded his 2 Mov-Samples which seem to be the original Mov's from his Camera. I ran those in 2 Media-Players and in both instances 640x424.Mov worked perfectly but the 1920x1080.Mov showed signs of breaking up (running jerky). I done some Maths on the HD-Mov and then analyzed it with the GSpot-Analyzer and sure enough the File was on the cusp of 'breakup' although the control-binaries were O.K. It should have worked ?? The Analyzer and the Maths revealed the following:- SG done a complete 360*Scan with his Camera giving 354.Frames in 14.76 Secs = 41.66.mS/Frame but when one considers that 24 Frames per/sec = 41.66.mS/Frame then "bingo" it becomes obvious that the Camera had barely resolved 1.HD-Frame before the next was on the Mat. This will always produce 'vision-smear' and a degree of pixellation and 'cogging' on the Key-Frames which I saw in both Media-Players but as the apple-binaries seemed O.K ~ I decided to convert the Mov into an (uncompressed) Avi.The proof of that is shown in the Avi-File which I posted ~ it runs properly. The reason that the 640x424.Mov worked was simply because the Camera was less 'loaded' compared to the HD-1920x1080 loading and when the HD-File went over into PTE the proverbial hit the fan because PTE could not resolve the 'HD-Cogging' on the keyframes. There could be another explaination for this but in my opinion the resolved-data was fairly conclusive but at least one lesson must be learnt:- "Never Pan faster than the Camera can resolve"... Brian. Data-attached

Smoking Goldfish and All, Concerning your 'Jerky Mov-Files' it has nothing to do with Handshake nor Video-Cards nor poor PC's... There is absolutely no need to upgrade your 'Video-Card' at this point in time until you try the following. But first I wish to make a few point which may benefit all contributors to this very confused topic. 1) There is nothing mysterious about MOV-Movie Clips once you appreciate some points about their format. Most Mov-Files have 5-Data Streams: 1-Video, 1-Audio, 1-Metadata, 2-Binaries streams. 2) The reproduction problems are as follows:- ** The 24.Fps Output-format gives immense trouble to Professional-Film Studios and Editors alike (more later) ** The 25-30-50-60 Fps-formats give no trouble with 'Multi-Media-Players' with a full set of Apple-binaries. ** Without the Apple-binaries most popular Multi-Media-Players will give trouble in 1920x1080 but O.K in 640x424. ** As 1920x1080 is not an established TV-Industrial-Standard ~ Apple streaming-standards are still in development. ** Windows-Media-Player will not handle Apple Mov-Files for obvious reasons of Corporate competition. ** Other problems are created by the 'User' who did not use an "SD-Card rated HC-HD @ 4,6,8" Speed-factor. 3) Is there a foolproof remedy to those problems ?...Yes there is and its quite simple but often overlooked and criticized by those who have never understood the problem nor researched for a solution. The-Solution Convert the Mov-Files into (uncompressed) Avi-Files with a Converter equipped with the necessary Apple-binaries installed. We choose the 'Pazera.Mov-Avi Converter' which has been in use now for the past year and gives excellent 'Lossless' results. There are other Converters available some good some bad but you need to research those for yourselves. Concerning the 24.Fps in 1000.millesecs (1.second) this gives of 41.666666.mS/Frame which is unresolvable in Digital-System consequently the timing/per/frame has to be altered but then recorrected every 12 or 24 Frames to maintain synchronisation. The Camera-Software can do this by altering the rate to 25.Fps or alternatively the Pazera.Mov-Avi Converter will do similar. Below are your 2 Mov-Files converted to (lossless) AVI which must be played on Windows Media-Player for best quality. http://www.mediafire.com/?babca2lgsmtd262 http://www.mediafire.com/?jsfaaxlv0dyfcip Also shown as attachments some other Files which may be of interest to others. Hope this helps, Brian.(Conflow

Gary and Eric, Gary I have to disagree with you concerning the "Add-ins" within Freemake Video-Converter ~ Eric is quite correct about the 'Funmood-Toolbar' which is part of their "FreemakeUtilsService" ~ (You use the Freemake-Converter at your own risk) "FreemakeUtilsService" is a cloaked File which Installs without the Users permission and does not give any notification and it runs silently in the background 24/7. It connects with the Internet even if the Freemake-Program is not running. Should the Program be disabled or deleted with its Uninstaller it still continues to run. The only sure way of removing this Program is with "Revo-Uninstaller" but one has to be very careful as you will find some +50 registry-entries mostly all connected with the FreemakeUtilsService and these are not normally visable to any PC.User. Suggest: You Google "FreemakeUtilsService" for yourself or read this... http://download.cnet.com/Freemake-Video-Converter/9241-2194_4-11939897.html?messageID=10684410 May I suggest an alternative to Freemake which is the 'NCH-Prism Converter' which we have using for some time. It is one of the very rare Programs which can convert the PTE-Virtual(Avi) into a usable File either as a Full-Avi or WMV-File which can be reprocessed into various Video-Formats. Shots and PDF-data below and Program-Link here. http://www.nchsoftware.com/index.html Hope this is useful... Brian.(Conflow)

Hi Tom, I completely agree with you ~ The choice of Media-Player or xxx.Software is very much a personal choice of which pleases the 'User' and there are many factors which influence that final choice not all of them based on X or Y Technology. My interest was to bring to the attention of others the existance of a New-Player which may be of interest to them. Brian.

Thank you Lin, Yes, like you and others I like to help out with giving the "Heads-up" to New-Products which may benefit Forum-Members. In introducing the 'Eltime-Player' that was exactly my intention. In the long term the contributions of good application data from many Forum-Members makes our Forums the envy of many whilst contributing to the development of a great program ~ and long may it stay like that. Regards, Brian.

And of course within the hour and a half since the Player was Posted you have downloaded it and given it a fair trial and offered your negative opinion as usual ~ without considering others who may wish to try it along with the other Mac-software on offer ?? Conflow.

Hi All, Purely by accident whilst doing some Web research I came across a 'New-Media Player' for Macs which seems to offer a lot of 'Bells & Whistles' and other Software for Macs. You may like to try it out so below are soma details and Link to its Home-Site. Attached Screenshot and Link to Eltima Software Brian.(Conflow) Link: http://mac.eltima.com/media-player.html

YGuy, Tom, Garri, Yes there is a way of 'Renaming' Music Files either in Alpha-numerics or Simple-Numerics. I developed this method years ago for stacking 'Intro-Music Clips' for Slideshows and also for (self-made) Voice-overs. I use the 'Alpha-numeric' naming regime,example as follows:- (Trk = Music Track)...(Voc = Voice Over Content)...Note: Single Numerics not acceptable. For Music 01-Trk ~ 02-Trk ~ 03-Trk ~ 23-Trk, etc,etc up to 99-Trk. For Voiceovers 01-Voc ~ 02-Voc ~ 07-Voc ~ 19-Voc, etc,etc up to 99-Voc. Attachment/Below is the way to do it... Brian.(Conflow

DOM, You wrote... I can run PTE. I can make .EXE files and run them on the Windows 7 VM.............Thats understood I can make executables for Mac.........................................................................Thats understood When I copy them on my Mac Desktop and try to launch them, nothing happens....I have a Question ? Question Do you mean the Win7-Slideshow and the Mac-Slideshow will not launch/Play from your Mac-Desktop ? Brian.(Conflow)