Mike
23 Sep 2008, 13:40
You reported my bug fixed in version x, where can I download this new version?
Check the Download (http://forum.vidblaster.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5) forum. It is likely the version has not yet been released so it may take an unknown number of days before it is available. To be automatically notified you can subscribe (http://forum.vidblaster.com/showthread.php?t=2578) to the Download forum.
Why was my bug report deleted/moved?
Your bug reports are most appreciated, but please confirm you can reproduce it in the latest beta version (found on the Download (http://vidblaster.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0)forum). Also include a brief description of your setup, how you reproduce the bug, and what PC configuration (hardware & OS) you are using.
Why haven't I received a reply to my bug report?
I welcome your bug reports and assure you I read them all. When I start working on them I may reply to ask some more information, or they are perfectly clear and you won't hear from me until it's actually solved. To keep things organized I add tags to posts, [open] means I am working on the bug, [closed] means it is handled (could be it wasn't a bug at all) and [fixed] means the bug has been fixed. Thanks for your feedback!
VidBlaster is slow, video isn't smooth or even freezes, CPU Usage windows pops up
This means your PC is not fast enough to handle everything. Live video processing is using a lot of resources, and even on a fast PC you only need one weak link to slow everything down. Here's a list to help you find that weak link.
1. First of all make sure no other programs are running that take up CPU power, or use a lot of memory. Check this by running VidBlaster without Camera modules (set number of cameras to 0) and checking the CPU Usage window, it should be below 10%. An easy way to save on CPU usage is to lower the resolution and frame rate.
2. Now add as many cameras as you need. CPU usage should not go above 35%. If it does, find out which camera is taking up the most CPU power. Often cheap webcams have poorly written inefficient drivers that consume way too much CPU power. Also note firewire not only uses considerable CPU power, it also creates a huge delay the video signal. It's better to use a frame grabber, like the USB2821 (aka Conceptronic Home Video Creator), EasyCap or an Osprey plugin card.
3. If you do screen capture, keep the area small. Capturing the entire desktop uses an enormous amount of CPU power.
4. If CPU usage goes in the red when playing video files, Reencode them to wmv (right click the player). Especially files encoded in one of the Apple formats take a lot of CPU power to play.
5. If you stream video using a 3rd party streaming client, keep in mind they consume quite a lot of power. Especially Flash Media Encoder. You could use a second PC for streaming.
6. Recording is processor intensive. Recording in uncompressed AVI format uses less CPU power, but generates large files.
7. Video Effects use multiple video sources and consume an equal amount of CPU power. Remove them and see what you save.
If your PC is setup well and has good quality drivers, you should be able to run VidBlaster on a Core 2 Duo without any problems. With some effort, it will run on less.
For an average setup use the following recommendations as indication:
Recommended for 320*240
CPU Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, Windows XP+
Recommended for 640*480
CPU Core 2 Quad/Intel i7, 4 GB RAM, accelerated video card, Windows XP+
Recommended for HD
CPU Intel Core i7 Extreme, 6 GB RAM, accelerated video card, Windows 7
Additional requirements: QuickTime 7 (to play Apple format video clips), any webcam, streaming video camera (USB or firewire) or video capture device with WDM driver and/or DirectShow compatibility, audio mixer. All hardware requirements are indicative and vary depending on setup.
I am seeing random hangs (video freezes) and/or flashes in program video
You're probably using a cracked version of VidBlaster. Several detectors are built into VidBlaster that scan the program for modifications. When detected, random crashes and video flashes are generated to encourage you to use a legitimate (trial) version downloaded from the VidBlaster site.
I use the latest version which I downloaded from this site, and still get random hangs?
VidBlaster itself is extremely stable, provided you use one of the release versions. Beta versions can be unstable, although this is rare. However, faulty hardware can create instability/crashes, especially when you run a demanding program like VidBlaster. There are plenty of tools to run stability tests on hardware.
If the problem is caused by software, it is almost always caused by a driver. Finding which driver is faulty can easiest be accomplished by slowly adding (or removing) functionality. Start with the default Home profile that comes with VidBlaster, and slowly add modules and functionality. Eventually you will find the problem, and fixing it can be as easy as updating one driver. Another approach is keeping the faulty driver, but avoiding it crashing. Some drivers crash if CPU usage is too high. What is CPU usage? If it is in the red, try using a lower resolution and/or frame rate to drop CPU usage.
If hardware and drivers are okay, VidBlaster will not crash. Not even if the hardware is below spec. Even running at a constant 100% CPU usage will not crash VidBlaster.
Why do I see hickups in program video?
Assuming you have no other applications running, the four most common reasons for not smooth video are:
1. Frame rate mismatches: make use the same frame rate is used from video source up to program video (and any output module).
2. CPU overload: to avoid peaks that hit 100%, keep CPU usage well below 50%.
3. Slow memory: if CPU usage is low and you still see hickups, your memory is likely too slow. Use less (cut down on video effects) or use faster memory.
4. Slow video card: even the fastest video cards slow down to a crawl when read memory is read, therefor disable all screen capture.
I seem to be suffering from unexplainable poor frame rate
It seems programs like LogMeIn, VNC, WebEx and GotoMyPC intercept video sent to the graphics card and severely lower peformance. If you suffer from poor frame rate and have one of these programs installed, try removing them and let us know if it helped.
You asked me to send a debug package?
Hold down left Shift & Ctrl keys while right clicking the VidBlaster window and select Debug | Save debug information. Email that to me with a link to the relevant forum topic.
Check the Download (http://forum.vidblaster.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5) forum. It is likely the version has not yet been released so it may take an unknown number of days before it is available. To be automatically notified you can subscribe (http://forum.vidblaster.com/showthread.php?t=2578) to the Download forum.
Why was my bug report deleted/moved?
Your bug reports are most appreciated, but please confirm you can reproduce it in the latest beta version (found on the Download (http://vidblaster.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0)forum). Also include a brief description of your setup, how you reproduce the bug, and what PC configuration (hardware & OS) you are using.
Why haven't I received a reply to my bug report?
I welcome your bug reports and assure you I read them all. When I start working on them I may reply to ask some more information, or they are perfectly clear and you won't hear from me until it's actually solved. To keep things organized I add tags to posts, [open] means I am working on the bug, [closed] means it is handled (could be it wasn't a bug at all) and [fixed] means the bug has been fixed. Thanks for your feedback!
VidBlaster is slow, video isn't smooth or even freezes, CPU Usage windows pops up
This means your PC is not fast enough to handle everything. Live video processing is using a lot of resources, and even on a fast PC you only need one weak link to slow everything down. Here's a list to help you find that weak link.
1. First of all make sure no other programs are running that take up CPU power, or use a lot of memory. Check this by running VidBlaster without Camera modules (set number of cameras to 0) and checking the CPU Usage window, it should be below 10%. An easy way to save on CPU usage is to lower the resolution and frame rate.
2. Now add as many cameras as you need. CPU usage should not go above 35%. If it does, find out which camera is taking up the most CPU power. Often cheap webcams have poorly written inefficient drivers that consume way too much CPU power. Also note firewire not only uses considerable CPU power, it also creates a huge delay the video signal. It's better to use a frame grabber, like the USB2821 (aka Conceptronic Home Video Creator), EasyCap or an Osprey plugin card.
3. If you do screen capture, keep the area small. Capturing the entire desktop uses an enormous amount of CPU power.
4. If CPU usage goes in the red when playing video files, Reencode them to wmv (right click the player). Especially files encoded in one of the Apple formats take a lot of CPU power to play.
5. If you stream video using a 3rd party streaming client, keep in mind they consume quite a lot of power. Especially Flash Media Encoder. You could use a second PC for streaming.
6. Recording is processor intensive. Recording in uncompressed AVI format uses less CPU power, but generates large files.
7. Video Effects use multiple video sources and consume an equal amount of CPU power. Remove them and see what you save.
If your PC is setup well and has good quality drivers, you should be able to run VidBlaster on a Core 2 Duo without any problems. With some effort, it will run on less.
For an average setup use the following recommendations as indication:
Recommended for 320*240
CPU Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, Windows XP+
Recommended for 640*480
CPU Core 2 Quad/Intel i7, 4 GB RAM, accelerated video card, Windows XP+
Recommended for HD
CPU Intel Core i7 Extreme, 6 GB RAM, accelerated video card, Windows 7
Additional requirements: QuickTime 7 (to play Apple format video clips), any webcam, streaming video camera (USB or firewire) or video capture device with WDM driver and/or DirectShow compatibility, audio mixer. All hardware requirements are indicative and vary depending on setup.
I am seeing random hangs (video freezes) and/or flashes in program video
You're probably using a cracked version of VidBlaster. Several detectors are built into VidBlaster that scan the program for modifications. When detected, random crashes and video flashes are generated to encourage you to use a legitimate (trial) version downloaded from the VidBlaster site.
I use the latest version which I downloaded from this site, and still get random hangs?
VidBlaster itself is extremely stable, provided you use one of the release versions. Beta versions can be unstable, although this is rare. However, faulty hardware can create instability/crashes, especially when you run a demanding program like VidBlaster. There are plenty of tools to run stability tests on hardware.
If the problem is caused by software, it is almost always caused by a driver. Finding which driver is faulty can easiest be accomplished by slowly adding (or removing) functionality. Start with the default Home profile that comes with VidBlaster, and slowly add modules and functionality. Eventually you will find the problem, and fixing it can be as easy as updating one driver. Another approach is keeping the faulty driver, but avoiding it crashing. Some drivers crash if CPU usage is too high. What is CPU usage? If it is in the red, try using a lower resolution and/or frame rate to drop CPU usage.
If hardware and drivers are okay, VidBlaster will not crash. Not even if the hardware is below spec. Even running at a constant 100% CPU usage will not crash VidBlaster.
Why do I see hickups in program video?
Assuming you have no other applications running, the four most common reasons for not smooth video are:
1. Frame rate mismatches: make use the same frame rate is used from video source up to program video (and any output module).
2. CPU overload: to avoid peaks that hit 100%, keep CPU usage well below 50%.
3. Slow memory: if CPU usage is low and you still see hickups, your memory is likely too slow. Use less (cut down on video effects) or use faster memory.
4. Slow video card: even the fastest video cards slow down to a crawl when read memory is read, therefor disable all screen capture.
I seem to be suffering from unexplainable poor frame rate
It seems programs like LogMeIn, VNC, WebEx and GotoMyPC intercept video sent to the graphics card and severely lower peformance. If you suffer from poor frame rate and have one of these programs installed, try removing them and let us know if it helped.
You asked me to send a debug package?
Hold down left Shift & Ctrl keys while right clicking the VidBlaster window and select Debug | Save debug information. Email that to me with a link to the relevant forum topic.