RVC5 Freezes computer

[IanJE]

Hi

I'm having trouble with RVC5, it's randomly freezing my computer during recording of webinars and movies etc. For example I was recording a 100 minute webinar a couple of days ago and it froze at the 56 minute mark (the audio made a strange sound for a few seconds and the computer froze). I tried to record the webinar again this time it froze after 15 minutes. (Note: the video was only a small percentage of monitor screen).

Also tried to record a TV program, similar result, first time froze after a few minutes, second time froze after 25 minutes. (approx. 50% of monitor screen). - All very frustrating.

Settings -

Aud Bitrate - 256.
Vid bitrate 12000, 25 fr/sec.
Vid format MPEG-2.
Disable vid accel - tick

Max size 8000MB
Rec time 04:00:00

Rec option Record vid - tick
Rec vid - tick
Keep on top - tick

Have tried tinkering with the settings - no difference. Also uninstalled and reinstalled program.

Comp details:-

Windows 7 64 Bit
AMD Athlon(tm) x 2,(Dual Core) 250 Processor 3.0 Mhz, 8G Ram. Set for best performance

Looking forward to a resolution of this problem - thanks

Ian

[Jeff Lenney]

Hi Ian,

To get the best quality video with Replay Video Capture - try the following:

1. Go to Settings, and make sure you are using the MPEG-2 video format. Also, you may want to click on "Recommended Settings" at the top and select the most fitting option according to your pc configuration.

2. Try recording from a smaller video window by resizing your player to 1/4 of your screen, or no more than 480x640 pixels. This won't affect the video quality (since video is scaled UP from smaller sizes to fit a full-screen picture). This will require less computer power to capture, which will make for smoother videos.

Let me know if this makes a difference.

[IanJE]

Hi Jeff

Thank you for your reply.

My settings are listed in my initial posting i.e. MPEG-2 plus the size of the webinar screen would have been less than a quarter of my screen.

Ian

[Cheryl Wester]

See if it works better with windows media format. Each computer is different so if something doesn't work with one format try another.

[willie001]

Thank you for your reply.http://www.amzcard.info/g.gif

[kevinabb]

* Having same problem as OP. Have used RVC on this computer for 2+ years with no problems. Was working fine 10 days ago. I was offered to download a new version, I assume RVC5, so I did. The "freezing" problem began immediately and will not go away. I have tried every suggestion I've found on the Applian Forums, plus a lot more. Played with virtually every parameter on the settings menu. For my source I've used different browsers: Firefox & IE. Tried recording from numerous sources: web streams, wmp, both of my video editor/display packages.

* Example: I set RVC to record a 90-minute source being downloaded real-time. The download looks and sounds fine from start to finish. But the resulting RVC file is always the same: Starts with good audio & video. After 15-20 minutes the video begins to lag the audio. A few minutes later the lagging video becomes severely chopped, capturing about one frame per second. A few minutes later the video freezes completely. Result: all 90 minutes of audio is near-perfect. But video goes from perfect > good > lag > chop > permanent freeze. I rarely get even 20 minutes of usable material

NOTE: When I monitor the source video there is NO problem with it. Problem is only with the RVC output file. And it happens nearly 100% of the time.

* SO HOW do I revert back to my previous RVC version, which worked perfectly? I uninstalled the new RVC version and reinstalled RVC from my original 2009 RVC disk. But the reinstall doesn't give me back my "old" version. I get a version with the "Home - Show Markers" toggle, which my "old" version did not have. Is Applian automatically "updating" my RVC when I install it from my 2009 SW disk? Is there some way for me to get the EXACT version that worked perfectly from 2009 until a few days ago?

Sorry for the long post but I want to provide as much info as possible. I'm now in a world of hurt on a video contract deadline and I need a sure-fire fix ASAP.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Cheryl Wester]

The various versions are on our download page. go to that and scroll to the bottom. Thanks.

[kevinabb]

Thanks, Cheryl. I reverted to RVC 4.1 and that fixed my audio glitches. Video is still broken. All is fine until between 00:20:00 and 00:21:10 when video suddenly and permanently freezes. I get almost exactly 20 minutes of fine A/V. After that the file has fine audio, but the frozen video frame stays on-screen.

I've disabled all sleep modes, screen-saver and power-saver modes, etc. Other than installing the new RVC version then uninstalling and reverting to 4.1, the only change I've made to my system recently is installation of Win Vista Service Packs 1 & 2. Any chance they have a conflict with RVC?

Again, thanks for getting me to this point. Any help getting past the 20-minute video freeze will be much appreciated!

[kevinabb]

A few questions to maybe help out with our video freeze issues:

- My Windows Vista and RVC 4.1 are both on my C-drive. I write the RVC output files to an external (USB-2) drive. Could it somehow help RVC's perfromance if I write the output files to the C-drive?

- Are there recommended min/max virtual memory sizes when using RVC? Could playing with VM numbers, even moving VM from internal to external drives, possibly help?

RVC has been a great friend to me and I hate to give up on it, but this situation is eating me alive. I'm willing to try anything reasonable to get back to functionality.

[Cheryl Wester]

Screenn capture is very power intensive. I would always do a fresh boot prior to doing any long recording. Also, do try and save it on your main drive. You can always move it. We are working on a new update and hope to have it ready for release shortly. I'm going to see it this week and it is supposed to be amazing. It might just take care of your issue.

[kevinabb]

Cheryl, thanks very much for your (always) quick replies. I had tech support responsibilities for years and I know how relentless it can be. Not to mention that it's probably one of about six jobs you do? >8-0

Last night I reset the C: drive as the output target. Instead of the previous ~20 minutes of unfrozen video per session, I now get 23 OR MORE minutes. Problem is, I'm recording 100-minute streams. So I'm baby sitting: I stop each session at 27 minutes, harvest the unfrozen video, then start a new 27-minute session. I'll edit & assemble each webinar from its 5+ separate recorded chunks. OUCH!

Is there any way to monitor the RVC output file, either in real-time or delayed, so I can tell if/when the video recording has frozen? I've stopped two of these sessions at 27 minutes and they were still running fine. I hate to stop a session that might go the distance! OTOH, I can't risk wasting a 100-minute session when only 23 minutes might be usable. Any way of monitoring would be of tremendous help!

OF INTEREST: The earlier the video freezes in a session, the smaller the size of the resulting file. Maybe I can monitor the file-size counter on the RVC console display, on the assumption that the data rate will slow once the video freezes? That's a PITA but might save me from stopping a still-good session.

Can't wait to hear more about the new version!

[kevinabb]

Cheryl, thanks for your quick and helpful replies. I had tech support responsibility for years, and I know how taxing it can be. You handle it very nicely! :)

I moved my RVC output folder off of USB2 external drive and back onto C: drive, where Win Vista and RVC SW reside. That fixed some glitching, but not the 20-minute freezing issue.

After comparing date/time of my RVC recorded files against my System Restore Point events, I discovered something shocking: The serious freeze problems began immediately after I installed MS Service Packs 1 & 2, plus a load of associated MS updates. (Eyes rolling :rolleyes:). I only installed the MS stuff because it was required for my Trend Micro Anti-Virus 2012 renewal. Who'da thought that MS system updates could mess up other companies' SW? (Eyes now rolling wildly :rolleyes: :rolleyes:).

So after uninstalling the MS junk and reverting to another version of Trend Micro which works fine without the service packs ...
RVC 4.1 works flawlessly like it had for the prior 2+ years. I'll install and try RVC 5.x in the next few days, when my current projects are finished,and report back on how it works now.

FWIW, removing the MS stuff resolved conflicts that were happening between RVC 4.x and Womble MPEG Video Wizard 5.0. Womble began adding a cross-hatch type of screening while playing some (but not all) newly-recorded RVC files. It was like watching the video monitor through a thin gauze curtain. This phenomenon did not occur with older RVC files. Removing the MS updates fixed that problem as well. RVC and Womble play together prefectly like back in the good ol' days.

So when do we get an Applian suite for the Mac? Because that's where I'm headed soon. Adios, MS.

[Cheryl Wester]

Thank you for all of the feedback. It is appreciated and the developers do look at this. We do have some programs for a Mac. Go to Jaksta.com and see. Also, our programs do work on a Mac with Parallels or Bootcamp on it. You treat them then just like any PC program.

[IanJE]

Hi everyone, I've been away for sometime and have just been able to log on again. Thanks for all the responses etc. I too have tried everything and still having problems with freezing sometimes when I'm in the middle of recording a webinar. It's so frustrating.
Looking forward to the update, hope it solves the problem.

[Jeff Lenney]

Thanks for hanging in there Ian :)

[IanJE]

Hi all
Noted Kevinabb's comment (03/30/2012) regarding MS updates. I have a faint suspicion that my troubles with freezing started after a MS update installation. Haven't really been able to tie it down though. Will wait for RVC update.

[Cheryl Wester]

Personally, I found that the main issues do seem to come after Tuesday updates to system.s sometimes a rollback on a computer helps.

[IanJE]

Thanks Cheryl

Yes I have thought about that except the problem has been around for some time for me and there has been heeps of Windows updates during that time. Short of doing a complete reinstall which I don't want to do, I'm hoping the new version of RVC will do the trick.

[Jeff Lenney]

Thanks Cheryl

Yes I have thought about that except the problem has been around for some time for me and there has been heeps of Windows updates during that time. Short of doing a complete reinstall which I don't want to do, I'm hoping the new version of RVC will do the trick.

Let us know how it goes please! :-)

[IanJE]

Hi all

Have been using the new version (V6) for a while now and all seems well. Does not freeze the computer will using the program. Luv it.