Video is choppy in Premiere, not on camera

**lindsayolix** · 07-15-2011, 06:55 AM

I am new to posting, but not new to editing using Premiere - I use CS3. I am trying to edit a dance recital where I have 8 hours of footage, but everytime I have tried to upload the video, it plays choppy in Premiere, and plays back choppy when I play the captured clip. It plays perfectly fine when played on the camera, (Canon GL1) so it seems it isn't the actual tape, and it's not the camera. I bought a new firewire cable, thinking that might have been the problem, but the exact same thing happened. I also read where maybe the timecode is messed up, so to unclick the "auto detect scenes" button. I tried that and the video is still choppy, sometimes just the audio, but it is very noticeable.

I really have no idea what else I can try now. It sounds like other people have had this problem. What will fix it? Help.

Thanks,
Lindsay

**MikeGJr** · 07-15-2011, 12:34 PM

Hey Lindsay!

Sorry to hear you're having Premiere issues.

I'm sure you've tried these, but I'll still mention them just incase.

Are you sure you project settings are the same as the camera? 1080i anamorphic, 24p, 30p, 60i... etc?

Also, do you have this problem with other projects, or is it with this batch of tapes only?

-Mike

**lindsayolix** · 07-15-2011, 05:44 PM

Thanks for replying, Mike.
I couldn't find the things you mentioned under "Project Settings". This has happened before, where tapes have played back choppy in Premiere, but I think then they actually were choppy on the tape. Now, it is just when it goes through the computer or Premiere. I also have had my camera professionally cleaned since that. This is the first time I'm "Panasonic Professional Quality 83 Minute Tapes" I got them because each half of a recital is a little longer than 60 minutes, and I was told I should only use the SP setting to record, and not use the SLP setting.

**MikeGJr** · 07-15-2011, 07:24 PM

Are you playing back the tapes from the same camera that they were shot on? Also, where you shooting in the 30 or 24 cinematic mode (not true 24p or 30p)?

If you shot the tapes using canon's cinematic mode, but then playback in a tape deck that does not support this rare cinematic mode, then the playback will be choppy.

What camera are you using to playback on?

-Mike

**lindsayolix** · 07-15-2011, 11:48 PM

I am using a different camera than what the tapes were shot on, but still another Canon GL1. I thought I would do that so I don't use the good Canon GL1 for anything other than shooting. I honestly don't know what 30 or 40 cinematic mode is. I know I have the Movie Mode choice of Frame or Normal, and I always shoot in Normal mode.

**MikeGJr** · 07-15-2011, 11:57 PM

Ok. Since the playback in the camera is choppy... this seems to be the guilty party.

I've never owned Canon GL1's before, but there may be a menu setting that allows for different playback options.

Try putting both camera's side by side and while having both cameras in VCR mode, check to be sure all of the menu settings are the same.

If you can't find anything different there, then try shooting some test footage with your other camera (your playback camera), and preview the tape in your other camera (the one you usually shoot with).

If this still doesn't work, I would play the tape back with the camera you originally shot with. If the footage is still choppy, then it sounds like a video head recording problem and then Canon or another camera repair company will have to fix it.

Trial and error... good times.

-Mike

**lindsayolix** · 07-16-2011, 12:15 AM

I will still try what you said, but like I said, the playback in the camera is not choppy. It is only choppy when it goes through either the computer or Premiere. So I think the problem has to be the computer or Premiere. All 8 tapes, and all 8 hours of footage play perfectly fine on all GL1's I have. They play choppy when I try to capture them in Premiere.

**MikeGJr** · 07-16-2011, 12:38 AM

Oh ok, I'm sorry, I misread one of your previous posts. I thought you said the playback on the camera was choppy as well. Quote" This has happened before, where tapes have played back choppy in Premiere, but I think then they actually were choppy on the tape. "

When you create a new project in Premiere, be sure to choose from the following preset: DV - NTSC or PAL, and then since you're not using cinema mode on the camera, choose (For NTSC) Standard or widescreen (depending how you shot the footage) 720x480, FPS: 29.97, or (For PAL) DV - PAL, standard or widescreen, 720x576, fps: 25.00.

Give that try.

-Mike

**lindsayolix** · 07-16-2011, 01:01 AM

That's fine, I think it's confusing for me to explain the problem.

I checked and all of the settings you said are what I had it set to when I captured it and all of the tapes are choppy at some point - NTSC, Standard 48kHz, 720 x 480, and 29.97 fps. I think I should specify that the choppiness isn't happening all the time. Sometimes it's not really there at all. Sometimes it's both the video and audio, and sometimes it's just the audio. I replay it and it is the same part that plays choppy everytime, so it was definitely captured that way.

**Prodigy Multimedia** · 07-16-2011, 01:03 AM

If you have already created your project in Premiere I believe you cannot change the project settings. You would need to create a new project again with the proper settings.