Huffyuv problems

[hmpf]

Having given up on achieving any really precise result in Windows Movie Maker (it keeps subtly de-synching my finished vid when I render it), I am now trying to get started working with Premiere Pro 6.0. Premiere doesn't like my source avi files, so I asked around a bit and people told me to use VirtualDub to convert my source to an avi that would be usable by Premiere, and to use Huffyuv to encode/compress/? (arrgh, I need to learn vidding terminology!) Now, I've played around a bit with the program and the codec, and so far I have two problems:

1.) The file size is *huge*. For a clip of around 1500 frames it can be between 500 and 700 MB. This could turn into a big problem for me soon, as my hard drive really isn't that big. I have around 18 GB free space at the moment, could possibly expand that to around, hm, 30 GB.

2.) The clips play very jerkily, as if a lot of frames are being dropped.

Anyone know what to do?

Comments

Re: My previous processor was a 600 MHz one.

[tazey.livejournal.com]

Which reminds me of another thing: how much RAM do you have?

256 MB.

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

I have another 256 MB stick I could put in, but I'm a bit wary of that one as the last time I put it in my computer it crashed a lot more often than it does now. It's - like almost everything in my computer - a second-hand component, and it was stored very improperly (in a plastic bag with several other components, with no kind protection), so my 'personal computer specialist' said that quite possibly it had become damaged while in storage, and could be the cause of my system's instability.

Still, I suppose I could put it back in just for a day or two and see how it goes. Can't really hurt, after all. If it keeps crashing my system I'll just take it out again...

(Did I mention my processor's also damaged? It's a bit of a miracle that it works at all: one of the corners is chipped!)

Re: 256 MB.

[tazey.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a toss. 512MB would help for vidding but it might be at the expense of an already fragile system.

In those conditions, I think you should consider encoding at half resolution with a high-end codec that won't get Premiere to crash. I find that better than encoding at full resolution with a crappy codec. Cut up your clips so that the files don't get over 200-300MB, that'll help with the RAM. If you need two different bits of the same scene, make two different clips.

And don't forget to set the auto-save project at a short interval. *g*