What can I close?

[Dave]

I'm trying to capture streaming video on my computer, and
occasionally, the video freezes momentarily duirng the
capture. I presume this is because XP is multi-tasking
something else and taking resources away from the video
capture.

Three questions:
1. What is the bare minimum programs/systems I need to
have running to keep Wondows alive during this capture?

2. How do I safely close whatever I don't need running?

and 3. Can I set up a special configuration where XP will
load only the bare minimum to do video capture without
manually having to go in and shut everything else down
every time? How do I do that?

Thanks in advance.

dave

 

[Guest]

If you upgrade your RAM to 512MB or greater, that will probably solve all three of your problems. Try Fry's Electronics or outpost.com (their website). Expect to pay $70-80 and it is a very worthwhile investment.

 

[Dave]

Already running 512MB of RAm and am maxed out.

-----Original Message-----
If you upgrade your RAM to 512MB or greater, that will

probably solve all three of your problems. Try Fry's
Electronics or outpost.com (their website). Expect to pay
$70-80 and it is a very worthwhile investment.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

How much Ram on the graphics card or is it sharing with main system memory?

 

[Nick Burns]

Is your capture actually dropping frames...?

 

[Guest]

Have you installed a 3dfx video card or is it on baord graphics?

Cheers CeeBee

 

[Dave]

Not sure to be honest. How can I tell?

Dave

-----Original Message-----
How much Ram on the graphics card or is it sharing with main system memory?

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/




.

 

[Dave]

As I stream the video into the computer, the video
occasionally freezes for a few moments, then picks
up "live" again. When I review the video file,
the "freezes" appear in the same spots and apparently for
the same durations.

Dave

 

[Dave]

Onboard, I believe. I am using a peripheral gadget called
Pyro A/V Link from ADS Tech to convert the analog video
to digital, and my capture software is ULead Video Studio
7.

Dave

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Most onboard graphics cards share memory and that could be a part of the
problem. Also, even with a broadband connection, there can be breaks in the
data stream. Obviously, if the freezes are at the same spot it's not live
but recorded and what you are seeing may be a problem with file even though
it is being fed to you from the site, especially if the freezes are at the
same point.

That said, it may not be the file, rather it is the shared memory as
mentioned above. It stops at the same point because that's where the system
apparently runs out of available memory for the task. The graphics card is
sharing with main system memory, other tasks are going on, you are online,
the system has background chores and at some point you run beyond the
system's ability to manage it.

If you have access to a graphics card with its own memory, at least 64MB
given the overall graphics demands of XP, you might try testing it on your
system to see if it makes a difference. If not, there may simply be
something wrong with the file.

 

[Mike Powers]

If your graphics shares memory you can usually go into the bios setup
and set the maximum aperature size.

 

[Dave]

Thanks, Michael, but I don't think I made it clear what
I'm trying to do. I'm dumping video from my analog
camcorder through a peripheral digitzing device (Pyro A/V
Link) into my PC so I can eventually burn it to DVD. As I
dump the video in in real time, XP apparently sidetracks
to process something else momentarily, and the video
freezes for that short amount of time.

In Win98 and ME, I was always told I could go into Task
Manager and close everything but Explorer and SysTray to
free up the maximum amount of memory. Is there a similar
function in XP? What is the bare minimum programs
and "systems" I need to keep running?

Thnaks in advance.

Dave

 

[Steve C. Ray]

Dave, go to www.blackviper.com and look there. The site will tell you what
all the processes are and help you decide which ones you can eliminate.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

You may be able to get around the limitations of an onboard graphics care
with shared memory by doing what Steve C. Ray in this thread mention's which
is closing some processes and blackviper is an excellent site. However,
whether its streaming video from the web or dumping video from your camera
in real time, this is a graphics intensive and is sure to hog memory and I
don't think that onboard card is up to it.

You're going to really be fighting this issue.

 

[Dave]

I appreciate your insight, Michael. What exactly should I
be looking for in a graphics card, then?

Dave

 

[Dave]

Thnaks, Steve. I'll try that.

Dave

-----Original Message-----
Dave, go to www.blackviper.com and look there. The site will tell you what
all the processes are and help you decide which ones you can eliminate.
--
Steve C. Ray
(Replace "mail" with "36db"



.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Given what you are doing, I'd be looking for a card with at least 128MB of
onboard ram and really 256MB to play safe. If you have access to someone
with a card with its own memory, even if it's just 64MB, you might want to
try it out on your system to see if it resolves the issue or at least seems
to improve the situation. At least then you'd know you are on the right
track.