really really really really bad issues

hey everyone.. I am having really really bad issues and was wondering if anyone knew the issue:

I use a PC for capturing footage and a mac for editing. I use Fraps, then take the footage and stick it on a drive, then use my mac for editing the raw AVI files (i use perian and flip 4 mac to recognize the AVI files on a mac). It will edit these files in Final Cut.

So to this date I've had NO problems. Everythings just been soooooooooo smooth.

Suddenly.. .when i transfer some of the files (some not all- it's like Russian roulette) they have this WEIRD ARTIFACTING! The PC plays the files back totally fine, but my mac sees them as all screwed up. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/Ariella5353/weirdartifacting.png <---that's what my mac sees.

There's no way i want to deal with transfering these files to a file mac understands. I mean, that'd be last resort! All my footage is in 1440 by 900 aspect and converting them to mpeg 1 or 2 in that ratio is illegal and i don't want to deal with with crappy quality video. I want to stick with my avis.

i have no idea what's going on!!

If it helps, I realized lately there's been this weird weird corner yellow piece in all the video that WON'T play on the Mac. You can see it in the photo above. It's like, no matter what client of SL i download on my PC- that weird corner thing is there. What is that thing?? Does that have to do with this whole mess?

Anyway.. I'm ripping hairs out here.. so any help anyone can give will be greatly appreciated!!!

Did you do an update to Fraps? I wouldn't expect that to cause a problem but its possible. Have there been any software updates at all to Fraps, Perian, or Flip4Mac that might have been done automatically recently?

I would initially say the AVI files themselves are probably ok, since the PC is playing them back fine. The problem would lend itself to be caused on the Mac side, most likely by one of your conversion programs having changed something. I doubt the problem is in Finalcut itself.

Couple of quick things to try. Trash the prefs for Perian and Flip4Mac. You should be able to find them in harddrive/Users/<your user name>/Library/Preferences/

If that doesn't help, trash the Finalcut prefs. If that doesn't help, you might try trashing and reinstalling both software programs. If that fails to help, consider reinstalling Finalcut itself.

Hi Ariella, I recently had a similar issue, I did a reboot into safe mode then run a disk check, and a full defrag on the offending drive. Copy your clip from PC to mac and it should be ok. Was for me.

The FRAPS update question is a good one. Have you ever had to use special software on the mac to read FRAPS AVI files? On the PC, I think you need to have FRAPS installed to view the raw files it creates (because FRAPS has its own codec). If the FRAPS version on your PC changed, it's possible that the Mac software needs an update?

tried to copy it directly to my mac - didn't work

I also tried deleting the preferences of the different softwares, evening reinstalling Perian and Flip4mac- didn't work.

I didn't update fraps- it's the same fraps I've always had. There is no new upgrade. I've always had the same fraps- ever since it was working properly to now, where it is not working properly.

The weird triangle thing in the top right corner of my SL screen is REALLY REALLY bothering me though, what can that be?

Thanks for your help everyone

Okay, but do you have to use special software to view FRAPS files on your mac?

Yes... on my mac i use Perian and Flip4mac to view Avi files in general, including those from Fraps (it always worked, i never had a prob before this with all my Fraps stuff)

I tried the files on another mac i keep downstairs (older but still a great g5 model.. yeah i have a lot of computers!) and it didn't work either- so it cant be my mac

I have a mac too. If you are willing to, upload a small segment of test video directly from FRAPS (avi format) to a public share and IM or email me the link. I'll take a look at it and see if I can replicate the problem.

I'm imagining that one piece of software *did* update. Second Life itself. They've been pushing client updates every couple of days for the past week it seems like. Getting really god damned annoying is what it is. Its entirely possible something in the graphics in SL itself has been updated that you're only seeing once its being imported to Mac OS X

Yeah but I use lipsync viewer- so thankfully my SL client is like clients old- if that makes sense. It still has windlight but its a pretty good version - I get minimal probs and don't have to deal with these stupid updates.

I think I figured out what the problem is- and it's the stupidest (is that a word?) problem in the entire world. It WAS A CAUSE OF THE THING IN THE CORNER (see picture- top left corner- weird yellow thing.) I had a COMBAT EGG HUD attached!!! As soon as I detached it ,my video seemed to work fine. Isn't that just absolutely whack? I mean for petes sake.. a HUD can completely destroy and corrupt the video file on the mac. Has anyone ever even heard of this? Of course.. this stuff always has to happen to me!

well the good news is we shot all evening yesterday, i got a cut out, we're relatively back on track with the schedule for this project. Phew!

Scrambled or over easy?

...

Okay, that is really weird. Does the HUD have like a full-screen alpha texture or something?

Not sure.. I mean apparently it had something.. Weird because my PC saw it fine while my mac saw crazy blue stuff coming from the right hand corner, similar to the location the egg was attached. This can't be a malfunction of technology- it must be Casper.