ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post Reply
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm
ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 1:04 pm

I use ArraySync to link up 4 40" NEC monitors together for a trade show wall for the company I work for. I create video files out of Adobe After Effects that are about 4-6 minutes long. I save them as AIC files or ProRes Proxy files. Typically the are 1-4 gig in size. The file size in pixels is 5464x768.

I just did an update to a file and was proofing the file and all of a sudden the file is very "chunky" when it is played/synced through ArraySync on all 4 monitors. I drag and drop the file into ArraySync and select the "Spanned" mode and press "Start Server". The file plays perfectly smooth through QuickTime 10 or 7. Both version of QuickTime are on this computer.

Any clue on why all of a sudden it's chunky? It looks horrible.

Computer Stats:
MacPro - 2x2.66 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon - 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 Memory - Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 - Two ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024mb Video Cards. (The 4 monitors are plugged into the two video cards via the mini ports.)

The computer is more then enough to support the file that is running.

The mov files are created on a different MacPro running the latest version of Mac OS.

Is this a codec issue? This MacPro has been in storage for a few months and had a few standard system software updates to do. But that shouldn't cause this issue.

Any suggestions would be great.
User avatar
Turboladdade
1024 MB
Posts:1426
Joined:October 31st, 2007, 10:44 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by Turboladdade » December 12th, 2012, 2:55 pm

It sounds like you're saying it was working before but now suddenly is not? The first thing I would try is to startup with all non-Apple extensions disabled by booting into safe mode which is described at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455 and see if that helps.

Next, I would say ProRes isn't an ideal codec to be using. Try exporting to Apple Intermediate Codec, which I have much better results with generally.

QuickTime 7 and QuickTime X are players. They're all using the same underlying QuickTime API, however ArraySync in its current version uses older Carbon QuickTime APIs; it is getting a little old now. The next update will be fully Cocoa. This really shouldn't have anything to do with it though, that system should still be able to play it just fine.
I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do.
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 3:17 pm

Yeah, ArraySync has worked perfectly prior to this video update. I'll try the safe boot and see what that produces. I tried a AIC file and received the same "chunky" results.

I did just update to Lion OS and ran a test and it still was "chunky"...

Video card drivers perhaps?
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 3:33 pm

Ugh, the AIC video file would not run through ArraySync in safe mode.

It would run in Standard Mode perfectly. In Mirror Mode it was very chunky on the 4 monitors. In Spanned Mode it would not run at all.

This is really bizarre.
User avatar
Turboladdade
1024 MB
Posts:1426
Joined:October 31st, 2007, 10:44 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by Turboladdade » December 12th, 2012, 3:34 pm

This is bizarre. Not sure what would be causing this. And you say it worked before or not?
I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do.
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 4:03 pm

Yeah, it worked perfectly. Only thing I did was set it up, turn it on... there was a software update which I ran. That was an update to Snow Leopard OS - now it's running Lion OS.

I suppose I could restore or re-install Snow Leopard. But that doesn't seem to make sense.

Another odd thing is when in ArraySync I see my four monitor screens in the middle. What is odd is they are labeled strange. From left to right they are number Display 0 - Display 2 - Display 3 - Display 1.

Is that normal? I did rearrange them in the display system preferences.
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 4:08 pm

Ok, so this might be completely random but I upgraded to QuickTIme 7 PRO and suddenly most of the "chunky-ness" has gone away. It's not perfect - but considerably better.

Does that make any sense at all?
User avatar
Turboladdade
1024 MB
Posts:1426
Joined:October 31st, 2007, 10:44 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by Turboladdade » December 12th, 2012, 4:15 pm

brianrounds wrote:Does that make any sense at all?
Nope. Did you also run some sort of software update too?
I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do.
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 4:33 pm

Well... when I first fired up the MacPro it was on Lion 10.7.5 (sorry i said SnowLeopard, that was wrong) and it had a random upgrade to do so i did it. After that it was "chunky..." I previewed a file prior to that and it was fine.

I can't believe that small upgrade to Lion 10.7.5 was the problem. It was a normal Apple security update.

Since then I upgraded to Mountain Lion 10.8.2.

I don't have Time Machine running so there is no way to roll back to yesterday morning. Other then installing a vanilla Lion OS 10.7.5 and do NO updates to it. Other then install ArraySync.

It is "chunky" like the video cards are laboring hard on the file. Out of After Effects i'm using Apple Intermediate Codec with 50% as a quality setting. The only thing I don't like about AIC files is the colors get washed out.

Anything I should try?

Is this normal for ArraySync:

Another odd thing is when in ArraySync I see my four monitor screens in the middle. What is odd is they are labeled strange. From left to right they are number Display 0 - Display 2 - Display 3 - Display 1
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 12th, 2012, 4:36 pm

Does Frame rate matter? I'm using 29.97 as a frame rate. I could drop it to 25, 24, 23.976 if that would make a difference.
User avatar
Turboladdade
1024 MB
Posts:1426
Joined:October 31st, 2007, 10:44 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by Turboladdade » December 14th, 2012, 9:36 am

Frame rate should not make a difference, no. As for your display numbering being out of order, that must be how they're arranged in System Preferences.
I am now telling the computer exactly what it can do.
brianrounds
8 MB
Posts:8
Joined:December 12th, 2012, 12:47 pm

Re: ArraySync Video "chunky" play back issue...

Post by brianrounds » December 14th, 2012, 11:14 am

No... that is what's odd. They are perfectly lined up in System Prefs > Display > Arrangement. From left to right they are in order when the computer starts up. Believe me i've done this a thousand times to make sure what i'm doing is right. My cabling and linking to the computer is correct. I can send photo's if you want.

I know one thing - there is nothing wrong with my computer or the files i'm outputting to run on it. They all run buttery smooth in QuickTime and not so smooth in ArraySync.

I would like to know if there is any other software like ArraySync that does the same thing on a Mac that I can test?
Post Reply