Troubleshooting

Technology Issues

Today's computer systems are very complex with hundreds of basic configurations, add-on technology and thousands of third party components. When problems occur the best practice is to begin by ruling out the simplest causes.

Reboot - When errors just begin to occur unexpectedly the most common cause is corrupt memory which can be solved by rebooting your computer. If you skip this simple step and instead dig in to the problem by upgrading or replacing components you will never solve the problem.

Test using known quantities - To test file conversion principles using the most basic functions convert an MPEG-1 file which is known to be error free to MPEG-1. This test eliminates any complications from codecs or DirectX filters. You can download samples of various types from the below URL:

http://www.jhepple.com/support/sample_movies1.htm

If Fx Video Converter can successfully convert the MPEG-1 sample to MPEG-1 you can be assured that the installation is correct and that the basic required technology is working properly. If conversion from MPEG-1 to MPEG-1 fails, an error should be generated that should tell you the cause.

File and CODEC Issues

Failure to convert one file or one type of file is an indication of a flaw in either the file or the codec.

If the problem is with one file, and not with all files created by the same codec, you may be able to repair the file using VirtualDub. You can download VirtualDub free from the below URL:

http://www.jhepple.com/virtualdub.htm

If you cannot convert from any AVI or MPEG-4 (Windows Media, QuickTime, Real Media) files that were created with a particular codec you can probably solve the problem by updating your codec. Many users have told us that they use the QuickTime and Real Alternatives but we cannot recommend either.

If you cannot see MPEG-2 movies or if the audio and video are badly out of sync you probably don't have an MPEG-2 decoder installed on your computer.

If you cannot load a Windows Media file try loading and encoding it in Windows Media Encoder. Saving the file in Windows Media Encoder to a new file name will create new keys and indices. ASF files are particularly bad about corrupting indices. Windows Media 7 profiles are not compatible with later versions of Windows Media Player however the upgrade from version 7 does not remove the version 7 profiles.

Converting from Real Media or QuickTime requires the Pro versions of the players. Some users have reported that the Real and QuickTime alternatives also work but we have no opinion.

Quality problems.

The most common error is artifacts (pixels exploding at various places). Artifacts are usually caused by memory issues and in most cases restarting Fx Video Converter or rebooting your computer before trying again will solve the problem.

Out of sync audio is a condition of the source files AVI codecs or an indication of a missing index or key frame. Before changing codecs, try re-keying the source file. If the source is AVI use VirtualDub or a similar post processor. If the source file is Windows Media use the Windows Media Encoder or the indexing tool. If the source file is Real or QuickTime use the pro version of their encoder.

Using Windows Media 7 profiles will produce out-of-sync audio and video. These profiles should be removed. Windows Media Player 8 or higher is required.

Dithered images are caused by a video card that cannot support the required output.