Hi, 

I've got some old DV clips I want to use, but when I try to play them I get a black screen in the Source monitor with the error message:

"Decompression error in clip (clipname) error 36"

where (clipname) is the name of the clip I'm trying to play.  

If I view the bin in Frame view, the clip frames are all scrambled.

The media was captured into Xpress Pro v4.x originally, can't remember exactly which version.  It's NTSC 29.97fps DV411 compression, OMF format.  

I've also tried importing the OMF files into a new project, rather than just using the existing OMF folder.  The import process goes OK, but still the same error when I load and play the clips. 

I've tried using both my Mac and my WinXP systems, both give the same error. 

Any ideas?

MikeyB:

If I view the bin in Frame view, the clip frames are all scrambled.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but that usually indicates corrupted files.

Larry Rubin:

I know this is not what you want to hear, but that usually indicates corrupted files.

Well, they were ok last time I used them!  

Interestingly, if I export any of the clips as QT Ref using the Avid DV codec, I get nothing - just black, when played in QT player.  If I export as QT ref with Use Avid DV Codec unchecked, I can play the clip in QT player without any problems.  I can then re-import the QT ref and Bingo, the resulting clip plays fine in Avid too! So I think the 'corruption' is more likely an issue with the Avid DV codec than the media.

is the error 36 or -36.  if its -36 that usually refers to the scsi chain.  try rendering to the mac internal drive as a test

Hi,

No it's definitely "error 36" and not -36.  I've also tried copying the OMFI MediaFiles folder to another drive - same result.

Hi,

What kind of project have you tried to open them in?

good luck,
Carl

I've tried both NTSC 30i and 1080i 59.97. I've tried deleting the media databases as well.  They re-build without any error message.

As I say, exporting QT refs of the clips without the Avid DV codec selected results in playable media in QT player, suggesting there's nothing basically wrong with the media.  I'm thinking I'll have to roll back to an older version and see if that helps (thankfully I'm still using a dongle.....).

Long shot, but is the older AVID DV411 QT component (codec) installed? In the past when using an AVID codec QT file on a computer that does not have that particular codec you would get white or black on playback. Not sure this is the case, but it did come to mind...

Good question.... I've been a good boy and uninstalled the old version of MC before installing the new.  I've also made sure to use the recommended version of QT, so I expect I've got the latest Avid DV codec installed. 

Today I've tried using a v3.05 Media Composer (running on a PC, if it mattwers) at a place i work sometimes. The media plays just fine on this system.

It all looks like to me like an issue with the DV codec in v3.5.

Mikey,

Any chance you can upload the smallest file you got there?  I'd like to test this issue and send it on to Avid if I see it as well.  I just pulled back media digitized as 3-1 omf in 2006... not sure what version if MC I was running at that point.  It worked fine.  Not comparing apples to apples I know, but still.

Hi Todd,

Gladly... how do I do it?

Mikey:

Under the options tab in the reply field, click on "add/update" under file attachments and browse to the file from there, then click "save" and post.

OK, here's one of the files...

Do not see it Mikey... can you upload it to a location of your own and then send me the URL?  You can send it to via chat here on Avids forums to keep the location private.

Ok, let's try again.  It failed because the system doesn't allow .omf files to be sent!  I've cheated and renamed the file .mpg - I hope it's fooled it.  Obviously, just put the extension back to .omf.

Thanks for your concern!