The TubeWiz Mini-FAQ

We've had only a very few issues since launching TubeWiz.

If you are already a TubeWiz user, make sure you're using the latest version, which you can download from here.

There are a few problems however that look like TubeWiz issues, but aren't really. We keep tabs on the ones we know about, and this page has solutions for some of the common ones below:

• Installation: issues with .net
• Sound card issues: why some video clips can't be opened
• Jaggies or Venetian-blind effects on moving objects

Please let us know about any other issues you find through the TubeWiz Forum.

Installation

TubeWiz needs .net 2.0 (or later), which is a Microsoft free add-on for Windows. If you don't have it already (most people do—it's used a lot), the TubeWiz installer will help you download it from Microsoft's site. You must have (or install) .net 2.0 or later, otherwise TubeWiz can't finish its own installation and won't work.

We've come across one instance of a broken .net 2.0 installation (not our fault!) upsetting TubeWiz. TubeWiz couldn't work, but the computer told the TubeWiz installer package that .net 2.0 was installed and available.

How to fix this:

If you find TubeWiz won't work once installed, try these steps:

1. Un-install TubeWiz: Open Control Panel, click on add/remove programs and find the TubeWiz entry. Click uninstall.
2. Un-install .net 2.xx in the same way, by finding its entry in the list.
3. Re-install TubeWiz (hint: if you can't find the copy you downloaded, you can quickly re-download it from this site). During the installation, it will download the latest .net framework from Microsoft (this can take a while, depending on how busy the internet is, but you only need do it once -- lots of other programs need it too).

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Opening video clips

TubeWiz can open a huge variety of different video formats, and it's very unlikely that a particular clip is 'incompatible' with it. There are a few situations, however, when it may seem like it can't read a file:

If you suddenly find TubeWiz can't open video clips, check your sound driver. If your sound "card" is the plug-in USB type, sometimes the driver doesn't load if the card itself is not powered-up or it's been unplugged. TubeWiz needs a working audio driver and will not load a video file if there is audio in it that can't be 'played.' This will be the case if the clip you want to open only has silence, but the format it's in is _supposed_ to have audio too.

How to fix this

Connect up the sound card and check it's working -- if you can hear sound from YouTube or another web site then everything should be fine.

If it still doesn't work, please get in touch via the forums.

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Jaggy Videos

This problem shows up as very jagged edges to moving objects (like a Roman or Venetian blind). The image to the right shows the effect:

How to fix this

You'll need to experiment with the settings of the video codec (converter) that TubeWiz uses. It is called ffdshow*, and is separately installed along with TubeWiz. It has its own control panel, which you'll find with the other programs on the Start menu of your machine:

There are two decode settings we suggest you experiment with: de-interlace and, if that doesn't do it, field order (when de-interlace is checked).

This screen-grab shows where to find the settings (in the video decoder!).

Note: we don't recommend you alter the drop-down Method box, as it's already optimized for best quality.

To test out settings you change, follow these steps:

1. In TubeWiz, open a troublesome clip, and use the Trim menu to select a few seconds with some movement in it.
2. Use "Export to file only" on the Upload menu to save a test copy (it will use the current settings in ffdshow).
3. Playback your clip (usually you only need to double-click it), to see if the problem is resolved.

Always note down what you have changed!

The settings you need will vary depending on what type of device made the original video. Generally speaking, older, high-end camcorders are most likely to need a different setting in ffdshow.

Techie backgrounder

Some types of video frame actually come in two interlaced parts, called fields. The idea of interlaced fields comes from the early days of television. It's still with us in some applications, because it can reduce flicker and make movement appear smoother.

Fields have to be used in matching pairs, because each one only has half the information of the frame in it. So one field has lines 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc., and the other has lines 2, 4, 6, 8, and so on (known obviously as odd and even fields).

In both cases,
the object in the 'picture' is supposed to be a simple blue diagonal line.

Obviously, to get a correct result you need both fields and in the right order! The effect on moving objects is similar.

If de-interlace off when it should be on, or vice-versa, you'll see a very similar effect, so you have to experiment to see which of the two options is actually set incorrectly. Most computer video formats, including YouTube and other video sharing sites, don't use interlace at all. So, behind-the-scenes, TubeWiz automatically de-interlaces video (into progressive scan) for best-quality uploads.

TubeWiz should automatically detect interlace and handle it properly, but we've come across a few video sources (usually semi-professional equipment!) that produce 'broken' files, where the information in the file about interlace is just plain wrong.

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