Trouble Shooting

Check for Vlog It! Updates

If you are having problems with Vlog It! and are connected to the Internet, we recommend that you try checking for updated program files before you try anything else. Select Check for Updates in the Help Menu and follow the onscreen instructions. The update might fix your problem immediately, but even if it doesn't, having the latest release of Vlog It! installed will improve our ability to isolate your problem and identify a solution.

Where to Find Help

Frequently Asked Questions

Check our Frequently Asked Questions pages on our Web site.

Online Help

Since you're reading this, you've obviously already found your way to the online Help system. In addition to the Help Menu and the the standard F1 key, you can access this help from the Help button in some Vlog It! dialogs, which take you directly to the page about the feature that you are using. The Help system is fully indexed and searchable.

Contacting Technical Support

You can call or e-mail with questions and reports of problems to our Technical Support crew at Support@seriousmagic.com or 916-985-8050. If you are writing concerning a problem with the program, please include complete and accurate information about your system. Vlog It! collects useful information in the About box and stores diagnostic data in the StatusLog.txt file. Also, the Windows® DirectX Diagnostics tool is a utility that assembles a host of details about your system.

Getting the Contents of the About Vlog It! box

If you are able to launch Vlog It!:

  1. Select About Vlog It! in the Help Menu. This opens a dialog containing a summary of information about your system and the installation of Vlog It!
  2. Click Copy Diag Info.
  3. Paste the contents into an email or User Forum message.

Locating and Copying the Contents of your StatusLog.txt File

If Vlog It! is not starting, it may be helpful for you to provide Technical Support with the contents of the StatusLog.txt file. Each time Vlog It! starts, it makes a list of each component in your system that it attempts to initialize. We may be able to tell from this log file which component is causing the failure. The issue can then often be resolved by updating that component's software driver.

  1. Locate the StatusLog.txt file
    • Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the file here: C:\Program Files\Serious Magic\Vlog It! (Both your drive letter and the path to the Serious Magic folder may vary.)

    • OR
    • Use the Windows Search feature to find the StatusLog.txt file on your hard drive
  2. Attach this file to your e-mail to our Technical Support Desk. You can also copy and paste the contents of the StatusLog.txt file into a post on our User Forums to get advice from fellow customers as well as members of the Serious Magic team.

Running DirectX Diagnostics

  1. Click the Start button on the Windows Taskbar.
  2. Select Run.
  3. type dxdiag in the Run window and click OK.
  4. Once your results are displayed, click the Save All Information button, which is in the dialog's lower right corner. Enter a convenient path to which to save the file.
  5. Attach the file to the e-mail in which you detail the problem you're experiencing, or copy and paste its contents into a post on our User Forum.

Technical Support Web Pages

Visit our web site and go to the Technical Support section. From the support pages, you'll be able to review the latest Troubleshooting Tips and updates and send an email to Technical Support. If you have registered Vlog It!, you'll also be able to visit our friendly User Forums. All types of users from novices to experts are known to congregate there exchanging tips and advice. Chances are, if you have a question about Vlog It!, there's already a thread there that addresses it.


Upgrading to Visual Communicator

Serious Magic has product line named Visual Communicator that does everything Vlog It! does and much, much more. To learn more about Visual Communicator's features and system requirements, please visit Seriousmagic.com.

Updating Your Hardware Drivers

Hardware components such as your video and sound cards, mouse, and web cam all require files called drivers that allow them to work with Microsoft® Windows®. Most hardware device manufacturers release new software drivers periodically that fix compatibility issues and increase performance.

If your computer is a laptop, you should update your drivers through the website for the laptop's manufacturer, not from the maker of a sub-component.

If your devices are working just swell with Vlog It!, we recommend that you NOT update them because sometimes new drivers can actually cause things to work worse.

For a list of common hardware devices and driver version numbers that we have tested, visit the Serious Magic Technical Support web pages at www.seriousmagic.com/help. If your device meets the minimum requirements it will probably work with Vlog It!


Updating Your Windows Operating System

In certain situations, updating your operating system may be required. If you should ever need to update your Windows version:

  1. Select Windows Update in the Tools menu for Internet Explorer.
  2. Follow the onscreen instructions to scan your system for needed updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Problems Starting Vlog It!

If you have a camera or other video input device connected to your computer, it's possible that Vlog It! is having a problem recognizing it at startup. To check this, try starting Vlog It! without enabling video input devices by holding down the CTRL key on your keyboard while double-clicking the Vlog It! icon.

  • If Vlog It! loads successfully, there may be a problem with your video input device or its software driver. See "Updating Your Hardware Drivers" above.
  • If Vlog It! still does not load, send us the contents of your StatusLog.txt file as described above.

If you have a microphone or other audio input device connected to your computer, it's possible that Vlog It! is having trouble recognizing it. To check this, try starting Vlog It! without enabling audio devices by holding the SHIFT key on your keyboard while double-clicking the Vlog It! icon.

  • If Vlog It! loads successfully, there may be a problem with your audio device or its software driver. See "Updating Your Hardware Drivers" above.
  • If Vlog It! still does not load, send us the contents of your StatusLog.txt file as described above.

Trying alternate devices

If you have installed the latest driver and are still having problems, try using another device.

Problems with Video

Problem

Things to Try and Possible Solutions

The video in my Output Monitor window is very jerky. The show does not play smoothly.

If you have a slower PC or an older graphics card you may see the video in the Output Monitor window become "jerky" during rehearsing or recording with V-Screen active. In this case,

  1. In the Menu Bar, click Settings.
  2. Select Performance Settings.
  3. Drag the Your computer is? slider to the Custom setting.
  4. Click and mark the checkbox for Don't Show V-Screen During Rehearse/Record.
  5. If you still see the problem, deselect Smooth Teleprompter Scrolling in Performance Settings and verify that Freeze Animated Backgrounds is selected.

This change should not affect your published show.

The Teleprompter does not scroll smoothly.

See the solution above.

My Output Monitor just
displays a black screen instead of my video.

  • Click the Setup tab and check to see that your video source is visible and selected under the Video Input Device drop-down list.
  • If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, go to the NVIDIA web site to make sure that you have the latest driver for your video card. There is a known problem with the NVIDIA GeForce class cards with older drivers.
  • Also, try de-selecting the Enable Software Vertex Processing box in the Performance Settings dialog:
    1. Select Performance Settings in the Settings Menu.
    2. Set the "Your computer is?" slider at the top to Custom.
    3. Deselect Enable Software Vertex Processing by clicking the checkbox to remove the "x."

There is a single colored smear across my Output Monitor.

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, go to the NVIDIA web site to make sure that you have the latest driver for your video card. There is a known problem with the NVIDIA GeForce class cards with older drivers.


Problems with Audio

Problem

Things to Try and Possible Solutions

There is no audio being recorded on my shows.

  • Make sure your microphone is plugged into the mic jack. Your computer may have a mic jack that is colored pink or labeled microphone.
  • Ensure that your audio is set up in Vlog It!  Click the Setup Tab then click the Audio button. Check to make sure that the sound card and microphone input is selected and the Mute checkbox is not selected.
  • Make sure that your sound card is working in other programs. Try using the mic with Sound Recorder.
    1. From Windows, click Start > Programs > Accessories > Entertainment > Sound Recorder.
    2. In the Sound Recorder Window, click the Record button.
    3. If the green line remains flat as you record, your mic is not working properly in Windows and therefore will not work in Vlog It! Try another microphone.
  • Check the Windows Device Manager to ensure that the sound card driver was loaded properly and that the audio device is recognized.
    1. From your Windows Desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties. Click the Hardware tab then click the Device Manager button.
    2. Click the Sound, video and game controllers icon to list all the audio devices.
    3. If you see an exclamation point next to a device, there is a problem with it. Try using the Windows Troubleshooting tool to fix the problem.
  • To run the Windows Hardware Device Troubleshooter:
    1. From Windows, click Start > Control Panel > Double-click Sound and Audio Devices.
    2. Click the Hardware Tab > click the device you'd like to fix and click the Troubleshoot... button.
    3. Follow the instructions on screen.

If your sound card is not recognized in the Device Manager, or not working in Sound Recorder, you may need to re-install the driver. Try going to the sound card manufacturer's web site to download the latest driver.

There is an echo of the sound from video or audio clips when recording.

Turn your speaker volume down to reduce any echo or feedback which might be heard through the microphone while recording your shows. Or, on the Setup tab under Audio, click the Mute checkbox.

There are a lot of audio pops and/or audio distortions in my finished shows.

 

  • Be sure that you have the current driver for your audio device. Go to device manufacturer's web site and search for updated drivers. If you find a driver with a later version number or date, download it and install the new device in Windows.
  • Check your Windows microphone controls.
    Click Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices. Click the Audio Tab. Under Sound recording, click Volume. In the Recording Control window. Under Microphone select Advanced. Under other controls de-select 1 Mic Boost (+20dB).
  • You may be having system performance issues. Go into Vlog It! and in the Menu bar, click Settings and then Performance Settings and drag the Your Computer is? slider to Medium.
  • Disable any additional audio devices that are not in use. For example, if you have installed a new audio PCI card but previously had an onboard audio chipset, go to the Device Manager, right click and disable the device you no longer use.
    From your Windows Desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties. Click the Hardware tab then click the Device Manager button.
  • If you are using a web cam with a microphone, your system may have an audio input conflict. Go to the Device Manager. Double-click Sound Video and Game Controllers. Right-click the web cam microphone and select Disable to eliminate a possible audio input conflict.

I am not getting the audio through my camcorder.

  • Vlog It! may not see the camera as an audio device and therefore does not pick up the camera's microphone as a live audio input source. In Vlog It!, click the Setup tab and click the Audio button. Ensure that your audio device appears in the Audio Input Device drop-down list.
  • Connect a high-quality microphone to the mic input jack on your PC's sound card. This is preferred because a lapel clip-on microphone will deliver much higher quality sound than a microphone mounted on your camcorder. Camcorder microphones may introduce room echo, as well as computer fan and other room noise.
  • If you have connected a microphone to a jack in your camera, the microphone may needs its own power supply. Check the instruction manual that came with the microphone.

My microphone volume is too low even at the max. setting.

Try the solution above to reconfigure your sound card.

Error Messages Explained

The following is a list of messages you may see while using Vlog It! We have included descriptions and possible solutions where appropriate to help you understand the reason for the message.

. . . already exists! Do you want to overwrite this file? - Indicates that the name you are attempting to assign to the current file already exists.

An Error occurred uploading the file. - When you Publish to Server you must be connected to the Internet. This message indicates that there is most likely a problem with the Internet connection that caused the file upload to not start or be interrupted.

Are you sure you want to stop before your show has finished publishing? - Warns you that you are stopping the publishing function before it is complete.

Cannot assign content containing transparency to this effect. Please replace the effect with an effect that brings content on-screen, then try the content again. - Titles and other graphics (e.g. lower thirds) that have transparent areas (alpha) showing program video in the background cannot be brought on screen using effects such as page peels or other "fly off" effects because they move video off-screen instead of on-screen. Try another effect with the graphic you wish to use.

Cannot assign this effect to an action with transparent content. Please try an effect that brings content on-screen instead. - Titles and other graphics (e.g. lower thirds) that have transparent areas (alpha) showing program video in the background cannot be brought on screen using effects such as page peels or other "fly off" effects because they move video off-screen instead of on-screen. Try another effect.

Cannot preview the selected effect due to missing content. You must assign the contents before previewing the effect. - Indicates that the highlighted Action Tray must have content (camera, live video, graphic etc.) placed in it before you can rehearse or record. The previous Action Tray must also have content assigned to it since the effect needs the end of the previous file to perform.

Error attempting to save the app settings. Defaults will be used next run. Ensure the "AppSettings.xml" file in your "Bin" directory is not write protected. - Your system may be too low on memory to run the application. You may also be out of hard drive space on the drive that contains Vlog It!

Error attempting to save the show. The show cannot be saved. - The hard drive you are attempting to save to may be full or you may not have write permission for that folder.

Once your camera is positioned for recording, move out of the camera's view so that it only sees the background (green screen), and then press the "OK" button to auto-calibrate. - These instructions are for automatic set up of the V-Screen effect, which removes the green screen background. Be sure you have checked the Active box before you start creating a show with a V-Screen effect.

Screen resolution must be set to 1024x768 or higher! - You must run your screen resolution at 1024 x 768 or higher. Right-click on the Windows desktop, click on Properties then the Settings tab to change the screen resolution.

The file dropped/entered is not a file type supported by Vlog It! - This message appears when you try to add a file to the Action Area that Vlog It! does not support.

The message was not sent! - When you select Send in an Email during publishing, if your Internet connection is not working properly or your email client (such as Microsoft Outlook) is not configured correctly, you may not be able to send the email.

The Publisher could not log on to an email account! - The user has Web Mail (i.e. Hotmail or AOL) and does not have a local pop account setup. You may be experiencing a technical problem with your email program or the account.

The publisher does not detect an Internet connection! - If you use dialup service, you must establish a connection manually. If you have DSL or a cable modem, you are most likely having technical difficulty with your modem/network setup or connection. If you are on a network, you are most likely experiencing technical difficulty with the network or their network connection.

The publisher was unable to establish an Internet connection! - To upload a show to Vlog.com or an FTP server, you must be connected to the Internet. This message indicates that the Internet connection is broken or not available. For modem users, try re-dialing to your ISP and then select OK to this message.

The selected action is missing an effect. You must assign effects before performing the show. - Indicates that the highlighted Action Tray must have an effect placed in it before you can rehearse or record.

The selected action is missing contents. You must assign the contents before performing the show. - Indicates that the highlighted Action Tray must have content (camera, live video, graphic etc.) placed in it before you can rehearse or record.

The selected actions are either missing effects or contents. You must assign the missing items before performing the show. - Indicates that the highlighted Action Tray must have content (camera, live video, graphic etc.) or an effect placed in it before you can rehearse or record.

The specified directory does not exist! Do you want to create it? - Do you want the application to automatically create the folder you are trying to write to?

There is not enough available space on the selected hard drive to publish! - This indicates that you need to free up some hard drive space or select another drive before you Publish. If available you can also save to your local network or a FTP site.

This action will remove all the actions in the window. - This is a confirmation dialog that appears when you select Clear All from the right-click menu for the Action Area. if you select Yes, all Action Trays will be deleted.

Unable to create the directory! - There is a problem writing the folder as you have it named. Check that you are not naming the folder the same as an existing one and that the entire path exists. In Windows, certain characters are not permitted in folder names (\, *, &, etc.).

Unable to initialize the application settings. - Fatal error. Your system may be too low on memory to run the application. Close as many other applications as you can and make sure you have the required amount of RAM memory. You can also try restarting your computer.

Unable to initialize the Audio/Video System. - This message informs you of a problem with your camera, video capture device or audio input device. Check to make sure everything is plugged in and working correctly then re-start Vlog It! Make sure your video card meets the minimum requirements and that 3D acceleration is on in your display settings. Right-click on the Windows desktop, click on Properties then the Settings tab. Click on Advanced and then the Troubleshooting tab. The slider should be all the way to the right.

Unable to initialize the icon cache. Locate and delete the file "smdb.db" in your application "Bin" directory. - Your temporary icon cache file has been corrupted. Delete the file and restart the application. You can locate this file by performing a file find with the Windows search function, usually located in the Start panel. This will not impact the operation of Vlog It! as the icon cache file will be rebuilt automatically.

Vlog It! cannot run with your current display settings. - Go to the "Settings" tab in Display Properties and click the "Advanced" button. Select "Small Fonts." You must reboot your computer after these changes are made.

Vlog It! is already running! - Indicates that Vlog It! is already running. Check the Windows task bar for Vlog It!

You are running low on disk space. Press "Ok" to continue recording, or "Cancel" if you wish to free up some space before recording. - This message comes up when you don't have enough free space to record 30 seconds of regular (webcam) input or 5 seconds of full-res DV input. The location of your show project determines which disk drive the message is referring to. You should free up some space on that drive before recording your show.

You cannot set pause to zero on an inset video. - Certain video effects that bring a video object on-screen in a reduced size are configured to come on-screen, wait a designated period, then automatically go back off-screen. Without a pause time, they will not reverse out so this wait period cannot be zero.

You cannot set pause to zero on an overlay. - Title graphics that display on top of other video, i.e. overlays, are configured to appear onscreen, wait a designated period, then automatically go back off-screen. Without a pause time, they will not reverse out so this wait period cannot be zero.

You have already Published this show to your hard drive or network with these settings! - This message lets you know that you have already saved the current show with these settings.

Your current show has been modified, but is not saved. Would you like to save it before proceeding? - This is a reminder that the current show project needs to be saved in order to keep the changes you have made. This message pertains to actual saving, not recording. Even if you have recorded a video of your show, you still must save it to preserve the Teleprompter script, Action Area and recorded camera and microphone.