I hope someone can help me. I have just bought a new camera Panasonic DMC-FZ7. I like everything about it except I cannot seem to get the movies to display properly on the computer. They display perfectly on the camera's LCD monitor but on the computer screen they appear as jerky still pictures. I don't think it is my computer as the ones from my Kodak camera display properly. They both use Quick Time and I have the latest version. I would be grateful for any suggestions. If this is the best I can get on this camera it is the one thing I am disappointed in:(

What format are the movies in? (IE what is the file extension)

Another thought: Could it be that your PC's processor is unable to cope with the movie? Is it a big file size, or do you have a slow/old computer? Just thinking out loud.

Thanks Sam

Format is QuickTime Movie
My computer is not new but it seems to cope with most things and the Kodak movies are ok, as are others I have had sent from family members.
The file size of the Panasonic movies I have are 48MB and 72MB

A few puter specs:-
Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2
Processor 1000 megahertz Intel Celeron

368 Megabytes Installed Memory
Slot 'DIMM 1' has 128 MB
Slot 'DIMM 2' has 256 MB

c: 80.00 GB 54.77 GB free
z: 20.55 GB 19.79 GB free

Do you know if the memmory is DDR or SDRAM? SDRAM would be slower, because it functions at half the speed of the system bus...

Have you downloaded the movies to your computer, or are you viewing them from the camera via USB?

ANother thought: Assuming you have uploaded the movies, do you have any options as to frames per second before you transfer? Although if you do the default setting shouldn't cause problems like you've described.

Well a Celeron doesn't have the cache that a Pentium 4 would...but that shouldn't make much of a difference in this case.
Do you have the latest version of Quicktime installed? That might make a difference.

Well if your computer plays other movies fine, then it shouldent be the computer, right? If it is the computer then:

1) You have a messed up setting (highly doubtful)
2) You had every program open and were rendering something in terragen, bryce, vue, poser, lightwave, 3ds max, rhino, apophysis, and quat at the same time. (yes this will affect your computer. ;-)
3) You were playing the movie from the USB cable rather than moving the file to your computer first.

...basically a recap of what other's said.

having the latest version of junk software *cough, apple quicktime* shouldent make a diff....well, since it's apple you dont know what to expect.

Noah, I wasn't pushing Apple in any way, give me a break. (No Kit-kat comments, please) I was just stating that sometimes, it makes a differance which version you have, as to how fast the program is. And who, WHO would do #2?

Lynn, I'm not sure what the problem would be...perhaps you need to defragment those hard disks...that can make quite a difference.

Or perhaps you have a virus....

Tim, you know me, I'm a apple hater. =P Whats the term for apple haters btw?

and I would do #2 IF i had one of those IBM super computers....and more.

IBM Fundamentalist?

I guess that works...but apple hater works 10x better.

...apple can be the dark side if you choose.

It is the same whether played from the camera via USB, or from the transferred file on the computer. As far as I am aware I have no viruses - did a full scan to make sure. I defrag every 2 weeks but did another one anyway. I have no other progs open at all when viewing. Latest version of QT is instaled.
Only thing is the frames per second thing - Sam I am not sure where to find this option on the camera but will investigate.
Thanks for all suggestions :)

have u tried using a diff computer?

If the option was available it wouldn't be on the camera but in the software that you installed that came with the camera. I don't think it's the answer though, I'm just thinking out loud again.

If you are running windows, there may be a lot of applications running in the background that you are unaware of. You can go to your start menu>Run and type in msconfig. On the Startup Tab you will be given a list of these applications that start when your computer is up and running. Norton Anti Virus is a big hog...you could temporarily shut it down if you have it. MSN Messenger could be another.

msn doesnt use much CPU power...for me it's 0-1% all the time. Just arrange the list of cpu usage and see if anything is using the computer's power...other than sysidle or something like that....lol, and end things and hope your computer doesnt crash.

I have my start menu pared down to the minimum and even with 2 browsers open computer still runs at 2% - 3%.
I have found a fps option on the camera and it is set to 30. I just find it odd and annoying that the tracks play back perfectly on the camera.
I am wonderting if I may uninstall QT and reinstall it although other tracks play ok on it.

Try downloading a movie on a different PC and see how that goes.

Alos, I would try playing the file using a different player (like VLC, which is a free download) before going to the trouble of reinstalling QT. If it works you can just continue usin that player, if there's still a problem then the player isn't your problem.

I will try it on a different PC - have alrady tried using Media Player Classic with the same result :(

:) :) :) :)

I dont know why I am smiling because I feel proper twit.
I shot another movie and this one works perfectly.
Something must have been set wrong when I did the first two --- but still that does not explain why they displayed properly in the camera :(

Thanks for you input and interest guys - now I can begin to enjoy this new camera - I think - I hope - this one actually expects me to do things for myself lol - a whole new language, white balance, aperture, all sorts of funny words. It does have a 'simple mode' though and I think that was put there just for the likes of me.

Well my guess would be that the framerate and resolution must have played a role. Perhaps it looks fine on the camera because the resolution of the LCD screen is so much smaller and you don't notice the jerky playback. Once you play it on the PC it was another story altogether.