Dropped frames due to "restless" laptop

[insaprsr]

Trying to download analog video content from cable thru a Canopus ADVC-100, have done it successfully before, but now I am getting dropped frames because my laptop, which is wirelessly networked with a desktop pc, keeps trying to network with the other pc, a new one, so maybe a network setting was changed.
Before, all I had to do was disable my antivirus and the thing would relax and accept the capture. Now it won't. Any ideas, or anyone know of a checklist for quieting the thing down so it will just do its job and not keep disrupting things by looking to talk with its buddy the desktop pc? I tried pulling its wireless card/antenna from the pcmcia slot, but no letup..

[northcat_8]

well gee....how about shutting down your wireless connection??

You know...right click the ICON by the clock and select "disable".....

There are 1000 ways to shut it down....

You could even go to START > RUN > type in "msconfig" > startup tab and deselect the wireless manager from starting up in the first place.

[insaprsr]

I had already tried right clicking the task bar icon, but there was no disable choice--your msconfig idea works better--I went in there and disabled everything except a couple of things that seem to have something to do with the video card--would be pretty scary to do something and then have no picture--on the other hand video card could be doing something, maybe, that would cause these dropped frames--
Anyway, I'm having mixed results now. As I type this on another pc, the laptop has been recording, from a digital comcast box, a fox affiliate with no dropped frames. Prior to that, tried a pbs station, got a couple dropped frames; prior to that, tried recording Music Choice, one of the classical channels, consistently got dropped frames with music hit a crescendo. What the heck?! Got any other suggestions? At least we seem to be making some progress, going in the right direction.

[pfh]

control panel-> network connections-> right click lan connection-> choose disable.

ATI card? If so, disable VPU recovery in advanced properties.

Not enough free [bold]contiguous[/bold] HD space? Empty trash, defrag.

[northcat_8]

you also do realize you are capturing to a laptop right?

Your dropped frames could be from several different events. Fragged HD, system restore, not enough RAM, not enough HD space, too many notebook utilities running (IE, touchpad drivers, and such).

[insaprsr]

Didn't know a laptop was verboten for capture. Especially since this one used to do it ok..
Anyway, though, as a result of all the helpful suggestions (don't know which one really did the trick), I was able to do a capture with no dropped frames. I will eventually bring things back to 'normal' one thing at a time and so hopefully isolate the actual problem. Thanks, all!

[edDV]

If XP, Ctl-Alt-Del will bring up the task manager. Close all applications except the capture utility. Review "processes" tab for remaining background tasks.

The OS or other utility could be fighting the capture program for disk priority. Single disk capture can be problematic unless the OS is tamed.

Under My Computer - Management - Services and Applications - Services you may find other offending background tasks. On my older notebook, I set up a separate hardware profile for video capture and editing. That profile has almost nothing running: no network, no printers, minimal services and drivers, etc.

If you are transferring in DV format, try a resource light utility like WinDV instead of a bloated video suite.

[insaprsr]

Good tips! When you mention 'single disk' I dimly remember that when I did the successful capture last year with this laptop, I may have connected it to my external hd while capturing, because I had a lot of stuff on the lappy's own hd back then--so maybe THAT is why I had no problems! The software I was/am using is the Capture part of EditStudio 4, which works well for me.

[pfh]

ah ah- that wouuld make diff. Even so- edDV's hardware profile is still a good tip with an external drive. Try it out.

[insaprsr]

Thanks!