Capture luma too bright (pinnacle 500 USB)

[balkandvb]

Hi everyone..

I have a pinnacle studio 500 usb video capture device hooked up to my computer along with my satellite receiver hooked up to it's s-video in port.

When i capture, the video's luma and bright spots look overexposed and blown out. I played around with brightness and contrast settings which helped a little but degraded quality of picture. Is there ever going to be solution for this problem?

[Fos]

Is a Macrovision protected tape?

[Barnabas]

My Hauppauge PVR 250 has the same problem, but from Laserdisc only, not from satellite. I finally bought a Canopus DV capture box, and the problem is gone.

[balkandvb]

Is a Macrovision protected tape?

im not using any tape. I dont know what you mean.

"My Hauppauge PVR 250 has the same problem, but from Laserdisc only, not from satellite. I finally bought a Canopus DV capture box, and the problem is gone."

Well.. i dont have anymore in my budget for 200 dollar canopus. The USB 500 from pinnacle was 110 $..

By the way.. the problem is gone using composite.. but s-video is better in detail than composite.

[edDV]

What are you capturing from? Try a cable box*. Tell us the model number of the box.

*A cable box is probably the best source to use as a test source.

[balkandvb]

What are you capturing from? Try a cable box*. Tell us the model number of the box.

*A cable box is probably the best source to use as a test source.

satellite receiver. Pansat 2700

Incidentally I tried using the analog IN s-video with my DV camcorder and it has exactly the same problem.

[edDV]

When i capture, the video's luma and bright spots look overexposed and blown out.

If it also does it with a DV cam, then the problem is in the satellite transmission. "Blown out" highlights indicate video levels are clipping to white.

Suggest you take your DV camcorder to someone else with the same service and see if the problem is present there. If not, you have a faulty receiver.

[balkandvb]

When i capture, the video's luma and bright spots look overexposed and blown out.

If it also does it with a DV cam, then the problem is in the satellite transmission. "Blown out" highlights indicate video levels are clipping to white.

Suggest you take your DV camcorder to someone else with the same service and see if the problem is present there. If not, you have a faulty receiver.

But why does it look fine on the tv though? I would have noticed if it was faulty right off the bat from the TV.

I am going to try to capture off my XBOX s-video and see if the problem is there. I tried it with DV cam IN and the problem is there but I will try with the capture card.

I guess it is just the disadvantage of going from analog to digital right? Perhaps a more expensive capture device like the canopus will fix it but oh well..

Can anyone think of anything I can possibly put as a device that restrains/reduces the luma signal of an s-video cable before it reaches the capture device?

[edDV]

When i capture, the video's luma and bright spots look overexposed and blown out.

If it also does it with a DV cam, then the problem is in the satellite transmission. "Blown out" highlights indicate video levels are clipping to white.

Suggest you take your DV camcorder to someone else with the same service and see if the problem is present there. If not, you have a faulty receiver.

But why does it look fine on the tv though? I would have noticed if it was faulty right off the bat from the TV.

I am going to try to capture off my XBOX s-video and see if the problem is there. I tried it with DV cam IN and the problem is there but I will try with the capture card.

I guess it is just the disadvantage of going from analog to digital right? Perhaps a more expensive capture device like the canopus will fix it but oh well..

Can anyone think of anything I can possibly put as a device that restrains/reduces the luma signal of an s-video cable before it reaches the capture device?

Are you using the same S-Video output to the TV?

TV sets have AGC and video processing but that shouldn't make a huge difference for oversaturated whites, that is unless the Sat box is sending out very high (out of spec) luminance levels.

A Canopus box won't be much different from what you get from your DV camcorder. It seems like you have some major issues to solve first.


PS: Try this test

1. Look at the sat box S-Video connected directly to the TV
2. Record the same output to the DV camcorder.
3. Play the camcorder back to the TV over S-Video.

Do you see a difference in oversaturated whites? A DV playback should look a bit darker due to 0IRE black but shouldn't affect a clipped white problem.

[balkandvb]

ok edv.. Ive made some small discoveries. Here are examples of all instances.

This was captured with the capture card with S-video: (Notice how it is WAY blown out.)



This was captured with the capture card with composite: (Normal, a little dark, safe whites)



This was captured with DV cam s-video IN: (Samsung SCD 27) (To my surprise less blown out than capture card but still final cut says luma is not safe.)



This was captured with DV cam composite IN: (normal, but still not safe whites according to final cut)



I hope this can provide you some insight on why the hell the capture card is messing up the s-video. All these images were taken directly from the sat box and the capture card compression was DV 25. The video proc settings for the capture card were all to default.

[balkandvb]

to add to the last post.. i looked at the svideo of the dvcam and compared it to how the svideo looks on the tv and STILL it looks less blown out and softer on the tv than on the dv cam capture.

I am also disappointed to see these kind of results from the video capture card i just bought. I may return it if I cant fix it.