Capturing from Composite cable...in Black and White (Please help)

[Dom-Ination]

Hello,

I want to capture footage from my XBOX 360 game,so I can then take a screen grab,but the problem is the game is a 60Hz game only.

Now I'm in Australia which uses PAL and we know PAL is 50hz,but my TV also uses 60Hz,now in order for my Dazzle to capture footage from the 360 game is to have the 360 composite cable into my Video input on the Dazzle,only problem is I need to set the "Capture source" on the Dazzle to NTSC so it will capture since it's a 60hz game,and NTSC is 60hz,the problem is the footage streams Black and white since it's NTSC which is america,and I'm in PAL.

I want to know is there anyway that you can tune the colour threw or get the footage to be in colour 60hz on the Dazzle.

Thanks

Please reply as I've heard you can get the colour threw using a VHS/Video player or something...not sure...doesn't matter that I'm using it for 360,just any help in general as I could be capturing anything..thanks

[edsmith77]

Dom-Ination,
First I think you are mixing apples and oranges. 50Hz / 60Hz refers to the frequency of your AC line circuits and not to PAL and NTSC. However, most countries that use 50Hz as a source AC frequency also happen to endorse the PAL video standards and conversely for NTSC.
Furthermore, I presume from your post that you have dual use equipment. That is equipment that is capable of running on either AC type (either manually switched or automatically sensed). If not, then trying to use one with the other is derimental to the health of your gear.

From what I can tell from your post is that you want to capture video from your xbox using dazzle and watch it on your TV. But what you are seeing is not in color but just black and white of the color video.
Not having experience with Dazzle, I would make sure it is set to capture in color vice black and white. Next I would ask is if your TV can display NTSC or PAL or both. Remember this has nothing to do with 50/60 Hz.

Then based on that answer
a) If the answer is PAL only then you will need to convert from NTSC to PAL after capturing (unless d or e below).
b) If the answer is NTSC only, then you are good to go.
c) If the answer is both, then will it switch automatically or do you have to manually switch it.
d) If manual then leave it in NTSC and follow b above.
e) If automatic then follow b above.

Lastly, I would suggest that your setup for capturing be set to one video standard and converted if needed later to the other. With priority going to capturing, if possible, in the final format.

Ed

[Krispy Kritter]

I believe he was referring to fps. PAL is 25, 50 progressive. NTSC is 30 (technically 29.97), 60 progressive. I believe the xbox 360 outputs 480p, which would be 60fps.

There is always the chance that I'm on crack and totally misunderstood.

[Richard_G]

No KK, I think you're right and edsmith is the confused one.

Yes, NTSC is 29.97 frames per second (or 60(ish) fields per second) and PAL is 25 frames per second (or 50 fields per second). The mains electricity frequency does have a little to do with it, but only in as much as it is used (or was in the past) as a stable reference.

Supply a PAL video device with a NTSC signal and you will get a black and white display. Unless you can get the Dazzle to accept an NTSC input, there isn't a lot you can do. It may be possible to use your TV or a VCR as a standards converter. Is Scart used in Australia?

[edsmith77]

Richard_G,
Confused. Yea, most likely, but Hz does not equate to FPS although they are certainly measured in "somethings/sec". But I did not see anything resembling progressive but intuitively I presume I could have guessed at that.
But thanks for the clarification.

Ed

[jagabo]

PAL and NTSC use different carrier frequencies for the color channels. When PAL devices play NTSC material they output PAL 60 -- 60 fields per second but with the PAL color subcarier. PAL TVs know this and handle the color correctly. The Dazzle is getting the 60 field per second luminance data but isn't recogizing the color because it's on the wrong frequency subcarier.

[Richard_G]

Assuming, and I think I've seen mention of it, PAL devices in Australia use scart connections, all may not be lost. Play the Xbox into the TV using one scart and the TV will correctly detect and display the NTSC signal. Connect the Dazzle to a second scart on the TV and it should (and I say should, but it may not) receive a 25fps signal that it will accept as a valid PAL signal.

[Dom-Ination]

Thanks for all the replys

On the Dazzle (Studio 9 program) it gives you only PAL(Default 50hz) and NTSC (Default 60hz) options for your capture source,now if it said PAL-60hz I'm guessing it would be in colour?.

For all those asking yep scart is used in Australia only problem is my TV doesn't have a scart socket,my TV is multisystem (PAL-50hz,PAL-60hz,NTSC,NTSC 4.43)....also the xbox can be set to NTSC but again it appears in black and white.

[jagabo]

if it said PAL-60hz I'm guessing it would be in colour?

I believe so.

[Dom-Ination]

Yep problem is like I said on the Dazzle it's only got PAL,NTSC,SECAM as the capture sources for video input.

Some Info on all my capabilities etc to make you help me more:

*TV is Multisystem (accepts,PAL-50 and 60,NTSC,NTSC 4.43)

*Dazzel's capture source (Video Input) only can be set to PAL,NTSC,SECAM

*Have a PAL VCR/VHS with NTSC Playback.

*Bought the Dazzle in UK,but recently moved to Aus.

*My purpose of use of the Dazzle is I'm connecting the 360's composite cable into the Video Input on the Dazzle,therefore the Dazzle will stream my 360 game into one little screen in the program the dazzle uses and then I simply just select "grab video frame" then that will take a still shot from the footage of the 360 game playing in the little box,so basically taking still images from the game.

*Need the colour tho like I said.


Based on the facts given on this post and my first post,what would you guys try to solve the problem,appreciate all of you replying,I captured images from my PS2 games no problem because all PS2 games were played in 50hz and the dazzle can be set to PAL-50 so I had no problems,like I said the 360 game I currently want to capture images from is a 60hz only game,so with my Dazzle not having a PAL-60hz option it won't capture anything from the game unless set to NTSC,but it's in black and White...because I'm in a PAL country like I said.

If you guys would kindly give me some final things to try sort the problem out,I'll go try them as I've been told a DVD recorder or a VHS/VCR would get the collour.