Video Capture Freezing

[vengefulhemi]

Greetings All:

This is my first post and many thanks in advance for trying to help me out. Here is my issue:

I have the avermedia capture card http://www.avermedia-usa.com/avertv/product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=482 and I am trying to capture onto my hard drive some old vhsc home movies. I hooked up my dvd-vcr combo player to the avermedia dongle. I open up avermedia and begin to record. After about a few seconds to a minute, the video freezes(on the avermedia end), but when I stop the recording, the video is playing fine in the avermedia player(while not recording). I have been trying to attempt to locate the issue with avermedia via email, but all they keep coming up with is constantly asking me to send more info and asking me to verify this and that. I cant see this as being an issue on my end, simply because all the tapes are still playing. Right? Anyone have any thoughts? Many Thanks, Don.

[jagabo]

Sounds like a display driver issue.

[PuzZLeR]

I'm thinking it's a typical case of the packaged software that comes with capture devices. They usually suck.

Freezes, hangs, drops, crashes, driver or display issues (as per Jagabo's post), hiccups and other gastrological disorders, etc, are all commonplace with such apps. Tech support will likely give you the runaround if indeed the packaged software sucks.

I have a couple of dozen capture devices myself. Virtually all the software that came with them sucks.

Most of us here don't use these apps. I don't have the product, but if you don't mind using AVI formats instead, are you able to use another app, like VirtualDub (which doesn't suck)?

[vengefulhemi]

The oddest thing today, I just tried(for kicks)recording with the wmv codec and it worked! I also tried dvd and it worked. Seems like avi is a no go.

[jagabo]

What video codec were you using with the AVI cap?

[vengefulhemi]

Don't know. How do I tell? I just open and use whatever is in the application. Sorry if I don't understand.

[jagabo]

Open one of your AVI caps with MediaInfo or GSpot. Those will tell you what codec was used.

[vengefulhemi]

Open one of your AVI caps with MediaInfo or GSpot. Those will tell you what codec was used.

I now have media info, so could you please guide me on how to find what I need? I'm really sorry if I seem like a spaz, but many thanks.

[jagabo]

With MediaInfo look in the Video section, the Format line and Codec ID line. That's the video codec.

General
Complete name                            : D:\Downloads\cap0.avi
Format                                   : AVI
Format/Info                              : Audio Video Interleave
File size                                : 137 MiB
Duration                                 : 18s 280ms
Overall bit rate                         : 62.8 Mbps
Writing library                          : VirtualDub build 29896/release

Video
ID                                       : 0
Format                                   : Lagarith
Codec ID                                 : LAGS
Duration                                 : 18s 280ms
Bit rate                                 : 62.7 Mbps
Width                                    : 720 pixels
Height                                   : 576 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 5:4
Frame rate                               : 25.000 fps
Standard                                 : PAL
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:2
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 6.052
Stream size                              : 137 MiB (100%)

[PuzZLeR]

You can install MediaInfo, or use a portable version. Whatever you do, when you fire up the application, just drag the video clip into it. You should see some basic info. (If installed, you can use the Windows shell extension directly on the video clip.)

You get even more details with View->Text. What do you see there?

[vengefulhemi]

I tried capturing in wmv and dvd and the allow me to record without freezing, but avi and mpeg2 both freeze. What does this all say? Thanks everyone.

[jagabo]

It says something is wrong.