Freevcr can't find PCTV capture device

[tazey]

Hi,

I just got a Pinnacle PCTV card and I wanted to use it with Virtualdub but Virtualdub doesn't work with WDM drivers which are the ones I got with the card. So, I decided to use Freevcr (version 1.2beta5) instead since it's meant to work with WDM drivers but when I open Freevcr, I have a warning message that says: can't connect to capture device and then the software closes before I have an opportunity to point it in the right direction.

I know that one of the solutions would be to use .vcf drivers that Virtualdub can understand but I figured the newest WDM drivers were probably better for the card and that Freevcr would handle the capture job nicely and then I would use Virtualdub's other features with the captured files.

My OS is Win98 (first edition). If Win2000 would provide some solutions, I have the possibility to use it through setting up a dual boot system on my computer though I'm not particularly looking forward to that.

Thanks for helping.

[hokie91]

I too have struggled with this card, but a lot of good advice on this board has helped me significantly. First of all, what is your process, are you trying to record TV shows? Are you transferring VHS tapes to CD's? All these things will make a difference.

Also, is this one of those CompUsa cards (labled as PCTV Pro - but really a PCTV card with a remote)? These subtle notes may also influence which way to go.

Under your OS, I believe you will get some functionality from the Studio software that came with the card (albeit relatively low resolution). Under XP, you will lose some functionality (I did anyway).

I am currently using the btwincap drivers and am quite pleased with the improvement in video quality. I am running XP with the PCTV card.

Driver Link:
http://btwincap.sourceforge.net/

Read all the doccuments BEFORE installing and make sure to let the installer autoselect your card (I'm pretty sure you will be fine with this).

Also, if you install this driver you will likely lose the functionality of the Pinnacle software, ie PCTV, Studio, Remote, etc. However I thought the trade-off in quality was worth it. If you are satisfied with quality, don't bother changing the driver. It may be more trouble than it is worth.

I d/l'd that Free VCR. Pretty cool and unbelieveably small. It worked fine with the WDM drivers that are linked above. However, I like vdub better - then again that is what I've been working with. I'm still working through some interlacing issues which result in horizontal lines while video plays in media playre. However, they do not show up on the SVCD when played on the TV (another little gem given to me on the board).

Also I think the drivers that came my card were the VFW (which I had problems with Vdub - some do not depending on the model of the card) and the btwincap above is a WDM format.

Another good resource is the Pinnacle support forum on their website. You may wish to do a search for PCTV - lots of info in the capture board.

Finally, I'm still very new to this myself but am trying to pass along some of my trials and tribulations. Good luck

[tazey]

So far, I'm trying to transfer VHS footage on my computer and then work with it in Premiere. I'll probaby record TV shows later on but it's not my main priority.

My card is plain PCTV with the remote. The Pinnacle software has worked reasonably well, considering it's VHS quality anyway but the resolutions offered are a bit low and as some people say: crap in, crap out so I'm trying to find a way to enhance my capture resolutions and to reduce the intermediary steps from captured file to workable file using as few different softwares as possible.

The btwincap drivers seem great except they don't work in Win98, only Win98SE though, as I said, I can install a dual boot system with Win2000 and then they would work.

But, as it is, my system could/should work and I just don't understand why Freevcr can't find my capture device and how I can help it find it when it won't let me do anything. Anyone with similar troubles (and possibly solutions) to this problem is welcome to chime in.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Hi Tazey-nice to see someone else using Win 98 1st Ed for a change on this board.
I've got a PCTV pro card, but things should be pretty similar. Like you, my card shipped with the version 5.x WDM drivers, which judging from a lot of complaints on Pinnacle's website are buggy & problematic.

However go to the following links....
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/docsupport1.asp?division_id=1&langue_id=2&product_id=6&prod...CTV&page_id=62

or
ftp://ftp.pinnaclesys.de/driver/pc/pctv/

Look for the Version 4.02a driver. Although it's about 26/27Mb download, burn it to a blank disk,& it's the complete,older driver for the PCTV.
Unlike the V5.x, this version driver is VFW, so you'll be able to use your card with Virtual Dub.
However, before doing so, you'll need to keep in mind the follwing things.
1)Use the Pinnacle utility to completely remove all registery traces of the WDM driver (d/l from the website).
2)Make sure the PCTV card has been assigned its own IRQ,(go to Control Panel/System. Or Go Start/Programs/Accessories/System tools, System Information & select IRQ), to see if the PCTV card is sharing with anything.
If its sharing with your 3D card, it'll most likely cause problems & not work.
Go into your BIOS & assign it,it's own IRQ,or swap PCI slots.
3)Make sure you have DirectX 8.1 installed.
4) Install the Version 4.02 driver. Once it's installed it'll run a test, if it works then well done! If you have a VIA chipset, make sure you have the latest 4 in 1 driver installed.
5) Assuming the card is installed & software running correctly, launch the PCTV vision software. Tune in your channels if you like. Go into the channel selection & choose composite, then quit out.
6) Launch Virtual Dub. Go into the capture menu's, now in video source choose Primary,(not overlay).
You can use overlay whilst previewing stuff, but switch off overlay when you go to use it, otherwise you'll be stuck to 320x240 resolution. After you switch off overlay your can easily capture in settings like 640x480.

I do warn you though, you need to stongly consider either partitioning your current drive,or get a 2nd hard disk. You'll most likely experience massive framedrops using your system HDD.

It's taken me a while, but I've ben able to capture old cartoon tapings over 15years old in fairly good quality, after cleaning it up & converting to VCD. I hope this proves useful to you.

[DigVidLab.com]

My suggestion: Ditch the Pinnacle card totally... (Im not too hip
on any of there hardware anway...)

Go with a Hauppauge WinTV-GO modem number 190 card, it supports
both WDM and the "old" style of caping...

http://www.hauppauge.com/

With WDM, you will *not* have file size limitations as you do with
the old style, which the type escapes me but its the original .AVI
capture/edit/open/save system.

Ive used the same card with various applications and have had
very good results with it.

Hope that helps, good luck!

[tazey]

Thanks a lot, Hong Kong Phooey.

I was doing exactly what you advised when I read your reply on my post, I had seen your replies to other posts on this forum and even considered trying to contact you, feeling you might have some clear answers with that problem so thanks for coming my way.

The installation went well and Virtualdub agreed to work with my card. I did experience MASSIVE framedrops as you predicted using my system HDD, hopefully I have a slave HDD which I subsequently used and things were infinitely better. My second HDD is only 3GB but I plan to take short bits of video footage at a time so I should be able to manage with the disk space.

I'm pretty sure I'm not completely out of the woods yet, , I'll have to tinker some more with the softwares to get the best out of them but you've been a great help to at least get on a better path. Again, my deepest thanks.