No picture/audio with S-Video/Composite on WinTV PVR 250

[PlayingKarrde]

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone can help me with this newbie problem I'm having. I want to capture my video onto PC using the S-Video input on the PVR250. My VCD only has RF In/Out and a scart socket so I bought myself an expensive Scart to S-Video lead. However when I try and add a channel in WinTV I get nothing. I select the channel to be S-Video as well, so it isn't that.

Just to check, I connected my DVD player (which has Compsite on it) and used the included composite adapter to connect the DVD player up, but again, the same thing (and I added a different channel with S-Video unselected this time as well).

I can run it through the RF input but that isn't really what I want to do.

Also, while I'm here, could anyone tell me why my videos' tracking is really poor when running through the RF in? Some videos (that are perfect quality anyway) run fine and capture nice, but I have some tapes that are reproductions, and the quality isn't amazing, but the tracking is fine on the TV but really poor when put through the RF input. If I change the tracking on the VCD a lot until it jsut gets fuzzy I can hear the audio fine (but obviously the visual is no good). When I have it in the normal racking band the sound and image is very jumpy and the image isn't even whole (very odd). Would running through S-Video even solve this problem?

The only reason I got this card is to put these tapes onto VCd/DVD anyway, so if I cannot get a picture at all then it's worthless. By the way, it's Japanese Wrestling so I cannot get master copies or anything else like that. My options here are rather limited it seems.

Thanks for your help.

[kitty]

You need to set a channel for the S-video. Try to add a channel 200 and make sure it is using s-video input. I have a channel 201 for regular composite input. Now play your source and one of these two channels should show your video.

A good website on this card is www.shspvr.com

This card does a better job on svcd & dvd res than mpeg1 vcd it seems

[PlayingKarrde]

Hi kitty

Thanks for your reply, but I already have the channel set up to accept S-Videoon number 200 (tried it without S-video selected on 201 also just to be safe) but no joy.

It's very strange. I'm not sure what it could be. I thought maybe that scart to svhs wouldn't work, but i tried the composite cable to my dvd player and the same thing.

Any other ideas?

[SHS]

are you get anything on the tuner?.

[PlayingKarrde]

Yes I can view TV fine, and also see the VCR through the RF input as well. So I know the card is working. Just nothing through the S-Video port.

[SHS]

I think the problem is you have NTSC board where My VCD has a PAL scart socket.

[PlayingKarrde]

No, it's a PAL card and my VCR is PAL also, but with NTSC playback. The actual tapes I want to play back are NTSC, but the one I am testing it on is PAL (as it was recorded using this VCR anyway).

[epo]

If Your VCR is VHS (not S-), it just doesn't have S-Video output! You have to use SCART to composite and supplied (if You got it) composite to S-Video adapter. When You use adapter, input has to be selected as composite, otherwise You'l get black and white.

Corrected typo

[PlayingKarrde]

Ahh, that would explain a few things...

However, what about my DVD player using the composite cable? I get the same thing... However saying that, I did use the composite lead before to connect to my surround sound system, so perhaps it is sound only? Would the lead carry visual as well do you know?

Thanks for your advice though by the way.

[epo]

So, You mean, You have connected Your DVD to surround system through coaxial cable? Composite is signal, not lead. It uses either one of SCART-connector leads or yellow RCA connector (other are rare). Composite doesn't carry audio. For (stereo) audio are white(sometimes black) and red RCA connectors.

[PlayingKarrde]

Ok, I see what you mean. I guess it must have been a coax cable then. I didn't think that the composite cable was just the yellow wire on an AV lead though. So if I used composite input I would need to connect the audio leads to my sound card? This would then give me mono sound though wouldn't it?

So the only way of getting stereo sound from this card is by using a different VCR with S-VHS output?

[epo]

What You need is either SCART to RCA cable or SCART to RCA adapter and 3-wire RCA cable. AND RCA to 1/8" (3 mm) stereo adapter to connect audio to PVR (not sound card!). I hope, You figure out Yourself what type (male or female) connectors You need. Plus ofc You need Your composite to S-Video adpter to connect video signal.
BTW with S-Video You have to connect audio separately anyway as S-Video only includes luminance and crominance signals. Only cable, which includes everything (if connected) is SCART to SCART.

Over and out (packing my laptop now )

[kitty]

SHS - maybe they need to have some good diagrams in their literature or on your website?

[PlayingKarrde]

Well I just happened tyo have everything you mentioned anyway epo and set it all up (thanks for the tip that the audio needs to go to the PVR, I forget teh is a line in on the card) but I am still getting nothing.

I have tried it these ways:

SCART to SVHS on the VCR - nothing
SCART to SVHS on the DVD - nothing
AV to composite on the VCR - nothing
AV to composite on the DVD - I get a signal here. So it would appear my card is all set up fine. Am I stuck with having to get a new VCR here?

I'm going to keep playing but if you or anyone else can think of anything I greatly appreciate it. If I get anything from this I'll post my results so anyone else who might get the same problem will know how to sort it also.

Thanks again.