VHS capture problems with XP Pro laptop/Canopus advc 100

[JimF]

I’m trying to capture VHS analog video and am having two major problems:
1) The picture quality is worse than the original. The picture contains wavy lines and is generally unstable with noise-like lines on the bottom of the video
2)The audio is out of sync with the video
The VHS recorder heads are clean and in good shape. Playing this VHS source on the TV creates no problems. Copy protection is NOT used on this source video.

My set up:
A Panasonic VHS recorder using Radio Shack gold-tipped composite video cables input to the front of a Canopus ADVC100 converter. Four-pin output from the front of the Canopus to a 6-pin connector on an Orange Micro PCMCIA Firewire card connected to a Dell Inspiron 8200 512mb laptop (1.6GH) Mobile Pentium 4 running Windows XP Pro (sp1 build 2600) with an Nvidea GeForce2Go video card. Output from the Orange Micro to a Maxtor 5000DV 120GB hard drive. I've triple-checked the cable settings and the switch settings on the Canopus. I've been using MyDVD capture software. Thus far, neither Canopus or Orange Micro seem to have any idea what the problem could be. Any help (Windows XP settings/fixes, links on troubleshooting, experiences with a similar capture configuration, etc.) would be most appreciated.

[bolta]

Hey there . . .

Just a quick question - have you tried using any other software for capturing? I use Virtual VCR (www.digtv.ws), and the sync options in there mean that I normally don't have any audio issues with capture, even over 3.5 hours worth of tape or TV.

As far the noise issue is concerned, do you have both the laptop and the vcr plugged into the same powerboard or power circuit? This may also account for the wavy lines etc as well (sounds suspiciously like EM interference from somewhere). Try plugging them into different circuits - keep the laptop and the Canopus converter on different circuits if you can as well.

Cheers,

B.

[bhutchins]

try using DVIO (see tools to the left) it uses low cpu and memory resouces, and its free!

[skateni]

DO you capture to AVI or use MyDVD to convert it to MPEG2 ??

[yg1968]

The lines on the bottom of the video are created by the VCR heads. They are part of the image that falls outside of your TV. However, you will see them on your computer. If your objective is DVD or VCD, I would not worry about them (as they will not show up on your TV).

I would try using DVIO and see if you get better video. You can then encode to mpeg using TMPGEnc.

[RWANDREWS]

As for bad video res, try defeating the MACROVISON protection circuitry on the CANOPUS unit by holding down the input switch until you see the color bars and continue to hold for 10 sec or so until they disappear again. This may help with dirty video sound, as per the CANOPUS site. This of course, should NEVER be used to defeat copy protection of commerical tapes.

I have had terrible luck with PAnasonic VHS recorders playing back tapes that are marginal or recorded at SLP, so maybe borrow a different recorder & try again.

I use DVD movie factory for capturing & have had NO problems . I LOVE my Canopus ADV100.

[VCD GURU]

You say you use win xp pro sp1.

As far as i know there is a problem with the advc 100 and service pack1

8)

[skateni]

You say you use win xp pro sp1.

As far as i know there is a problem with the advc 100 and service pack1

8)

No problems with SP1 here .. I believe it's the ADVC-1394 rather than the ADVC-100. The ADVC-100 is an external unit and thus more dependent on the Firewire card rather than the OS.

[skateni]

try using DVIO (see tools to the left) it uses low cpu and memory resouces, and its free!

DVIO got no preview try WinDV at http://windv.mourek.cz or DVAPP. Both are small footprints and don't tax your CPU