No sound from right speaker when I play captured material

[stingerman187]

I've captured VHS footage recorded in SP mode to DVD (VHS->Composite out->DV cam->(PC) AVI->mpg->DVD) with no problems until now. I did the process as usual but when I went to edit the footage I noticed there was only sound coming from my left speakers of my PC. So I went to the source AVI file and played it back and sure enough sound was only being played on the left speakers.

The source tape is Hi-Fi, recorded in SLP, and is being played back on a Hi-Fi VCR. For kicks I turned the VCR to a TV channel and captured direct to the PC (using AV cables connected to a miniDV cam; which is connected to the PC with a firewire cable) through that and it captured perfectly in stereo, playing through both speakers.

I hooked the AV ables up to my older VCR and put the tape in there and tried it again. Sound played perfectly through all my speakers. I suppose I could use that one if I need to, but because it's older the picture isn't that great. I'd prefer to play it on my new VCR if possible.

Why won't it record in stereo? Or at least play through all my speakers? Could it be because it's an SLP tape and not SP? I greatly appreciate any help you guys are able to give me.

Thanks,
-Eric

[stingerman187]

Oh and I forgot to add, there is nothing wrong with the speakers themselves, as I played other MPG2, AVI, and DVDs fine right after. I also tested out and burned to DVD 10 seconds of this material and it's still the same thing. It's converting over and even authoring in "stereo" but the end result is crappy mono VIA one speaker (obviously if the capture is only coming out through one speaker that's how the end result will be).

Anyone have an idea?

[Gazorgan]

Mono Capture Card

Mono Recording

A lot of capture cards are mono. However, it sounds like your recording VCR was mono (most are, that is anything older than 4 years usually only record in mono). You have shown you can capture in stereo.

Another little known fact is a mono VCR is incapable of playing a stereo tape correctly, it's supposed to mix the channels but it usually doens't balance them correctly. And about 1/2 the VCR's out there can't do stereo at the RF level, only at the line level.

[stingerman187]

Yeah I'm thinking the tape itself might actually be in mono. It's actually 2 concerts on 1 tape in SLP that some guy filmed himself (that I won on e-bay), so you'd think it would be in stereo. Actually the first 5 seconds of the tape when played through my PC play through both channels, but after that it's only left. Weird thing is when I put the tape in the VCR the little light that says "Hi-Fi" lights up, whatever that means.

If the tape is mono, and other than playing it back on my old VCR, would there be any way to get it to be stereo?

[MrMungus]

Yeah I'm thinking the tape itself might actually be in mono. It's actually 2 concerts on 1 tape in SLP that some guy filmed himself (that I won on e-bay), so you'd think it would be in stereo. Actually the first 5 seconds of the tape when played through my PC play through both channels, but after that it's only left. Weird thing is when I put the tape in the VCR the little light that says "Hi-Fi" lights up, whatever that means.

If the tape is mono, and other than playing it back on my old VCR, would there be any way to get it to be stereo?

I was going to say to make sure your cables are all connected (the ones going to/from the VCR) -- sometimes the stupidest things cause the most confusing problems. But if it's playing only one channel on another source then the tape must be the problem.

You can't convert it to stereo. You could duplicate the working channel onto the other, though.

I believe HiFi is a specification for VCR's having nothing to do with whether it's stereo or not.