Hi,

INTRO:
After much perousing of this and other sites, coupled with much aggravation and tshooting, I believe that I might have solved one of the sound recording issues that I, as well as others have been experiencing while trying to capture from either cable or VHS.

I am not sure if it would warrant some sort of guide, but I have found this, as well as other sites lacking in the logistics of hardware/cable hookups that all too often may have been taken for granted as an already accomplished prerequisite.

Realizing that everyone has varying cabling/hardware configurations, I will share with you my particular one, with the sincere hope that it might assist someone and spare them some hassle. I have an Asus TV880 Capture Card and a dedicated SB Audigy LS Sound Card.

ISSUE:
In my particular case, I had trouble capturing sound with VirtualVCR while attempting to capture from VHS; more specifically, sound was captured fine from cable and even heard while viewing a VHS tape, but shut off as soon as I hit the Record/Capture button within VirtualVCR. Verifying that all audio control properties were checked and all hardware drivers were updated, I moved onto experimenting with various external cable configurations.

SOLUTION:
Video Hookup:
I ran the coaxial cable from my wall off a splitter, with one end going to my cable modem and the other into my Capture Card, for regular cable channel capturing and am using the supplied S-Video/RCA Adapter Cable to connect from the Capture Card, into the VCR Video-Out, since I don't have an S-Video port on my VCR. Purchase of a new VCR is pending.

Audio Hookup:
Then I had purchased an "RCA to Mini Stereo Y Adapter" cable from Radio Shack (or Best Buy), and connected my Right & Left RCA cables from my VCR Audio-Out ports into both plugs on the one end of this cable, converting both into the single Mini Stereo plug end, which is disconnected for now...Consider this as "Mini Plug 1of2."

Supplied with my Capture Card was also a very short Mini Stereo plug cable for use of connecting, externally, the Capture Card Audio-Out to the Sound Card Line-In. One of the ends is in fact connected to my Capture Card Audio-Out port and the other end disconnected for now...Consider this as "Mini Plug 2of2."

I purchased a "2 Female to 1 Male Mini Stereo Y Adapter" from Radio Shack (or Best Buy), with the one male end solely plugging into my Sound Card's Line-In port and the two remaining female ends allowing the two above "Mini Plug 1of2 and 2of2" cables to plug into it.

BENEFITS:
I can capture audio and video separately and actually utilize VirtualVCR to change channels on my PC keyboard. I only use my VCR for capturing VHS tapes, without needing for it to be a "tuner," necessitating the use of a remote in order to change channels. In addition, some Capture Cards have conflicts with on-board sound. A feasible solution to my aforementioned issue of sound shutting off after hitting VirtualVCR's Record/Capture button, while Capturing from a VCR.

PROGNOSIS:
I tried capturing/recording both Cable as well as from VHS, all the way through encoding and authoring, and through my minimal testing, have yet to experience sync issues. Hopefully, they will not appear.

CONCLUSION:
I hope that the above suggestions may be of some assistance to those who have had experienced sound-related hardware/cable/connecting issues and can provide a reliable way to successfully Capture and finally move onto the next phases of Encoding, Authoring and Burning!

Thanx!

John