Makin' a movie out of PC-gaming through the VCR

[RasCzaK]

Hello!
I'm a bit noob on this, I've been in a few other forums without success (I have been evolving since first forum visit)

I tried to connect the VGA on the PC to VCR, using a S-VIDEO+2RCA=SCART-cable to the VCR's scart port (there are two ports on the VCR) I got no responce, in other words, it didn't work. however i have not succeeded in connecting my computer to neither TV screen or VCR, since the VGA-card is probobly outdated(2 1/2 years old.

Therefore I tried to connect my laptop to the tv, and that worked. But when I connected it to the VCR, all I got was black&white. Why is this?

I'm going to buy a new VGA-card, as I will order one before the end of the week.
I want to know what to do in order to succeed in recording live gaming from the PC to the VCR. The plan is to split both audio and video, and just let the TV stand off, while the VCR records every action and sound from the pc, as I will use the CRT and headset to play.

Please help me, as I in thank everybody in advance!

[Capmaster]

Moved to Newbies/General Discussions.
In the future, please do not use all caps in posts or topic titles. Thank you.

[iantri]

Since you mention SCART cables, you must be in PAL-land.

I live in NTSC-land (Canada), so I'm not sure how much help I can be, so here goes:

AFAIK, SCART cables can carry both PAL and NTSC. If your TV can display NTSC signals (as many European TVs can), and you have accidentally set the computer to NTSC, everything should look OK.

If the VCR, however, can not deal with NTSC, and attempts to interpret the signal as PAL, you will get a distorted (black and white) image, if it is anything like connecting a PAL source to an NTSC television (which almost never can take PAL signals).

You shouldn't need a new video card to solve this. Make sure you have PAL set in the video card configuration.

The way you describe to record your gaming should work OK. The video output will not be perfectly smooth due to the varying frame-rate of video games, however it should look OK. You MAY (and I emphasize MAY) be able to get perfect, smooth output by enabling lock to V-SYNC in your game but it depends entirely on how the video card outputs its' signal.

[RasCzaK]

Yes, I do live in PAL-land, so my all my TV/VCR/DVD-artifacts are all PAL.
The first problem I encountered was my video card, it couldn't, most probobly, master the operation.
Therefore I tried my laptop, it worked even without restarting the computer! I'm watching video and listening to music on my TV through the laptop.
But when I connect it to the VCR, it's black and white. I have tried to fix the card at NTSC, but the signal is flimmery and unreadable.
I'm buying a Radeon 9600XT, but I want to find out exactly how to fix this, maybe there is any program, like TVtool to configure the card proper for the VCR

thx iantri!

[iantri]

Hello, RasCzaK,

I think we are perhaps having some communications difficulties.
First, it should definitely be set to PAL and not NTSC. Am I correct in understanding that when it is set to PAL you get the black-and-white output?

Second, I understand now that you are using two different computers. The laptop gives black and white output, the desktop PC gives nothing, right? Does the desktop PC have a video-out port on it?

What is the brand and model of both the laptop's video and the desktop PC's video card?

Which country are you in?

[RasCzaK]

My desktop videocard has video-out port(S-VIDEO), but the video-out port on the laptop and the desktop are different. My desktop videocard just won't handle to display any signals on any screens. ANd I can't get contact either.

I'm buying a "Saphire Radeon 9600XT 128MB" so the solution with the laptop is only temp. Just to figure out if it works or not.

When I use my laptop, I can watch movies in full colour when Im connecting it directly to the TV. But when I connect it to the VCR, all I get is black&white..
I've always set the output to PAL; since this also is the default.
The laptop videocard has the following title "S3 Graphics ProSavageDDR"
This is only a very simple card, and has no less than 16 MB memory :P.


I really appriciate your help, iantri!