ADS Pyro A/V Link - Firmware u/g to fix VHS dropped frames

[pbanders]

See:

http://www.creativecow.net/index.php?forumid=22

and also the capture card entry for the ADS Pyro A/V Link here at videohelp.com. New firmware available for B&C rev units (and apparently, even the A rev units, too) that fixes the frame drop problems with VHS sources. The unit has to be sent back to ADS after an RMA to have the unit flashed, it cannot be done by the end user.

If this works, this would be a big improvement for the ADS, bringing it on par with the ADVC-100. I'll post results as soon as I get my unit flashed.

[dun4cheap]

pbanders, you beat me to the punch. I called them today and have an RMA for mine. However I have written back requesting that they pay for the cost of shipping both ways. After all the product was defective right out of the box. I am awaiting their response.

[pbanders]

dun4cheap, agree with you the product was defective from the start, hope you get your shipping costs. Me, I just want the thing fixed and back in my system, sent mine off yesterday. I've got a good test tape to try on it as soon as I get it back.

[dun4cheap]

This is what ADS had to say to my email requesting that they pay for shipping. I must say ADS is standing up and doing the right thing. I will send mine of next week when I get the shipping lable. Let us know how yours works.


ADS Tech Said:

note that the product is NOT DEFECTIVE. this issue is present on all higher end units from other manufacturers that use the same chipset we use. from the information we have been given, it has been acknowledged by the chipset manufacturer and as of yet, ADS is the only company that has managed to come up with a firmware-based fix for the problem (we rewrote the firmware from scratch and extensively tested it). what we have done is not fix a problem with our hardware: we have provided a workaround to compensate for shortcomings in certain video signals. whereas that was the accepted answer to the question of dropped frames on taped sources, ADS invested in finding a solution without any guarantee that there would be one. that is going the extra mile to make our product better than any other of the same type. it is worth mentioning that the chipset manufacturer has also at this time asked ADS to provide a fix for their other customers!

as to notification, ADS has been working on setting up an automated web-based RMA system for this specific case and when that was done (probably by next week) an email was to be sent to all registered users of the PYRO A/V Link explaining the fix. currently, the fix is posted on www.creativecow.com, a forum site for users of ADS, Avid, Pinnacle and other products. our support links section has a link to this site where the fix is currently pretty big news. contrary to your statement, ADS has done nothing to hide the issue or the newly released fix.

that clarified, management has reviewed your case and has authorized us to send you a mail you a UPS shipping label. you'll need to place that on your package and take it to a UPS drop-off location. since you are in CA, this should not take long at all to get to you.

[pbanders]

It would be interesting if ADS would specify what "other products" use the same chipset. Clearly, the ADVC-100 must not, as it does not have the same problem. DAC-100? Dazzle DV? I wonder.

Looking forward to getting my unit back!

[dun4cheap]

Well the other items I find of interest is this.

The ADS Pyro AV Link box stated it would work with any analog source. This nullifies their statement about bad sources. In addition when I purchased mine for $100 at circuit city the box specifically state it came with Ulead Video Studio 7 not Ulead Video Studio 7 SE. That is a hole nother story. But if I get my AV Link working like advertised I will be happy with that.

[ofbarea]

I live in CR and sending my ADS Pyro A/V link for firmware upgrade is a bit complicated.

Could anyone report the success of the upgrade?

Thanks

[pbanders]

Yes, I will.

[jabloomf1230]

I've already sent mine back and ADS Tech Support estimates a few days to a week to flash the firmware and a week or so to send the unit back by Fedex Ground. My unit has dropped frames only now and then, but I've been working with clean sources (mostly Hi-8 and S-VHS). Most people that have posted complaints seem to be working with VHS tapes.

ADS has been working on a resolution to this problem for awhile and they should be commended for being responsive to their user base. Of course, I'll withhold final judgement until I see how the new firmware performs.

[pbanders]

Mine is on the way back to me, but I'm going on vacation this Saturday, so it will likely be a week+ before I report on if the firmware upgrade works. Hope someone else gets theirs sooner and can report.

[pbanders]

Well, my ADS was waiting for me when I got home. Tried a test on a VHS tape that I have always gotten frame drops on during certain segments, I let it run for 15 minutes (have to go to dinner, will do more later). ZERO frame drops - but until I do several hours of video, I won't be pronouncing it fixed. But it looks good so far....

[pbanders]

Longer test of over an hour of VHS capture from a tape that had numerous frame drops prior to the firmware fix - still no dropped frames.

[vcdforme]

Whoever claims this problem does not exist on the ADVC100 is flat out
wrong.
I have the ADVC100, 50, and two ADS PYRO AV's.
They ALL exhibit this problem when the source video problematic.
The response from the ADS guy is ablsolutley correct.
I don't know if ADS and Canopus use the same chipsets, probably
not, but they will both lose frames if the source video has problems.
Of course it will.
Timebase correctors are the best solution to this problem.

Sure, it would be nice to buy one box that solves all of your
problems. But, to expect old tapes, on crappy cheap vcr's, to
perform flawlessly is asking a bit much isn't it?
Why do you think Canopus built the TBC into the ADVC300? For fun?

Know this: Just because you can watch your crappy VHS tape, on your
cheap tv, and it "looks OK", does not mean your video isn't still
an out of sync piece-o-crap.

[pbanders]

Just to clarify - the tape I used first, that had problems with multiple dropped frames when capturing with the ADS, is a quality commercial music video tape, which I have played a limited number of times. It is the kind of tape that you expect will have zero or just a couple of dropped frames at most.

With the old version of firmware on my ADS, it would drop 35 frames about every 3 to 4 minutes, when the ADS would encounter minor frame timing changes. The firmware fix has, from what I can tell so far, fixed this problem. I captured the entire tape with no frame drops at all.

But as vcdforme says, on a poorer source tape, without a TBC, you're still going to get dropped frames, even with a ADVC-100 or a DAC-100. I followed up my first capture with a capture of a tape of the 1992 Tour de France that I have, and I encountered some frame drops. But they correlated with major video artifacts, caused by physical tape defects. The rest of the capture was very good, what I expected without a TBC and with a minimum of dropped frames (35 total in over an hour of capture).

As for A/V synch, it's still perfect, as it was before.

[Tommyknocker]

I finally received the link to order the firmware upgrade on line:

Hello Mark,

We have designed a link you can follow below where you can auto generate an RMA#.

The link bellow will make everything much easier for you and us.

The link below is to be used only for customers who wish to upgrade to the latest a/v link firmware.

http://www.adstech.com/rma/rma.asp

Thanks!

Hope this helps!

[dun4cheap]

I am sending mine off tomorrow. ADS is picking up the tab both ways. I have not needed mine a hole lot, but for the $100 it cost its been well worth it.

ed

[themaster1]

Can the user set the IRE levels at 7.5 with this device ? I'm highly interested