Problem with my Datavideo DAC 100...

[Steel Sky]

Hi,

I have a Datavideo DAC 100 DV encoder fed from a Datavideo Timebase corrector (think it is a TBC 1000) and I have been happily capturing 8mm (standard and Hi) and VHS video to DV for years until recently. The DAC 100 has a button on the left side to select analogue or DV input and when I select analogue it will randomly change to DV input after some minutes thus ruining the capture.

I use a 4 port PCI firewire card for DV input (LSI chipset) to the computer and I have checked on another computer with built in firewire and they both exhibit the same behavior. I am running Windows 8 (but have checked on a computer running XP) and use WinDV for capture (but have also checked with DVlab - I think it is called).

In short different firewire inputs on different computers running different versions of windows and my DAC 100 still randomly switches from analogue to DV...

So do you think my DAC 100 is kaput? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

[fvisagie]

That button would be my first suspect, especially if there's no other way of toggling between analogue and DV. Service/replace it and see if that helps.

Cheers,
Francois

[Steel Sky]

Thanks for the suggestion Francois. The button seems to be a momentary contact type that toggles the circuit when pressed - my feel is that a capacitor could be responsible. I just discovered a DIP switch at the back that can switch from auto to manual sensing - will try that and post back the result.

[zoobie]

I had a DAC 100. You just discovered the dip switch after years of use? Your black levels may all be wonky. Seems I remember mine doing the same thing whenever it hit a bad spot of video. My caps were all oversaturated. I sold mine when I bought a little Hi8 cam off eBay and discovered about a 15-20% PQ increase.

[Steel Sky]

Yes I am a little embarrassed to admit I forgot about the DIP switches - I set it up years ago, popped the DIP switch cover back on and it just sat on the shelf doing its thing until recently.

As I capture through a time base corrector a bad spot of video makes no difference to me. Attached are the same analogue video 8 frames one captured by the DAC 100 (on the left) and another by a Sony D8 Camcorder (on the right). It is lowlight but you can see the D8 is more saturated than the DAC 100 - which I prefer and better matches the original video. In fact on very close examination of many frames I think the DAC 100 preserves more detail (and a bit more noise) than the D8 Camcorder.

Tomorrow I will play with my DIP switch and post the result.

[Steel Sky]

Well the DIP switch settings did not help - but what did was bending the power cable around; with a bit of fiddling I managed 2 30 minute capture sessions. I think I will look for a new plug pack and see if that fixes it.