Bad quality

[tyler5]

well, my problem is very simple. I get terrible picture quality when capturing. I know it will probably sound like the silliest problem in the world for all you capture-gurus, but I just don't know what to do. Is it my cheapass capture card or my cable provider?

I have a Pinnacle PCTV Rave PCI capture card, which won't let me capture above 352x288 for some reason.
When I try to cap from VHS tapes, they drop frames and the sound is out sync.
When I try to cap TV or VHS, the picture quality is ten times shittier than on 60's videotapes.
I have tried capturing direct from TV and from a VCR but it's all the sime, actually VCR is even shittier.

My computer specs:
AMDXP 2100+
512DDRAM
GF4 Ti4400
PINNACLE PCTV RAVE
HD 3GB;20GB;60GB

[EBKID]

I'm very new to this myself but the problem I had was that I didn't have DMA enabled on the hard disk so I was dropping lots of frames. It made all the difference. I'm sure other people will have lots of better suggestions but as no one else has replied I thought it was worth a mention.

By the way when I looked at the guides again it did say to enable DMA but I had missed it.

All the best hope you solve your problem.

[Barnabas]

You need to capture in AVI in at least 480 x 480 or 640 x 480 to be able to make a VCD that will look decent when encoded. Some cards just won't go over X x 240, but I have to wonder if you are using the "wrapper", as those are the limits when using the wrapper.

[Custom_VCD]

Im with you on that. i think my provider is sucking it up. I have these weird vertical lines inm y picture, with s-video or composite. IS my frequency messed up or is it my card. I think it might be my digital cable provider or maybe? something else. I have my line split 3 ways?

[Barnabas]

Sounds like some noise is entering some place. I have 4 capture devices on my computer, and one of them, a CyberMail AV tends to pick up noise from the same exact connections that my other's don't. Try unplgging some AC wires you don't need and see if that helps.