Can't capture using Sony MiniDV and Ulead Video Studio v6.0

[DavidL]

Hi,

On ULead Video Studio V6.0, when I try and capture video to my PC from a Sony MiniDV camera, I get the error message:

"Nothing captured. Please check if it has any input signal. Maybe that no device control is selected."

I've tried this on two different PC's with two different firewire cards and cables and on both I get a very colourful pixelated screen followed by the error message.

I can control the camera from Ulead, but just get the error message rather than the video picture. That makes me believe the software is talking to the camera, but not recognising what data the camera is sending.

I also have a Panasonic DV camera that works fine. Any ideas ???? Please !!

Thanks for any help,

David L.

[Nolonemo]

No familiar with your software, so this is all speculative. Can you turn off camera control in the Ulead program? Then playback using the camera controls and see if anything shows up on the program's preview screen. If so, you should be able to start and end your captures manually. (Like I said, I don't know if you can do this with your software, I use VV3 where it's an option.)

[DavidL]

Nolonemo,

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately I don't think the camera controls can't be turned off in Ulead - they're just there !

Having reading about six zillion articles from this forum, it seems others have had this type of problem (the bright pixilated preview screen), but no real answers.

Anyways. thanks again for your time.

Regards,

David L.

[DavidL]

Just in case anyone else has this problem, I think I now have the answer.

[According to Sony], my MiniDV camera uses MPEG 2 format and Ulead Video Studio v6.0 can not capture in this format.

So now I'm looking for something that can capture MPEG2...

Hope this helps someone,

Regards,

David L.

[ranma_st]

Hi:

I don't know, but I had captured in MEPG-2 format with Ulead Video Studio v6.0. with bitrates of 4000 kbps

Of course not with MiniDV camera.

THX

8)
Rey

[troyvcd1]

NO!!! MiniDV is captured in avi format. Maybe you are thinking of microdv which ive heard something about capturing in mpeg2 but I dont know about that neither. I got sony trv25 and Ulead mediastudio 6. Capture avi from my camcorder fine. It sounds like it might be a firewire card issue. Maybe you need to download some firewire card drivers. Not sure what else it could be.

[DavidL]

Many apologies ! You're right - it's MicroMV camera NOT a MiniDV.

Sony confirmed that uses MPEG2 format and Ulead have confirmed that this isn't supported by Video Studio yet (v6.0).

Thanks for all your help.

David L.

[surfnturk]

This post caught my eye. I also have a Sony MiniDV cam. It stopped interfacing with my PC via firewire about two weeks ago. I spent HOURS trying to figure it out. Finally took the cam to a friends house and tried on his machine and it did not work there either, his Sony did. It turns out the firewire port on the cam is boinked. I will be taking it to the shop later this week. Once I hear their version of what's wrong I will update this post. Bottom line, you need to check your cam on another PC, it could be the cam itself, not software/fireware. Good luck.

[jtor]

You mentioned that you also have a Panasonic MiniDV camcorder. And to try the previous suggestion without going out to look for another PC, why don't you try hooking up the 2 miniDV camcorders via firewire, and try transferring videos from one cam to the other (and I suggest you try both directions)...

my 2cents.

[troyvcd1]

I gotta add my two cents. My sony trv25 gets terrible audio popping and cracking sounds from internal mic. I decided to take it apart and have a look. Wow these things are made so f** cheap. It is all plastic and the internal microphones look like they cost about a penny a piece. Camcorder still has bad popping sounds. I think it maybe the display shaking. Im gonna get and external mic and see what happens.

[surfnturk]

A I mentioned before I tried everthing to get my SONY MiniDV to talk to my PC via Firewire. I had a chance to take it to a SONY service center and they confirmed the Firewire port is not working. Lucky (or not) it is under warranty. The tech mentioned that he saw a woman come in twice in a month with the same problem. They traced it back to a bad cable. Just be aware, sometimes these cam ports go bad.

[Thorn]

DavidL: Is your camera recognised in the device manager? If it doesn't show the camera in the 'imaging devices' section then windows hasn't even recognised the camera is connected (so the software certainly won't).

I know in media studio you can select device control (use ms, not ti), but I don't know what video studio does.

[yg1968]

DavidL,

For now, I think that only Pinnacle Studio8 supports microMV. You may wish to confirm this with Pinnacle but that is what I have read.

See this thread:

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=117851

[yg1968]

Troyvcd1,

I have the Sony TRV-25 and I have no audio problems, you may have a defective camcorder.

[DavidL]

Thanks for all your replies.

I should emphasis that I made an error in the title - this is a MicroMV camera - not a MiniDV. Sony have told me it records in MPEG2 format NOT AVI.

I have tried my Panasonic on two PC's with Ulead VS v6.0. It works on both. The Sony MicroMV although recognised in Device Manager fails with the error message during capture. I can control the camera from Ulead (play, rewind etc) so I don't think there's a defective firewire connection.

I _do_ think it's as simple as Ulead VS v6.0 just doesn't capture MicroDV MPEG2 - they mailed me to say as much.

For now, I am capturing with MovieShaker (supplied with the camera) and importing into Ulead as a video clip. I can then create my VCD from this. Not perfect, but it does work.

Thanks again for all your replies and help.

Regards,

David L.