Certain videos cause my software to lock up when capturing

[menaz]

I have been trying to capture a few tapes I have to make them into real player files. I captured perfectly from one tape however, when I tried capturing from another tape, all of a sudden it crashes the capturing software.

First I was using Realproducer Basic to capture directly to .rm format, and that same tape, same spot, froze real producer.

Then I used Virtual dub, again, same tape, at the same time, it froze virtualdub.

So I decide to try avi_io, exact same thing.

Finally I attempt to capture with adobe premiere, same thing.

I have gone through about 7 tapes, and it seems about 3 of them are doing the same thing. Any suggestions will be highly appreciated, thank you.

[zzyzzx]

Do you have a VIA motherboard in your computer?

[Allan55]

Hi,

I assume you're using a VCR to play the tapes? My old but high quality Sony SLV798-H deck plays almost anything (including 20 year old rental tapes) with very few glitches. My cheap new Panasonic and JVC VCRs have trouble playing anything, including prerecorded, without glitches.

Others have said you need a 'time base corrector' to ensure good sync from your source but my Sony deck works OK for me.

Also, some capture hardware is much more sensitive to bad sync than others. I have a Dazzle Hollywood DV Bridge which is very sensitive but it works well for me (it does freeze occasionally).

[menaz]

My motherboard is an Abit TH7 RAID (raid is disabled) with an Intel 850 chipset. Pentium 4 1.3, with 128mb RDRAM.

Yes, I am using a JVC VCR to play the tapes model HRA56U, I have had it for about a year and a half. I still consider myself a newbie at this so I have no idea what you mean by bad sync or how that affects the capture. If you could please give me an explanation on that.

Thank you

[Allan55]

Re: Sync and video in general

Try starting by looking into "interlace" in the FAQs.

[zzyzzx]

My motherboard is an Abit TH7 RAID (raid is disabled) with an Intel 850 chipset. Pentium 4 1.3, with 128mb RDRAM.

Actually this particular MB is probably worse. But anyway, in this case it could still be the tape or the VCR. You didn't say how good or bad the video quality is on this particular tape. If the tape is worse then it could cause bad things to happen, but usually it just drops more frames. I sometimes get dropped frames if I'm recording a spot where I started recording on the tape (where I hit the record button on the VCR when I was making the tape). I think you found a sopt on your videotape that your capture card doesn't like and the only thing you can try is a different VCR (and it still might not work).

[Allan55]

For what it's worth, I have Asus MBs, one with KT133A and the other with KT266A VIA chipsets. Both work just fine with my Hollywood DV Bridge (firewire connected) capture box..

Since you say you can capture just fine with some taped but not others, I think it has to be the signal being received by you capture device (which you didn't tell us about) rathe than the computer itself.

My biggest problem with the Bridge is static or powerline noise; it will crash sometimes if I just standup from my chair. I haven't isolated why yet. Are you using high-quality (100% shielded) cables?

[menaz]

At first I assumed that it was the tape quality causing the crash, because the first tape that did that was pretty bad, however 2 of the ones that do that, are excellent quality. I will buy new shielded cables this week and see what happens, and will also try another VCR.