Pixelated picture when capturing mini-DV through Firewire

[malling]

What could cause that the picture is awfully pixelated when transfering from mini-DV to a win 7 computer through firewire? Not just a little, but so that you cannot see what's on the picture? The picture looks fine on the lcd screen on the camcorder and when capturing through s-video.
I've tried two different Firewire cables.

BR Peter.

[usually_quiet]

What could cause that the picture is awfully pixelated when transfering from mini-DV to a win 7 computer through firewire? Not just a little, but so that you cannot see what's on the picture? The picture looks fine on the lcd screen on the camcorder and when capturing through s-video.
I've tried two different Firewire cables.

BR Peter.

Are you using some kind of firewire to USB adapter cable for the transfer?

[smrpix]

The picture being clear in the camera's viewfinder suggests it is not dirty heads or a bad tape. Likely candidates are a bad or loose firewire connector in the camera, a bad or loose firewire connector in the computer, a bad firewire cable (which you also have eliminated,) or some sort of software/driver issue. As you no doubt know, the way to trouble shoot this is to replace each possible problem systematically until you determine what's wrong.

[malling]

No, there is a direct cable between computer and camcorder (Firewire 400)

What could cause that the picture is awfully pixelated when transfering from mini-DV to a win 7 computer through firewire? Not just a little, but so that you cannot see what's on the picture? The picture looks fine on the lcd screen on the camcorder and when capturing through s-video.
I've tried two different Firewire cables.

BR Peter.

Are you using some kind of firewire to USB adapter cable for the transfer?

[davexnet]

Have you tried this capture software?
https://www.videohelp.com/software/WinDV

[malling]

Yes, this is what I tried to use.

Have you tried this capture software?
https://www.videohelp.com/software/WinDV

[davexnet]

Does it do it consistently, ie. for the whole tape and also other tapes?

[malling]

Thanks everybody for your help. This evening I re-connected it - and it works just perfectly! I almost can't believe my eyes. It's amazing to see this quality when transferring the digital files directly from tape to computer.

I don't know what caused the problem, but now it's gone!

Thanks again!