Trouble capturing Video8 to Virtualdub

[Tacoman]

I'm using a Sabrent USB capture device: https://www.sabrent.com/product/USB-AVCPT/av-usb-2-0-digital-video-adapter/

Virtualdub recognizes it, but I can't see the video playing and when I try to start capturing it gives me the following error: "unable to start video capture"

Any ideas of how I can make this work?

If not, what is another program I could use that would give me good results?

Thanks

[phelissimo_]

That capture device will never give you good results.
It's one of those EasyC(r)ap capture sticks.
They have a awful quality. If it is even working at all. They're known to either not work at all or have other problems.

[Alwyn]

AmarecTV.

Use the 2.31 version as I understand the 3.1 version requires the use of a proprietary codec.

[Tacoman]

That capture device will never give you good results.
It's one of those EasyC(r)ap capture sticks.
They have a awful quality. If it is even working at all. They're known to either not work at all or have other problems.

What should I use instead?

It gave me OK results with a program called Bandicam, but the quality was a little bit lower than I hoped for.

[Tacoman]

AmarecTV.

Use the 2.31 version as I understand the 3.1 version requires the use of a proprietary codec.

Thanks

[dellsam34]

What should I use instead?

It gave me OK results with a program called Bandicam, but the quality was a little bit lower than I hoped for.

That's a screen capture just like OBS, it is not for capturing analog sources.

[Tacoman]

Amarec didn't work. Any others? Or is there a better USB capture device that someone can recommend?

[aedipuss]

if it doesn't work with virtualdub and capture in lossless avi it isn't worth anything. can't recommend any currently as i haven't checked for the last 10 years...

[Tacoman]

if it doesn't work with virtualdub and capture in lossless avi it isn't worth anything. can't recommend any currently as i haven't checked for the last 10 years...

Well what did you use 10 years ago?

[davexnet]

Which version of Windows? There was a thing mentioned a while back that something
in Windows 10 privacy settings was blocking capture

[Tacoman]

Which version of Windows? There was a thing mentioned a while back that something
in Windows 10 privacy settings was blocking capture

It's Windows 10. Thanks, I'll have to try and find that.

[dellsam34]

Capturing in Win 10 is problematic because of drivers issues, pretty much the young generation that work for microsoft now don't know or don't care about capturing analog videos, so every new update they kill any possibility left for a capture device to work under their platform, so either install a windows 7 in dual boot or just use a combo VHS/DVD recorders while still DVD blanks available because that's going away too.

[Alwyn]

It'll be a driver issue for sure if AmarecTV won't work.

I use this and it works well with VirtualDub (sometimes needs a computer reboot) and AmarecTV:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-IO-DATA-USB-Connection-Video-Capture-Cable-GV-USB2-Jap...-/221591044603

The installer is in Japanese but there are English instructions on the net:

https://iotku.pw/gvusb2-guide/

To my eye, it's as good as the Pinnacle 710-USB, a reputable old-school capture box.

Capturing in Win 10 is problematic because of drivers issues, pretty much the young generation that work for microsoft now don't know or don't care about capturing analog videos, so every new update they kill any possibility left for a capture device to work under their platform

I'm not sure it's up to Microsoft to maintain compatibility with equipment that in some cases is over a decade old with no updated drivers from the manufacturers.

[dellsam34]

I'm not sure it's up to Microsoft to maintain compatibility with equipment that in some cases is over a decade old with no updated drivers from the manufacturers.

But they should not kill old drivers, I know OS evolve but a generic USB capture driver should be part of the system, they had it in XP, Vista, Win7, Win8, Win10 first gens, why not now? Besides the OP's device is not that old and should use the OS generic USB device.

[lordsmurf]

There are a few cards that work well in Win10, I've discussed those at digitalFAQ.com/forum in the past year.

The problem with Win10 is that updates keep zapping cards/drivers, and those will no longer function correctly, or at all.

But you're not going to get "good" results, or any results, without a budget to buy the card needed. You bought a cheap non-working Easycrap clone for under $50. (BTW, $50 was a ripoff, those Easycraps are on eBay for under $10, and those were about $2 to make in China.) Quality capture cards are in the $100-200 range, always have been, with isolated exceptions.

Equally do not make the dumb mistake of buying an HD card for SD capture, regardless of claims (Blackmagic cards, for example, are terrible at consumer SD formats like VHS).

[dellsam34]

According to this company they write their own drivers for the latest PC and MAC OS's and they are located in Austin, Texas. So anyone looking for consumer video capture devices should give them a try. No affiliation I just read it from Jwillis84 posts and he seems to have experimented with them:

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/11378-aiw-agp-winxp.html#post74285

[Tacoman]

Thank you, Alwyn. That is helpful.

Decided to go this route a few days ago after failing to get any meaningful responses:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC5Zr3NC2PY&t=719s

I know you're all going to say this a terrible choice, but I'm not trying to make this my life's work. If the result sucks I'll try the Pinnacle card with Vdub.

[lordsmurf]

Decided to go this route a few days ago after failing to get any meaningful responses:
I know you're all going to say this a terrible choice, but I'm not trying to make this my life's work. If the result sucks I'll try the Pinnacle card with Vdub.

The results will suck. It'll be a deinterlaced butchered bad-AR mess.

You don't need it to be a life's work, but you do need some patience, and good hardware. There's really nothing magical about video conversion, but it does have a slight learning curve, and hardware requirements to look good. Again, patience needed, and not just any random junk tools (Easycaps, HDMI adapters, etc).

[Tacoman]

Decided to go this route a few days ago after failing to get any meaningful responses:
I know you're all going to say this a terrible choice, but I'm not trying to make this my life's work. If the result sucks I'll try the Pinnacle card with Vdub.

The results will suck. It'll be a deinterlaced butchered bad-AR mess.

You don't need it to be a life's work, but you do need some patience, and good hardware. There's really nothing magical about video conversion, but it does have a slight learning curve, and hardware requirements to look good. Again, patience needed, and not just any random junk tools (Easycaps, HDMI adapters, etc).

I just tested it and the result was so much worse than I expected. Completely unusable. My results with the cheap capture device and Bandicam were 10 times better.

I've spent a lot of time on this now testing various programs, watching YouTube Videos, and reading this forum with no luck.

What do I need to buy (specifically) and what software should I use?

[dellsam34]

See post #16 or try this German company , They have their own drivers for Win 10 so you shouldn't have any problems displaying a picture, However the quality starts from your camcorder, You should be using a Hi8 camcorder with line TBC/DNR or a D8 camcorder with S-Video output anything else yields average to mediocre quality with occasional flagging and wiggle artifacts.

[Tacoman]

Should I try a Diamond Multimedia VC500? Or is that just recommended for VHS?

I see that it has drivers for Windows 10.

I just bought a Sony TR42 Video8 in mint condition as my capture device, so I'm sticking with that for now.

[lordsmurf]

The VC500 has AGC issues (randomly bright/dark sections of video, sometimes fluctuates noticeably). For Win10, certain Hauppauge and Pinnacle are better.

Does the TR42 have TBC? If not, quality loss. You'll have all sorts of image and capture issues. Wiggling image, unstable image.

You're also going to need some form of TBC, even a minimalist ES10/15 for about $100 is better than nothing. It may negate the need of the in-camera TBC, meaning current camera is fine.

[Tacoman]

Not sure if it has Time Base Correction, and I can't figure out how to determine that. Looking into getting a Hi-8.

Is the Pinnacle Dazzle the capture card you are recommending? https://www.pinnaclesys.com/en/products/dazzle/dvd-recorder-hd/

If I understand correctly, this is what I need to do:

- Hi-8 cam to Pinnacle Dazzle via S-Video
- Capture in Virtual Dub using Huffy UV
- Deinterlace in Virtual Dub
- Export in preferred format

Correct?

[Alwyn]

I second LS's suggestion re a TBC. I use the Panasonic ES-15 as a passthrough/Cheap-Charlie TBC. My tapes aren't that bad but the ES15 certainly straightens up the edges of the frames. Dedicated TBCs are much more expensive.

[Alwyn]

Should I try a Diamond Multimedia VC500? Or is that just recommended for VHS?

My understanding is: for VHS, read "Standard Definition" video; it doesn't matter where it comes from (Video8, Hi8 or VHS). The VC500, the GV-USB2 and other like capture cards/sticks will capture over yellow Composite or black S-Video leads into SD format.

[lordsmurf]

No, not Dazzle.

[Tacoman]

Thanks. Ordered a Hauppauge 610 USB-Live 2 and working on getting a Hi-8 camera.

[Tacoman]

Tried the Hauppauge and the results were actually worse than the EasyCap. Also tried on an old Windows 7 computer with both devices, using VirtualDub and results were worse than the EasyCap into Bandicam.

Hoping Bandicam + Easycap is my solution because no other software is working for me.

[dellsam34]

You need to post samples, Analog video tapes will never look as a native SD digital signal, you should know that.