Honestech VidBox Black Screen

[itsawalk]

Hello, I hope I'm posting this in the right area. I recently purchased a Sony CCD-TR940 to record footage using hi8 tapes. Everything on the camera works fine, but the problem lies with my capture card the VidBox. Sometimes I can get footage off my camera just fine and other times I'll open up the VidBox software and get a black screen instead of footage off my camera. The weird thing is my audio comes through on the VidBox just fine but not the picture. Yesterday I was able to get it to work by uninstalling and reinstalling the vid box software six times, but it seems more like luck I got it to work again. I'm using composite cables at the moment I might purchase an S-video cable tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. If you guys have any suggestions on what I should do in order to stop getting the black screen it would be greatly appreciated.

[dellsam34]

Never use the capture software that comes with the capture device, Use Vdub or similar.

[itsawalk]

Never use the capture software that comes with the capture device, Use Vdub or similar.

Thank you for the quick response I'll give this a try right now!

[itsawalk]

I downloaded vdub and I get video but no audio. I get video when I put vdub into "capture mode" and select 0 Microsoft image capture (WIN32) (VFW) from the devices tab. However, when I goto the audio tab it says there are no audio inputs. I'm also able to select 1 VIDBOX VCD01 USB AV Capture (Direct show) from the devices tab, and when I do that vdub shows there is an audio input. Just to test some more things out I opened the VidBox software again and now I get no video or audio very odd. Most definitely a step in the right direction but I feel like there is some more work I have to do. I'm going to buy a svideo cable today and see if that makes a difference maybe if it's one cable for audio and video my computer and my software will be able to recognize both of them. Thanks for the help and any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[dellsam34]

You don't hear audio while capturing or the captured files don't have audio?

[Brad]

I'm going to buy a svideo cable today and see if that makes a difference maybe if it's one cable for audio and video my computer and my software will be able to recognize both of them.

You should definitely use S-Video for Hi8 capture. But know that it doesn't carry audio.

Instead of connecting the yellow plug, connect the S-Video cable. The other connections must remain in place.


[Attachment 51416 - Click to enlarge]

You should also enable the line TBC.


[Attachment 51417 - Click to enlarge]

[itsawalk]

Thank you for the suggestions! I didn't know s-video only carried video however, yesterday when I tried to capture footage off my camera I tried s-video with audio plugs and was having the same issue. Sorry if I wasn't very clear about my audio problem. Essentially on my camera, I can hear the audio just fine but when I go to get footage off it on vdub I only get the video off my camera and no audio. I guess I don't hear audio when I'm capturing through vdub and I don't get video but I get audio when I capture through the vidbox software. I will also enable the TBC today thanks for the tip on that! I'll probably mess with this for a few more days I know how to use Adobe Premiere as well so I could just download the audio separate from the video and then sync it up in a post, ideally I would want it to be one file it would make my life so much easier. Right now I'm trying to figure out where the problem lies is it a bad driver on my computer or maybe I need to change what capture device I'm using. My camera could easily be the issue also. Thanks for all the help hopefully, we can figure this out soon!

[dellsam34]

You still haven't answered my question, do you get audio when playing back the captured file? it's normal that Vdub doesn't play audio during capturing.

[itsawalk]

My bad man so when I use vdub and use the device called "0 Microsoft image capture (WIN32) (VFW)" I get video feed but no audio. I'll pull up the volume meter tab and it's showing nothing. When I use the device called "1 VIDBOX VCD01 USB AV Capture (Direct show)" I won't get any video feed but the volume meter will have to bars that go up and down that vary from green, yellow and red in color. I'm assuming when I'm using the first device I won't get any audio once I convert my video feed to an mp4 or something similar. Sorry about all of the confusion I hope that clears things up. Thanks for the help!

[Brad]

Use "1 VIDBOX VCD01 USB AV Capture (Direct show)" and change Video -> Overlay to Video -> Preview.

[itsawalk]

Thank you vaporeon800 for the response but I did that and it didn't seem to work sadly. I also found a dazzle in my house and I'm testing to see if I can get that to work with virtual dub also. I just downloaded the drivers for it.

[itsawalk]

Hey, I got it to work with the dazzle. I had these USB headphones plugged into my computer and when I unplugged them while using the "0 Microsoft image capture (WIN32) (VFW)" I got audio and video. Thanks for all the help I really appreciate it!