Error in windows movie maker

[alintatoc]

Hello everybody
I get this error when I want to capture from the camcorder :

The cables are in and the camcorder is set on play mode...
Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

[JohnnyMalaria]

Do you have any other video programs running? This includes little background applets installed by Nero and Pinnacle.

Alternatively, is it a DV camcorder - i.e., not HDV? WMM only works with DV.

Without WMM running, can you open My Computer and see an icon for the camcorder? If so, if you open the 'folder', do you see the video coming from the camcorder?

If you can't see the video then your camcorder isn't fully compatible. I have an older DV source (not a camera, though) that misbehaves on some PCs and not others. Sometimes the chipset of the FireWire interface can cause some camcorders to misbehave with Windows.

The fact that WMM thinks the camcorder is connected shows that it is unlikely a connection problem between the computer and the camcorder.

[alintatoc]

Do you have any other video programs running? This includes little background applets installed by Nero and Pinnacle.

Alternatively, is it a DV camcorder - i.e., not HDV? WMM only works with DV.

Without WMM running, can you open My Computer and see an icon for the camcorder? If so, if you open the 'folder', do you see the video coming from the camcorder?

If you can't see the video then your camcorder isn't fully compatible. I have an older DV source (not a camera, though) that misbehaves on some PCs and not others. Sometimes the chipset of the FireWire interface can cause some camcorders to misbehave with Windows.

The fact that WMM thinks the camcorder is connected shows that it is unlikely a connection problem between the computer and the camcorder.

I have a DV camcorder.
Can it be from the cable?...

[JohnnyMalaria]

I doubt it - WMM seems to think something is connected but WMM can't 'open' it.

A good place to start troubleshooting is this:

1. Disconnect the camcorder
2. Reconnect it (with the tape playing to ensure it is sending a signal)
3. Do you hear a 'ba-dip' from Windows? If so, it has recognized that something has been connected. If not, it could be the cable or your FireWire port.
4. Assuming you hear the 'ba-dip', open My Computer and look at the drive icons. You should see one with a picture of a camera and named Sony DV Camcorder (or whatever brand you have).
5. Double-click on the icon. A new view will appear that should show the video from the camcorder.
6. If this works then everything is okay with the connection. If not, there is a problem.
7. You may get an error similar to the one you saw in WMM. If so, this probably means some other program is using the camcorder. Only one program can use it to get the video but many programs can control it (play, stop, rewind etc). The common culprits are Nero and Pinnacle - do you have any programs from them?

Please try these things and post back....

[alintatoc]

I doubt it - WMM seems to think something is connected but WMM can't 'open' it.

A good place to start troubleshooting is this:

1. Disconnect the camcorder
2. Reconnect it (with the tape playing to ensure it is sending a signal)
3. Do you hear a 'ba-dip' from Windows? If so, it has recognized that something has been connected. If not, it could be the cable or your FireWire port.
4. Assuming you hear the 'ba-dip', open My Computer and look at the drive icons. You should see one with a picture of a camera and named Sony DV Camcorder (or whatever brand you have).
5. Double-click on the icon. A new view will appear that should show the video from the camcorder.
6. If this works then everything is okay with the connection. If not, there is a problem.
7. You may get an error similar to the one you saw in WMM. If so, this probably means some other program is using the camcorder. Only one program can use it to get the video but many programs can control it (play, stop, rewind etc). The common culprits are Nero and Pinnacle - do you have any programs from them?

Please try these things and post back....

The problem is that I don't hear any "ba-dip' sound when I connect the camera to the pc, that's why I though that it might be the cable...

[JohnnyMalaria]

I take back what I said about WMM thinking a device is present - I just opened WMM on this laptop without anything connected and opening the capture window gives two errors - "Unspecified error" followed by the one you reported.

The lack of the ba-dip does suggest a hardware-based issue - either a bad cable, a bad FireWire interface in your computer or a damaged interface at the camcorder end.

Two of these can be tested and fixed - the cable and the interface card in the PC. You could simply buy a new cable (4-pin to 6-pin most likely) and a FireWire card and try them. Most places like Best Buy etc will let you return them within 14-days or so (just tell them they aren't compatible).

If it's the camcorder, there's not much you can do. Some brands are susceptible to damage if the FireWire connection is made/broken while the camcorder is powered on. Sony seem to be the most immune. Canon and Panasonic seem to be very prone.

If you have a friend with a PC with FireWire and/or a DV camcorder, you can try you camcorder with their PC etc in order to determine the faulty component.