Problem with capturing video from a Sony Digital8 handycam

[sridhar_r14]

I have recently purchased the Belkin FireWire 3-port PCI card (F5U503) and the Belkin 6-pin to 4-pin cable (F3N401-06-ICE). The FireWire PCI card is installed in a DELL Dimension 5100 desktop PC. The PC is running Windows XP Professional (with Service pack 2).

I am tring to capture video from a Sony Digital8 handycam (DCR-TRV315). When I try capturing video using Windows Moviemaker or WinDV I get very choppy pixelated video. I tried to disable all other firewall/virus programs and also looked but it did not help. I have also tried all 3 firewire ports with the same result.

Any help to rolve this issue will be appreciated

Thanks.

[aedipuss]

if windv doesn't say it's dropping frames during the transfer then you are getting exactly what the camera is sending. maybe dirty heads/bad or old tape?

[JohnnyMalaria]

How does the video look if you watch it on a TV connected directly to the camcorder?

Also, do you see the pixelation/choppiness during capture in the preview window or only when you try to play the file afterwards?

If it looks okay during capture, try sending the captured file back to the camcorder, too. This will help rule out any problems with your playback software/hardware etc.

[sridhar_r14]

The video looks fine when played on the camcorder's 3" LCD screen or when connected to TV. I see the pixelation/choppiness in the Moviemaker or WinDV preview screen even when not capturing. Even the accompanying audio sounds very choppy.

[JohnnyMalaria]

It seems like something is interfering between the data coming into the computer via FireWire and the data being available to applications.

There are a number of possibilities:

1. The FireWire interface at the PC end is faulty
2. The FireWire interface at the camcorder end is faulty
3. The FireWire cable is faulty
4. Other hardware in the PC is interfering
5. Other software in the PC is interfering

The first three are relatively simple to troubleshoot as long as you have access to another camcorder, another PC with FireWire and another FireWire cable.

The latter two are more difficult and will depend on what hardware and software you have. If you have any unusual hardware/software, that would be the place to start.

[Richard_G]

Which slot did you install the Firewire card in? It is always a good idea to avoid the one nearest the video card. Try the card in a different slot.

[edDV]

If possible, try the card and test capture in a different computer. If you have sucess there then the camcorder, cable and card are all good.

Also, if you have two drives, capture to the non-OS drive. Windows can compete for disk priority.

[sridhar_r14]

Guy's,

Thanks for all your advice. I have tried swapping the firewire cable & moving the firewire pci card to another slot. I still have no luck. I might try replacing the firewire card and see if it helps.

Also, I am using Hi8 tape with my Sony Digital8 (DCR-TRV315) handycam. So the video should be recorded as 'digital', correct?

[aedipuss]

hi-8 is an analog format. it's not digital, closer to vhs. but over firewire it has to be digital. so the cam must be doing an analog to digital transformation before sending it to the comp. that may be where the corruption is coming from.

[JimboS]

Ah-HA!!!!!!!!!!finally the whole story...
simple fix, don't use analog tapes in a digital cam...
Spend the extra money and get the right tapes...

[aedipuss]

jimbos - that's not exactly true, nor what i was getting at. hi-8 and d-8 use the same tape but record differently and at different speeds. i kind of thought he might be playing back hi-8 tapes that were recorded on a hi-8 cam in his d-8 cam??? it was a question as much as an answer, we'll see if he replies.

[kimco52]

I play back Hi8 tapes in my Sony D8 camcorder through firewire and I have no problems. I am using an addon Firewire 1394 card on my computer running XP Pro with all the latest updates. I save to disks other than C:. I used to have the Pinnacle DV500 card installed and used their firewire ports and had no problems with that either. I also have the Pyro A/V link connected to another 1394 port and that is used for converting analog to digital so it can go into the firewire port and it has no problem.
I do all (mostly) of my captures in Premiere. The Pyro is also connected to my monitor so that when editing in Premiere, the video goes to the monitor, also, instead of using the monitor window within Premiere.

I would think his problem is more along the lines already mentioned....
1) using slot next to AGP card,
2) using same disk for OS and capture
3) software conflict (processes running in background)
4) hardware conflict

When capturing, I do not want my computer doing anything else. I disconnect network cable so that computer does not go out and get those annoying messages wanting to upgrade software while capturing/editing, etc. I don't do general stuff with that computer, no emails, nothing. I only use the network for occasional internet stuff and transferring files between computers.

[edDV]

So long as the DCR-TRV315 supports Hi8 playback analog Hi8 tapes should play to DV Firewire OK but test in digital mode first to establish the link.

My Digital8 shows live camera video in "Camera" mode and tape playback in VCR mode at the computer end. Even in stop mode the camera is visible to XP so long as it is on. Cycle off and on if it is not visible.

I think the problem is either a dead camera port or a computer problem.

[tanno]

Resurrecting an old post....

I have a TRV315 Digital 8 that I've been using for years to capture my digital 8 recorded tapes into avi files, and it works fine.
I use the camera's i-link (Firewire) port connected to my computer's Firewire input, capturing with Sony Vegas 7.
No video cards or special software needed.... just my camera, the Firewire port, and Vegas.

But when I try to capture a hi8-recorded tape (that was recorded on a hi-8 cam) the video comes out garbled.
I can playback the tape and watch it fine on the TRV315's LCD screen without a problem.
I can even see the video and hear the audio fine on the preview window of Vegas.
But when I play the captured avi file, it's garbled and pixelated; the audio is also not good.

The TRV315 manual says that playing back a Hi8 tape will send a digital signal out on the DV i-link port - I guess this means the camera converts the analog hi8 signal to digital and sends it out.

Was any one able to capture hi8 analog tapes via Firewire with the 315?

Thank you.

[kimco52]

Yes, I have done it with my Sony DCR-TRV720.
To a PCI-Firewire card in my computer. Still do when I need to copy a Hi-8 tape.

[edDV]

It should work but the garbled video indicates a problem. Have you tried different Hi8 tapes?

Try a cleaning tape. Otherwise see a service shop.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I read that Sony D8 camcorders won't transfer hi8 via Firewire, I have a Sony D8 camcorder but I only use D8 tapes so I can't verify.
You might try transferring with WinDV or Enosoft DV Processor.

[kimco52]

"Try a cleaning tape. Otherwise see a service shop. "

I don't think that is the problem because he said:
"I can playback the tape and watch it fine on the TRV315's LCD screen without a problem.
I can even see the video and hear the audio fine on the preview window of Vegas.
But when I play the captured avi file, it's garbled and pixelated; the audio is also not good. "

If the heads needed cleaning, he wouldn't see good video at those times.

OK,
I just loaded a Hi-8 tape we shot in 1997 into my Digital 8 camera, the TRV720. It played fine on the cameras monitor. I connected the Firewire cable to it. I went into Premiere Pro CS3 (which is what I use). brought up the capture screen and it played fine on that screen. I pressed record and recorded about 4 minutes worth. I stopped the recording (0 Frames lost) and put it into the preview monitor and it played just fine. I put it onto the timeline and it played just fine.

Maybe it is the way your Vegas is setup or something like that. Mine was just fine. I did not do anything special with it. I turned the computer on, loaded Premiere, turned the camera on went to the capture screen, did the capture, did the tests mentioned, exited Premiere, turned off the computer. Whole process took maybe 10 minutes. I did not change any setups. I last captured with that Firewire port from my Canon GL2 with the same settings.

I cannot answer what the problem is but it sounds to me it is something in your Vegas that might not be right. I have no experience with Vegas so I cannot comment further on it.

I also have a Pyro A/V which I use for transferring straight analog video inputs from composite or S-video with no problem. That box converts to digital and transfers through a separate Firewire cable to the same 1394 card I mentioned earlier. There are 3 Firewire ports on the card. It was a generic card I got for less than $20.

[tanno]

I kept trying different things, until I finally got it to work.
I was determined because I knew the manual says the digital signal is sent out with hi8 tapes.

I noticed that the beginning of the tape did not have clean video. So...
I started the capture a couple of seconds into the tape, and it worked!!!

High marks to Sony for creating such dependable products... 10 years of abuse and my TRV315 still works like a champ.
Guess what my next hdcam is going to be?

Much appreciation to all who responded.

[edDV]

I read that Sony D8 camcorders won't transfer hi8 via Firewire, I have a Sony D8 camcorder but I only use D8 tapes so I can't verify.
You might try transferring with WinDV or Enosoft DV Processor.

All the early D8 camcorders played Hi8/Video8 to Firewire. As time passed that feature was eliminated from the lowest end models. Later only the top end model had the Hi8/Video8 playback feature.

[edDV]

I noticed that the beginning of the tape did not have clean video. So...
I started the capture a couple of seconds into the tape, and it worked!!!

It takes a few seconds before the camcorder can sense a DV or analog signal. It defaults to digital DV which is 2x speed. If it detects analog it must slow down to make a picture. Once it switches to analog mode, you can reverse it to get any lost video. Early D8 camcorders won't show an analog picture in shuttle. I've heard later models do.