canopus advc100 problems--any suggestions?

[esek64]

hi. I've been using a used canopus advc 100 for about a year and had great results. I was feeding the firewire into macs and capturing images on iMovie. iMOvie thinks the signal was coming from video camera. Problem: lately the video images have had distorted color and it pops into normal color about every 30 seconds for about 3 seconds before going back to abnormal image. Any suggestions? andysamwen@yahoo.com

[redwudz]

I'd check the power supply first. If no problem there, check all the cables and sockets for an intermittent connection. Next, maybe a deteriorating part internal to the ADVC-100. In particular any electrolytic (can type) capacitors. Look for bulges or leaking. Also look for any obvious overheated parts. I have one of the early ADVC-100s and it still works fine.

And welcome to our forums.

[esek64]

Thanks for your reply. I'll open it and see what it looks like. I think the unit might have burned out. I'm looking for something that will help me digitalize videotapes so that I can import videos into iMovie for editing. Yesterday, I was looking at some dvd/vhs recorders to see if in addtion to making dvds from vhs, some might let me use the "DV in" connection as a "DV out". Sony and Toshiba units had these ports. Any suggestions? Where should a newbie look on this great web site for advice? Thanks!

[redwudz]

Usually the 'DV in' on DVRs is just that. No DV (1394A/ilink) out. If you can edit in MPEG, maybe just use the DVD disc. You will have some quality loss compared to DAV and it's a bit harder to edit. Another option is to look for the newer ADAVC-55 or 110. Grass Valley makes it now.