Video Capture issue Only mono audio on s-video - composite adapter :(

[techspark]

Hi guys,
I have a pinnacle pctv 110i tuner card that has a 7 pin s-video in port. My local cable operator has a set top box that has 3 pin composite out (red,yellow and white wire).

I have successfully connected the 3 wires at the back of the stb and i am using an s-video to component adapter

The problem is i get only mono audio. The audio is only on my right speaker and the left speaker goes dumb. Also the video frame is limited to 320 by 240 but if i m not wrong it should be atleast 640x 480.

What am i doing wrong ? All settings in the stb and the computer software are correct. I hv tried using vlc , christv and a couple more programs but same result with all.

Attached below are the pics. I know this is not an ideal adapter but i get clean video and this is the only one i hv at the moment.

I would also like to know which would be the best software to use for recording purposes. So far i have used christv with mpeg recording but i would like something better and something that is more compaitable with vista 64bit

Thank You!

The adapter.


Back of the stb


Current connection(RED to red, WHITE to blue, YELLOW to green)

[hech54]

There is NO AUDIO in an S-Video connection.
That adapter is S-Video to RGB(red/blue/green).

[techspark]

Thanks for the reply.

There is NO AUDIO in an S-Video connection.

But i can hear audio on my right speaker. And even in my recordings there is audio. Its just that its mono

[edDV]

Hi guys,
I have a pinnacle pctv 110i tuner card that has a 7 pin s-video in port. My local cable operator has a set top box that has 3 pin composite out (red,yellow and white wire).

The 7-pin DIN connector is intended for a breakout cable.

I looked at some 110i manuals but all they show is a 4 pin S-Video connector. Your manual should explain the pinout. There are several pinouts commonly used for for 7 pin DIN connectors but ATI and NVidia versions don't carry audio.

For example, this is the ATI breakout cable for S-Video/Component. The cable you need would carry S-Video and audio. Pinnacle would probably sell you the correct cable.

[hech54]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video

[hech54]

The 7-pin DIN connector is intended for a breakout cable.

I looked at some 110i manuals but all they show is a 4 pin S-Video connector. Your manual should explain the pinout. There are several pinouts commonly used for for 7 pin DIN connectors but ATI and NVidia versions don't carry audio.

For example, this is the ATI breakout cable for S-Video/Component. The cable you need would carry S-Video and audio. Pinnacle would probably sell you the correct cable.


[Attachment 12281 - Click to enlarge]

I wonder if that could be used for a Hauppaauge PVR-350?
Hmmm.....

[edDV]

The 7-pin DIN connector is intended for a breakout cable.

I looked at some 110i manuals but all they show is a 4 pin S-Video connector. Your manual should explain the pinout. There are several pinouts commonly used for for 7 pin DIN connectors but ATI and NVidia versions don't carry audio.

For example, this is the ATI breakout cable for S-Video/Component. The cable you need would carry S-Video and audio. Pinnacle would probably sell you the correct cable.

I wonder if that could be used for a Hauppaauge PVR-350?
Hmmm.....

The PVR-350 cable shown below carries Composite/S-Video/Audio to a 7pin DIN but we don't know if it uses the same pins as the Pinnacle 110i.

[jagabo]

You're simply using the wrong adapter. Mini DIN is used for many many things and there is no standard on what signals are connected to what pins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-DIN_connector

You need to find the correct adapter for your capture card. It's just blind luck that the adapter you used happened to connect to the composite video input and one of the audio inputs.

[techspark]

Thank you guys for the replies.

The 7-pin DIN connector is intended for a breakout cable.

I looked at some 110i manuals but all they show is a 4 pin S-Video connector. Your manual should explain the pinout. There are several pinouts commonly used for for 7 pin DIN connectors but ATI and NVidia versions don't carry audio.

The manaul in the installation disk is same as that available online , shows an image of 4 pin s-video and no explanation at all.

For example, this is the ATI breakout cable for S-Video/Component. The cable you need would carry S-Video and audio. Pinnacle would probably sell you the correct cable.

Here is a picture of the s-video pin at the back of the tv tuner card. Got it from google search. Too lazy to remove my card and take a nice picture.

I tried playing around with the combination, it seems that its only imp that the YELLOW wire goes to the green port, the other two wires i can connect them as i want and i get the same result - audio only in my right speaker.

It's just blind luck that the adapter you used happened to connect to the composite video input and one of the audio inputs.

I agree the connector may not be ideal but its working. If i succeed in getting stereo audio it would be great , if not i will buy another adapter - which one should i get in that case ?

[jagabo]

It's just blind luck that the adapter you used happened to connect to the composite video input and one of the audio inputs.

I agree the connector may not be ideal but its working.

It's not working. You only have one channel of audio.

If i succeed in getting stereo audio it would be great

You won't with that adapter. You can run audio to your audio card and try capturing that way. But that's a recipe for A/V sync problems.

if not i will buy another adapter - which one should i get in that case ?

You'll have to ask Pinnacle. Or experiment (or find the pinouts for that particular card) and make your own.

[usually_quiet]

The pinouts for mini-din breakout cables/adapters for ports that accept a standard S-Video cable vary. Only one of the ports that supplies audio for the Pinnacle TV card matched up with a pin on the RGB adapter The only pins that have to be the same for all of them are the 4 outer pins that correspond to the normal pins in an s-video cable.

For example, some ATI TV cards which allow video capture, like my TV Wonder 650 PCI will accept an S-video connection directly, but come with a purple adapter with an 8 pin mini-din connection on one end and a breakout box on the other. http://www.diamondmm.com/store/product.php?productid=16342&cat=16&page=1 However, I had a TV Wonder 650 PCI-e card with a 7 pin mini-din connection that accepted a S-video cable, but would have used a different adapter for composite video input (although it did not come with the necessary adapter).

You need to do as jagabo said.

[hech54]

The PVR-350 cable shown below carries Composite/S-Video/Audio to a 7pin DIN but we don't know if it uses the same pins as the Pinnacle 110i.


[Attachment 12282 - Click to enlarge]

Knowing my luck....it won't.

[jman98]

I am not saying that this is the issue, but I want to say that my former cable provider (Comcast) either by design or through incompetence had some standard definition channels where the sound was mono and only on one side. I recorded one show from one of those channels and never watched the channel again. I was able to use an audio editor to fix the audio so it was still mono but using 2 channels. I was able to verify outside of my video capture card that indeed this particular channel really only had sound coming out of one side and that was just how Comcast was broadcasting it.

[usually_quiet]

Pinnacle TV Systems was sold to Hauppauge, although it is apparently a separate division within the company. This is the US page for your card: http://www.pctvsystems.com/Products/ProductsNorthAmerica/HybridproductsUSA/PCTVHDCard/...S/Default.aspx

According to the product description it should have come with the adapter cable.

Here is the support page: http://www.pctvsystems.com/tabid/62/default.aspx/tabid/62/language/en-US/Default.aspx

If you are not in N. America, click on a flag at the bottom of the page to find the Pinnacle website for your country.

[techspark]

Thanks again guys for all your inputs.

some standard definition channels where the sound was mono and only on one side

In my case all channels have mono and i am 100% sure its the connectors at fault and nothing to do with the source or settings

You'll have to ask Pinnacle. Or experiment (or find the pinouts for that particular card) and make your own.

Thats a difficult task. I would prefer something that works out of the box. So does it mean its time to change my capture card ?

The pinouts for mini-din breakout cables/adapters for ports that accept a standard S-Video cable vary. Only one of the ports that supplies audio for the Pinnacle TV card matched up with a pin on the RGB adapter The only pins that have to be the same for all of them are the 4 outer pins that correspond to the normal pins in an s-video cable.

Thanks for the explanation. I understand, i am using a wrong adapter so stereo audio is not possible.

Pinnacle TV Systems was sold to Hauppauge, although it is apparently a separate division within the company. This is the US page for your card: http://www.pctvsystems.com/Products/...S/Default.aspx

Thats PCTV HD. My card doesnt do HD. Mine is a five year old card and i couldn't find it on their website.

Anyways guys i think its time i should upgrade my capture card, i was wondering if there is any dual card that works like graphic card and also does video capture?

[usually_quiet]

Anyways guys i think its time i should upgrade my capture card, i was wondering if there is any dual card that works like graphic card and also does video capture?

You mean a product like the old ATI All-In-Wonder AGP video cards that is still in production? There is nothing like that now. All the All-In-Wonder products are discontinued, and the most recent one came in two pieces, a VGA card and a Theatre 750 TV card/capture device http://www.diamondmm.com/AIWHD3650.php

[techspark]

Thanks for the linkk - that looks perfect for my needs. Why have they been discontinued - didnt they work well ??

I was thinking i will sell my graphic card and tv tuner card for a few bucks on ebay, i know i will not get much.

So i can add some cash to that and get a new card that does both. I have a micro atx board, so i hv only one slot for pcie and one for pci.

I dont need any fancy in a graphic card as i hardly play any games. Is there anything u can suggest?

[edDV]

Thanks for the linkk - that looks perfect for my needs. Why have they been discontinued - didnt they work well ??

I was thinking i will sell my graphic card and tv tuner card for a few bucks on ebay, i know i will not get much.

So i can add some cash to that and get a new card that does both. I have a micro atx board, so i hv only one slot for pcie and one for pci.

I dont need any fancy in a graphic card as i hardly play any games. Is there anything u can suggest?

Tuner and display card functions are usually separate. The only devices that link that I know of are the ATI 750 capture devices with 46xx/48xx display cards that utilize the GPU for h.264 capture compression acceleration.

Quote Diamond Multimedia

Combine ATI Theater HD 750 an ATI Radeon Premium graphics card (HD 4600 series or HD 4800 series) and experience mind-boggling GPU accelerated transcoding speed. Now you can watch, record, and convert fast and seamlessly with the best playback quality--all with your media rich PVR PC.

http://www.bonanza.com/listings/Diamond-ATI-Theater-HD-750-TV-Wonder-External-TVW750USB/43512677

This function primarily works with HD tuner captures. I'm not sure if it works for SD analog capture.

[techspark]

The channels that i watch are all SD , so SD recording is a must. I guess i have to buy a separate tuner card. I did come accross one card thought

http://www.langtoninfo.com/showitem.aspx?isbn=4895106256194

And just to confirm i don't need a tuner card right, just a capture card because my stb will output in composite/component and the card should be able to read the video and audio from the composite inputs, right ? I do not need a remote or other functionality as i will be doing all thru the stb.

Right now for a seperate tuner , avertv HD dvr looks like my best bet, still looking for cheaper options though.

[edDV]

The channels that i watch are all SD , so SD recording is a must. I guess i have to buy a separate tuner card. I did come accross one card thought

http://www.langtoninfo.com/showitem.aspx?isbn=4895106256194

And just to confirm i don't need a tuner card right, just a capture card because my stb will output in composite/component and the card should be able to read the video and audio from the composite inputs, right ? I do not need a remote or other functionality as i will be doing all thru the stb.

Right now for a seperate tuner , avertv HD dvr looks like my best bet, still looking for cheaper options though.

I don't see analog inputs on that card.
http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?cid=1&gid=3&sgid=918&pid=317&psn=&lid=1&leg=0

[techspark]

its this one
http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?cid=1&gid=3&sgid=918&pid=1094&psn=&lid=1&leg=0
nevermind though - it is not what i need. It doesnt have composite/component inputs.

[usually_quiet]

The channels that i watch are all SD , so SD recording is a must. I guess i have to buy a separate tuner card. I did come accross one card thought

http://www.langtoninfo.com/showitem.aspx?isbn=4895106256194

And just to confirm i don't need a tuner card right, just a capture card because my stb will output in composite/component and the card should be able to read the video and audio from the composite inputs, right ? I do not need a remote or other functionality as i will be doing all thru the stb.

Right now for a seperate tuner , avertv HD dvr looks like my best bet, still looking for cheaper options though.

The SAPPHIRE HD 5570 XtendTV 1GB GDDR5 doesn't capture. It is strictly a digital TV tuner + VGA in one card, with the ability to stream video.

I haven't personally seen any software that works with SD capture-only devices and has the ability to schedule timed recordings.

This means if you want to capture from an STB, you probably still need a card with an analog tuner. All the third-party PVR software that I have looked at which can schedule timer recordings requires an analog TV tuner for SD analog capture. Hauppauge's WinTV 7, can be used for timed recordings with their TV cards and can control an STB with an IR blaster if the card includes that feature, but I don't think works the same way when using their USB Live-2. There are a few HD capture devices that can be used with PVR software, because they have plugins that make it appear the device has a BDA digital tuner and the H.264 transport stream they produce is its output. These devices are the Hauppauge HD PVR, the Hauppauge Colossus, and the AVerTV USB HD DVR MTVUHDDVR (sometimes sold as the AVerTV Dark Crystal Capture Station)

[Edit]The only popular PVR software I know of that might be able to use a SD capture-only device for recording TV is MythTV, but I am not certain of it. The documentation says that frame-grabbers are one type of supported hardware. I don't run any Linux boxes so I have never tried it. I have tried a few Windows PVR programs, and all of them required an SD analog capture device with an analog tuner.

[jagabo]

Why have they been discontinued - didnt they work well ??

Few people are interested in analog video capture these days. The market was flooded with cheap, barely functional Chinese imports so people didn't want to pay more for a quality card and software. ATI software was often pretty bad. You had to get the right version of everything to get the cards working. The 650/750 based devices have automatic gain problems (too bad because they were otherwise very good cards).

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/326560-Which-is-better-usb-stick-vhs-cap-or-hd-pvr-...=1#post2023227

[themaster1]

Does anyone know if i can find an adapter like on this picture:
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/6849/imag0955q.jpg

BUT with all the inputs of this adapter below (2x rca audio, 1x composite,1x s-video) and an 8pin mini-din connector:
https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12281&d=1336058503

[edDV]

Does anyone know if i can find an adapter like on this picture:
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/6849/imag0955q.jpg

BUT with all the inputs of this adapter below (2x rca audio, 1x composite,1x s-video) and an 8pin mini-din connector:
https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12281&d=1336058503

You need to speak to Pinnacle Systems tech support about compatible adapters. There is no standard beyond pins 1-4 which carry S-Video. Each manufacturer can assign whatever pins it wants.

[usually_quiet]

Does anyone know if i can find an adapter like on this picture:
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/6849/imag0955q.jpg

BUT with all the inputs of this adapter below (2x rca audio, 1x composite,1x s-video) and an 8pin mini-din connector:
https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12281&d=1336058503

The A/V cable below has 8 pins, and all the A/V connections but is designed for my capture card. There is no way to tell if it is correct for your device, and I do not know the pinout. Note that the four pins that do not correspond to the pins for a regular S-Video connection may not be be positioned correctly for your capture device, and do not necessarily have the same function assigned to them. This adapter can also be found on eBay at times.
http://www.diamondmm.com/store/product.php?productid=16342&cat=16&page=1

Here is a picture of the matching port on my capture card.

[jagabo]

The pin positions don't match:

[usually_quiet]

The pin positions don't match:


[Attachment 12302 - Click to enlarge]

I was replying to themaster1. That is a picture of techspark's adapter vs my card's A/V port. themaster1 didn't post a picture showing the A/V port for his capture device or the connection for the adapter it uses .

[Edit] I just realized mine is still wrong anyway. It has no component inputs. I guess I was more tired than I thought last night. Maybe themaster1 wants a breakout cable for one of the All-In-Wonder cards?

[themaster1]

The adapter i have currently is exactly this one (minus the component parts and with 2x rca audio+1mini jack ): https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12281&d=1336058503

I want something more compact and not easily breakable (this one is in my eyes, with the time the cables become"loose" = problems) but it seems i can't find what i want...

[themaster1]

Another possiblity for me would be to find an adapter 8pin(output)>s-video (input) directly ( i don't care about video composite and i can connect the audio directly to my sound card)