VirtualDub Capture Issues with ATI TV Wonder 750 USB

[cbehr91]

As the title implies I'm using VirtualDub to capture AVI files with an ATI TV Wonder 750 USB. I do not have any of the ATI software installed on my computer, just the drivers for the card. I am getting major audio and video glitches in my captured videos. The least of which appears happening are fields getting out of order, video speeding up and slowing down and audio pitch is going up and down. The video and audio actually appear to be staying in sync however. I've attached a video for you to watch of some captured VHS footage to see exactly what is happening.



I'm using VirtualDub in lue of the ArcSoft program because I wish to capture in uncompressed AVI or DV-AVI using VirtualDub (or any AVI capture utility really). So is there anything I can do to get my captures to come out properly?

[usually_quiet]

Virtualdub is supposed to have some issues with ATI's Theater 650 and Theater 750 devices. If you have a 32-bit OS you could try DScaler. I no longer have them to test with but I seem to recall that DScaler worked with my Theater 650 cards.

[cbehr91]

Virtualdub is supposed to have some issues with ATI's Theater 650 and Theater 750 devices. If you have a 32-bit OS you could try DScaler. I no longer have them to test with but I seem to recall that DScaler worked with my Theater 650 cards.

Yes, I have 32-bit Windows Vista, so I will try it. What about using iuVCR as a capture utility? Same story?

[usually_quiet]

Virtualdub is supposed to have some issues with ATI's Theater 650 and Theater 750 devices. If you have a 32-bit OS you could try DScaler. I no longer have them to test with but I seem to recall that DScaler worked with my Theater 650 cards.

Yes, I have 32-bit Windows Vista, so I will try it. What about using iuVCR as a capture utility? Same story?

Sorry, I haven't ever tried iuVCR. I think AMCap or VirtualVCR might have worked, but I am not certain of it.

[jagabo]

Try changing VirtualDub's audio/video timing options. Capture -> Timing... Do not compress audio while capturing.

[cbehr91]

Try changing VirtualDub's audio/video timing options. Capture -> Timing... Do not compress audio while capturing.

And just what should I do? There are alot of settings here. The audio being captured was not being compressed.

[davexnet]

There is something in Vdub's settings that causes this. Something to do with the audio/video synchronization.
For example, in capture/timing, try the different resync modes.

[jagabo]

Try changing VirtualDub's audio/video timing options. Capture -> Timing... Do not compress audio while capturing.

And just what should I do? There are alot of settings here.

First try turning off all the resync options. See if you get cleaner caps. If so, perform a longer cap, an hour or two. See if you get A/V sync problems.

I'd try using a known clean signal to start with. Cable TV, Satellite TV, or DVD. Make sure you can get perfect caps from that first. Then move on to VHS.

I seem to recall there are some driver issues with the ATI 750. You may need to install older drivers.

[cbehr91]

I've recorded and encoded another capture test, this time from the video out on my DTV converter box, turning all the resync options off for capture. The audio sample rate is no longer changing but there are still major video glitches.

[jagabo]

When I was using an ATI 650 USB2 with VirtualDub I think I had to uninstall all the ATI software and drivers, then install only the driver that came on the CD with the device (don't install all the rest of ATI's software).

[cbehr91]

When I was using an ATI 650 USB2 with VirtualDub I think I had to uninstall all the ATI software and drivers, then install only the driver that came on the CD with the device (don't install all the rest of ATI's software).

I never installed any of the ATI software, just the drivers. Are you suggesting I uninstall the drivers and install them off the CD again? I had similar issues with iuVCR too.

[Brad]

I'm going to guess this is an issue on the USB side of things. Try:
- connecting directly with no extension cable, if you are using one
- another USB port (back vs front, etc.)
- another PC
- exchanging the device

[jagabo]

If you have the device hooked up via a hub, connect it directly to a USB port on the computer instead.

[cbehr91]

I disabled the video preview in VirtualDub and I'm no longer getting dropped frames but the captured video runs seemingly in slow motion but it's no longer skipping around and displaying previous frames. The audio capture is now clean and glitch free, however.

[cbehr91]

Next I tried capture video without any audio hooked up. The captured video was nice and smooth, the way it should look. So why is it when I plug in audio is when there are problems?

[jagabo]

Turn off audio playback while capturing. Ie, capture the audio, just don't listen to it with VirtualDub while capturing. That often causes problems. Audio -> Enable Audio Playback -- disabled.

[cbehr91]

Turn off audio playback while capturing. Ie, capture the audio, just don't listen to it with VirtualDub while capturing. That often causes problems. Audio -> Enable Audio Playback -- disabled.

It's set that way by default, so I've left it alone. It captured clean audio and video from a PlayStation 2 video game, but I have not been getting clean captures from VHS tapes or non copy protected DVDs.

One thing I have noticed is that the default audio capture source is "0 Capture Device". It still captures audio, but when I set it to "2 AVStream Analog Capture" (what I think the audio source should be since that's what the video device is) everything goes black. Also, when I open up VDub I always have to switch the audio source from "Audio Tuner" to "Audio Line" in order to get audio. Could any of this have to do with why I'm not getting clean captures?

[Brad]

The 750 USB is definitely not very friendly to unstable signals like VHS; I've seen vertical jitter and fields inserted in the wrong places in my tests when I don't use a DVD recorder as passthrough. But that doesn't explain being unable to capture unprotected DVDs cleanly.

[cbehr91]

The 750 USB is definitely not very friendly to unstable signals like VHS; I've seen vertical jitter and fields inserted in the wrong places in my tests when I don't use a DVD recorder as passthrough. But that doesn't explain being unable to capture unprotected DVDs cleanly.

You seemed to have solved my problem, and I'm not sure why I didn't think of this earlier. But I hooked up my VCR to my DVD Recorder and captured the video out from the DVDR and the capture was clean and in synch. Thanks, group, for all your suggestions and help.