Diamond VC500CXT only partially functional

[weirleader]

Tried searching for a problem exactly like mine with no luck.

I've been able to get my VC500CXT to work on Win10 **with the provided EzGrabber software**. That's fine, just as a way to verify that drivers are functional and a signal is getting through. However, the whole reason I bought this is so I could use a camera with RCA/S-video output as a webcam. Unfortunately, all the software I want to use with this tells me there is a device there ("Conexant Polaris Video Capture") but they tell me there is an error or the video source is already in use.

I've tried accessing the video stream from Skype, GoToMeeting, Camtasia, and AdobeConnect. None of these can view the video. One person suggested the HD camcorder I had connect was providing too much resolution for the software to handle, so I downgrade to a Sony EVI-D100. Still no luck. Same behavior -- works with EzGrabber but with nothing else.

Any suggestions for where to look/what to try?

Win10, Intel i7, 32GB RAM, Radeon HD 6800 1GB

[Brad]

Can you access it using the 32-bit version of VirtualDub? (Not for webcam, but just to troubleshoot.)

[weirleader]

Never used VirtualDub before, but I just tried it. If I start recording with EzGrabber software then, in VirtualDub, select File -> Capture AVI... it appears to make an attempt to grab the video. But all that shows within VirtualDub is a black rectangle.

I played around with it a bit to see if I could figure it out and made the following observations:
- selecting Video -> Video source allows me to switch between Composite and SVideo (when I do that, the recording in EzGrabber goes blue when I choose Composite, then returns to normal when I select SVideo; I currently am connected via SVideo, so this seems to be a good sign).
- if I open Video -> Levels... I can adjust the Brightness and Contrast and can see the effects in the video I'm recording with EzGrabber.
- if I select Capture -> Capture Video or Capture -> Test Capture I receive a dialog, "Unable to start video capture."
- if I select Capture -> Log I can see a few more messages, as follows:
Starting capture to : F:\Users\<my name>\Desktop\test01.avi
CapDShow: Unable to transition filter graph to paused state.
CapDShow: Unable to transition filter graph to run state: hr = 80004005 ()
CapDShow: Unable to transition filter graph to run state: hr = 80004005 ()
Error: Unable to start video capture.

Just for the heck of it, I tried both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of VirtualDub with the same behavior.

Since I could affect the video brightness and contrast, I decided to try the same via Skype. Sure enough, I could adjust brightness/contrast there as well.

Thanks for your help.

[weirleader]

wait -- continued to play around with it and discovered the following behavior:

Stopped recording using EzGrabber and selected Device -> 0 Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32) (VFW)
Now I can see the image and use Capture -> Capture video or Capture -> Test video capture to record it.

So that is an even better sign, I think. And yet when I go to Skype or the other pieces of software they give me no option for that as a device. And I would think the Conexant device is the one I'm supposed to be using. Does that give you any hint as to what's going on here?

[Brad]

If I start recording with EzGrabber software then, in VirtualDub, select File -> Capture AVI... it appears to make an attempt to grab the video.

Why would you start capturing with the EzGrabber software first? Only one program at a time can access the video from a capture device.

That one that ends in "(VFW)" is a legacy wrapper that allows accessing "newer" capture devices using an extremely-old interface. There's no reason to use it anymore.

[weirleader]

Just goes to show I didn't understand what it was doing -- when I first clicked "Capture AVI" I had a black rectangle, so I figured I didn't understand what the software was doing and I tried something else. Didn't realize I had to select a device other than the Conexant.

[Brad]

Didn't realize I had to select a device other than the Conexant.

You shouldn't have to.

[weirleader]

So that information and a bit more googling makes me wonder if there's something screwy with my drivers -- somehow the DirectShow driver seems to have problems, which is why only the legacy VFW is functioning for me. I tried uninstalling my drivers and reinstalling; I've disabled my antivirus on the off chance there is some sort of conflict there. Still no luck.

Found this: http://tickets.diamondmm.com/kb/faq.php?id=33

That seems to indicate I'm simply out of luck, and yet I know people have used the VC500 successfully to do similar things to what I'm trying -- that's why I bought it, on their recommendation. Perhaps I'm missing some important detail.

I was able to install TrackerCam (here: http://www.trackercam.com/TCamWeb/download.htm) and it both grabbed my video and allowed it to be subsequently grabbed by Skype and Camtasia. However, I'm hoping to avoid an unnecessary piece of software in the middle, if possible.

[Brad]

Dunno what idiot wrote that FAQ page, but the VC500 is absolutely a DirectShow device. I use it in VirtualDub in Windows 7 (and XP).

[weirleader]

lol, well that's good to hear -- now to just figure out why it's not cooperating in my case.

[weirleader]

additional testing as follows:
- tried using VC500 on Win7 laptop (HP EliteBook 820) and now VirtualDub can connect to Conexant Polaris Video Capture (so I know my VC500 is working fine).
- however, Skype still says "Can't start video" when trying to use Conexant Polaris for 'webcam'.

So, it would seem my problem is twofold: (1) why is my Win10 machine not allowing VirtualDub to connect at all via Conexant? and (2) why in both cases does Skype (and other software) still not access the camera?

[Brad]

It's possible that Skype can only handle YUY2 and not the UYVY format output by the VC500. Maybe.

Still wouldn't explain the Win10 VirtualDub issue.

[Justheretostudy]

I found a solution and I wanted to reply even though this is an old thread, had a very similar issue and what solved it for me was setting the Device to Conexant Polaris Video Capture and the key to the problem was setting the Audio to 0. Capture Device

And like magic the footage appears

Also remember to set the Video Source to Composite or S-Video depending on what you are using within VirtualDub.

I found this solution from ferggue over at DigitalFAQ, here's the link

http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/10165-virtualdub-capture-vc500.html#post65238