cant capture mini dv tape to PC

[paulmids]

hi all

Im hoping your expertise will help me out here.

I connect a JVC-grex60 camcorder to my PC, windows xp sp3, via firewire.

Windows movie maker starts when I turn the camera on and I can control the camera via the software.

However, when I click capture, the capture count remains at zero and the preview window remains blank.

When I click finish, I get the message 'the video was not captured correctly. Verify that your video camera and capture device are configured properly'

I've checked the drivers and devices and all seems to be in order. I have also tried other video capture software and get the same results.

Id be really grateful if anyone has a fix for this.

thanks

Paul

[aedipuss]

try winDV. hook everything up, and on. your cam should get listed in winDV. push play on the camera and when the tape starts playing and an image appears click capture in winDV.

[dellsam34]

You can also use ScenlizerLive and press record it will start transferring DV as soon as it detects it.

[paulmids]

Thanks for the response guys but i have tried WinDV and virtualhub and get exactly the same results. Any further ideas appreciated. Thanks

[dellsam34]

Thanks for the response guys but i have tried WinDV and virtualhub and get exactly the same results. Any further ideas appreciated. Thanks

See the post above.

[paulmids]

I als used scenlizer, and had the same results ie camera was dectected and could be controlled. However, the screenshit seems to indicate a driver problem. Any ideas anyone? Thanks.

[paulmids]

Screenshot*

[DB83]

Just a few thoughts.


While you thought that all drivers were ok there is no harm in checking. From Device Manager look for 'IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controller' and ensure there is no error shown.


Now as far as your DV device is concerned that is what I see when I transfer DV. However, I do not use a camera but an ADVC and that selection is a default. What do you see if you opened up the selection box ?


Some weeks ago I believe there was a topic with a similar issue and all other things being equal I would try this:-


Turn off the camera and unplug the firewire cable.
Turn off the PC and unplug the cable at the PC side.
Plug the cable back in on the PC side
Turn the PC back on
Plug the cable in to the camera.
Then, and only then, turn it on.
As stated above, if not in as many words, do NOT control the camera from the software but manually play the tape and allow the software to find the playback. Forget now how WMM worked but both WinDV and SCLive should show a preview window.


No preview and the PC is not receiving a video signal.


Are you using an add in card or is the IEEE 1394 built in to the motherboard ?

[paulmids]

Okay, no issues with IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controller - picture below.

Not sure what you meant by selection box but a picture of the scenalyzer is below also.

Tried the method suggested and got the same results.

It is an add-in firewire card.

Hope that helps

[DB83]

Where you see 'Microsoft DV camera....', can that selection be opened to reveal other selections ?

[paulmids]

hi, no thats the only option

[Maris 55]

Hi,

My memory is not so good anymore, but as long as I remember, when switching from XP to Win 7 and later on Win 10, I had the same problem. WinDV saw my miniDV camera, but I could not capture. As I remember the problem was in the Firewire (IEEE1394) drivers, not the IEEE 1394 adapter.
To solve the problem you need to find, download and install Legacy IEEE 1394 drivers. And Voila! everything works.
Maybe at first uninstall the installed driver from Win 7 / Win 10 and then install Legacy driver.
I hope this will help. Please tell the results.

Regards,
Maris

[DB83]

SC-Live is not my software of choice since I find WinDV much simpler to use (far less settings which can confuse)


Yet running SC-Live I get a different source but that is not an issue given that my source is an ADVC not a camera.


Even so, I still see a live video above the part of the screen that you have captured and the program will still capture the source >> Initially there was an 'Output' button and I had to select 'play' to get the video << So all that confuses the issue. Issues that WinDV should not have.

[Maris 55]

[Attachment 56959 - Click to enlarge]

Here is the Print screen.

[paulmids]

Hi Maris 55, I have the drivers but how do I install them so that they show in device manager as they do for you? Ive tried update driver and chosen the location of the new drivers but with no success? thanks.

[DB83]

That appears to be the Win8 legacy driver. Only required for Win10 systems where the updates had removed IEEE 1394 capability.


My own Win7 driver, fully working, is dated 2006. You stated you are using XP so that driver should be even earlier.


Edit:


Since I also maintain a XP system I checked. My driver for XP is dated 2001 and is version 5.1.2535

[dellsam34]

It's clearly a driver issue as SClive reported, If you were using Win10 I would suspect a card issue since some card chipsets don't work under Win10, But XP should not be a card problem. If you have a possibility to install Win7 in dual boot do so, Win7 is the best MS OS I've ever used, it has the largest driver library among all MS OS's.

[DB83]

Keeping reply #14 in mind, what do you see (screen grab/image as you have done may assist) when you click on the 'OHCI....controller' in device manager with the driver tab selected ?

[paulmids]

so the current driver is in image 'driver as-is'
The legacy driver I have is in 'driver to-be'......but it is way newer than the one Maris has in post #14.
The error I get when trying to update is in 'driver-error'
Thanks all

[DB83]

Well the driver (1st pic) appears to be exactly the same as the one on my own XP system - see my earlier post #16


You can not install a legacy driver for XP unless the driver worked in Win 3x. The whole point of a legacy is to support later systems where there is no current driver. So Win10 uses the Win8 driver in legacy mode.


The final step from the current install is to click 'Driver Details' and see if there are any issues.

[paulmids]

hi DB83, thanks for the reply.

No, there are no errors......everything looks as it is working hardware wise. I am thinking of trying a new cable and perhaps a new card. What do you think?

[DB83]

In my mind this is an odd one. You said right back in your OP that the PC/Software reacted when the camera was turned on. So that in it self suggests that the card/cable is communicating with the PC.


What is the brand/model of your card ? A link to it's purchase may also assist. Did it comes with any other drivers specific for the on-board chips and not just the IEEE1394/Firewire interface.


We know the error reported by SCLive. What does WinDV report ? As I mentioned before. Start the program before you turn on the camera and operate the camera manually.


On the hardware front, have you ensured that the card is sitting correctly in the mainboard i.e all pins are in contact. Some time ago, I recall reading on here some issues with certain chipsets so it is possible you do have a bad egg.

[DB83]

Here is one of the more recent topics that discuss DV transfer issues.


https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/387978-Help-Firewire-Capture-Problems-%21


The recc chipset is TI (Texas Instruments) which is what I have on my built-in mainboard. VIA chipsets seem to give issues.


Some more reading for you.


https://www.videohelp.com/search?siteurl=forum.videohelp.com&q=IEEE+1394+chipset

[paulmids]

Hi DB83, thanks for the reply.
1. It us an Adaptec (Dell?) Card, so i am now thinking that it was part if the build rather than an add-in as I previously thought.
2. Pictures of the card are included.
3. Windv does exactly the same. No preview and the count remains at zero.

Im stuck��

[DB83]

You might well be 'stuck' since that card appears to be legacy PCI (that word again) rather than the later pci-e that is on the current cards.


I do not think these cards came as standard. Dell have always, well they did, offer customisation but is this your PC or a recent acquisition ?


So I doubt you will find a replacement card (I could be wrong but it will take some finding) but a change of cable is an option.

[binargs]

let me propose something from a it angle,
can you get a used disk and using it install windows 7 or 8 on it and see if the 7 or 8 default driver with that card will allow you to capture?
of course unplug your existing drive first so you do not lose data.

[DB83]

I'll propose something, as asked by the OP. Try another new cable. It is perfectly possible that one or more of the pins is bent on either end so the connection is not complete.


As for changing the card it seems that these are available both new and used. Look for Adaptec AFW-2100 PCI.


You might also wish to try the other port on the card.

[johnmeyer]

There is one thing no one has mentioned: the settings on your camcorder.

You unfortunately posted a non-existent model number, so I can't look at the manual. However, many DV camcorders which use 1394/Firewire have the ability not only to output the video in the camera over that connection, but can also accept video input via the same connector. A capture app like Scenalyzer (which is definitely the app to use) requires that your camera be set to output video. If instead the camcorder is set to input video from that connection, you can very easily end up with exactly the situation you have described, where the camera "sorta" seems like it is being recognized, but none of the capture apps work.

So, go to the menu on the camcorder and see if you can find an input/output setting for the 1394/Firewire/DV connector, and change it.

[DB83]

John,


You might well have won first prize


As for the camera model GR EX60 appears to point to a VHS-C camcorder but I am sure when I first replied to this thread I eventually found a mini-dv camcorder with a similar name (and a VHS-C would not have firewire output)


Hopefully the OP will come back to the topic with a DOH

[paulmids]

Hi all, a quick update in response to the most recent posts....
1. I tried a new cable but the results werethe same.
2. Fir clarity, JVC Camcorder model number is GR-D60EK. there is no setting to select input as suggested.
Thanks