VLC does not capture video from firewire

[Rorox]

Like I said earlier, I am not familiar with the HDV format.


There just appears to be a little inconsistency here.


It was mentioned that HDV is 1440*1080 and that is what is reported for the vlc transfer with a 16:9 flag


The other one is reported natively at 1920*1080 making the flag irrelevant.


But if the vlc transfers look fine to you that is all that matters.

Telling the truth if I had to consider all the inconsistencies this camera has, I had already sold it.
Yes' I know. In the file the header doesn't match exactly the content of the file itself.
This camera has its limits and some serious design flaws.

But its colors are incredibly natural, you may set the color profile in a very flexible way (in the advanced internal settings), it's a 3 CCD (1/3' each) camera, the lens is one of the Canon professional line with active mechanical image stabilizer, and it costs "some bucks", right now.

It's impossible to buy a camera with these features for some 400€, right now.

If I only tell you how many times I had to replace that damn Firewire female connector... and think that every time it's needed to disassemble the whole camera.
The original spare costs some 120€, and the complete service for that is around 250€.
I think that I changed at least a dozen cables before to find a good one with a connector that does not damage the female installed in the camera.
And think that from time to time, damaging that connector could happen that the internal CPU board burns out.
In that case you may take the camera to te garbage can, without any other possibility, as that board costs more than 1K €.

XH-A1s is much better at least for the fact that it has the 6 wire firewall female connector instead of this one.

[Alwyn]

I used that guide yesterday, suggested by its creator. it returns an error, looking for a MPEG decoder.

My experience is that you only need to have FFDShow set up to enable HDVSplit's Preview function. I've described the FFDShow requirements and settings in the Capture>Preview section.

The actual file transfer/capture will (should?) still occur without FFDShow, you just won't have video in the Preview window as it is capturing.

Could you confirm that you can't transfer and video from your camera even with the mentioned FFDShow settings?

[Rorox]

I used that guide yesterday, suggested by its creator. it returns an error, looking for a MPEG decoder.

My experience is that you only need to have FFDShow set up to enable HDVSplit's Preview function. I've described the FFDShow requirements and settings in the Capture>Preview section.

The actual file transfer/capture will (should?) still occur without FFDShow, you just won't have video in the Preview window as it is capturing.

Could you confirm that you can't transfer and video from your camera even with the mentioned FFDShow settings?

I tried so many times.
Only today I was able to store some seconds of a video in a file.

It created a file but not pressing the "rec" red button.
I had to press PLAY and after the tape started to run I pressed "REC".

If I just press REC the tape starts to run, but after one or two seconds it stops by itself and the program returns an error.

In videolive mode it captures the stream from the camera and produces an appropriate video file, I noticed few seconds ago.

[Alwyn]

If I just press REC the tape starts to run, but after one or two seconds it stops by itself and the program returns an error.

If the tape is fully re-wound, yes, HDVSplit will stop after a couple of seconds. I note this is my guide. All you have to do is wait for the red button to become coloured again, then hit it, and HDVSplit will recommence recording and continue. You achieve the same by playing the tape for a couple of seconds before hitting Record.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback; I'll look into the FFDShow issue a little more.

I'll also have a look at VLC Player as a HDV capture method.

[Alwyn]

There just appears to be a little inconsistency here.

It was mentioned that HDV is 1440*1080 and that is what is reported for the vlc transfer with a 16:9 flag

The other one is reported natively at 1920*1080 making the flag irrelevant.

HDV from my Canon HV20 is 1440x1080, 16-9. The Mac is doing something to the file details to make it 1920x1080.

Interestingly, HDVSplit names the files as M2Ts.

[Alwyn]

I've looked at the MPEG 2 error message again, and I'm correct, you only need to install and enable the FFDShow MPEG 2 decoder and you will then not receive that message, and the Preview window will appear. Here's the setting you need in FFDFShow (this is the 32bit version):


[Attachment 60209 - Click to enlarge]

[usually_quiet]

Here's the setting you need in FFDFShow (this is the 32bit version):

Given that the newest version of HDVSplit was released in 2006, it probably requires the 32-bit version of FFDShow. I don't think that 64-bit software was common back then.

[Rorox]

I've looked at the MPEG 2 error message again, and I'm correct, you only need to install and enable the FFDShow MPEG 2 decoder and you will then not receive that message, and the Preview window will appear. Here's the setting you need in FFDFShow (this is the 32bit version):


[Attachment 60209 - Click to enlarge]

Alwyn. I've taken a shot of my FFDShow configuration.
very probably the problem raises for the fact that I've the 64 bit installed but...

Why should it create problems? I copied the whole FFDShow directory from c:\Program Files to c:\Program Files (x86).
FFDShow is just a storage for codecs, why it shouldn't work if HDVSplit searches a codec in a directory?

Anyway, tomorrow I will try to clear and remove the directory I copied and then install the 32 bit version of FFDShow.



[Attachment 60216 - Click to enlarge]

[Rorox]

Here's the setting you need in FFDFShow (this is the 32bit version):

Given that the newest version of HDVSplit was released in 2006, it probably requires the 32-bit version of FFDShow. I don't think that 64-bit software was common back then.

yes, as I stated, it was my suspect too, and I copied the whole directory, with all the files in the c:\Program Files (x86) dir.
If FFDSHow is just a repository of codec files, why it should not work?
maybe that the codecs files I got (and copied) are all 64 bit versions? it does not make sense, but tomorrow morning I will install the 32 bit version of FFDShow and we'll see what happens. All in all it costs zero.

[DB83]

Simple copying of files from one folder to another is never going to work - unless the program is 'portable' (and then it would not reside in Program Files anyway)


Do a proper un-install of the 64-Bit version and then install the 32-bit one


The critical difference is if HDVSplit is a 32-bit program. If it is then it can not 'see' any 64-bit codecs etc. Whereas a 64-bit program can see both 64-bit and 32-bit.

[Alwyn]

I've done some more in-depth investigating and come up with the following:

- You don't need the Preview function (and therefore FFDShow) to transfer video with HDVSplit. You can simply use the screen or viewfinder on the camera to locate your position on the tape.

- FFDShow 32-bit is required. On the Videohelp download page, it is the version without the "64 bit" in the name. I do have FFDShow 64 bit installed as well with no conflicts, but the 64 bit version will not enable Preview.

- To enable the HDVSplit video Preview function, set the FFDSHow video decoder to MPEG 2 as per this:


[Attachment 60226 - Click to enlarge]

- To clear the audio error message, set the FFDSHow audio decoder to MP1, 2 as per this:


[Attachment 60227 - Click to enlarge]

Cheers.

Edit: I've updated the HDVSplit guide in this post to include detailed FFDShow info.

[Rorox]

I've done some more in-depth investigating and come up with the following:

- You don't need the Preview function (and therefore FFDShow) to transfer video with HDVSplit. You can simply use the screen or viewfinder on the camera to locate your position on the tape.

- FFDShow 32-bit is required. On the Videohelp download page, it is the version without the "64 bit" in the name. I do have FFDShow 64 bit installed as well with no conflicts, but the 64 bit version will not enable Preview.

- To enable the HDVSplit video Preview function, set the FFDSHow video decoder to MPEG 2 as per this:


[Attachment 60226 - Click to enlarge]

- To clear the audio error message, set the FFDSHow audio decoder to MP1, 2 as per this:


[Attachment 60227 - Click to enlarge]

Cheers.

Edit: I've updated the HDVSplit guide in this post to include detailed FFDShow info.

the problem was the 64 bit version.

I already had FFDShow and the MPEG2 was already correctly configured and active.

I installed the 32 bit version half a hour ago and HDVSplit started to work sending the videolive to monitor.

It's really strange. FFDShow, in this particular case, works as a repository of codecs. I copied its directory into the Programs (X86) directory, the same directory that contains all the 32bit software, but it didn't work until I installed the proper 32bit version.
all in all I didn't expect that the codecs too where released in 32 or 64 bit versions.

In any case it does work right now, without any error.


[Attachment 60255 - Click to enlarge]

[Rorox]

Simple copying of files from one folder to another is never going to work - unless the program is 'portable' (and then it would not reside in Program Files anyway)


Do a proper un-install of the 64-Bit version and then install the 32-bit one


The critical difference is if HDVSplit is a 32-bit program. If it is then it can not 'see' any 64-bit codecs etc. Whereas a 64-bit program can see both 64-bit and 32-bit.

yes, it works with the 32 bit version.

I installed the 32 bit version of FFDSHow few minutes ago, and HDVSplit started to work with the videolive window correctly displaying the camera scene.

[Alwyn]

I'm glad you got it working.

[usually_quiet]

It's really strange. FFDShow, in this particular case, works as a repository of codecs. I copied its directory into the Programs (X86) directory, the same directory that contains all the 32bit software, but it didn't work until I installed the proper 32bit version.
all in all I didn't expect that the codecs too where released in 32 or 64 bit versions.

Like other software, codecs can be compiled for a 32bit OS or a 64bit OS.

Codecs are usually registered with Windows when they are installed, and most programs that require codecs use the registry to find the codecs that they are able to use. The exception is portable programs or programs like VLC that supply their own codecs.

[Mr_Science]

Using HDVSplit to capture/transfer HDV video from MiniDV to computer:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AcIVyuFkuvCI3jziFw0zyVEoeFHZdyn8/view?usp=sharing

Thank you for the Tutorial on HDVSplit and FFDShow - after several frustrating days without it, I found the tutorial and followed the instructions exactly and was able to easily get my Canon VIXIA HV40 tapes captured to an old Amazon refurbished HP DeskPro 600 G3 running Win 10 Pro with cheap Eliater PCIe Fireware card.

[Alwyn]

Cheers Mr Science, pleased it worked for you. I still use my HV20.