Capturing problem with ADVC-100

[Jenny]

Hi.

I recently purchased the ADVC-100. It seems to be OK so far, but I'm having a few problems.

When I record video it doesn't seem to capture properly. Like I'll frequently receive stutters in the capture.
For instance: everything will be capturing nicely and then the video/audio will stop for a millisecond and then continue.
This does not throw the video and audio out of sink. However it's difficult to watch because there brief pauses in the recording.


Does anyone know what might be causing this?


Here's some info that might be important:
================
MY COMPUTER
Speed: 700 MGHZ
RAM: 448
Hard Disk: 20 GB (18.5 is being used)
================
OTHER INFO
-----------------------------
Camera:
Sony
Handycam Vision
CCD-TRV98 NTSC
Video Hi8
-----------------------------
Analog to Digital Convertor:
ADVC-100
-----------------------------
Firewire Card:
ADS Pyro 1394 IEEE
================


Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Jenny :-)

[Z]

its a sign that the harddrive is playin up/delaying writing (like when bad sectors),,,

[SHS]

Sound like me you need more disk space

[Bluesky22]

Hey, actually, I don't think its either of thoses suggestions, I actually posted the same thing about a week ago. The reason I don't think its hardrive space is because I have a fairly new computer with lots of hard drive space, and even after reformating my computer any only haveing the most minimal programs installed, I still have the same problem.

I have no problem with capturing from tv and A+ quality video..I don't know if the same goes for you. If you have trouble with capturing tv, or perfect quality videos(like movies) then I don't know if what I've written below applies to you.

I have a bunch of older videos that I've been trying to convert, like you said, it never loses sync, or drops frames or anything like that, it is just so jerky that I consider it unwatchable. I wrote to Canopus to ask, and they suggested that perhaps I need to get a new vcr, but, the my vcr is new (I got it at the same time as the ADVC), and I've tried it with other vcr's in my house, and have gotten the same result...so, I posted here and someone suggested I try a time-base corrector...now, the cheapest one I found was $300, most that I could find where over $1000, so I bought it (its way to much money, but what good is the $300 on the ADVC going to do if I can't use it).
I installed it, and it is much much better (I'd say at least 90%), the video doesn't play and then speed up, and the play and speed up etc...like it did before, and its absolutely watchable....the picture is still a little bumpy (all my vid's are from a handhelp camera at concerts), so its bumpy to begin with, and I don't have a base to compare it with......
I'd suggest either trying that out, or if you just got the advc, returning it for another type of device that someone else may have had better results with...

anyway...I'll stop now..goodluck

[Bluesky22]

hey, I thought I'd add I tried defragmenting my drives, and even using just one soley for capturing, and still had the same problems..after reading some posts in here, I don't want it to seem like I just ran out and bought the extra device...I've tried changing the setting of the computer every possible, and of the capture setting and allll that kind of stuff, so I'd suggest checking out to see your computer drive setting and that type of stuff first to see if it helps any...

Here's my stuff:
WinXP
AMD Athlon XP 1700
1 50gig/1 30gig
512
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400
Compay DVD-117
LITE-ON LTR-2410
PIONEER DVR-A04
Pinnacle DV Firewire
Datavideo TBC-100

I use Canopus ADVC-100 for video conversion from from vcr to my computer\\\'s firewire card

[SHS]

Is your motherboard a VIA ?.

[SHS]

Is your motherboard a VIA ?.

[SHS]

Is your motherboard a VIA ?.

[holistic]

- A T(ime) B(ase) C(orrecter) - maybe but expensive

- Fragmented drive - could be > partition it !

- Drive to small - no > i use a 20Gb for my DV with no problems and achieve 70 minute transfers (captures) no problems

- what is your OS - and what file structure ? Fat16, Fat32 or NTFS

If the 'stutter'/'pause' is at the 9 minute mark then perhaps your capture program is preparing the next capture segment due to FAT file length constraints .

[dgraham]

I use Premiere 6.0 to capture through the Canopus ADVC-100. I was dropping frames and pulling my hair out until I checked my motherboard documentation and found out that the slot I had my firewire card in was a shared IRQ PCI slot. I moved the firewire card to a non-shared IRQ PCI slot, and my problems went away.

My motherboard is a Tyan Trinity 400 VIA, and I run Win XP on a PC with a 10K 40GB Ultra-2 SCSI drive for capture/editting.

I hope this helps.

-D

[zamzickles]

Ocassionally, a very simple fix can help. A TBC(time base correcter) may be overkill. A slightly cheaper approroach can sometime help. Your local Best Buy probably still sells a CopyGuard stabilizer by Sigma. While most people were using these to defeat macrovision on tapes, it turns out that they are very good at restoring sync signals on old video tapes that have degraded quality over time. TBC is usually a better solution but stabilizeris can usually do the trick for 1/5 the money.

[Anonymous65]

You are really pushing your system with the ADVC-100. It is actually feeding 24 bit uncompressed 720x480 into the firewire, and the PC has to compress it to DV encoded video. A 700 MHz PC will have problems with this. I had stutters with a 800 MHz PC.

I think the add for the ADVC-100 is missleading. It says it's outputting DV video, which normally you will think is 25Mb/sec compressed video. However, the ADVC-100 is outputting 200Mb/sec uncompressed video, and the software encoder in your PC has to do the compression. So, the ADVC-100 does not convert analog video to DV (compressed) video, but to 24 bit uncompressed video. Basically, there is NO DV encoder in the ADVC-100, just a simple 24 bit video digitizer.

[dgraham]

I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but my system is a Pentium III 600eb. Works greats. I capture 45 minutes straight without a dropped frame.

-D

[wumbus]

Hmm, that's the first time I've heard that the ADVC-100 sends uncompressed video via firewire... I didn't realize that was even a standard. Does that imply that you could theoretically compress the video with a different codec other than DV? HuffYUV, for example?

[ironwood321]

Do a simple test capture live video through your video recorder from you TV aerial and then do some captures from your tapes.

If you only notice problems with you tapes you might need a TBC.

http://www.gthelectronics.com/ Do a Standards converter / TBC

You also may need a separate hard drive to capture your video to which is empty and process your project and dump it else where when finished leaving an empty drive. Don't capture to your main drive.

Also if its your main system your capturing to i.e the one you use for everything else. I would seriously consider putting a dual OS installation and making a lean system for capture only with no Virus killer or overkill etc

[jtoops]

Not to be rude, but Skittelsen, do you own one? And where did you get your facts. I admit that I don't know what it outputs. But I can't imagine the ADVC-100 outputing 200 Mb/sec and that it uses software compression on your computer.

I've had mine for several months. I've had no stuttering problem on a 750 Mhz Athlon. I know my CPU was not maxing out. (When I was capturing, previously, 640x480 with ATI AIW and with PIC Video Codec on quality 18, It was).

Back to topic, the problem might be this. It seems that ADVC-100 creates its own timecodes. (Some other converters don't). These timecodes, when frames are dropped, sometimes causes stuttering in the capture software (like that in VegasVideo).

Personally, I have both ADVC-100 and am using VegasVideo and I have had no problems. But people have been posting stuttering problems on SonicFoundry's VegasVideo forums with the use of ADVC-100. Search those forums for more detail information.

John

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Additional info: Instead of stuttering, I get a video freeze effect. The cause is when I turn off my kitchen light (other lights don't affect it). So maybe the cause of your problem is household electrical noise.