Canopus ADVC-100, no video in or out signal

[kinoko]

Hello, this is my first post in this forum.

I recently imported a Canopus ADVC-100 from Japan, complete in box. I hooked it up and there was no video output whatsoever, nothing was shown in my display or in my capture software over DV. I could hold down the Input Select button and it would show the color bars just fine though.
When selecting Digital In and playing back stuff recorded in Scenalyzer, the audio plays back just fine but still no picture. I played with my dip switches a bit to no avail.

I tried Scenalyzer and WinDV, both recognizing the device but neither would show any video input.

Is there something wrong? Do I need to replace my power adapter?

[jagabo]

Maybe this: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/146124-bypassing-macrovision-with-canopus-advc-100#post691741

[kinoko]

Maybe this: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/146124-bypassing-macrovision-with-canopus-advc-100#post691741

Attempted, saw the color bars appear and go away with no difference. Tried with a commercial tape and a home recorded tape and neither were shown in my cap software.

[DB83]

Why 'Digital In'. Surely Input Select should be toggled to 'Analog In' (one press after the color bars sets input to 'Digital In')

Since your device originated in Japan the only dip-switch setting should be to change IRE from 0 to 7.5 but even at 0 there should be some picture.

[kinoko]

Why 'Digital In'. Surely Input Select should be toggled to 'Analog In' (one press after the color bars sets input to 'Digital In')

Since your device originated in Japan the only dip-switch setting should be to change IRE from 0 to 7.5 but even at 0 there should be some picture.

Yeah, I had the box set to analog in, yet nothing appeared on screen.
Even if the IRE is set to 0 or 7.5, still nothing. Tried multiple TVs and multiple VCRs, nothing. I'm starting to think this box is a dud.

[DB83]

A few more thoughts.

You appear to be using Win10. There is no support for firewire after recent updates - although you say that you get audio and software recognises the unit. So you have to use the legacy Win8 driver.


You mentioned the power adapter. I guess you have replaced the one that came in the box with your own. Possibly not giving enough 'juice'. Look below this reply and you will see a thread "How many Amps....." and there is an illustration of the required voltage/ampage for the unit.

[kinoko]

A few more thoughts.

You appear to be using Win10. There is no support for firewire after recent updates - although you say that you get audio and software recognises the unit. So you have to use the legacy Win8 driver.


You mentioned the power adapter. I guess you have replaced the one that came in the box with your own. Possibly not giving enough 'juice'. Look below this reply and you will see a thread "How many Amps....." and there is an illustration of the required voltage/ampage for the unit.

I just tried it on a Windows 7 laptop with Device Manager saying I had a 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy). Still nothing but I can still listen to recordings made on my PC from other DV devices.

I do have the original AC adapter that came with this unit with the specs in the image attached.


One difference I found from this adapter to the one found on the thread you mentioned was that this adapter output is .5 amps lower. I'm guessing that could be a possible issue? If so, I'll go on the lookout for a 5v-2.5A adapter on Amazon or some other store.

[DB83]

Unless I am mistaken 100v is unique for Japan. USA uses 110-120.

Check Fleabay. Here is a link for some and since thry appear to originate from the US you should not incur the shipping extras.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=advc+100+...upply&_sacat=0

[jwillis84]

DV converters require a Signal prior (before) encoding can begin.


DV converters also require a Color Burst signal. (If your trying to capture B&W and it truly is monochrome, it may not work, try a plain color signal and see if it works).


Since the ADVC-100 has Composite and S-Video inputs be sure you have the one you plan to use connected and not both, and start the signal source before you start the capture software.


Often VCR people tend to queue up their source, then shut it down, plan to start the capture software and then plan to start the VCR again to capture every frame from the beginning.. you can't do that with DV encoders.. they need the source to autoset the Input and the Encoder process. (start the VCR playing to generate a signal, then the capture software)


It is very common for people to say very similar things when they first get used to using a hardware DV encoder device.. people have a way of thinking how they want it to work, and then expecting it to work that way.. its more the other way around, you have to adapt to how it works.

[kinoko]

Unless I am mistaken 100v is unique for Japan. USA uses 110-120.

Check Fleabay. Here is a link for some and since thry appear to originate from the US you should not incur the shipping extras.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=advc+100+...upply&_sacat=0

Thanks for the link, I'm hoping this is just the missing piece.

DV converters require a Signal prior (before) encoding can begin.


DV converters also require a Color Burst signal. (If your trying to capture B&W and it truly is monochrome, it may not work, try a plain color signal and see if it works).


Since the ADVC-100 has Composite and S-Video inputs be sure you have the one you plan to use connected and not both, and start the signal source before you start the capture software.


Often VCR people tend to queue up their source, then shut it down, plan to start the capture software and then plan to start the VCR again to capture every frame from the beginning.. you can't do that with DV encoders.. they need the source to autoset the Input and the Encoder process. (start the VCR playing to generate a signal, then the capture software)


It is very common for people to say very similar things when they first get used to using a hardware DV encoder device.. people have a way of thinking how they want it to work, and then expecting it to work that way.. its more the other way around, you have to adapt to how it works.

Are you saying to play the tape in the VCR first, then start the capture software? If so, still nothing. No video or audio input, nothing's being output on my TV or over Firewire.

[jwillis84]

Are you saying to play the tape in the VCR first, then start the capture software? If so, still nothing.

Yes.


Hmm.. the ADVC-100 has both an autoselector, and old bridges like that had a tendency to need a button press to engaed Analog Input mode.


I still have one and can see when I get home, but my recollection is it starts in Digital mode, you press a button and an LED goes from Digital to Analog and it starts working.


The reason I recall this is there was a trick setting you could use the same button to disable Macrovision detection, and it just captured everything.


Another downside I recall is they had a tendency if the signal was not perfect to slip out of Analog mode and restart in Digital mode.. and require a button press to go back into Analog Input mode. When capturing from a camcorder or a tv tuner the signal was near perfect. But when capturing from a VCR the head switching noise could make a DV bridge stop and restart in that Digital mode.. a frame sync or time base corrector could smooth out the head switching noise and correct for things like flag waving or tearing at the top that was common with very noisy VCRs and poor tapes. The older the VCR and the older the tape, the more a TBC or Frame sync becomes necessary.. and mostly.. unless it was an NEC chip design.. which had tbc and frame sync on chip.. you needed an external box to do it.

[DB83]

I concur. When I first installed my 300, I practically wet myself into thinking that I had a very expensive (bought new) dud since there was no picture from the vcr in to the PC.

[mohamed]

>You appear to be using Win10. There is no support for firewire after recent updates - although you say that you get audio and software recognises the unit. So you have to use the legacy Win8 driver.

This is not accurate.


Modern Firewire devices (some camcorders, non canopus advc) work just fine with Windows 10, out-of-the box.
For legacy devices such as the Canopus devices you have to activate legacy support in your firewire card. If you don't there are 3 possibilities, the canopus will not work at all. It will work but randomly disconnect. It may behave weirdly as you saw.

Method
https://www.startech.com/en-fr/faq/firewire-cards-windows-legacy-driver-swap

If you have a Belkin or a Startech it should work fine, if your card is VIA, they tend to be crappy and may still not behave properly even after the driver tweak.

For now stick with windows 7 for testing, deal with 1 issue at a time.
------------------

The adapter he has works fine in US, Japan, and even Europe. Read the label.

If the tape had Macrovision he should still see something, not a black screen, and he will be able to tell if the status is red.


> Another downside I recall is they had a tendency if the signal was not perfect to slip out of Analog mode and restart in Digital mode

Yes, this is true, so make sure your device does not keep switching back to analog (front input selector).


Also, make sure your dip switches (back of the device) are correctly set on NTSC, basically put all switches on off.

One last thing you should realize is that the Japanese Market is filled with a LOT of advc-100 that look good but do not work and sellers have no clue how to test them. I have dealt with a massively huge number of advc devices. The 100 is the unit that fails the most, there is a higher chance you will get a defective unit. I have seen a lot of dead advc 100, never saw a dead advc-110. advc-55 can be hit-or-miss but still statically much better than 100. Also even when it works, it gets to be cranky about being detected by the OS, ADVC200 is also as bad.

[DB83]

WTF Is an ADVC 200 ?

We are not (at least I am) talking about the actual converter but the interface/Card on the PC that requires Windoze drivers. Tis well reported that Win10 removed support for IEE1394 and one needs legacy drivers typically from Win8 >> Even Ms recc that (and not an issue in Win7)

[mohamed]

> WTF Is an ADVC 200 ?
Another canopus device, obviously.

>Win10 removed support for IEE1394
That is what I am trying to say, they did not entirely remove support, which is why I said the statement is inaccurate. They left a stripped-down version. It has to do with fw speeds and some other parts of the IEE1394 specs, I don't remember the exact details. Either way, the point I am making is about the statement being inaccurate, but in all cases, it changes nothing in this thread since we are dealing with an advc that requires the part that was removed in win 10 (and later brought back to win 11). + OP has win 7 too, so should stick to it for now until they figure out what is wrong with their advc-100.

Think of it as someone who used to speak English (early win version), forgot the language but still remembers few words (partial support for some firewire devices on win 10) then later regretted forgetting English, so they learned it again (win 11)

[Alwyn]

WTF Is an ADVC 200 ?

You could have Googled it...

[DB83]

Well one thinks of an ADVC (well I do) one relates to Canopus products. A '200' is NOT 'manuf' by that co.

But if it does then by all means provide the link since my Google does not find it.


Canopus = 100,110,300,500,700 (the last two are rack-mounted 'studio/pro' products)

[Brad]

Canopus ADVC-200TV = Japan-exclusive variant of ADVC-100 that adds a TV tuner
https://pro.grassvalley.jp/catalog/advc/advc200tv_index.htm

https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20021204/zooma86.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20021119125604/http://www.canopus.co.jp/press/2002/advc200tv.htm

https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=291722#post291722

[DB83]

Gee Shucks !! Thnx

[mohamed]

@Op

Here is a test that surely will rule out the issue for you. You need a device that can read from RCA input (a USB capture card, or a TV, or anything )


Use the ADVC-100 in passthrough mode.

- You are in the USA, I am assuming NTSC, set all dip switches to off while the device is TURNED OFF.
- Turn it on and set the Device on Analog in.
- Plug in your analog source (VCR/Camcorder) to Input side (front side) of the ADVC-100.
- Plug a cable from the output of the device to a TV or USB capture card.

If you see a picture, then there is hope, we can continue to troubleshoot. if you don't see anything, then the device is surely dead, ask for a refund.

If you already solved your issue, it will be nice to tell us that you did.

[amaipaipai]

Two years too late, check these links to get your answers:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/388634-DV-capture-with-Windows-10

This is how to fix your Canopus ADVC-100 if you have the skill:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/390949-Canopus-ADVC-100-has-a-TBC-after-all

Good luck.