Dv capturing problems

[crystaldon]

I'm having strange problems capturing dv from my Sony digital8 camcorder.

I have - Vcr s-video out ->Sony camcorder ->ADS Dv basic firewire board.

VideoStudio6 - Capturing with Ulead VideoStudio6 the capture works and create multiple 4gig avi files, but when I try to render them in tmpge, tmpge blows up. Not always, just on some files, but never makes it through entire set of files. Usually an illeagal operation.

VirtualDub - Enter "capture avi", image is displayed, start capture, and I get "error getting compressor output format size" (immeadiately)

DVIO - Start capture and get "Could not find DVcam output pin. Is camera connected?" Can't go any further.

Premier - Works great but has 4 gig limit with no multi-segment feature. Files seem to work fine in tmpge, but I can only get 18 minutes of capture (and I'm not real interested in upgrading to ntfs).

Amcap - Works fine but doesn't do multisegment (or at least I don't think it does, does it?).

Anyone have suggestions on what to try? I like virtualdub, but can't get it to work very well. Thanks,
Don

[Tommyknocker]

I use Video Studio 6 for my captures as well. However, I came across a program called a Video Server plugin, which lets me frameserve from Ulead programs directly into TMPGEnc.

Before I ran across this monster, I would have to encode twice (once to work my "magic" with VS6, and twice to crop the annoying noise bar at the bottom of my captured camcorder video, use TMPGEnc's external audio tools function, etc. Maybe it will work for you. It is in the Tools section under Video Server plugin.

[crystaldon]

Well, I partially got this figured out (actually Ulead tech support did). Here's the solution to getting Ulead to produce DVavi files that Tmpge will work with:

The email to Ulead tech support:

Hi, the ulead videostudio 6 capture movies capdtures fine (I think - dv avi / sony digital camera / 720x480). It splits the files into multiple 4gig files. When I attempt to render the files to mpg1 in Tmpge, it blows up tmpge. Smaller files seem to work ok. Any suggestions?

Ps - It works on some files, fails on others. Usually the first file works until it gets to the end of the file. The last file almost always fails.

The answer from Ulead tech support:

Could you please try the following steps.

1)Clean up temp files in c:\windows\temp (which I translate as "erase everthing I can in the temp directory).
2)Uninstall VideoStudio from Control Panel Add/Remove programs
3)Delete ulead32.ini at c:\windows\
4)Reinstall VideoStudio again
5)Install the latest Microsoft Direct X driver which you can download from Microsoft website.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.asp

The latest version of DirectX Media:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=11771

6)Upgrade your VideoStudio from 6.0 to 6.02 by installing the patch that you can download from our website: http://www.ulead.com/tech/vs/vs_ftp.htm

To avoid the unnecessary conflict, please temporarily turn off all applications includes anti virus, norton utilities, or the other memory resident program and the Internet connection etc. before you run VideoStudio.


This worked. Now the DVavi files are created, tmpge converts them to mpg, and the whole process appears fine. Dvio and VirtualDub still do the same thing. Hope this helps somebody else.