No audio capture in VS9

Jag77 · Post by **Jag77** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:54 pm

I cant capture audio in VS9. I am using composite connections from my VCR(via a Scart to composite connector) to a Video Express breakout box to USB2. The video is fine. I have tried connecting the audio direct to 'line in' and this worked once but no more. I havn't posted anything before so I dont know if my system details will appear so here there are:- Windows XP Home, ATI Asv-8 motherboard, ATI 9250 256Mb 128 bit graphics, 1.024Ghz ram, 40Gb hard drive(22.5 free), VS9 full ed. The only success I have had in capturing is through Windows Movie Maker. Any help would be appreciated greatly.[/i]

BrianCee · Post by **BrianCee** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 6:21 pm

You need to experiment with the Windows "Recording" Volume Control panel (thats not the normal 'playback' control) - depending on the configuration of your PC you may have to put a tick in the 'aux' control box and not as you may expect in the 'line in'.

When you normally open the Windows volume control it is usually in the playback mode - choose 'Options' - then 'properties' to change to the Recording panel mode.

Jag77 · Post by **Jag77** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:31 pm

Thanks for your reply Brian. I have tried what you suggested but no luck.I cant get any sound in any way. Line in, aux, cd, nothing. I have checked other functions on my computer and it plays CD's and DVD's perfectly. It appears as though the sound card is working. I have spent many hours trying to get this VS9 to work and succeeded in burning one disc before this problem occurred. I'm getting tired

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:12 pm

The other thing you might want to check is in the VS9 Capture page. Click on the Options icon about a third the way down the left hand side of screen. Then choose Capture Options. Check the box beside 'Show Source volume panel while capturing'. Then try capturing again and see where the volume control on that capture panel sits - is it responding at all?

Another question is whether you can still capture audio via Movie Maker (as well as video of course). A work around would naturally be to capture via Movie Maker and then transfer to VS9. The problem is, though, that MM will not capture DV format from an analog source, so you would be left with with WMV format which VS9 does not seem to handle very well...

Jag77 · Post by **Jag77** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:36 pm

Hi Ken, thanks for the reply. I have done as you suggested and the 'source volume panel' does not respond. If I change my composite audio connections to go directly to line in I've got audio everywhere even without a program running!, but at least Windows Movie will capture it. I take your point about wmv files. I had quality issues with the video anyway before the audio problem and I was fed up with the extra 2 hours batch convert. I bought Video Express from my local PCWorld(God help me!) on their recommendation. If this is an issue can you recommend an analogue capture device that might work?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:51 pm

Did the capture box come with bundled software or was that how you got VS9? If it is different software, have you used that? Will it capture to mpeg-2 format?

If you have the money, you would be best advised to buy a capture box which has a hardware encoder in, which thus takes any stress off the computer. But these would probably cost the equivalent of 250 pounds or more in your part of the world. Failing that, I would be looking at a decent internal capture card rather than an external box. I personally use a Winfast DV2000 TV/capture card. It's easy enough to install and produces excellent quality captures. It does not allow capture in DV/AVI format from analogue sources, but does allow for capture of high quality DVD-compliant mpeg-2 (as well as a slew of other formats, including uncompressed AVI). Capture from an analogue source can be via either composite RCA cables to an adaptor plug, or an S-Video plus RCA audio cables to the one card adaptor plug which has a single cable into the card and a plug which looks like an S-video plug but which carries both the video and audio signal. I also hear good things about Hauppage cards...

Jag77 · Post by **Jag77** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:13 pm

Hi Ken, The bundled software with Video Express will not capture in mpeg-2. only mpeg-1, avi, compressed avi and wmv. It also came with a trial VS8, but I had already bought VS9 full edition. It seems my fears about PCWorld have been realised. If mpeg-2 capture is the way to go then I have the wrong hardware. Off to PCWorld for a refund and a new mpeg-2 thingy! Thanks for all your help.