MF5+ stops while capturing from VHS device using S-video

[adgelhar]

On several occasions, MF5+ will stop during VHS video capture. I use the ADVC 110 analog/digital capture box with firewire to the computer. It progressively got worse to where it would stop every minute or so. After a day it now seems to work ok. I made no changes to the system. I called Canopus (company that makes t he ADVC110) and they are sending me a replacement box. Not sure if that is the problem. It seemed to work ok on the yellow video component connection but faultered on the S-video connection. It also failed trying to capture through using Videostudio 10+. Not sure if Ulead has a problem with the software or if it truly is the capture box.

Anyone experience something like this?

Are we having fun yet??

[Ron P.]

Please complete your System Information in your profile. Clicking on this button --> will take you to a short tutorial, explaining how to find and complete that information. This way it will always be available, and will save you from retyping it in the future.

Also what format are you capturing to, DV, MPEG, other? It seems as though the buffer is filling up, and thus stopping the capture until it is flushed. This could also be due your system not being able to handle capturing to DV Type-2. Are you capturing to DV Type-1 or Type-2?

Recommended Procedures have been developed to help guide you through the mine-field of video editing, as it pertains to Ulead's VideoStudio Programs. They can be viewed here:
Recommened Procedures Updated Version

Please read the following thread first, and return with as much information as you can. Read This First...

[adgelhar]

I am capturing to mpeg format. The vhs player continues but the video stops capturing as if it is done. I tried it with a new capture box from Canopus but get the same problem. How do you adjust the buffer size if that is possible. I converted other large VHS tapes with no problem now we are getting this stoppages.

Alan

[adgelhar]

I have tried capturing with the yellow component connection and get the same results. So the stoppage continues. So s-video or the yellow compent wire make no difference it jujst decides to stop and the vhs player continues. I have a firewire connection to the computer from the canopus converter box. Computer is 3.2 Ghz.

Alan

[adgelhar]

In the thought process, I installed Sony's Motion picture browser software for the HDR-SR1 Camcorder. it uses: The supplied Picture Motion Browser software includes the Sonic® writing engine and UDF Reader. Could this be causing a conflict with the stopping of the capture process?

Stymied!!

Alan

[heinz-oz]

I don't know if you noticed this but your very first reply asked for further information on your system. You did not yet provide any.

Unless you are using a capture box with inbuilt hardware decoding, your PC has to do the encoding on the fly. That puts a lot of strain on your system because of the sheer number crunching that has to be done. Everything your system cannot handle in real time will be put into the buffer. Once that fills, the capture will stop and the system attempt to empty the buffer.

Capture in shorter sequences, get a better capture box or a faster computer.

[adgelhar]

I did put my configuration on the Ulead tech site.

I use the Canopus ADVC110 recommended by Ulead. Connected with firewire.

I have a 3.2 Ghz Intel processor.

I have 1Gb Ram.

I have over 300 Gb storage available.

I have the Nvidia Geforce 6800 with 256Mb.

Soundblaster Audigy 2Zs sound card.

I am beginning to believe that it may be buffer problems. There is no information on what buffer Ulead uses during capture. Maybe paging files. Maybe more memory.

I've tried different monster cables, different tapes, long and short tapes,diffferent capture drives, different ADVC110 conberter.

The capturing just stops as if you click on the stop capture button and the VHS recorder just keeps moving.

Hope this helps. Like I indicated, I did post the configuration information on the Ulead site but you may have wanted it here?

Alan

[snoops]

Alan,
as Heinz said:

your PC has to do the encoding on the fly.

I would first try native DV capture via firewire. Your Canopus box is converting the analog input signal to DV in real-time with its internal harware and sending the DV signal out to firewire.

So if you capture DV (not MPEG2) you'll obviously need more space to capture but you'll eliminate one possble cause: the MPEG2 conversion being done by MF while you're capturing.

Who knows what (possibly new) services, programs, background tasks, network stuff, scanner polling, etc. is running on your system. Dozens of possibilities.

I guess you didn't notice that this is a user forum. This is not Ulead support, just people in their free time (well OK, except for a few), when they're in the mood to do it. We have no access to anything you've registered on Ulead's site.

[adgelhar]

Last message:

Ulead suggested doing a clean install of MF5+ and Videostudio 10+. Which I did.

Also indicated 1Gb memory should be expanded. Which I will expand to 2Gb.

I do know this is a user forum.

Also, Ulead is the one that recommended the Canopus ADVC110 box - now they say they have had some trouble with it and others. Who do you believe??

At this point, I have not put the additional memory in, but after doing clean installs it does seem to capture better.

Thanks users for all your ideas.

Alan in Iowa, USA

[snoops]

Also indicated 1Gb memory should be expanded. Which I will expand to 2Gb.

If Ulead told you that you need more than 1GB memory to capture properly, then I think you should sue them (you're in the US so this should be extremely simple).
Capture native DV first before wasting time and money for stuff you don't need.

[heinz-oz]

.....
I use the Canopus ADVC110 recommended by Ulead. Connected with firewire.
.....Alan

Where and how did ULEAD recommend this device? It is common, even for 2GB RAM machines with fast processors to run out of buffer space for the transcoding. That buffer is allocated by the OS, not by MF and, AFAIK, cannot be modified. Either capture in timed sequences, staying short of the time MF stops to flush the buffer, on my machine it's between 25 to 30 minutes, or capture to DV-AVI in which case there is nothing else to do for your machine but to write the incoming data to disk. I have done that successfully on a P3 500 MHz machine with 384 MB SD RAM in the past.