No sound with Ulead Video Studio V10

[semper_linux]

Hi Forum,

The USB video grabber (with Ulead Video Studio ver. 10 software) arrived today so straight into installation.

Machine is Acer Aspire 7740G laptop running Win 7.
Everything installed OK so hooked up the video and started VS 10.

Capturing video no problem but no sound.
Had a check through VS 10 configuration and noticed that the sound input was set to Microphone but no option to set it to the video grabber.
Checked out Win7 / Control panel / Sound - everything OK - sounds working normally.

Contacted Corel but they fobbed me off with "it's a legacy product" - buy one of our new products.
I'll not put in writing what I feel about that level of customer "support" - suffice it to say it is a shameful abrogation of any sense of responsibility.

I don't see the problem anywhere on the forum - anyone any ideas ?

Many thanks,
semper_linux.

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums..

Support costs money, so at some point companies must decide when it no longer provides the support. Now on top of that, you're using a free version. You didn't even purchase it from them, and yet you think they should give you support for free? Do you work for free? The current version is VS X3, I'm betting sometime within the next month or so, they may release yet a newer version. So that makes VS 10 outdated by about 4 versions. If they release a new version every year, that makes it 4 yrs outdated. VS10 was released prior to Vista. When VIsta was released, Corel provided a Vista Patch for it. However since you're using an SE version, the patch will not install to it, as patches are for full versions.

Next have a look at these posts, to see your major problem with your EasyCap capturing device. It seems that the pirated version EasyCap bundles VS10 with it, while the legitimate version EzCap bundles ArcSoft with it.

VS10 is not a 64bit program, so that's another area where you may have problems, along with not designed for Win7.

[semper_linux]

Thank you for your reply RonP.

I am perfectly well aware that supporting products costs money - please see further on.

I purchased the product in good faith expecting it to perform as claimed. The fact that the bundled software is 'trialware' should have no influence on the ability of the software to perform its basic functions. The information you provide regarding versions, age and compatability would be of much greater value if made public by Corel to assist potential customers when assessing which product to buy rather than as an 'after the event' posted on a 'support' forum. (In any case, support should be provided directly by the company that makes / sells the product in question - NOT on a public forum. That's how many Chinese companies provide support. To do otherwise is abrogation of responsibility).

It would appear from the weblink you provided that there is a degree of 'piracy' occurring here - yet again involving an unscrupulous, irresponsible Chinese manufacturer. The hardware may well be a copy and the software being distributed outwith Corels' terms of use for their freeware (no Chinese support ?) - you do not clarify . Corel must certainly be aware of this which means that this is happening with their tacit consent. If, as you suggest, Corel should have no liability to provide support, this should be made clear and efforts made to tackle mis-use of their products by bringing such operators to task. It would be the logical and morally (lol) responsible thing to do.

Ah, but wait a minute - Corel, like many other large companies, are eyeing the emerging Chinese market planning how to achieve the largest possible slice of that particular cake. In that case it makes no sense to potentially upset the apple cart by bringing abusers of their products to task for comparatively little return. So let the Oriental thievery continue and too bad on anyone who might require assistance.

I support myself running my own small manufacturing company. In the course of daily business, I am often called on to provide customer assistance which may well have a financial cost and rarely provides immediate financial return. However, it directly affects the reputation of my business and I am prepared to go the extra mile to protect and even engender the reputation of my company.
I guess its just a question of how you wish to run your business.

Now, if Corel had bothered to reply, clarifying the situation and maybe offering Version 11 freeware ( or some similar solution ), that would have been IMPRESSIVE and would have given me good cause to consider purchasing a Corel product.
Your forum reply however nearly makes me feel I am doing something wrong in requesting assistance.

Your final point regarding the platform for VS10. The software, with the exception of the sound problem, performs remarkably well on my Windows 7 64-bit machine - I don't know if you actually work for Corel (although you certainly wave a flag for them) but you can pass on to their software testing department that 64bit Win7 is another potential platform for the application. Still doesn't get away from the fact that there is an error capturing the sound signal over USB. Problem could, of course, be with the USB driver.

However, my request for assistance is now somewhat academic as I've found a workaround. System now working A1 transferring video AND sound from VHS to DVD. Now, as my login name suggests, lets get this running on Linux - the best operating system in the world. (Kubuntu / Ubuntu 10.04.1 / Lucid lynx)

semper_linux

[Ron P.]

First... No I do not work for Corel, and in fact have voiced many concerns and dislikes. Do a forum search using my username, and key words such as VideoStudio 2010, or Digital Studio, or DVD Factory 2010. Those are absolutely terrible programs. I've also expressed my concern over the bug that started with VS 11, where analog video capture fails. I think that after so many years of keeping on them about this, they might have it corrected finally.

Next the main point that I was making with VS10 and EasyCap, was brought to light by one of the Moderators. EzCap is the one that confirmed this. They should be the one that takes any sort of action, not Corel. EzCap had their product pirated. Ulead VS 10 SE is not pirated, however as you will notice does not carry the Corel name. Ulead was sold to Intervideo in the year or so after VS10 was released. VS11 was a product of Ulead-Intervideo, and then VS X2 was actually the first full Corel version, after Corel had purchased Intervideo. Anyway the SE versions are sold to various vendors to bundle with hardware, or even to be given away in magazines. They are enticements for people to purchase the full versions. The vendors then will tweak the program to work with their product. You purchased the capture device, EasyCap, not Ulead VideoStudio. I think most companies that provide these Freeware versions, do not provide support for them, this is not restricted to Corel. Corel could fare better by providing better support, at least when they are contacted by people that have such versions, to inform them, intelligently and politely, that the version is outdated, and that they can no longer support it. You think Corel support for their products is bad, try Magix. Purchase a current version, and you only have maybe 60 days from that date, for free support, after that it costs you.

This web board does belong to Corel, and was the former Ulead web board. Corel could have easily closed it down, and we were very concerned, and strongly had the belief that was going to happen. However I think that Corel realized what a powerful, free support platform they had given to them, so have allowed it to stand.

I understand, that many versions, and various products that were released a long time prior to the current windows operating systems, will work on them. How well, and problem free is another matter. I have a couple of old Ulead programs, like Media Studio Pro 8, and Cool 3D Production Studio installed on my Vista machine. Neither of them are Vista compliant, or as they claimed at the time, Certified for Vista. However they do work. People just need to be aware that at any given time, the program may through fits, and or stop working all together. This could be triggered by a Windows update.

Corel and clear back to Ulead, have been asked about developing it across platforms, such as Mac or Linux. It would be nice, however I think they will continue to develop for the largest market. If at some time that would shift to Linux, I would suspect they would also. Until that time, don't hold your breath..

I'm glad that you have managed to get things working for you.

[Black Lab]

Still doesn't get away from the fact that there is an error capturing the sound signal over USB. Problem could, of course, be with the USB driver.

It certainly could be, but that didn't stop you from taking Corel to task.