Cannot start the capture graph - again!

[jparnold]

Recently purchased VS PRO X4.
Firstly very glad that I did as it includes lots of features that I once longed for (previous versions I have are VS9 and VS10).

Now my problem.
Cannot start the capture graph
I have read another post from a user who also experienced this problem but after reading the replies I could not find a fix for me.
I have PRO X4 installed both on my notebook (for use when on vacation) and on my desktop PC.
NOTE that I do NOT experience the problem on my notebook.

Today when I attempted to capture video (for the first time) from my Vidcam using my desktop PC I get the error.
I am capturing to DV.
I do NOT have any problem capturing from the same VIdcam using VS9 on the same PC.

Very confused (as I don't get the error on my notebook and VS9 captures ok)

Any ideas?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

This has been raised before and as far as I know nobody has come up with a definite solution.

I think it is either the order that the camera and program are switched on and at what point you select the Capture tabs.
Or
A file association, also if you have another program running, WinDv for instance and you try to capture with VS then you will have problems.

When we connect the camera we normally receive an Auto Run box. I see a Digital Video Device window, allowing me to choose a program, now I always choose Take no Action as I don’t want to associate my camera with any program.
In addition I also see a window showing “a new device is plugged into your PC , do you want to use it”
I always say yes/OK

I have to ask have you --- in the past have you associated the camera with running Video Studio 9?

Ok

Close all running programs.
Connect the camera and switch on to playback mode.
What happens?

Your camera, are you using the GS 400?
Has the menu been set for passthrough, that is when DV-Out is turned ON.
For normal operation DV-Out should be turned OFF

[Ken Berry]

The other option, of course, is to forget about X4 for capture and use WinDV instead. It is free and small and virtually always works well: www.windv.mourek.cz

Some other users have experienced a similar problem, though I thought it was only on computers running Windows 7. And it had to do with using a legacy Firewire driver rather than the one installed in Win 7... So I don't think that is your problem.

[jparnold]

Are we saying that Pro X4 has bugs!
Wow I thought that I put all that sort of thing behind me when I ditched VS10!
Why aren't these problems picked up during beta testing?

I can't remember having ANY other applications 'open' at the time as I usually shut down unnecessary applications during capture as I know that they can result in 'dropped frames'.

I too close the window which opens when I connect my vidcam (ie 'take no action').

Could it be the driver for the GS400? I noted that when I connected the GS400 Windows (XP) detected it as new hardware and automatically installed a driver. This surprised me as I thought that the driver was installed when I last captured video (late last year) but I think that I reinstalled Windows since then.

Your camera, are you using the GS 400?

YES

Has the menu been set for passthrough, that is when DV-Out is turned ON.

Not sure what this is as I haven't noticed it before.

What exactly is the 'capture graph'? Does it exist in X9?

And it seems really strange that I had NO problems capturing using Pro X4 on my notebook. I must compare the settings (preferences) between the two PCs to see if there are any differences. The notebook has VISTA BUSINESS PRO and the desktop has XP - not sure if that would make any difference. Are there any known problems using PRO X4 with XP?

Looks like I will need to keep VS9 installed and use it for capturing - bother!

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

I have a similar set up as you, XP and GS 400

I do not have any problems in Video Studio accessing the camera to capture video.

After selecting Capture the source box should show a capture device. I see Panasonic DV Device
What do you see?
If not Panasonic, is it available in the list if you hit the down arrow.?

Other Capture Software
I would recommend Win DV, very good program, it also allows you to set the capture files names, a big advantage to using VS date format.
http://windv.mourek.cz/

However I would also keep VS9 installed whilst you are running XP.

[Ken Berry]

Are we saying that Pro X4 has bugs!

No we are not saying that at all -- not me at least! A bug is only a bug if it can be replicated accurately time and time again. This time, you are in a rather small group.

Moreover, if you are taking my comment about legacy firewire drivers as indication of a bug, then definitely not. As I indicated, it is a problem more associated with Windows 7 which introduced a new Firewire driver, apparently, which VS -- for some users -- cannot recognise. So you set things up in Win 7 -- not VS, I would stress again -- to use the old tried and true "legacy" Firewire driver which has always worked in previous versions.

And Trevor : glad you saw my reference above to WinDV and provided the same link!

[jparnold]

Thanks Trevor and Ken,

After selecting Capture the source box should show a capture device. I see Panasonic DV Device
What do you see?

YES I see Panasonic DV Device

No we are not saying that at all -- not me at least! A bug is only a bug if it can be replicated accurately time and time again. This time, you are in a rather small group.

I vividly remember X10 crashing repeatedly for me a few years ago and being told that only a few had my problem and something like

you are in a rather small group

Why me all the time? Can't remember having problems with other applications.

Also I can replicate the problem over and over (I have tried many times to capture using X4). But then again I don't have the problem using my notebook so it is starting to 'smack' of hardware related (or the Vista driver is better than the XP driver). Any ideas here?

Oh well I only have to use X4 7 times this time (to capture from 7 tapes) and then can use Pro X4 for all the main (detailed) work - well I hope so anyway as I haven't as yet started to edit using Pro X4.

[Ken Berry]

I meant replicated time and time again by a variety of users. And as you say, all the more suspicious that the same program works well on your other computer...

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

do you have any other cameras connected to the pc, maybe web cam??

What do you see in the Capture Source box?

[jparnold]

Trevor

No I don't have any other cameras connected (or in my possession)

As you also have a GS400. Have you ever had any problems with it? I accidentally spilled a VERY small amount of soup on the LCD viewfinder (it was closed at the time) 3 years ago. I wiped it clean immediately. A few days later the LCD viewfinder started to display some lines on the image. Many months later I put it in for repairs and they found corrosion (obviously from some soup which found it's way into the viewfinder). They replaced the LCD panel (not the plastic outside panel just the LCD) and a few other items at a cost of around $A600 (abt GBP400). Thankfully travel insurance covered the cost. Now the LCD viewfinder is turning off and when I close it and reopen it sometimes comes back on immediately other times after repeated opening and closing. I am hoping that this is caused by the electrical switch which turns it on when opened (and turns the eye viewfinder off). Unless it is the LCD panel not working correctly. What do you think?

I see you guys had a 'heatwave' a few days ago 29C and heaps went to the beach.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

I have asked earlier what you see in the capture window Source box
This is what i see..........

click image for larger view

[teknisyan]

Hello jparnold,

Have you tried downloading the updated driver of your Panasonic GS400 for Vista? If not, you can directly download it from https://panasonic.ca/PCS/Software/vista_dvc.zip

"Once the download is complete, unzip the file and follow the instructions included in the “Installation Procedure_DVC_NTSC.txt” file." Then tell us what happens?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Abiel

John is not having problems with his laptop Vista
His problem is with his desktop XP computer.

[jparnold]

Hi Trevor,

I have asked earlier what you see in the capture window Source box
This is what i see..........

Thanks Trevor and Ken,

After selecting Capture the source box should show a capture device. I see Panasonic DV Device
What do you see?

YES I see Panasonic DV Device

This was in my reply a few posts back

Have you tried downloading the updated driver of your Panasonic GS400 for Vista?

Thanks for the link to device driver. IT is the XP PC which is causing the problem not the Vista (notebook) PC.

John is not having problems with his laptop Vista
His problem is with his desktop XP computer.

I am starting to think that this must be the cause but why? The motherboard is only around 12 months old. It has onboard FIrewire.
I will try updating the driver and also compare the 'preferences' between my notebook (older than the desktop motherboard) and the desktop as well as trying the sequence of starting up Pro X4 and connecting the VidCam to see if that makes any difference and if not just resign myself to having to use VS9 for capture - no big deal I guess as I usually only capture video once or twice a year (after yearly vacation/major family events). I will also try capturing from a DVD to see if that also results in the error.

[jparnold]

Well it seems that it is time to give up on this one.
I have checked that I have the latest driver for my Panasonic DV camera.
I have checked that all preferences are set the same as on the (Vista) Notebook (which doesn't have the problem).
I started up by -
Connecting Vidcam, turning it on, selecting 'Capture and edit videos using Corel Videostudio Pro' - which then loads and starts VS Pro X4.
Click 'Capture Video'
Noted Source is 'Panasonic DV Device' and Format is 'DV'
Click 'Capture Video' (which is blinking - is that normal?)
Window appears 'When capturing, press the ESC key or click the Capture button again to stop the process...........'
NOTE that my VIdCam immediately starts to playback even though I have not yet clicked OK - is that normal? Seems strange that it would start to playback when VS has not yet started to capture.

Click OK
'Cannot start the Capture Graph' - grrr!