No Video on VHS Capture? Help!

[Grotto]

I've got USB 2.0 AV Grabber (STLab) which came with Video Studio

I'm trying to copy VHS cassette footage onto disk.

I capture the audio track, but no video.

I've had a play around but it doesn't seem to happen

Anyone else had (and solved) this problem?

[BrianCee]

With just about every analogue to USB converter on the market the best policy is to capture using the software supplied with the device and then import the end result into VideoStudio for editing and creating your final video/DVD . I can't off hand remember what comes with your AV grabber - is it Arcsoft ? - well whatever it is use the software that came on the disc with the device to capture an mpeg video and then check it and use the import function in VS to get it into your timeline

[Grotto]

Thanks.
The software which came with the device was Corel VideoStudio Essentilas X4
I did wonder if the problem was due to trying to copy footage from commercial videos? Maybe they have encryption?
I'm not trying to bootleg them, just avoid getting hassled by everyone for still watching VHS. I'm pretty sure most of the videos are not available on DVD, and am trying to organise a digital library of them

[BrianCee]

VideoStudio X4 - that's quite modern then - OK must be something else.

I have found that if you connect a switched on TV to the VHS player as well as the USB device it often fools the encryption into thinking it is playing to a TV and you get the video on your PC as well - worth a try.

[lata]

Hi

Make sure you have set the capture properties correctly.

I don't have VS Essentials but Video Studio first uses NTSC as its capture source, as you are in NZ then you should change this to Pal.
I assume you do use Pal?

If you were to download the trial version Video Studio X5 then we may be able to give more details.

[Grotto]

Thanks,

I've played around with the settings, and changed the capture options to "Composite". and am now getting video, BUT.. it's black & white (my tapes are colour). I get milliseconds when it has colour but not often.

I've tried using all the PAL/NSTC/Seecam options but none are any better or worse than the others.

I've tried all my video players, cleaned the heads etc. but still just old fashioned B&W.

Any ideas?

[BrianCee]

How are you connecting the VHS player to the USB device - there are known colour problems with many of those devices if you use an s-video connection instead of the yellow RCA connector.

[lata]

Using NTSC when you should use Pal can cause colour problems and Black and White video