Videostudio pro X6 capture from VHS problem

[Elena]

Hello!
I am trying to convert my old vhs tapes to digital media. I clicked capture video and everything seems to be working fine. The video preview shows my vhs tape, the sound is ok and it seems to be recording. But, when I press stop capture, the recorded file is only a few seconds long. I tried to do it with different tapes, sometimes I got several small files from one recording and sometimes only one file but in both cases those files weren't the full movie I recorded, they were just a few minutes or a few seconds. I also tried by adding a countdown to videostudio, so it would stop automatically but again the captured file wasn't as long as it should be.

[BrianCee]

Hello Elena and welcome to the forum.

I am afraid we are going to need a little more information though before we can help you.

I assume you are playing your VHS tape in a standard tape player but how are you connecting that to your computer - what connections do you use.

also when you play the tape can you view it in VideoStudio - even though you cannot capture.

[Elena]

I'm using a SONY VCR. I have connected the usb capturing device on the computer' usb port and the device is connected with RCA and SVideo cables to a scart which is connected to the VCR output. I'm sure the vcr is correctly connected to the computer because yesterday I was able to record fine. This problem occurred today without changing anything on the cables.

When I play the tape I can view it in Videostudio and also hear the sound. It actually shows that it is recording.

[canuck]

What is your capture device? Did any software come with the capture device?

If there are "blank" spaces on your tape the capture program may sometimes stop capturing since it thinks it has reached the end of the tape. Being old tapes there may also be "weak signals" from the tape causing dropouts.

[lata]

Hi

What is the make of your USB device, There were problems in using “Easycap” if this is your make please read this post
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40286

When you capture you can monitor “Dropped Frames”, activate the counter from Preferences (F6) Capture Tab. Show Dropped Frames.

Try a capture, there should be no dropped frames.

Have you tried Composite video connections rather than S-Video

[Elena]

My device is "not only tv lv5e". http://ipon.hu/GalleryMod/2009-05/18947 ... b_lv5e.jpg It came with a software which stuck all the time, so I don't use that one.

I actually had bought easy cap first but it was the knock-off as I discovered later.

I actually selected composite video on video properties. S-Video was giving me black and white picture. But the cables I am using as you can see in the picture of my capturing device are rca cables and S-video

[Ken Berry]

S-Video was giving me black and white picture.

As a footnote, S-video cables will do that if the original video you were trying to capture was not made using S-video. So I would as a first step stop even connecting the S-video cable. The yellow RCA cable is for video, plus the red and/or white cable(s) for audio are all that are needed.

More substantively, we normally recommend that users utilise the software which came with the capture device to at least capture the video, and then edit it in VS. But you say that software 'stuck all the time'. Can you explain a bit more, please? Does it 'stick' when capturing or when editing the captured video? Does it allow you to select a format to capture in? If so, what are the choices?

[Elena]

Thanks for the info about S-video. I had no idea about that. I disconnected the s-video cable and also I uninstalled and reinstalled Corel Video Studio and now it records fine again. The problem seems to be solved! Thank you everyone for your time and your help

As for the software that came with my capturing device it's been a few years since I first used it, so I don't remember exactly the choices I had. I don't have it on my computer anymore. I remember the problem was with capturing. I could edit video very smoothly but when I was trying to capture the preview video was freezing all the time.

[lata]

Hi Elena

Good to hear you can capture ok.
I realise that S-Video is supposed to be better quality at least we are told that, but I always use Composite, the three cables. When I do try S-Video I always get problems.

I have been setting up my system after a Windows 7 install, maybe I should try S-Video again, then again it is now working after an Audio driver issue. But all fixed now. (Ezcap by the way)

Good luck with the capture.

[skier-hughes]

S-video is better quality, but it will only work if the original recording was done in S-Video and the player is an S-Video player. It is the way the chrominance and luminace signals are dealt with.