Capture quality is not good

zhb402 · Post by **zhb402** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:48 pm

I used videostudio v9 to capture video from canon DV. However, the capture AVI quality is not good. It seems some frames are missed, that means the video and audio both are not smooth when I playback.

What can cause this happen? I used the default setting to capture the video.

I used pinnacle to capture, the video quality is good, and the captured AVI file is also larger than Ulead captured.

My computer is 1GHZ.

Is there any setting can solve this problem?

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:25 pm

have you looked at the first post on top of this forum for tips on capture/edit/sharing?

Also, what format are you capturing to -- dv .avi? Or some other type of .avi? Are you transferring dv video from a recording made to dv tape (miniDV)?

zhb402 · Post by **zhb402** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:50 pm

The format I am capturing is dv.avi.
The dv video is recorded correctly, since I tested it.
I also captured it by pinnacle, it is fine.
Thus, I think maybe there is some setting I have not done right.

zhb402 · Post by **zhb402** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:56 pm

I have read the first post. However, I can not find any useful information.
The DV format I choose is type-1. The other setting is limited.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:02 pm

You don't give us much to go on, but I would hazard the guess that you are capturing DV/AVI using Type 2 Encoder, instead of the (in your case preferred) Type 1. Since your computer has only a 1 GHz processor, I suspect this is even more necessary. I have a 1 GHz laptop which I sometimes still use for video work when out travelling, and if I try to use Type 2 Encoder, it too drops frames and also sometimes distorts both the video and/or audio. Switching to Type 1 got around that problem immediately. And I have to add that for most people, Type 1 is all they will ever need. Type 2 is used by some professionals who want to, and can, use the the separate video and audio streams of Type 2, but it tends to put more 'stress' on computers to capture, particularly those which are less well endowed with resources.

In VS 9, with your camera connected and switched on, go to the Capture screen and click on 'Capture Video' button. On the screen that comes up, make sure your Canon is the designated source and that DV is selected as the format. Then under the Options button (the cog wheel icon mid-screen left hand side of screen) you will find the option to choose between Type 1 and 2 encoders.

I am assuming in all this that you have your Canon connected to the computer via Firewire cable.

zhb402 · Post by **zhb402** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:16 pm

Thx Ken.
Yes, My canon is connected with my laptop by Firewire cable.

I will try to test as you said by using type 1. Hope this can solve my problem.

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 12:38 am

Videostudio does a poor job of buffering DV data and can easily drop frames if there is other I/O going on, or if the CPU is temporarily busy -- the latter could easily be the case with a 1GHz processor, and if the harddrive performance matches the processor, it is probably a 5400RPM drive at best.

My recommendation would be to capture using WinDV, and do all the editing separately afterwards. WinDV can buffer up to 99 frames of DV data before it starts dropping frames.

zhb402 · Post by **zhb402** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:36 am

I checked the capure setting, I am using Type 1. However, the quality is not good. I think THoff is right, there is some frames missed.