No color in the video capture ( video studio 7.0)

[v_silvia]

I am trying to capture the video from an analog camcorder through a USB 2.0 device ( Vivanco).
I see the movie in the preview but without color ( only black and white )
What do I need to do in order to solve the problem ????

[michaeltee]

Are you outputting your analog video through an S-Video cable by any chance? If so, try using a composite cable (i.e; RCA plug) instead. If the composite image is in color you probably have a bad S-Video cable.

If this turns out to be the case, look at the inside of both ends of your S-Video cable. Sometimes one of the 4 pins will be bent or broken off. If bent, it's not advisable to repair and re-use as the formerly bent pin will be weak and could easily break off inside the mating jack of your capture device or camcorder.

Of course there could be other reasons for your problem but bad S cables are notorious for this.

-Mike

[v_silvia]

Nope, I am using RCA plugs in a composite cable as my camcorder has not S-video in.
I will try to change the RCA cable, maybe this is defective ????
Or it can be worse and the USB 2.0 device can be defective.
What do you suggest to do >?
Silvia

[michaeltee]

Nope, I am using RCA plugs in a composite cable as my camcorder has not S-video in.
I will try to change the RCA cable, maybe this is defective ????
Or it can be worse and the USB 2.0 device can be defective.
What do you suggest to do >?
Silvia

Doubtful that your RCA cable is bad but it wouldn't hurt to try a different one.

How does the capture look when viewed through the software that was supplied with your capture device? If normal (in color), it could be that your capture device isn't fully compatible with VS7. In that case it would be better to capture and encode through your Vivanco software and then import your saved file to VS7 for editing.

BTW, it would be helpful if you could add a system profile to your web board signature and also let us know the model of your Vivanco device. Maybe there are some Vivanco users out there who could share their experiences.

-Mike

[v_silvia]

The video studio is the software that was provided with the vivanco device, so it should be compatible with the hardware .
The model of the device is " vivanco SBU 2.0 video digitiser " ( is this information enough ?)
Also through the microsoft movie maker the movie is shown in black and white.
Actualy sometimes in the preview some " line colors " are showing and dissapearing quickly.
I am completely new in this forum, how do I add a system profile ??

[skier-hughes]

To add your system profile in your signature, go to profile and insert it into the signature box. It will then come up in every post you make, saves you typing it in lots of times if it's needed to answer a question.

A common cause of black and white and not colour is ntsc and pal. If the video is ntsc and you have set pal (vice versa) as the setting in VS then this could cause it.

[michaeltee]

The video studio is the software that was provided with the vivanco device, so it should be compatible with the hardware.

Guess that closes the book on my incompatibility theory... LOL!

-Mike

[v_silvia]

Well, it is not a problem of software compatibility.
It is not a problem of S-video cable.
It is not a problem of NTSC-PAL as I have already checked this issue
Therefore, I don't know what to do.
I have approached also the support of Ulead ( twice ) and I did not receive any answer .
What can I do ????? Any other suggestions ?
How can I check if the device is not making the problem ? Any possibility or just to change it in the store ?
Silvia

[Ken Berry]

If Windows Movie Maker also shows your captures in black and white, then I would have to suggest that it is not a software problem, but a hardware one associated with your capture device. Do you have anything else that you might be able to capture your analogue source from e.g. a digital video camera with pass-through capability?

[v_silvia]

OK, according to your suggestion I have connected the USB device to the TV ( composite ). Big surprise, the video capture shows perfect color !!!
So the device apparently works ok.
This means that I don't understand why with the camcorder ( 8 mm ) it does not work, and with the TV it does.
What should I do next ?
Silvia

[heinz-oz]

Look at your camcorder as the source of your troubles.

[v_silvia]

Technicaly I don't understand why is so.
Connecting the camcorder to the TV or to a VCR shows colors
Why if so the problem is the camcorder ? Can someone tell me why the device is working with the TV but not with the analog camcorder 8 mm.
Silvia

[michaeltee]

All of the solutions offered thus far are viable however you can't rule out the "X" factor, i.e.; system configuration issues and/or conflicts caused by any number of unknowns. The interaction between (seemingly unrelated) programs on your computer **OR** baggage left behind from previous installations, etc., can sometimes cause oddball problems that are very difficult to diagnose in a web board setting. In such cases you'll have to dig deeper or perhaps try something new such as a different playback source device, capture device and/or editing software.

Most of the popular video editing software publishers (including Ulead) offer 30 day trials of their current products. It wouldn't hurt to give Ulead VS9 a try if only to see if your capture situation improves. If so, I believe you would qualify for a discounted upgrade. You can verify this by checking the list of qualified versions at:

http://www.ulead.com/store/vs/upgrade.htm

Beyond that, there are dozens of capture devices available. Some are supplied with Ulead VS7 or VS8 SE while others will bundle editing software from Pinnacle, InterVideo, Roxio, ArcSoft and the like. If you get to the point where you feel you've made every reasonable attempt to troubleshoot your Vivanco/Ulead package, try something different and it's very likely you'll eventually find a combination that works well with your computer.

Plextor's PX-TV100U capture device includes Ulead VideoStudio 8SE and Hauppauge's WinTV PVR USB2 is bundled with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2. I've had excellent results using both of these with their bundled software as well as VS9.

-Mike

[adantheangel]

Hi All, had similar problems with belkin product, solutions was the drivers. The product was sold in Australia (PAL), but automatically loaded NTSC drivers, probelm, black and white film.

Solution, unload drivers for NTSC(an absolute must, leaving drivers on system and putting patch on top does not work!), download PAL patch, put patch into play.

Next goto Software (VS7), now proper drivers installed, follow this

1. Go to the Capture tab from Ulead Video Studio 7
2. Click on Options on left hand side.
3. From drop down list choose Video Capture Filter.
4. Click on Image tab.
5. Should see Pal/NTSC options. Hopefully because you are in
black and white it should be set to NTSC. Change to PAL and hopefully
you are on your way.

these options only appear ONCE it recognises a PAL product

hope this helps. AdantheAngel

[v_silvia]

After several e-mails and no solution was found , I have tried something different and it worked.
Maybe is not so elegant, but it gave results ( which was important for me to get )
The solution to the problem was to conect the analog camcorder to a VCR as input and the analog to digital converter to the output of the VCR
Then I conected the digital converter to the computer and it worked !!!
Meaning that is possible to capture the video with the right colors and sound.
If someone has a better solution than this one, please help, if not this solution will work for the rest of people fealing so frustrated as I was.
Silvia