THoff... Question for you

[DiscCoasterPro]

Hi. You mentioned I can ask you about the Canopus 300 if I needed to. I'm curious if you have yours set to PC or UNIT with respect to setting filters. I was considering PC and using the software that came with it rather than the ULEAD VS9 filters. Wondered if you would comment on that, and ... anything else you think a dope might need to know before using it.

thanks!
dcp

[THoff]

I use PC control and the Picture Controller software to adjust the filter settings.

While Picture Controller has flaws (it doesn't allow numeric values to make precise adjustments, you manipulate filters using the sliders instead, nor does it allow groups of filter settings to be saved to disk on the PC), it is still much more convenient than the adjustment buttons on the ADVC-300 itself, and the sliders allow finer control than the buttons and the LEDs on top of the unit.

I generally play the analog source while using the Preview window in Picture Controller, tweaking the filters as needed to get optimal results. Adjustments to the filters are made immediately, and are saved in the ADVC-300's non-volatile memory even if you turn it off.

Once I'm happy with the results, I exit Picture Controller and perform the actual capture. If you wish you can keep Picture Controller running and make additional adjustments while Videostudio or another program is capturing, but you cannot have two programs using the Hardware Video Overlay, so you cannot use Picture Controller's preview window while Videostudio shows a preview of the capture.

[DiscCoasterPro]

Thanks much!

Oh, I am using an external Western Dig. 7200rpm 8m cache HD for the drive I capture video on. Its a combo drive firewire/usb2. I have it running through the usb only because I didnt want to over burden the firewire bus while capturing. I'm sure hoping this will be ok but I'm not really sure what the data rate is that you capture with so I wouldn't want this to be the hidden flaw in an otherwise very good capture device. Do you think it will be ok?

still more thanks,
dcp

[THoff]

The data stream coming from the ADVC-300 is DV25 at 25Mbps, so the total utilization of the Firewire bus would be 25Mbps coming from the ADVC-300, and another 25Mbps going to the hard drive if connected using Firewire instead of USB.

That's 50Mbps total, quite a bit less than the 400Mbps that the bus can provide. You should have no trouble capturing directly to the external hard drive using a Firewire connection -- I've done this numerous times with a fairly low-powered (1.5GHz P4 M) laptop.

In fact, if the CPU is on the weak side, you're better off using Firewire instead of USB, since the former offloads most of the I/O from the processor, whereas USB requires constant CPU attention.

[DiscCoasterPro]

Thanks THoff. Does the 300 somehow register dropped frames or with the setting in VS9 ticked for that will it show up if there is a problem?

My PC is a home made unit (can't figure out why it works ) I used an Albatron MB with the intel 865PE chipset and a 2.8HT P4 socket 478 running XPPro. I have a gig of pc3200 memory in dual channel and two SATA HDs in a Raid 1 configuration. I used the raid 1 cause of my murphy syndrome

I had an old cheapie A/D converter that was actually input through the usb2 and out to that WD external usb2 HD. Except for audio/video sync problems I experienced after long captures, it seemed ok. The HD has additional USB ports on it that I have hooked up for my printer and scanner which of course I don't even have powered on during captures. I just like the idea of being able to use it as a hub and I'm hoping it will be ok. Should I up the CPU to perhaps a 3.2 or 3.4? I thought about another gig of ram also, but I didn't know if it would have any positive effect.

ty,
dcp

[THoff]

UVS will show the number of dropped frames if you enable that option -- this works just fine with the ADVC-300.

There is no need to upgrade the CPU or overclock it, what you have is more than sufficient.

[DiscCoasterPro]

EDITED

THoff, I hooked up the canopus for the first time using my vcr composite outs to the canopus, firewire in to the computer and switch set to analog.

In the canopus software preview I can see and change video filters, I am not getting sound however. >>EDIT>> cause that tape didn't have sound.LOL ... ok ok .. so I'm nervous ..

I tried opening VS9 and the program doesn't recognize the canopus, it just says unknown ... I get video, I can play and stop it on screen, but it doesnt' say what type device .. only UNKNOWN MSDV

another thing I did not expect was the toggle switch for analog or digital in will not toggle from the switch but will switch over to analog in once I start the vcr.

lastly in the preview screen with canopus software I do see jagged edges on moving things occasionally .. is this something that disappears on tv

also on a capture with VS9 I can hear sound but on a playback through the edit tab, there is no sound. Ya know .. perhaps I should wait to see what the heck is going on .. In edit>preview window> if the Project text is highlighted .. no sound on playback, but if the clip text is highlighted ..I get sound ..

Another thing. DVD Workshop 2 didn't recognize the capture device by name, nor did another editor progam I had loaded Power Director 4
lol .. but they all recognized that mickey mouse XTV2.0 USB2 capture device. <sigh>
any thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks,
dcp

[DiscCoasterPro]

Hello THoff, well I've tried the 300 in 4 programs and none of them actually recognize the device. Does it say canopus on your system? I'm wondering if maybe there is a problem in the 300's bios. It seems to capture ok.

Also, I have connected the component out to my TVs Comp. in and I can watch the tv and preview at the same time. There is a noticable brightness difference between TV and computer. I think this will prove to be a useful feature for me.

When I mute the PC speaker in capture mode (just during a preview, not even clicking capture yet) I get no sound from the TV, is this normal for your 300 also?

thanks,
dcp