Quote: Hello all,

I am having an issue getting video capture to function. I am trying to copy VHS tapes to my PC. Tape plays in my VCR and outputs to TV correct via RCA (composite) cables as well as S-Video with red/white RCA for sound. My PC capture device is the Avermedia DVD EZ Maker 7 USB (C039p). The Avermedia device installed correctly in my PC and shows up as recognized in Power Director. However, when I select capture in PD and then start the VCR tape only the sound comes across, no video. Just a blank blue screen in upper left of PD where the preview should be. I swapped between S vid and RCA yellow to test cables, no change. I swapped VCR players, no change. I swapped USB ports on my PC, no change. I obtained another Avermedia device, installed it, no change.

I requested technical support from Avermedia, waiting on the reply. Thought I would post here and see if anyone had an idea. I am a Cyberlink platinum member with one month of free phone support (three weeks left on it), but when I contact phone support they tell me the TSID number they provided is invalid, say thank you, and hang up.

Any ideas??

Quigley

Hello, Quigley2009!

In the Capture section, you need to go to "settings"(lower right-hand corner of screen). Click on Settings and a window appears where you can set your capture source. If you're using the run-of-the-mill composite video input of your capture device, on "Capture Source", select Video Composite.

I remember now(via yours and other posts) that the first-such device I had was an Avermedia brand. Good for video, utterly woeful for the audio side..... UGH!. Subsequent capture cards did the job much better so you'll perhaps pardon me for not being a big fan of Avermedia product. But anyway, the detail I gave should help resolve your problem.

Cheers!

Neil.

I had the same Avermedia card but the pci card version. The driver work best with the software that was supplied. Your usb version is supplied with PD8 so you are all set to go. See this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00603S1OS/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza . Try mpeg-2 SP and set the capture parameters for either composite or S-video on PD14 and you should see video on the capture preview.

Thanks for the feedback. I found the settings button and was able to change input "capture source" from Composite to S-Video and back again. Unfortunately, no luck, still no video preview. Sound is fine, but video is no-go. I have no loyalty to Avermedia products and am willing to send these USB devices back if another product has proved more effective or reliable. I welcome feedback on this subject.

My USB product came with Cyberlink Media Suite 10, which includes Power Director 10. I can try installing that to see if it captures the video. Then I can work with the video in PD 14; at least I assume I can open a PD 10 file with PD 14.



Edit: I was able to install Media Suite 10 which includes PD 10. However, when I select Video Editing from the Media Suite 10 window, it launches the latest Power Director version, PD 14. I cannot see a way to stop the process. So, I found the PD 10 install folder and created a shortcut to the PD 10 executable. Then I launched PD 10 directly, which started to load, then promptly crashed. As the old show said, "if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all".

I recall my recent install of my highly rated Diamond vc500 capture device. See this link: http://vhs-to-dvd-converters-review.toptenreviews.com/ .Audio was terrible until....I power down the pc for the night. Powered the pc the next day and tried all other video capture software. Something must have snapped. All the other software worked properly after using PD14. Don't give up yet.

Quote: I recall my recent install of my highly rated Diamond vc500 capture device. See this link: http://vhs-to-dvd-converters-review.toptenreviews.com/ .Audio was terrible until....I power down the pc for the night. Powered the pc the next day and tried all other video capture software. Something must have snapped. All the other software worked properly after using PD14. Don't give up yet.

Hi!

At the moment I'm using a K-World capture device, which is getting a fairly good workout since I've been doing some VHS(or other formats) to DVD conversions for friends. Prior to this I was using a Pinnacle "Dazzle" capture device. Quigley2009 , I wonder if, perhaps there might be a technical problem within your capture device which might be preventing the video signal getting through. Right now that's about the only possibility I can come up with to explain why you're not seeing the video image. These devices are generally "plug-and-play" and will work with any video capture and edit software. If they come with a software package, it's almost invariably a video editing software programme, like Power Director(most recent version) if you buy them from a retail shop.

Cheers!

Neil.

I appreciate the feedback offered in trying to sort this issue out and the information regarding other capture devices. I have ordered the Diamond Video Capture device and have it coming while I wait for technical support from Avermedia and Cyberlink. We'll see what happens there. I had another thought last night: perhaps the video is being blocked because the source material is copyright protected? I checked my source tape, which is a 21 year old VHS on model railroading, and it states copyright on the label. However, I don't know if that means anti-copy process has been embedded on the tape. "Ah-ha", I said, I finally got this figured out. I grabbed another tape, standard purchased blank tape from back-when with my own taped material. I popped that in the VCR and....drats.....still no video. Well, so much for that idea! Neil.F.1955, I think you may be onto something. I will update this thread when I hear from Cutomer Support, just to document for the future if anybody does a key-word search on this subject.

Hi, Quigley!

Yeah, I've struck a few of those tapes(commercial movie features with the copy-protect imbedded, probably into the linear audio track), as soon as you click "record" you get the "Bonk" noise and the warning, "Copy-Protected - Recording is prohibited!" I've copped that on some home-made tapes too, not because of imbedded protection, but because age has deteriorated the tape a bit. That "Model Train" video will be safe to use as the people who produced it would not have had access to that technology that imbeds such protection. As you're waiting on an order for a new capture device, I'll wish you good luk that the new device will give you what you're looking for. As for feedback(tech. support) from Avermedia and/or Cyberlink.... well, you may get it, and then again you may not. Avermedia has already failed you in that regard. I think you'll do well with the Diamond Video capture card.

Cheers!

Neil.

P.S., As I said previously, these devices are generally "plug & play" so your new device should be up & ready for use almost immediately on installation. That's been my experience.

I believe it was version 5 of PDR that introduced copy protection from commercial tape recording. Subsequent versions have continued with the same protection for tape. For home video, the commercial copy protection issue is triggered by video noise. A simple workaround is to use Windows Movie Maker as it accepts and ignores the noise and captures cleanly.
Please use (Google) search and locate a workaround that'll suite your needs.
Just an informed opinion
Dafydd

Just an update. I never did hear from Avermedia support, so I returned their products. The Diamond One Touch Video Capture (VC500) device arrived. I connected the device, installed the drivers, turned on the VCR and hit play, fired up PD 14, selected the input device (which correctly found the Diamond product) and....sound only, no video. I then thought outside the box. I upgraded my Windows 7 64-bit OS to Windows 10 and retried everything. Again, sound only, no video; just a blue screen on the capture section of PD 14. I also downloaded and installed VLC from VLAN; freeware that has Video capture capability. Sound only, no video.

I did hear back from Cyberlink tech support. I ran through their initial troubleshooting steps, but no resolution. I will write them back tonight. Now I am really at a loss. I can usually solve most puzzles with some dedicated web searching and various troubleshooting. This problem however, I am at wits end. The only thing non-traditional about my setup is I am using 2, 42" LG LED / LCD TVs as monitors. They are connected through my NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, one via HDMI and the other via DVI. I am using a combo DVD / VCR player that has composite video (yellow RCA connector), S-Video connector, and component video (RGB) connectors. I do notice my "monitors" will not show the VCR video if I connect them direct with a RCA (yellow composite) connector. However, if I use the VCRs component video out to the TV's component in, the video signal comes through on the TVs. Could I be looking at a display resolution issue since I have to use either RCA or S-Video with the capture device?

Hello, Quigley2009!

Just a thought, have you checked the settings in Capture mode? Near the bottom-right of the screen, you'll see the profile and settings for your capture device. Click there and a window will appear giving you the options of setting capture source(and audio input, but we're not worried here as you've already said you're getting sound okay). The Capture source gives the option, for video, of either composite(from the yellow RCA connection) or S-Video(through a thincher lead that terminates in a type of DIN-like connection. Just select the appropriate input to what you're using, this should hopefully sort out your video signal problem.

Cheers!

Neil.

Neil,

Thanks for hanging in there through this saga. Yes, I am familiar with the video source capture window and settings. If only it was that easy a fix. I have already tried both composite (yellow) and S-Video inputs choices. No change, unfortunately. I just heard back from Cyberlink Customer Support. I packaged up some data and sent it off to a FTP site for them to review. Wait and see mode, for now. Unless somebody else has an "I know..." moment.

Hi, Quigley2009!

Good luck in getting your wanted info. As it happens, in order to explain what I was talking about, I had PD14 opened in the Capture section and when I picked up the device, the blue light on the device went out(blown bulb, perhaps) which normally indicates the device(capture card) is active, and PD14 itself became non-responsive, had a terrible time trying to shut PD14 down after that. But all is well again, for now. For this situation of yours, or any other situation I try to explain, I always open PD14 to the relevant section, it helps a great deal in enabling a clearer explanation of various aspects of PD14.

Cheers!

Neil.

Quigley2009!
Fewer and fewer editors are into capturing vhs tapes etc. I have to do some in a while and I'll attempt to get my KWorld/USB connected set up to work.... I might even opt to do the capture via an older computer and an earlier version of PDR. Best of luck with what you're trying. I have no knowledge of the device you're using.

Neil.F.1955
RE: "and PD14 itself became non-responsive, had a terrible time trying to shut PD14 down after that."
Call up Task Manager and close the unresponsive program.
Ctrl+Alt+Delete = keyboard call up of Task manager option.

Dafydd

Quote:

Neil.F.1955
RE: "and PD14 itself became non-responsive, had a terrible time trying to shut PD14 down after that."
Call up Task Manager and close the unresponsive program.
Ctrl+Alt+Delete = keyboard call up of Task manager option.

Dafydd

Dafydd!

I did do that, several attempts it took me before I finally gave up and did a complete forced shut-down of the computer, then rebooted to finish answering other responses to other posts. As for VHS to DVD, I'm still doing this, not so much for myself now(I've just-about exhausted my VHS home movie content), I'm now doing it for friends who have old VHS content they want preserved.

Neil.