Capturing Video Issue

[desertgrunt]

I'm at my wits end with this software. I installed Easy Media Creator 10 (deluxe edition) on both my laptop and desktop, the software has been giving me problems on both. I'm running XP on both PC's, desktop is a Dell, laptop is a Toshiba (don't know if this helps on explaining some of my troubles). The problem is that on my desktop I'm able to view the video along with the audio just fine and i'm able to start to capture the footage, but it never fails for the software to freeze up. It freezes up at random times during the video recording and locks up to the point that I have to "End Task" on it. I've installed the updates, reinstalled, and uploaded the most recent audio and video card drivers. I just don't know what to do next. Help!

 

Oh yeah, i'm using Dazzle (DVC100) to capture the video.

[sknis]

I'm at my wits end with this software. I installed Easy Media Creator 10 (deluxe edition) on both my laptop and desktop, the software has been giving me problems on both. I'm running XP on both PC's, desktop is a Dell, laptop is a Toshiba (don't know if this helps on explaining some of my troubles). The problem is that on my desktop I'm able to view the video along with the audio just fine and i'm able to start to capture the footage, but it never fails for the software to freeze up. It freezes up at random times during the video recording and locks up to the point that I have to "End Task" on it. I've installed the updates, reinstalled, and uploaded the most recent audio and video card drivers. I just don't know what to do next. Help!

 

Oh yeah, i'm using Dazzle (DVC100) to capture the video.

 

Make sure that you have the latest drivers from Pinnacle for that device. For the desk top, try using a USB port on the back of the computer. For the laptop don't use any kind of a hub.

 

Are you capturing as AVI or mpg2? If you have the space, capture as AVI. It makes large files but the computer does have to encode to mpg2 on the fly.

 

Make sure nothing else is running when you do the capture especially your anti-virus, and anti-Mal ware, Defrag your hard drive. How much free space on the hard drives?

 

Yes, posting your computer specs in your signature so that it is always available would be a big help. Use the My Controls link at the top of the page and then look to the left to edit your signature.

[desertgrunt]

Make sure that you have the latest drivers from Pinnacle for that device. For the desk top, try using a USB port on the back of the computer. For the laptop don't use any kind of a hub.

 

Are you capturing as AVI or mpg2? If you have the space, capture as AVI. It makes large files but the computer does have to encode to mpg2 on the fly.

 

Make sure nothing else is running when you do the capture especially your anti-virus, and anti-Mal ware, Defrag your hard drive. How much free space on the hard drives?

 

Yes, posting your computer specs in your signature so that it is always available would be a big help. Use the My Controls link at the top of the page and then look to the left to edit your signature.

 

I was capturing as mpg2, reason being is I don't have much hardrive space left on my pc (about 7 gigs). I did run a disk cleanup and defrag before all of this. I'll be backing up all my files onto a portable hardrive and try it then. I was plugging it to the front of the PC as well, so i'll plug it into the rear now.

 

thanks

[bimicher]

I was capturing as mpg2, reason being is I don't have much hardrive space left on my pc (about 7 gigs). I did run a disk cleanup and defrag before all of this. I'll be backing up all my files onto a portable hardrive and try it then. I was plugging it to the front of the PC as well, so i'll plug it into the rear now.

 

thanks

 

You will need much more free space than 7GB if you want to do any kind of video work. I would recommend a minimum of about 15GB of free space on your system drive.

 

What is the device you are capturing from - DV camcorder or what?

[desertgrunt]

You will need much more free space than 7GB if you want to do any kind of video work. I would recommend a minimum of about 15GB of free space on your system drive.

 

What is the device you are capturing from - DV camcorder or what?

 

I'm working on freeing up space as we speak. As of now, i've got 13G of free space.

 

I'm capturing from a VCR and i'm trying to capture 2hr 38min of footage.

[tbrewst]

I'm using the Dazzle in both v9 in XP and v10 in Vista.It works just fine in both places.

One of the first things I would do is take Steve's advice and get the latest drivers from Pinnacles website.You can get them here.

Also do like he said and plug in the back of your computer.Make sure it's not a hub you're plugged into.

I've seen where not having the drivers installed correctly will result in either it not working at all or cutting off the capture.

Unplug the Dazzle,uninstall the current drivers and delete the Dazzle entries from Device Manager under Sound.Then load the new drivers from Pinnacle and then plug the Dazzle back in.Windows should find the drivers.The time you capture shouldn't matter unless you run out of disc space.It does make editing a bit cumbersome though.

[bimicher]

I'm working on freeing up space as we speak. As of now, i've got 13G of free space.

 

I'm capturing from a VCR and i'm trying to capture 2hr 38min of footage.

 

A further suggestion: don't try to capture the whole 2:38 hour of video in one session. Do it in maybe 30 minute clips, overlapping each clip for a few seconds. You can always trim of the extra seconds and combine the clips when you are ready to burn to DVD. A standard 4.7GB DVD will only hold 60 minutes of video at best quality (which is really what you want after capturing from your VCR). There is a way to put more than 60 minutes on a DVD at still very good quality - you can ask about that later once you have captured your video.

[desertgrunt]

A further suggestion: don't try to capture the whole 2:38 hour of video in one session. Do it in maybe 30 minute clips, overlapping each clip for a few seconds. You can always trim of the extra seconds and combine the clips when you are ready to burn to DVD. A standard 4.7GB DVD will only hold 60 minutes of video at best quality (which is really what you want after capturing from your VCR). There is a way to put more than 60 minutes on a DVD at still very good quality - you can ask about that later once you have captured your video.

 

It didn't dawn on me to capture a few snippits at a time. I'll do that! I'm new to this so bare with me guys.

 

I guess I just wanted to put it all on one DVD but I suppose if it has to go onto 2 DVD's, then that's the way it has to be. But the VHS picture isn't all too great but I suppose by cutting the quality digitally that'll just give me that worse of a picture.

[Guest ml]

I suppose by cutting the quality digitally that'll just give me that worse of a picture.

 

You are correct.

[desertgrunt]

Thanks to all for the feedback, I was finally able to download the footage. I downloaded it in 30min files, so now I just need to paste them together.

 

I cleaned the hardrive as much as possible, downloaded the driver from pinnacle, and plugged it in through the back of the PC. Although it did drop one of the recordings during the 5 different captures, in the end it worked.