Minor Issues With Media Import

[JohnT.]

New here and new to video capture.

 

I'm trying to transfer (capture?) video from an old Minolta Master 8-832 camcorder (8mm tape).

Camera is connected to an Honestech vidbox via RCA cable (one video/one audio)...then the vidbox is connected to USB connector on back of computer.

 

Once I start the video playing, the 'start capture' in Media Import becomes highlighted and i select it.

 

First thing I note is that while the video is playing smoothly, the capture window is a bit 'choppy' with intermittent 'flashing'.

After playback of saved video, the 'chop/flash' is present in the saved copy.

Any suggestions on how to avoid this issue?

Is it related to the vidbox, USB, speed of computer (Win7; 64-bit; quad core; 3.6GHz; 8 gig ram)?

 

Second issue:

I select 'capture length' (also tried without selection) and even so, if there is a stop in the incoming signal (like between scenes), the capture auto stops.

How to prevent that?

I have multiple stops in a 2 hour tape and I just want to record the whole thing without stopping and starting all over.

 

Like I said, I'm new to this whole thing and all I want to do is save my old 8mm home vids (analog) as digital on my computer AT LEAST as good as they are in analog.

 

Thanks

 

John T.

[sknis]

The program sees the stops and thinks that is the end of the tape. No one has found a fix for it other than capturing via a different program.

 

Is your anti-virus set to scan everything being written to your hard drive? That and other running programs can cause dropped frames.

 

Where are you saving the captured video?

 

Please post the results of the dxdiag evaluation of your computer. Read this

[JohnT.]

The program sees the stops and thinks that is the end of the tape. No one has found a fix for it other than capturing via a different program.

 

Is your anti-virus set to scan everything being written to your hard drive? That and other running programs can cause dropped frames.

 

Where are you saving the captured video?

 

 

I left anti-virus on! Doh!

I'll try disabling it and see if that helps.

As for signal loss, that's unfortunate. I was hoping that if I set the capture length (time of capture), it will capture regardless of signal.

 

Thanks for the fast response. I will try another tape with antivirus disabled then post again.

[sknis]

If that doesn't help and if you have a digital camcorder that will allow pass through, you might want to try connecting the 8 camcorder to the digital camcorder and then capture via firewire (if you have a firewire port).

The trick is to start the digital camcorder and put it on pause and then start the analog camcorder.

[JohnT.]

If that doesn't help and if you have a digital camcorder that will allow pass through, you might want to try connecting the 8 camcorder to the digital camcorder and then capture via firewire (if you have a firewire port).

The trick is to start the digital camcorder and put it on pause and then start the analog camcorder.

 

Can u recommend a specific digital camcorder (used and cheap) that I should try looking for?

Just completed a recording with antivirus off. Not sure if it helped completely...some...but not totally.

[sknis]

Sorry, I'm not going to recommend a digital camcorder because there are too many variables to plug in -- your budget, what else are you going to do with it, size, format, recording media, and of course the ability to do a pass through, etc.

[JohnT.]

Reasonable.