Capture Problem...
 

I have been fighting with capturing from my XH-A1 and now I can not get the computer to see the camera. I am using a firewire cable, has anyone else had this trouble and if so what is the solution. This has become very frustrating. Usually I can unhook, and re hook the cable enough times that it will finally see it, but not this time.

Denny

I presume you have already tried the "get out of the car and get back in again" steps:
- try a different firewire cable
- try a different firewire socket, if your computer has more than one
- try a different camera or other device (ext hard-disc) on same Firewire socket
- try camera in fixed DV-output and/or fixed HDV-output modes
- reboot computer
- try capturing into different software (there's a free utility called HDV Split that might be useful - have a search around here for details)
- take camera to a friend or colleague's computer and try again

If you've tried all of these without success, you'll need to tell us exactly what you have done and what messages you've received. It may not be a camera problem, in which case you'd do better asking in the forum for your particular software.

Mark, I had tried the above minus the different cable, Walmart no longer carries them, and no where else in town does, will make a trip this week to pick one up. (I know I live in the sticks)

Now since then, I was going to check the outputs and when I turned on the cam, the pc recognized it, so I am now capturing video !@#$%^

Its so unconsistant and sometimes even though the tape is fine, the captured video is pixelated and audio jumbled, maybe just a bad cable. If not, have to find a more dependable way of capturing. I have several IEEE firewire ports, and tried several.

I nocited this at b&h and wondering if this will work http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ed_10_bit.html

Hopefully its just a cable though. I also have tried both XH-A1's and a HV20 still very unconsistant.

Denny

You might try the downsample to SD option in the menu... Unplug cable, change option, plug cable in... Sometimes it will help the capture process... Sometime not... : /

That card is only SD....

Thanks Doug, is there a moderate priced way to capture that is better than firewire and also HD?


Denny

Firewire is the only way to capture the HDV signal. There is an alternative, but it's not cheap: find a capture card that will convert the analogue component signal. There are some but I don't remember the names.

I have to say that I've had no problems capturing into Avid Liquid 7.2 on a Core2Quad PC running XP Pro SP2. I followed the advice on the Avid users' forum and it worked first time. Regarding down-converting the image in-camera: the bit-rate will be just the same as the HDV MPEG2 signal - 25 Mbps. If the computer struggles to capture one, it's unlikely to manage the other, I'd have thought?

I dont think the problem is computer performance related I just built this Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.40GHz with 4 gigs of Ram and its got 3 internal 500 Gig HD's and 5 external 500 Gig Seagate Hard Drives. The problem seems to be the computer seeing the cameara, acts like it is not connected.

I will try to get a new cable today and see if that is the culprit.

Had similar problem but this solved it:-

Connect your cam to your computer and let electric run thru the firewire
before starting your external hardwares and editing program (this order).

I'm on a mac and finally cutting.

I use Sony Vegas to capture... The capture process aparently installs a 'different' hardware driver in XP from SD to HD capture... I have had issues where one works but the other had issues... Uninstalled the driver... Reinstalled... Fixed issues...

I went through a rather frustrating experience with the A1 and Edius Broadcast. Here is what I discovered:

1. The A1 needs to be set to HD not Auto when capturing HD. You'll find this setting in the VCR mode.
2. You must have the HD convert to SD "OFF". This seems obvious but takes you to the next step.
3. You can not change the above settings unless the firewire cable is unplugged from the camera! They appear greyed out.

Oddly these steps are not as restrictive with my HDR-HC1