Video Capture - Tech Nightmare
 

I'd really appreciate it if someone knows the answer!

This relates to XP and hardware more than the cam, but mebbe SOMEONE has overcome this problem.

I've never been able to import video from my 852. The cam's good, Panasonic tech xferred video to 3 different computers with 3 or 4 OS's. <glad to have it back!!> It's probably software, though there's a minimal chance there's a truly obscure issue with my Thinkpad. I've tried 4 Firewire cards, 4 cables, & 2 completely different editing programs. I've hit the Web and found that others have had the same issue, and hit a wall. I did find an obscure Microsoft patch which doesn't work. I've heard of a Panny firmware update, but since the cam is recent (December) and Panny tech had no problems that's probably irrelevant.

What I get is that the camera is recognized by Windows, but XP can't seem to communicate with it. MS Movie maker hangs, so does Ulead 7.0 SE. Eventually <minutes, which is forever in computer time> they report that there's no tape in the cam or simply that they can't communicate with it.

I rewind the cam before capture and set it to VCR mode. I've tried using Play in VCR mode, but XP and the video sw see nothing.

Since this is either a Windows or PC hardware problem, or some compatibility issue with the PC ( I haven't tried any other PC ) this is off topic a bit here. I'm just trying everything I can think of for a fix. A few years back, I was a senior tech support rep... and I have the feeling that this is some obscure bug with an obscure fix.


thanks folks

Larry

Have you tried to hook your camera to your computer before you
turn it on?

It sounds like your XP installation has some "issues". I would try
a clean install if possible to see what that does. That would at
least rule that out and only leave hardware basically.

But the first thing that would probably be best to do is to find
some other PC (parent, friends, school, work etc.) and see if you
can get it running there.

You can ofcourse always try a demo of another package like
Vegas 5 for example.

With all the testing and cards it's quite likely there is some driver
problems or other conflicts.

Which card are or do you want to use primarely?

Now I'm using a SIIG 3-port Firewire card. That was boxed retail. I also tried and ADS and another SIIG. I find the cam is recognized only if I restart (I did power off, then boot) with the cam attached.

Other PC's with a Firewire port are in short supply, that would be the quickest way. My PC had XP Pro preloaded, so the OEM's ( ibm) recovery CDs may not have a way to do a straight XP install. (I'm looking into that, I could repartition, install a 2nd copy of XP, figure out which drivers I need for the Thinkpad.... ugh). I suppose I just need to burn a few more hours and do it.

The Thinkpad works well otherwise with no other software issues. I don't doubt that there's a problem with my config, but it would be good to find how to fix the current install.

Speaking of Vegas, do you have a pick for inexpensive consumer video sw? I have Ulead 7.0 SE - maybe that's enough. I can't tell now as capture has ever worked!

thanks...

Larry

Larry,
If you have the real XP CDs why not try a "repair" install. That way you don't lose all your programs. The cleanest way, of course, would be to clean everything out, format the drive and reinstall.

I don't have a standard XP CD. I have ibm's recovery disks. They can replace specific files you chose, or format C: and put the original ibm image on it. It was very close to a fresh image when I first tried to import.
I don't show any errors in device mgr, and the cam has shown up there.
I will research whether there's a way to get a standard XP install from the ibm recovery disks. I'd put that on a separate partition, and hope not to have the same issue. There's also something called XP Lite, but Lite may mean no extras such as video support.
When I was in tech support I believed in a periodic format/reinstall. With all the configuration to remove annoyances and get the sytem working decently, then relplacing many apps, plug-ins an much data I don't look forwad to that. That's 20+ hours I could be doing something. It's the very last resort.

That's a bitch! I can certainly understand not wanting to reinstall. It's too bad that the vendors don't give you the full program. I shudder to think about having to reinstall XP on my machine!

Check out the interrupts. Your Firewire port may be sharing too many. See if you can move some around.

Are those cards you mention OHCI compliant? Otherwise you
will have a major pain (if possible at all) to get your camera
working.

Yes, all were either OHCI 1.1 or 1.0. The current SIIG is from a dv kit marked as compatible with sony, pana, jvc etc, though I don't see the ohci rev on the box.

Larry,
Have you tried to optimize XP by shutting down those processes you either don't need or are not using? The Black Viper's website has a lot of good information on how to do this.

Guy -

Yes, that's one of the 1st things I do on a new install. It boots and shuts down faster with some items disabled.

Larry,
I've seen some posts recently that cite the NEC 1394 chips as being somewhat problematic, especially with Sony cams. I don't know if this is a real problem but some folks have more success using a 1394 card with a TI chipset, FWIW.

Guy - thanks... I'm using a Cardbus card ( for a laptop) so the TI chipset issue doesn't apply here. I've used 4 different notebook cards so far. I wish it were something simple like that!!

Larry

Have you asked at the yahoo mx5000 users' group if anyone has any advice to offer? I realize it's not the cam you have, but it is a group of Panasonic users, and someone might have had some experience with this issue either as a result of owning a Thinkpad or owning an 852.

You say the windows recognizes your camera? I take that to mean that in Device Manager you can see your IEEE 1394 Bus host controller listed and within that you can right click and it indicates that "the Device is working properly?"

Then you go, in Device Manager, to to "Imaging Devices", and within that you see your Camcorder listed?

If this is the case, when your PC is up and running, and you have your Camera plugged in via firewire but not turned on, does it appear when you then turn on the camera? I would expect Windows to "announce" the connection with its two-note sound and at that time the in device manager the "Imaging Device" appears.

Simultaneously you should have the annoying window appear that asks you what you want to do now and it comes up with a variety of choices, like do you want to start Vegas or Premiere automatically, play a slideshow etc.

Is all this happening for you?

If you aren't getting the last window, is it possible you might have told windows to always perform a certain function and that function is not correct, or available? Might you have made the window go away?