Can view, can playback, but cannot capture - stops at 3 KB

[Guest]

I'm able to playback the video footage from the camera into Windows Movie
Maker. But when I click Capture, the file size stops at 3 KB. When I click
finish, I receive an error about the camera being connected or configured
properly.

I've done all the recommended things like plug the camera in AC, disable
background programs (such as anti-virus scanning), etc. The only solid
conclusion I've come to is that it works when I use different Mini-DV tapes
than the one in the camera right now (a JVC camcorder was used to record the
images, and I'm just trying to capture with my Sony).

Is there such thing as Movie Maker being unable to capture from certain
video tapes, or tapes recorded with certain cameras, SP vs. LP recording
speed, etc.?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

I've only started using MM a month ago, but I don't think different
camcorders is your problem. And the fact that you can playback the video in
MM should indicate that there's nothing wrong in your camera-computer
connection, despite what the error message says.

I'm trying a few guesses here, and I'm guessing you went through them - but
just in case:
1. How much free HD space do you have? Is your HD splitted to partitions,
where one of them has almost no room in it?
2. Have you ever been successful in capturing with MM?
3. Did you try capturing with another program? If so, did it work?

Last question, how do you try capturing - do you pause with your camcorder,
then hit start capture? Did you try to start the capture, while being in play
(not in pause)?

 

[Guest]

Oh, if it disappears, that's normal. I thought you were saying that it Does
stay the whole time. That's abnormal.

As for bad sector, the way you can rule it out is by running a thorough
scandisk process. It will take a lot of time, I'd suggest letting it start
before you go to sleep, and allowing it to continue until you're home from
work. Hopefully by then it will have finished.

But still; the fact that it continues occuring again and again, and you
don't seem to have any other HD-related problems, that to me suggests that
the problem is with MM, not with your HD.


What about trying IntroDV for this project, is that a good possibility?

 

[Guest]

Well, if I recall correctly, IntroDV requires the firewire card that it came
with, and I have since removed that card, replacing it with an OHCI one that
could be used with MM (going full circle here).

Anyway, it seems the least painful method would be to borrow my mom's camera
and try digitizing with it or transfer the footage onto another tape using my
camera and then try capturing again. Ug...

tom

 

[Guest]

It may be a problem that's related to your MM install. Sometimes MM just
starts screwing up for no good reason. A few days ago I couldn't use MM at
all, because once I dragged any file into the timeline, the audio would
become 50% slow in speed and in pitch, and it just started happening out of
nowhere. The way I resolved it is by a fresh windows reinstall.

Try capturing your problematic casette in another computer. It might do the
trick. (Or not, hehe.)

 

[Guest]

Good thing I started leaning toward the bad tape scenario. I just tried
simply playing the tape back on my camcorder with LCD open and audio turned
up. Picture looks great but no audio. Not sure if it has anything to do with
it, but I see this tape was recorded in LP as opposed to SP, which I think
means extended play or something, right?

In either case, it couldn't be a good sign that I'm not hearing any audio
from this tape when played back on my camcorder. (Though, I did hear it just
fine when she originally played it back on her camera.)

I wonder if MM has problems with LP tape speed, OR if the original camera
that records in LP must be used for capture, OR this tape is simply bad...

Thanks for all your help!

I'm guessing this one lands in the hardware world (video camera/tape
hardware, that is).

 

[Guest]

Wonder if there's any truth to this...
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/archive/index.php/t-40543.html