DV Capture Problem

Yossarian · 05-09-2006, 08:16 AM

I'm posting because I'm experiencing a completely befuddling issue with capturing video from any of my DV sources. I'm exasperated and I'm not sure where to go from here, save reformatting my drive, which of course I'd like to avoid. Here's the problem:

First I should point out that I've captured a lot of video to this computer. I have two devices that both use Firewire. I've used both of them extensively with not a single problem.

However, a few days ago I went to capture some clips, but Premiere gave me an error, saying I should reset the camera because it couldn't initialize it. Resetting the camera made no difference. The problem is identical with both my Sony TRV-900 and my Sony GDV-300, which is a MiniDV tape deck.

I was puzzled, but I really needed to import those clips! I tried the latest Nero, which includes video capture. It also couldn't see any video. Now I was getting scared.

To make sure, I downloaded a couple of shareware programs that capture video. One program gave an error and crashed, the other one simply said that it couldn't initialize the camera (I noticed after a few tries that it came up as the proper camera for a split second before it gave that error). One thing I should add is that the programs I tried are able to control the device; one of the programs successfully rewound the tape, but crashed the moment it attempted to capture.

Okay, so here's where it gets weird. When you have a DV device hooked up, and open My Computer, the device is listed along with your other discs. When you double-click on it, it opens up a video window. In this video window, I can see my video fine. No problems at all (and ironically Windows shows a quick message saying "initializing camera" before the video comes on). Unfortunately, the only option you have from that screen is to take stills.

So now my troubleshooting was thrown all out of whack! The fact that I can watch the video fine on the desktop instantly proved that the camera, cable, and Firewire connection were working fine. It also proved that the computer could indeed "see" the video, so if there are any drivers needed (I don't think there are though), they are installed and working properly.

Since there is no codec for video capture (or if there is, it's been installed all along), I'm stuck at this point. I tried reinstalling Premiere. Next I force-quit every background process, to make my own "safe mode", since in real Safe Mode, Firewire isn't active. I tried disabling my second display. I tried different Firewire ports. I even tried different tapes (stupid, I know, but I was/am getting desperate!) I tried everything I can think of other than reinstalling Windows completely, and there is no difference at all in my problem. In Device Manager, the camera is listed and reported to be doing great. And yet the problem persists.

Can any of you help direct me even to WHAT I should be looking at with this? The end result of all my troubleshooting so far, is that everything is working fine. Wonderful, except it ain't true!

geek 0001 · 05-14-2006, 11:32 AM

perhaps it's a virus, try it on another pc if possible.

Yossarian · 05-15-2006, 07:37 AM

Naw, it wasn't any virus I could come up with (believe me, I checked!) I'll probably never know the truth, though, because I finally gave up and reformatted, which of course fixed everything. So, maybe it was a virus, I guess, but it's a non-issue now.

It was time to reformat anyway; I figure it had been at least two years since I last did that, and it's good to clean house once in awhile.

**DCIScouts** · 05-15-2006, 04:58 PM

Wow, yeah I try to reformat at most every year and a half...

Yossarian · 05-16-2006, 07:06 AM

Ha, yeah, that's a good policy. Reformatting is not too big a deal for me, in that I have all my important stuff on a separate drive, so backing stuff up isn't a problem. The part that makes me procrastinate is having to reinstall all those little programs that I tend to take for granted. Plus I suddenly have to remember all those passwords after two years, etc... It's a pain, but it was worth it to get my video capture back.

**DCIScouts** · 05-16-2006, 01:01 PM

I understand your feelings on that, that's why I don't do the reformat every year like I really should

.

05-09-2006, 08:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Yossarian New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	DV Capture Problem I'm posting because I'm experiencing a completely befuddling issue with capturing video from any of my DV sources. I'm exasperated and I'm not sure where to go from here, save reformatting my drive, which of course I'd like to avoid. Here's the problem: First I should point out that I've captured a lot of video to this computer. I have two devices that both use Firewire. I've used both of them extensively with not a single problem. However, a few days ago I went to capture some clips, but Premiere gave me an error, saying I should reset the camera because it couldn't initialize it. Resetting the camera made no difference. The problem is identical with both my Sony TRV-900 and my Sony GDV-300, which is a MiniDV tape deck. I was puzzled, but I really needed to import those clips! I tried the latest Nero, which includes video capture. It also couldn't see any video. Now I was getting scared. To make sure, I downloaded a couple of shareware programs that capture video. One program gave an error and crashed, the other one simply said that it couldn't initialize the camera (I noticed after a few tries that it came up as the proper camera for a split second before it gave that error). One thing I should add is that the programs I tried are able to control the device; one of the programs successfully rewound the tape, but crashed the moment it attempted to capture. Okay, so here's where it gets weird. When you have a DV device hooked up, and open My Computer, the device is listed along with your other discs. When you double-click on it, it opens up a video window. In this video window, I can see my video fine. No problems at all (and ironically Windows shows a quick message saying "initializing camera" before the video comes on). Unfortunately, the only option you have from that screen is to take stills. So now my troubleshooting was thrown all out of whack! The fact that I can watch the video fine on the desktop instantly proved that the camera, cable, and Firewire connection were working fine. It also proved that the computer could indeed "see" the video, so if there are any drivers needed (I don't think there are though), they are installed and working properly. Since there is no codec for video capture (or if there is, it's been installed all along), I'm stuck at this point. I tried reinstalling Premiere. Next I force-quit every background process, to make my own "safe mode", since in real Safe Mode, Firewire isn't active. I tried disabling my second display. I tried different Firewire ports. I even tried different tapes (stupid, I know, but I was/am getting desperate!) I tried everything I can think of other than reinstalling Windows completely, and there is no difference at all in my problem. In Device Manager, the camera is listed and reported to be doing great. And yet the problem persists. Can any of you help direct me even to WHAT I should be looking at with this? The end result of all my troubleshooting so far, is that everything is working fine. Wonderful, except it ain't true!

05-14-2006, 11:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
geek 0001 Silver Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England Age: 16 Posts: 238	perhaps it's a virus, try it on another pc if possible. __________________ I have 300Gb of RAM HA HA HA HIC! HEHE HIC! Tech Support: What does the screen say now? Person: It says "Hit ENTER when ready". Tech Support: Well? Person: How do I know when it's ready?

05-15-2006, 04:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
DCIScouts Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Age: 25 Posts: 5,046	Wow, yeah I try to reformat at most every year and a half... __________________ In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. -Martin Luther King Jr. The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a little. -Joe Martin FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND :F@H Team 44358 Posting and you - CF Edition Cheers CF

05-16-2006, 01:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
DCIScouts Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Age: 25 Posts: 5,046	I understand your feelings on that, that's why I don't do the reformat every year like I really should . __________________ In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. -Martin Luther King Jr. The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a little. -Joe Martin FOLDING FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND :F@H Team 44358 Posting and you - CF Edition Cheers CF

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05-15-2006, 07:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
Yossarian New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	Naw, it wasn't any virus I could come up with (believe me, I checked!) I'll probably never know the truth, though, because I finally gave up and reformatted, which of course fixed everything. So, maybe it was a virus, I guess, but it's a non-issue now. It was time to reformat anyway; I figure it had been at least two years since I last did that, and it's good to clean house once in awhile.

05-16-2006, 07:06 AM	#5 (permalink)
Yossarian New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6	Ha, yeah, that's a good policy. Reformatting is not too big a deal for me, in that I have all my important stuff on a separate drive, so backing stuff up isn't a problem. The part that makes me procrastinate is having to reinstall all those little programs that I tend to take for granted. Plus I suddenly have to remember all those passwords after two years, etc... It's a pain, but it was worth it to get my video capture back.