ADS Pyro A/V analog vid-capture is dropping frames. Need help.

[nollaf126]

I recently purchased an ADS Pyro A/V to transfer my VHS and analog camcorder tapings to DV. I am using Premiere 6.0, but also have access to Ulead Video Studio 7 and a couple of others, but Premiere seems to be the best so far. I did everything in the owner's manual to optimize my PC for vidcapture. All drives defragmented, etc. I have a Win XP, 2.4Ghz Intel, 1GB RAM, and tons of 7200 rpm HD space. I went to ADS' website to download specific drivers and it only gives link to the latest version of DirectX (which I already have). I know my resources are adequate, but the frames just keep dropping. Don't know what to do. Please help.

[rsquirell]

Frame dropping is usually cause by poor data transfer...and a lot of loss can occur thru the wires and connections. I highly recommend all wires used in the capture loop be upgraded to Gold. For people using external hardware to capture thru the USB...if the port is 1.1 it might be worth the $20 to install a card with a USB2.0 port. DV capture is thru the firewire...and only with DV Cameras....analog VHS Camcorders have to be captured the same way you capture VCR VHS.

[nollaf126]

no go

Thanks very much for the reply, rsquirrel. All the RCA cables are gold. The firewire cable going from the Pyro A/V Link directly to my firewire card isn't, though. I can't imagine that this one cable will make that much difference. I'm dropping about 500 out of 15k frames. If the process merely dropped these frames and continued on (much like mp3s 'drop frames' from original audio), I would probably be OK with it; but the dropping introduces audio and video hangs for as much as 2 seconds, which is completely unacceptable. It would be equivalent to having a CD skip a few times per song for up to two seconds. Unacceptable. I know there has to be a way to capture video with no frames dropped on the system I've got. Or at least without the glitchy hangs. I've seen great results with less resources. The only thing I can think to do other than trying to find a gold firewire cable is to return the Pyro and try another brand. But again, I can't imagine that a mere brand name (and a seemingly trusted one at that) can make *that* much difference. Surely plenty of other folks have encountered similar problems when starting on their capture adventures. Has anyone had experience with ADS products in general. Or specifically the ADS Pyro A/V Link? Thanks in advance for any help.

-Fal

[rsquirell]

ADS probably has a user forum on their homepage...but the firewire wire is probably the most important connection...the place where your external device interfaces with the PC. Gold firewire cables aren't that expensive...and the loss across wires can be significant.

[nollaf126]

Thanks.

Thanks again rsquirrel. I'll try getting a gold firewire, then I'll post the results.

-Fal

[nollaf126]

Did the trick (almost)

Thanks again, Rsquirrel,
Got gold-plated firewire cable and RCA A/V cable. Only drops one out of every few thousand, now. I see a dramatic improvement. If you have any more tips, let me know.

-Fal

[rsquirell]

Glad to assist...oh...and you might want to check with a good radioshack tech....I've been told there are some lubes you can get which will improve data transfer, too. If you lube the pins of the wires you might have a totally clean capture.

[jscompton]

converting camcorder tapes

It sounds like you are 1 step ahead of me but a lot more knowledgeable. Maybe you can help me. I want to convert my camcorder tapes, too! Can you tell me EXACTLY what to purchase/install? I have USB Instant Video CD (and ADS product) and it includes Video Studio 6SE. It came with a little black triangle shaped box that lets me plug 2 cables (yellow and white) from my camcorder into it. The black box then plugs into my USB port in the back of the computer. When I run it, I, too, drop tons of frames. Do I need to upgrade my USB port to 2.0? The computer is only 8 months old. How would I check what it is? What are "gold" cables? Thank you so much in advance for your help.

[nollaf126]

1. I would upgrade to USB 2.0. I understand that it is considerably faster.

2. To check to stats on your puter, go to Control Panel and double-click on System.

3. Gold cables are just like normal cables except that the connectors on each end of the cable are plated with gold which is a much better conductor of electricity than copper, but a bit more expensive. Well worth the investment if you wanna get rid of dropped frames.

4. For all your puter parts and cable needs, I recommend pricewatch.com.

5. All of rsquirrel's advice is golden.

-Fal