Help! Tv Capture And Region...

[Asterlot1]

I have a leadtek ti4200 vivo (purchased in the U.S.A.) and I am trying to capture from the TV, but all I get is black and white.

The region here is PAL-M.

I tried using several programs, like Winfast PVR, Virtualdub, PowerVCR, WinDVR, and others, and although some do have a PAL-M option it doesn´t change anything.

Is it my video card's settings?

What can I do to get color images, since broadcasting here is in PAL-M?

Please help!!! (I am obviously a newbie in this matter).......

[Asterlot1]

Can´t anyone help me?

[Comberman]

The problem you are experiencing sounds mighty like the effect I used to get when trying to capture from an NTSC tape, using a PAL capture setting from a VCRs Composite Output.
I have a Leadtek Ultra A280 VIVO.
My Winfast PVR gives me the option of capturing from either PAL, NTSC or SECAM.
You say you are capturing from the TV. Is this via the TVs SCART output (composite)?
Have you tried capturing from a VCR? If so, are you using the S-VHS input.
Have you tried routing the signal from the TV to the VIVO input via a VCR?
What OS are you using?
A lot of questions, I know - but sometimes two heads are better than one!!

[Asterlot1]

Hey, thanks for answering.

As to you questions:

My Winfast PVR gives me the same options, that´s why I found it so strange to still have B&W picture. The Region here for broadcasting is PAL-M (Brazil), which is one of the available options.
I am indeed using the SCART TV-output
I haven´t tried capturing from a VCR tape, but I suppose I´ll get color if I use a NTSC tape with it.(I´ll try it with the composite output)
I have tried capturing TV broadcasting through the VCR and got B&W picture on the PC.
My OS: Win XP corporate.

This is just a newbie guess: could my video card have any core setting in its bios that makes it NTSC by default? (sorry if its a stupid question...

well, here are my specs:
Pentium 4 2000
Leadtek A250 VIVO Ti4200








Leadtek Ti4200 A250 VIVO

[Comberman]

I've been checking the specs for both our cards and they are virtually identical. The only difference is that the A280 is a Ti4800 spec running at 500MHz.
My region (UK) is also PAL. From what you indicate, the problem could be due to the fact that your card will have a base spec for NTSC; it being purchased in the US. But before looking deeper into the card's BIOS, these are my card's spec details. You have WinFast so you will be able to make a comparison by Right-clicking on the destop and getting to the WinFast (nVidia) pages in Settings/Advanced. I'm also running XP by the way.

Adaptor Tab:
Chip: G4ce4 Ti 4800
DAC: Int RAMDAC
Mem: 128Mb
Adpt Str: as Chip
Bios Inf: Version 4.28.2021

Properties page:
Driver: Providor: LeadTek
Date 25/10/2002
Version 4.1.0.4
None of this may be relevant but it won't do any harm to check.
Now to your (local) setup. Your region is PAL (the sub -M) is largely irrelevant for our purposes. PAL is PAL is PAL (625 lines) as opposed to NTSC (525 lines).
If you play NTSC through a standard PAL VCR you will get a Black and white picture with serious banding (the incompatible interlace effect), so you have to use a VCR which is capable of playing NTSC. From the description of your problem you are experiencing a reverse effect. If you haven't got an NTSC VCR can you borrow one? Preferably a super-VHS model and we'll try the S-video route rather than the CVBS (composite) one. One point: the input source: you might have three options. TV Tuner/S-video/CVBS. Make sure the TV tuner isn't selected if you are directing the signal through the VCR.
Will be on hand should you come back.
Regards

[Asterlot1]

I´m going to try these things. I do have a NTSC VCR, but no s-vhs output on it...

BTW here is what I get in the adaptor tab:

Adaptor Tab:
Chip: GeForce4 Ti 4200
DAC: Integrated RAMDAC
Mem: 128Mb
Adpt Str: GeForce4 Ti4200
Bios Inf: Version 4.25.00.30.00

I´m gonna try doing the vcr thing over the weekend, and I´ll tell you the results.

thxs once more

[techno]

ur best going for a hauppage wintv go pci to be honest. it works in ANY region...i tested it myself.

it works in the UK ( where I live ) and works in europe and the States...I took it with me

for guides on capturing, look at my site

Techno

[Asterlot1]

Sorry Tecno, but I didn´t understand......
Are you saying that I should rather change my video card to a PCI instead of AGP version?
Or are you talking about software?


Cheers

[techno]

agp capture card??! wth...??? ur using an agp graphics and capture card?!?!?! if so..don't! bad move.

yes, I am technically sayin change the capture card to a hauppage wintv go pci card

[Comberman]

To Asterlot1

Never mind the WinTV card, you have a perfectly good vivo card. As I pointed out in an earlier post, our cards are almost identical and this morning I captured 4Gigs of 720x576 25 fps raw, virtually flawless avi video and dropped 3 frames!! Your card when we have sorted out the region problem (or got around it) should be capable of doing the same. Let me know how you get on with what we discussed earlier. Time enough to start paying out some serious cash on a TV Tuner-cum-capture card that will need your nvidia vivo ti4200 to drive it!
Regards

[Easier Way?]

Me too!

Hi Asterlot 1, Combermanand Techno,
I have an asus VIVO graphics card and tune in and record PAL I. I can receive French Sat TV and when I select SECAM on both ASUSLIVE and ASUSDVCR I get a colour picture but it will not record. The timer counts up but no frames are captured. Any ideas?
PII 266 don't laugh
W98
Asus V7100 delux combo

Comberman how is the spud field?

[techno]

well, firstly, ur PC IS WAAAAAAAAAAAAY to slow to capture, so that is problem number 1.

try updating your drivers as well for your whole PC but I dont' thnk it will help much, unless u get a faster machine, a PIII 500MHz min is recommended

[Comberman]

To Easier Way?

I have very little experience of SECAM which is the broadcasting format for odd-ball France, the Middle East and some African countries. However, even though the format is SECAM, I know that these countries do use PAL cameras and recording decks. If you can view French TV via a PAL tv-set, then my logic suggests you should also be able to capture in PAL, for the SECAM format is also 625 lines/25fps.
Have you tried capturing via your TV tuner using the card's PAL encoder(s)?
Are you using Composite In? S-VHS in?
Are you getting French TV via Cable? Sky analogue?
Questions in response to your question, but let us know and we can take it from there.

PS: Spud fields are disappearing at a fast rate of knots - DoE and property developers are carving up "God's Little Acre" like Michaelangelo on 'Speed'.

[Easier Way?]

Thank You both,
I'm using rf input via the tuner as my analogue box has no s-vhs and I find composite too soft. My PC is ancient and a MB/CPU change is due, but I get good quality 18-20 fps capture off Pal-rf, svhs and composite at max res.
I tried retuning the asus programs under secam only and it didn't help, I was wondering if anyone had got over the problem on similar software?
It is a minor problem as I can only receive a handful of French chanels and yes Comberman they record OK in B+W under PAL.

PS Does anyone use a worse PC for capture/divx ?

[Comberman]

To Easier Way?

I first got into Desktop Video with a 486; 10Mb RAM and a 4.3Mb hard disk using Asymetrix's Digital Video Producer package and a WinTV card. Mind you that was so long ago that if you asked anyone working in Asymetrix today about the package they would probably say: "Digital Video What!!!". But then it was great to be able to produce those little home made videos that were about the size of a postage stamp. They took a helluva time to render, but it made you feel like a pioneer!.
Now I can produce full length, Full Screen; Letterbox or 16:9 videos at damn near broadcast quality and fire them out as VCD; S-VCD or DVD and it's wunnerful! I can also put them out on VHS tape. Of course now I've got a blistering hot processor, one of the best vivo cards on the market (well it was one of the best until last month!) and lots of HDD space. And I'm using Premiere and After Effects. DTV is my hobby by the way, it keeps me out of the pubs.
If you want to get into DTV then you should get yourself a new set-up (No! Not an Apple for Gawdssake!!). Don't get a Pentium 4; they're over-priced and over-rated. My DTV machine has a "souped-up" Athlon XP2700 which will run rings around a 3GHz Pentium and at half the price.
All the best from God's Little Acre.