PP 1.5 Capture Problem

[Rick Roseman]

This is getting very fuss-terating.

Trying to capture from a tape in my GL2 to PP 1.5 and kept getting this messed-up looking screen. Switched tapes and everything worked fine. Back to the first tape and same problem. Switched to the second tape again and now I get the same thing.

I thought, at first, it must be that particular tape but now the second tape won't capture either.

I noticed if I unplug the firewire the capture window goes black (as it should) but plug the cable back in and the dreaded whacky screen.

Here's what it looks like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...ureProblem.jpg

It didn't work and then it did, and then it didn't and now it won't at all. I'm at a total loss.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add...everything looks fine on the GL2 LCD, it's just in the capture window.

[Rob Lohman]

Okay, so we know the tape is good since it displays fine, the
following is a list that could be wrong (list is not complete):

1. firewire cable (quite likely)
2. premiere or windows installation
3. firewire ports on your computer and/or camera

You can test at least some part of point 2 by trying a demo of
www.scenalyzer.com. See what that does. Sounds like
a busted firewire cable though.

[Rick Roseman]

Rob, I really appreciate it!

I know diddly-squat about this stuff.

With that said I set about to troubleshoot the problem myself yesterday.

Firewire port checked out on the PC. Tried another DV camera (to see if the port on the GL2 might be the problem) and got the whacked screen.

It seemed to me the only possibility was the cable (but what do I know). I'm not sure exactly what can go wrong with a cable, seems simple enough in design and function but...

Ordered three new cables (three different brands) from B&H. I hope at least one of them is of good quality.

This is kind'a cool.
I ordered the cables yesterday about two hours after the above post. Got the shipping confirmation (order has shipped) yesterday evening! Wow, talk about quick ship when you need it!

I think you nailed it Rob. (And I can now find some comfort in my cable purchase.)

Thanks again.

[Rick Roseman]

Well....

Cables just came in and no go.

Same strange capture window display.

The transport controls in the capture window function (Fast Forward, rewind, pause, stop (watching the LCD on the camera). It will even capture the tape (hit record, watch the pretty stripes, stop, and it looks fine in the source monitor), you just can't preview it because of the messed-up capture screen.

I got nada.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick

[Rick Roseman]

This just gets better all the time. lol

Check it out:

Capture Window on the Left Monitor

Let's move it to the Right

On the Right Monitor

No preview on either monitor but it still captures.

TGFB
(Thank goodness for beer.)

[Pete Bauer]

Hi Rick,

Hmmm, this could be a tough one...maybe corrupted code for the preview window...?

Presumably, the jpgs are just samples to show the capture preview? I ask simply because at first I thought perhaps you'd lost your IN and OUT points and might only be capturing 1 frame (at 00;01;18;12 in the tape's timeline). I think I can see in the capture window an IN point of 0;00;00 and an outpoint the same, leaving a duration of 0;00;01 frames and the project and timeline windows look like they may only have an empty sequence in them. BUT you did say that the actual capture worked; it just wouldn't show in the preview window as it captured, correct?

Simple thing first: In "Project > Project Settings > Capture..." click on the "DV Settings..." button and make sure that "Preview Video during Capture" is checked. BTW, is the sound output normal through the PC while capturing?

Any evidence of breaks in the timecode when you run the tapes?

Any switches from 4:3 to 16:9? That seems to mess up time codes.

Are you capturing in real time using the GL2 monitor, or logging clips and batch capturing from the project window (recommend trying if you haven't already).

The jpgs are a little hard to read due to the low resolution. If we need additional images, could you try hitting the PrtScn button to copy the screen to the clipboard and pasting into a photo app to make a higher rez jpg of your screen DURING capture, and the project and timeline windows AFTER capture? Hopefully after all that we may be able to better see what is actually happening in the capture attempt.

Cheers,

[Rick Roseman]

Hey Pete, thanks for the reply.

Presumably, the jpgs are just samples to show the capture preview?

Correct.

..you did say that the actual capture worked; it just wouldn't show in the preview window as it captured, correct?

Yes sir.

Simple thing first: In "Project > Project Settings > Capture..." click on the "DV Settings..." button and make sure that "Preview Video during Capture" is checked.

Pete, when I click the settings tab, click "edit" under capture settings (project settings), go to device settings, everything is checked. While in the device settings window is open the stripes are gone and the screen is black. I click OK in the Device Settings, OK in the Project Settings window, and after the window closes the capture window flashes black and striped (back and forth) until it decides it prefers the stripes.

I've unchecked everything, closed the settings window, gone back and re-checked everything with the same results (no preview).

No timecode breaks.

No evidence of 4:3 to 16:9 issues.

I believe I could get better res photos if that will help. In an out points are working correctly. Capture is proceeding as normal (just have to preview it on the camera LCD) the only problem is the strange preview window behavior.

How crazy does this sound?

I think it might be a graphics card issue.

It's an Nvidia GE Force (?). I've got a Radeon 9800 and I thought about pullin' the Nvidia and pluggin' in the 9800.

The way the capture window changes from one monitor to the other is what I'm thinking about (a dual head card problem).

Does that make any sense at all or am I just itchin' to fabricate an excuse for stickin' in the 9800?

Thanks for the help.

[Rick Roseman]

OK

To test the graphics card theory (as best as I know how) I uninstalled the Nvidia drivers.

Preview in the capture window is working fine. Of course I've got double vision now.

So what do you think? Does that prove anything?

Thanks again.

[Pete Bauer]

Glad it is working now...quite a head-scratcher. Are you using the nVidia card with older drivers, or the ATi card?

My built my system with an ATi 9800, but I use only one CRT monitor. I think your "double vision" comment will inspire me to go get a "cheap" LCD display and use that other connection on the back of the card!

[Rob Lohman]

Keep in mind that a second (or third or whatever) screen might
not show video overlays (which include capture screens)!!!! It
should however work on your PRIMARY (where the start button
is in Windows etc.) screen. But if that doesn't even work with the
nVidia card it might be time to check out the ATI card indeed....

[Rick Roseman]

Thanks Rob

I've had no problems capturing in the past. This all started after I "exported to tape" from PP. Next capture (a day later) and....

I re-installed the drivers and got the same stripes.

Time to try the ATI.

I should mention, I went to the Nvidia website for the (hopefully) most recent driver.

[Rick Roseman]

Update

ATI installed.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is good in Smallville, NC (at least, for now, in my little corner of).

I can fully appreciate the difficulty of trying to diagnose hardware/software problems via the internet. I believe it's kind of like diagnosing an engine problem by telephone "Is it a thunk, thunk, thunk or a thunk'a, thunk'a noise?" :o)

Thank you, Rob and Pete, for taking the time to help.


Edit for accuracy: ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128Mb

[Pete Bauer]

You're welcome. Buggy video driver was the culprit? Guess this time I wasn't too terribly far off the mark guessing corrupted code for the video window, but yeah, it's all kinda shooting in the dark even when you built the system yourself and you're sitting right in front of it -- I've proved that many times!

I've never used multiple monitors but have often read that nVidia's multi-monitor options are more robust than ATi's. I think I'll stick with my 9800; in the past, ATi had a reputation for especially buggy drivers but seem to have at least caught up with the competition, if not surpassed them. I've been really happy with their cards in my home systems.

Now, I gotta go pick another monitor to plug into it. C ya!

[J. Lamar King]

If I may highjack this thread a bit. I have a related problem.

I just installed a Radeon 9200se 128MB AGP dual head card. It seems to be ok except when I have the preview window in the right (2nd) monitor it will sometimes go black and not show the timeline playback. The remedy is to click on the output button and then click Alpha or a scope then click back to Composite. I'm not sure what I do to cause it to go black, it only happened a few times so far. Strange. Up until this I've had two frozen screens and zero other problems with PPro 1.5. Knock on wood.

Box stock emachine T3065
Athalon 3000+ @ 2.17Ghz

Pumped up with

1GB RAM
160GB system drive 7200rpm
250GB media drive 8MB buffer 7200rpm
Pioneer A07 DVD burner
Radeon 9200se Dual Head
ADS Pyro 1394 card
Two Dell monitors M990/M991