Canopus 300 & dropped frames during capture?

BillyBoy wrote on 1/24/2005, 7:48 PM

I was just going to post saying how nice a job the Canopus 300 does at removing video noise, then it started dropping frames; 365 in about twelve minutes.

Anyone else see this with preview and audio on?

The curious thing is it isn't a dropped frame here and there but three times within the 12 minute test it just seem to have a half a second or so hickcup.

Comments

randy-stewart wrote on 1/24/2005, 8:12 PM

BillyBoy,
I've had my 300 about 7 months now and can't remember ever dropping frames while capturing. In fact, I capture exclusively through the 300 now even when I'm downloading from my PD-170. I've captured Digital 8, VHS-C, and straight VHS from a VCR all with excellent results. Agree with how well it does the clean up. I'm wondering if it could be the tape you are capturing. I have two really bad VHS-C tapes with mega-noise resulting from camera malfunction. VidCap stopped the capture it was so bad. I advanced the tape past the worst of it and everything went okay. Anyway, hope you figure it out.
Randy

BillyBoy wrote on 1/24/2005, 8:25 PM

Thanks, I think that's probably what's happening since it stuck at a few spots and otherwise it seemed like clear sailing. Guess its the VHS tape. I tried it on a really old one. I'll have to try some other ones.

Randy, you have any favorite settings you use to clean up with?

JJKizak wrote on 1/25/2005, 5:56 AM

I have captured with the 300 since day one without 1 dropped frame. The settings are pretty good in default and you can push the color saturation and sharpness a bunch but the other noise reductions will start to put tails and blotches on moving objects if you try to go too far---20%. I will take a small 1 minute piece and capture it over and over with different settings and then see what happens.

JJK

randy-stewart wrote on 1/25/2005, 8:08 AM

BillyBoy,
I'm using the default settings. Just working with some footage last night that I captured through the 300 and was amazed at how well it came through. The colors are vivid and picture very clear. I can't remember it being that good even directly out of the camera. Looks better than the original to me. The ADVC 300 is a great piece of hardware.
Randy

jsteehl wrote on 1/25/2005, 11:37 AM

Randy,

The ADVC300, a subject that is high on my radar lately. I have one and love it. But are you saying that even with the option of going from DV to your computer via firewire you choose to go S-Video (analog) -> ADVC 300 -> Firewire -> PC? What is the advantage of this?

And yes there are many things to tweek on the 300 but I always use the default settings with a slight bump on the saturation. Anyone have a better recipe?

-Jason

randy-stewart wrote on 1/25/2005, 2:10 PM

Jason,
I leave the 300 hooked into one of my firewire ports on the PC and connect via firewire from my camera to the 300 when capturing. It's just more convenient for me as the 300 sits on my desk rather than messing with a firewire hooked into my PC which sits on the floor under the desk. I don't see any difference with DV footage. It's the other formats that I really see improvements. When I hook up analog, I'll use composite (yellow, red, white) from the VCR or VHS-C (the S-Video out doesn't show up for some reason) to the 300. I don't normally capture from DVD. In fact, I'm pretty sure the ADVC-300 won't capture well with commercial DVD's due to copy protection. Anyway, as you elude to, DV Camera->firewire->PC is the way to go if available. I just use the 300 to extend my firewire connection up to the desktop so it's eaiser to get too.
Randy

farss wrote on 1/25/2005, 3:48 PM

If you cannect a source to the 300 via S-Video (Y/C) then you don't have to do anything, it auto selects that input.
I did post a few days ago about one problem I've had with the 300, with really bad footage the LTBC works against you giving terrible line tearing. Using my old D8 camera I got usable results.
Bob.