Comments

farss wrote on 11/23/2007, 3:54 PM
Even if you do get this to work the results will not be stellar.

A few pointers:
You have to use Vegas's external capture utility (Vidcap.exe)
You need to disable Device Control and scene detection in Vidcap. This means you have to press Play on the deck and then the Capture button in Vidcap.
You have to take the audio outputs from the camera into your sound card.
You have to configure Vidcap's capture device to capture from the video card and select the audio from your soundcard.

You may need to install the correct drivers so the video card will handle the incoming video.

And then when you have it actually working you may find the audio and video drift out of sync and the image quality isn't anything great. I run this way for a while capturing from VHS.

A much better approach is to get a Digital 8 VCR if you can still find one around. This way it's plain firewire from the VCR into Vegas. Better picture quality, no sync issues. Still no Device Control or Scene Detection unless you use SClive's optical detection. If you can't afford a VCR try for a second hand D8 camera but you must get one that'll play Video 8 / Hi8 over firewire

Bob.
Timpolo wrote on 11/23/2007, 4:09 PM
A few pointers:
You have to use Vegas's external capture utility (Vidcap.exe

I may try to find a video cam that has a firewire connection. In your reply above; am i not using Vegas's external capture utility when i go into Vegas>Flie>Capture Video? I am not understanding what you meant by Vidcap.exe

Much appreciated!
Tee
farss wrote on 11/23/2007, 4:16 PM
You normally get a choice of two ways to capture video.
One is for SDI / HDV, the other for DV.
The DV option takes you to an external capture program called Vidcap. You can run Vidcap.exe without Vegas if you so like.
I suspect you're using the correct capture method but ever since the option got introduced it has been a source of some confusion. so I always ask that question first.

Bob.
Timpolo wrote on 11/23/2007, 4:19 PM
I did use the DV capture but it is not detecting anything so i assume the Super 8mm video cam will not be detected. So the S-Video cable sill not work? Is there a capture card i should try or be aware of?
farss wrote on 11/23/2007, 4:52 PM
First off in Vidcap did you look for your video card / device? Click the Video menu item.
Also check your video card's documentation, from memory you have to start something related to it to get it to work.

I use the Canopus ADVC-300 Analogue to Digital converter from capturing from VHS, you can also use it to capture from the analogue outputs of your Video 8 camera or VCR. It is rather expensive though. If you've got a LOT of analogue video to capure it's a good investment but if you've only got a couple of tapes it's too much money to be spending.

Maybe some kind local Vegas users whose got the good gear could do it for you, either to a HDD or burn the video as AVI files onto DVDs. One DVD will hold 20 minutes of DV and I've done this for many people.

Bob.
Timpolo wrote on 11/23/2007, 5:45 PM
I did check the video button and it says no device detected.

How do you hook up with Local Vegas users in your area? Is there a forum / website for that?
Chienworks wrote on 11/23/2007, 5:48 PM
http://www.vegasusers.com/whereareyou/

VidCap isn't good at seeing non-Firewire devices. However, your video card probabl ycame with some software that can capture video coming in the S-Video port. Use that to capture an AVI file, then use that file in Vegas.
Timpolo wrote on 11/23/2007, 6:09 PM
Thanks Chien for the link.

I have a Nvidia GeForce FX5200 Ultra and before i started this forum question i was looking in the software for my Video card and cannot find anything that activates the S-Video port on the card itself. I went to their website to see if there was a firmware upgrade and i seem to have the latest version. Would i want to look into a different video card?
Chienworks wrote on 11/23/2007, 7:17 PM
If you're thinking of obtaining new hardware, consider one of the Canopus converters that's been discussed above.
Timpolo wrote on 11/23/2007, 7:25 PM
Does Pinnacle make something similar to this?
Chienworks wrote on 11/23/2007, 8:18 PM
They used to. I'm not sure if they still do. However ... *

*My mom always taught me, if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all.
Timpolo wrote on 11/24/2007, 5:44 AM
Gotcha on the keeping your mouth silent. Well, i am going to have to see if my video card somehow will allow me to transfer through the S-Video cable. It would seem to me if it was manufactured with the S-Video port you'd be able to use it.
rs170a wrote on 11/24/2007, 5:55 AM
Do you own or have access to a miniDV camcorder that has the pass-through feature?
If so, connect your analog outs of your HI8 to the miniDV inputs and then firewire out to your computer.
No fooling around with trying to configure your capture card.

Mike
Timpolo wrote on 11/24/2007, 6:53 AM
I have a JVC that i purchased on ebay some time ago. I will have to check if there is a pass through feature. Was this feature pretty common on miniDV recorders? Is this a software feature OR some type of switch on the cam itself?

Thanks for all the help guys!!
Tee.
rs170a wrote on 11/24/2007, 8:37 AM
Was this feature pretty common on miniDV recorders?

It used to be a standard software feature on all (North American) camcorders.
Then the manufacturers, in their ongoing wisdom (yeah, right!!) disabled it on some models.
You have to read the manual to see if yours has it.

Mike
MarkWWW wrote on 11/24/2007, 9:34 AM
Are you absolutely sure that the S-Video connection you have is a Video In? The vast majority of FX5200 Ultras I've seen only have S-Video Out, not S-Video In.

If your card really does have S-Video In it should have been supplied with some capture software to use with it. If this capture software uses a sensible codec you should be able to capture with the supplies capture software and then edit in Vegas. How good the results will be will depend on the format(s) the capture apparatus allows you to use.

But in practice you will probably get better results using one of the Canopus converters that people have been recommending. I have a ADVC100 (an old model, now replaced by the ADVC110) which is fine, though a ADVC300 would be nicer.

Mark