OT: Not happy with ADS AV Link

JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/22/2003, 12:36 PM
I finally broke down and purchased the ADS AV Link so I could capture directly from Vegas but it seems to have a hard time capturing VHS tapes. (and that’s its sole purpose for me) I bought the API-550 Rev B version (I thought the Rev B fixed some audio sync problems that the Rev A had.) It looks just like the version pictured in Spot’s review (i.e., all black instead of black and silver). I bought it based on Spot’s review. Did I get a bad box?

I also own a Pinnacle Deluxe card and IMHO the Pinnacle Deluxe does a much better job with analog capture. Please don’t tell me to add an expensive TBC for tapes of marginal quality. I did several captures of this VHS tape that was recorded from cable TV and each time the ADS dropped frames (I’m talkin’ 35 frames at a time) at the exact same place. The Pinnacle Deluxe card captures the exact same section of the tape with no dropped frames at all.

I’m going to do more testing tonight. I just captured a 2-hour VHS camcorder tape with the Pinnacle Deluxe card last night and didn’t have a single dropped frame. I’m going to try the same on the ADS AV Link tonight and if it drops frames it’s going back to the store. It did come with drivers on a CD but I plugged it in and it worked fine. Should I be loading the drivers too? (I’m using Win XP Home)

Does anyone know if the Canopus ADVC-100 is better with capturing VHS tapes? These tapes are not marginal. They look perfect when viewed and capture perfect with the Pinnacle Deluxe card. Can the Canopus handle it or does it have the same problem. I’m gaining a new respect for Pinnacle’s hardware (although their software still leaves a lot to be desired)

~jr

Comments

Jsnkc wrote on 12/22/2003, 1:03 PM
We use the ADVC-50 to capture VHS all the time and they look great, I'm sure the ADVC-100 would give you the same results.
farss wrote on 12/22/2003, 2:48 PM
I bought one of the same ADS boxes and it will not reliably capture.
It will not drive the preview monitor from VV either without locking up.
SPOT made a superhuman effort helping me out with this box cause I bought it on the same basis as you did. Seems his tests were VCR to VCR, probably wroks fine that way. But anything else spells lockup.
I now see they've upped the firmware to Rev C.

Best advice I can give you is get your money back.

Anyways I now use the ADVC-300 to capture from VHS. Big plus over the ADVC-100 is TBC and seriously useful noise reduction plus you can tweak everything during capture and monitor the ouptuts from the proc amp via the A/V outputs as well as on the VV preview window.

BB take note: This box is why we need scopes on capture!
Spot|DSE wrote on 12/22/2003, 3:05 PM
The canopus 100 and the Bridge use the same chip....just a different codec.
The Canopus 300/500 have TBC built in, but use the same chip as well.
No drivers should be loaded with the bridge.
Contact ADS tech support, ask for Ivan or Boukee. Tell em' I sent you.
Both the pinnacle deluxe and the Canopus bump the luma a little, some folks like that, others don't. I like the 'look' of the canopus better, but it's not accurate to the tape.
I know I had one bad ADS box, the first one they sent me for testing had a switch problem, kept flopping in/out of firewire connect, but the picture has always been quite good.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/22/2003, 4:11 PM
Thanks Jsnkc, Farss & Spot, will do. I’ll let you know how I make out. I bought if from Circuit City so I have 14 days to return it. Perhaps ADS will swap it for a Rev C if they think that will fix it. Spot, I'll contact Ivan or Boukee. Thanks for the lead.

~jr
farss wrote on 12/22/2003, 4:30 PM
Keep us posted Johnny, kind of interested to hear how you go.
I've seen a few posts here from people having problems with the ADS A/V link. and VV. I'd really like this thing to work but so far haven't heard of anyone that's had it work right with VV.

If anyone does I'll expend some more effort on mine, I'll be getting some material on SP and the component input would be mighty handy.

SPOT, I know you've had one work fine doing tape to tape, have you tried one with the Rev B firmware driving the monitor or doing PTT from VV?
JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/23/2003, 4:13 PM
Just an update: I captured a 30-minute VHS tape from my camcorder last night and it had two dropouts. 35 frames each totaling 70 frames. I captured the exact same tape with the Pinnacle Deluxe card and it captured with no dropped frames. There was no visible reason for the dropped frames. The tape looked flawless and the Pinnacle card captured flawlessly.

I contacted ADS Tech by email because they don’t have an 800 number and I didn’t feel like calling California from NY and spending the afternoon racking up a phone bill that costs more than the hardware I purchased. (Next time I’ll add, “Do they have an 800 number?” to my checklist) They asked if I could capture from DVD so I captured 30 minutes of a DVD without a dropped frame. They then responded:

John,

Unfortunately I don’t have a few weeks for them to fix this. I got a good deal on it from CircuitCity for only $111 so it’s a shame it doesn’t work. I’m inclined to take it back to the store before my 14 day return policy expires but if they fix the problem a month from now I’ll never get a deal like that again.

BTW, I was able to output DV preview to my external monitor without any problem. No lock ups or anything. Just plugged my monitor into the AV outs and pressed the button in Vegas to output the preview window to DV. Worked like a charm.

~jr
farss wrote on 12/23/2003, 5:13 PM
John,
thanks for that last part. Mine as sure as hell will not even do that.
As there's no way I can return it I'll pull the thing apart to see if I can spot anything obvious. It could also be an issue that only shows up with PAL so I'll even render out some NTSC and see if that makes a diference. From memory mine works fine with the ULead package that comes with so very odd beahvior all round.

Now that I've got the ADVC-300 not much impetus to spend time on the ADS unit.

BTW there's an ADS forum over at COW.
DavidMcKnight wrote on 12/23/2003, 6:18 PM
I'm taking this even further OT, so I apologize up front for that. I'm just now getting into an external monitor, using a canon cam to go between the firewire card and the s-video input on the monitor. The one thing I notice is that any time there is a fade or transition between events, the quality of the picture on the monitor decreases while Vegas renders (I guess that's what is happening) and on the Vegas window at that moment is says something like Frame Recompression or Resampling.

So, after telling you all that, my question is when you are using the ads unit to drive the monitor, do transitions play in real time and full quality?

thanks,
David
farss wrote on 12/23/2003, 6:41 PM
What you use to drive the monitor will make no difference to what you're talking about. It's simply the amount of time VV takes to create the new frames. About all that will help is getting the CPU running faster.
vitalforces wrote on 12/23/2003, 8:57 PM
My subjective experience with both the Pyro and the ADVC100 is that the latter functions, for me, in a more consistently solid manner. I returned my Pyro and won't go back.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 12/31/2003, 7:51 PM
Just an update: I finally got around to calling Ivan as Spot suggested (thanks again Spot for giving me a lead) and he was very helpful. He thinks it’s a signal strength problem since I can capture from DVD’s just fine. He told me not to take the unit back and that he’d work with me on getting a resolution even if I have to send it back to ADS to get it fixed. I agreed and trust that he’ll make good on his word. I’d really like to see this device work reliably. It’s been working great for preview to an external monitor so that was a function I didn’t have before (without wearing out my camcorder). That means I can also output to VHS tape directly from the Vegas timeline, which I couldn’t do with the Pinnacle Deluxe card. So it has its advantages.

I’ll let you guys know if we find a solution. I’m going to try and get a video signal booster to boost the gain a bit. It’s just a theory but perhaps just a slight boost in signal might stabilize it. (or not) ;-)

~jr
tocsese wrote on 1/9/2004, 4:51 AM
I had the ADS link, piece of crap. After working with their Tech Support for numerous weeks, sending the unit back, getting another one that did not work, and waiting and waiting for a frameware update, I asked for a refund. TigerDirect would not give me that because it was over the 30 day mark. ADS, to their credit called TigerDirect and then TD called me about 5 days later. So, I was only out the money spent for shipping the replacement unit. The guy that authorized TD to accept the return was Albert Buntag.

I ended up buying a new SONY Dig Cam that allowed me to do analog to Digital pass through. Works GREAT! with Vegas, DRC TRV 350.

Good Luck
jetdv wrote on 1/9/2004, 6:35 AM
dmcknight,

This is normal. When external preview is turned on and your setting is something like "Preview (auto)", it will look blurry UNTIL it is rendered. That is to try to keep the framerate higher (I'm sure you'll notice the framerate is not full speed as well).

If you want to see full quality on the preview, set it to "Good (Full)" or "Best (Full)". However, the framerate is also likely to drop farther.