Unable to capture video from HDR-HC1 in Vegas

JasonATL wrote on 1/5/2006, 8:18 AM

I don't think it is necessarily a Sony Vegas Movie Studio problem. I have an HC1 and have captured hours of HDV through VMS.

I am assuming that you are starting by connecting the camera, starting VMS and then selecting Capture and capture HDV using VMS to start.

The one thing that I've noticed is that Vegas Movie Studio does not automatically connect to the camera. That is, you must manually click on the "preferences" in the capture area and connect to or load the device. There are two levels: IEEE-1394->HC1. After doing this you should see a "Device Stopped" message in the capture window. Then you can control the HC1 with the transport controls in the capture window.

I have once had to reboot my computer and start fresh in order to get VMS to re-recognize my camera. However, I don't blame this on VMS, since I had some other software running that I know causes other compatibility issues.

Mike Young wrote on 1/5/2006, 9:07 AM

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT. WHENEVER I TRY TO CONNECT, I GET A LARGE "DEVICE NOT AVAILAVLE" RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE BLUE WINDOW LOWER LEFT.
I HAVE ALSO TRIED 2 DIFFERENT IEEE-1394 CABLES, 1 GENERIC AND THE OTHER FROM MY OTHER SONY DV CAMCORDER.
PLEASE REPLY AS SONY HAS NOT.

Ptero wrote on 1/5/2006, 9:36 AM

I've seen the same problem with my TRV280. For some reason the capture app never remembers my camera, and I always have to select it from a dropdown before I can start capturing. The dropdown always shows two devices - my camera and some other thing (I don't remember offhand what the other thing is, and I'm not at home right now so I can't check). For some reason it never defaults to my camera and I have to switch it manually.

artone wrote on 1/5/2006, 1:48 PM

Did you try JasonATL's suggestion?

At the preference in the internal video capture application - Device tab - do you see the HC1 listed in the device? or is it grayed out?

Mike Young wrote on 1/6/2006, 7:14 PM

NOT EVEN LISTED
YOU ONLY SEE "NONE"
"IEEE 1394/MPEG2 - TSDEVICE"
THESE ARE THE ONLY 2 CHOICES
i THINK i AM GOING TO TRY TO UNINSTALL AND THEN INSTALL AGAIN!
ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED

Mike Young wrote on 1/6/2006, 7:18 PM

TRIED TO REBOOT WITH AND WITHOUT THE CAMCORDER ON.
ALSO TRIED TO CONNECT MY OLDER DV CAMCORDER, SAME, "DEVICE NOT AVAILABLE"
i AM GOING TO TRY TO REINSTALL PROGRAM AGAIN JUST IN CASE!!!

Mike Young wrote on 1/6/2006, 7:20 PM

I WOULD BE HAPPY IF I HAD THAT PROBLEM, ALL I WOULD HAVE TO DO IS JUST CHOOSE. VEGAS IS NOT RECOGNIZING EITHER CAMCORDER, DV OR HDR

Mike Young wrote on 1/7/2006, 2:55 AM

THIS MORNING, I UNINSTALLED VEGAS TWICE WITH ANTIVIRUS TURNED OFF AND STLL GETTING "DEVICE NOT AVAILABLE"
I HAVE ALSO TRIED 2 DIFFERENT CABLES IN 2 DIFFERENT FIREWIRE PORTS!
STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM SONY SUPPORT!!!!!

Pal wrote on 1/7/2006, 8:09 AM

My first question is, do you have service pack 2 installed? I didn't have sp2 when I first got my HC1 and it wouldn't recognize my camera either.
My second question is, when you try to capture with your old dv camera, are you using the internal or external application? For dv cameras you should use the external application.
If neither of those apply we'll just have to keep trying :-)

GerryLeacock wrote on 1/7/2006, 9:33 AM

Maybe it's because you have your CAPS LOCK stuck on. :)

Mike Young wrote on 1/8/2006, 4:39 AM

Yes, I have all the latest xp updates including Service pak2 and all the security updates.
I can capture dv using the external capture, but only windows capture works.
Any other suggestion would be appreciated.
Still have not heard from Sony!!!!

Mike Young wrote on 1/8/2006, 4:40 AM

No, no cap lock on!!

JasonATL wrote on 1/8/2006, 4:23 PM

Mike, please don't take the following as an offense -- I only mention it because it has plagued me (more than once, I'm sorry to say). Is your HC1 set to VCR mode on the power button? If it isn't, then Vegas (or anything else I think) won't see it as a controllable device. Actually, I think it might see it if it is set to camera, but I'm not totally sure -- I just know that to capture, it must be set to VCR. I mention this, since you've tried so many other approaches. Just shooting in the dark, here. Another possibility: is your HC1 output via IEEE set to "Auto" or "1080i" (as opposed to "480i"? I was under the mistaken impression that I could capture DV video from the HC1 from HDV content (i.e., have the HC1 downconvert). That is, I thought I could get the HC1 to output HDV content as DV 480i content just by setting the HC1 to output 480i. However, when I tried it, it wouldn't work at all.

Here's what I would try (and what works for me):
Reboot the computer
Start Vegas Movie Studio
Plug in the IEEE1394 cable between PC and HC1
Turn the HC1 on (to VCR)
Select Capturein VMS
Go to load the device and select the HC1

I'm afraid that if this doesn't work, you might indeed need to talk to Sony (either software or camcorder support).

Mike Young wrote on 1/8/2006, 7:24 PM

EVERY SUGGESTION CAN HELP AND IS APPRECIATED. YUP, CAMERA SET TO VCR MODE BUT NO HC1 OPTION OR CHOICE IN VEGAS UNDER CAPTURE OR DEVICES!! WILL CHECK AND TRY 480I NEXT. REMEMBER PINNACLE DO CAPTURE FROM THE SAME HDR-HC1. RIGHT NOW, VEGAS DOES NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE THE OLDER DV CAMCORDER.
STILL NO REPLAY FROM SONY!! THAT WORRIES ME!!!!

ericlast wrote on 1/8/2006, 7:44 PM

I'm not claiming to be an expert...but...have you tried to capture to a 3rd party capture utility like WinDV? I know you said in your original post that you could capture to Pinnacle studio (not that you'd really want to!). I've come to love WinDV for its simplicity for what it does...just capture video from my 'corder to the computer. The files capture as .avi files that you then just open up and edit in VMS.

allyn wrote on 1/8/2006, 8:46 PM

i have no idea if this will help.

when i recently installed SP2, i was going through the windows firewall configuration (in the control panel), and in the advanced tab, it was showing that the windows firewall was enabled by default for all of the 1394 ports in my machine. i knew i didn't want that so i disabled it.

but i haven't tried capturing since then so i have no idea if that would have been causing any problems. perhaps that only applied when using 1394 for networking (does anybody really do that?)

Pal wrote on 1/8/2006, 10:54 PM

"I can capture dv using the external capture, but only windows capture works."
"RIGHT NOW, VEGAS DOES NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE THE OLDER DV CAMCORDER."

Those two statements you made earlier confuse me a little bit. If it's not just a HC1 problem but an overall capture problem it makes a difference in what we're looking for. It also might encourage involvement by more experienced people that right now are thinking I know nothing about HDV or the HC1. I assume when you see the IEEE 1394/MPEG2 - TSDEVICE there is no arrow after it? I'm also curious what exactly you are doing and what is happening when you try to capture from your old DV camera?

artone wrote on 1/9/2006, 1:53 AM

Question 1: what video format did your Pinnacle capture from the HC1? .m2t or .avi?

Question 2: when you turn on your HC1 and windows recognize the device as? AVC Subunit or DV cam or?

IanG wrote on 1/9/2006, 2:09 AM

This link has some information that might be useful - it looks like you're not the only one with a problem!

BTW, Gerry's earlier post about the caps lock was a gentle joke - posting in all caps is considered shouting in most forums :-)

Ian G.

Mike Young wrote on 1/9/2006, 4:12 PM

Sorry, I have not tried WinDv. I had used Pinnacle for years with great success! Do not really want to get into a 3rd Video program. I am sure Vegas Premier will do everything I need it to do if I get it figured out.
Thanks for your imput!

Mike Young wrote on 1/9/2006, 4:32 PM

Those two statements you made earlier confuse me a little bit. If it's not just a HC1 problem but an overall capture problem it makes a difference in what we're looking for. It also might encourage involvement by more experienced people that right now are thinking I know nothing about HDV or the HC1. I assume when you see the IEEE 1394/MPEG2 - TSDEVICE there is no arrow after it? I'm also curious what exactly you are doing and what is happening when you try to capture from your old DV camera?

IT IS AN OVERALL CAPTURE PROBLEM. I DID NOT REALIZE IT BEFORE BECAUSE I AM USING MY NEW HDR-HC1 WHICH WAS TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE DCR-TRV20. IN TESTING I DISCOVERED I COULD ALSO NOT CAPTURE FROM THE OLDER DV.
NO THERE IS NO ARROW AFTER "IEEE 1394/MPEG2 - TSDEVICE "
JUST TO CLARIFY, FILE>CAPTURE VIDEO>USE INTERNAL VIDEO CAPTURE APPLICATION(HDV) - THE PREVIEW SCREEN AT THE LOWER LEFT SAYS "NO DEVICE SELECTED". AFTER YOU CHOOSE IEEE 1394/MPEG2 IN THE DROP DOWN BOX TO THE RIGHT OF THE PREFS TAB LOWER LEFT THE PREVIEW SCREEN NOW SAYS "DEVICE NOT AVAILABLE"
LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIGURE SOMETHING FROM ALL THIS!!
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE IMPUT

Mike Young wrote on 1/9/2006, 4:42 PM

i have no idea if this will help.

when i recently installed SP2, i was going through the windows firewall configuration (in the control panel), and in the advanced tab, it was showing that the windows firewall was enabled by default for all of the 1394 ports in my machine. i knew i didn't want that so i disabled it.

but i haven't tried capturing since then so i have no idea if that would have been causing any problems. perhaps that only applied when using 1394 for networking (does anybody really do that?)

REALLY NICE TRY! STILL NOT ABLE TO CAPTURE AFTER UNCHECKING ALL 1394 PORTS. SENT A MESSAGE TO MY COMPUTER GURU TO FIND OUT WHY SP2 DISABLES ALL1394 PORTS
THANKS AGAIN

Mike Young wrote on 1/9/2006, 5:56 PM

Question 1: what video format did your Pinnacle capture from the HC1? .m2t or .avi?

Pinnacle captures in .avi

Question 2: when you turn on your HC1 and windows recognize the device as? AVC Subunit or DV cam or?

Well, you won't believe this. I just reconnected the HDR-HC1 and went through the same steps, and WHOLLA, Vegas recognizes it at long last. The problem is I don't know what the fix was! Works with both the Windows firewall enabled and disabled 1394 ports.

Mike Young wrote on 1/9/2006, 6:02 PM

This link has some information that might be useful - it looks like you're not the only one with a problem!

BTW, Gerry's earlier post about the caps lock was a gentle joke - posting in all caps is considered shouting in most forums :-)

Ian G.
Thanks a lot!! Really did not even catch on to Gerry's joke. As you can tell, I am new to posting and asking for help. The capture problem seems to be solved but I really don't know why. I cannot believe the response when Sony has not even bothered to reply!
The caps was just to show urgency and how desperate I was for help. Sorry if I offended anyone.
I will check out the link as I am sure there is something to learn.