Dropped Frames with green AV Toolbox AVT-8710?

[KhAoS182]

Hello forum! Just added to my workflow this Frame TBC and I'm getting some dropped frames every 10/20/30 minutes...

When I captured without the Frame TBC, I didn't have any dropped frrames, but now I have.

VHS Tape > JVC HR-S7722EU > Green AV Toolbox AVT-8710 > ATI TV Wonder HD 600 USB > Windows XP > VirtualDub 1.9.11 > .avi (HuffYUV)

This is my timing settings:

09 - Timing.PNG

[lordsmurf]

Uncheck "use audio time stamps"
Check "disable time stamps"

To other future readers: This advice is for the actual ATO 600 USB card only (not clones), using XP
In general, do not do this.

Also check the main capture window settings, lower right, PAL = 25 fps, audio 48 kHz

Regarding the TBC, the green AVT-8710 had early/mid/late generations. Almost all are early gen, with very few mid and late, before production ceased in 2008. The mid can act screwy, and the late more screwy (shares a few components with the black units). The late are likely AVT/Cypress factory refurbs with parts swapped. Shady eBay sellers have also been swapping black boards into green cases for several years now, so beware.

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Uncheck "use audio time stamps"
Check "disable time stamps"

To other future readers: This advice is for the actual ATO 600 USB card only (not clones), using XP
In general, do not do this.

Also check the main capture window settings, lower right, PAL = 25 fps, audio 48 kHz

Regarding the TBC, the green AVT-8710 had early/mid/late generations. Almost all are early gen, with very few mid and late, before production ceased in 2008. The mid can act screwy, and the late more screwy (shares a few components with the black units). The late are likely AVT/Cypress factory refurbs with parts swapped. Shady eBay sellers have also been swapping black boards into green cases for several years now, so beware.

Thanks lordsmurf, I will try now.

In timing settings, what is best? Automatic o Fixed in audio latency determination?

This is my Green AVT-8710 board, it's all correct?

IMG_7366.jpg

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[timtape]

I'm an electronics technician. I'm not saying this is causing the specific problem you mentioned but over time the circled SMD capacitors commonly weaken and then fail, not only in this device but in all sorts of modern electronic devices. It might be worth asking a competent electronics tech to quickly test the SMD caps with a suitable ESR meter. It should take them only a few minutes.

Some of these TBC's can also temporarily let go due to the device getting too hot especially if in a hottish environment. With my blue colored model I drilled more ventilation holes which seems to have helped keep things cooler.

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timtape

I'm an electronics technician. I'm not saying this is causing the specific problem you mentioned but over time the circled SMD capacitors commonly weaken and then fail, not only in this device but in all sorts of modern electronic devices. It might be worth asking a competent electronics tech to quickly test the SMD caps with a suitable ESR meter. It should take them only a few minutes.

Some of these TBC's can also temporarily let go due to the device getting too hot especially if in a hottish environment. With my blue colored model I drilled more ventilation holes which seems to have helped keep things cooler.

When I change the timing settings I get 0 dropped frames but A/V isn't sync. So it can be the capacitors?

[lordsmurf]

What happens when you capture without audio preview? Is captured audio still out of sync?

Are you monitoring drops?
When does it happen?
In bursts, or a steady drop, maybe even at an interval?

Your green unit looks fine, I like what I see. It's probably functioning fine too. Just give it "off time" every 6 hours or less. Don't push it, overheat. That's when things go sideways with these.

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

What happens when you capture without audio preview? Is captured audio still out of sync?

Are you monitoring drops?
When does it happen?
In bursts, or a steady drop, maybe even at an interval?

Your green unit looks fine, I like what I see. It's probably functioning fine too. Just give it "off time" every 6 hours or less. Don't push it, overheat. That's when things go sideways with these.

Audio preview you mean audio playback on?

Yes, I'm monitoring the drops.
Normal I see the video but nothing special happens.

[timtape]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KhAoS182

When I change the timing settings I get 0 dropped frames but A/V isn't sync. So it can be the capacitors?

I don't know. Again these capacitors commonly fail, leading to various problems, not just one, as each capacitor has a different task in the circuit and having them checked regardless is a no brainer in my experience. My own unit started playing up a few years ago. Only one or two capacitors measured below spec, the others fine. I replaced only those two and it fixed the problem. But I expect the others will follow and fail sooner or later. Note that a cap can fail with little or no visible indication.

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timtape

I don't know. Again these capacitors commonly fail, leading to various problems, not just one, as each capacitor has a different task in the circuit and having them checked regardless is a no brainer in my experience. My own unit started playing up a few years ago. Only one or two capacitors measured below spec, the others fine. I replaced only those two and it fixed the problem. But I expect the others will follow and fail sooner or later. Note that a cap can fail with little or no visible indication.

What problem you had with your Green AVT?

[timtape]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KhAoS182

What problem you had with your Green AVT?

It's blue. I don't remember. I didn't consider it important that I remember the particular picture problem. Replacing the measured faulty cap(s) fixed the problem whatever it was which is all I cared about. I knew that each cap has a vital role to play in the function ing if the TBC. I didn't need to understand exactly what role each cap played. It was now working again like new. Hope this helps.

[KhAoS182]

@lordsmurf I tried a lot of settings in timing but nothing...

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

What happens when you capture without audio preview? Is captured audio still out of sync?

Are you monitoring drops?
When does it happen?
In bursts, or a steady drop, maybe even at an interval?

Your green unit looks fine, I like what I see. It's probably functioning fine too. Just give it "off time" every 6 hours or less. Don't push it, overheat. That's when things go sideways with these.

I tried a lot of setting in timing but nothing

[mbassiouny]

There is one setting that helps a lot with dropped frames in my case,

In the capture mode, capture > Disk I/O and I always need to increase the default values.

I use something like Chunk size 8MB, and and chunks in buffer 20 or 32. Without this I usually drop frames with any card ATI, Hauppauge, pinnacle (the rate of frames dropped vary from a card to another), regardless of tbc existence in the chain.

Doing what I suggested solves the issue for all my cards.

[latreche34]

Try another capture software just to see if you have a bad hardware or just software settings.

[traal]

I recently noticed that capturing a laserdisc takes more CPU than capturing a VHS tape. I wonder if adding in the TBC increased the burden on your CPU just enough to cause a frame to drop every now and then.

[latreche34]

TBC adds no extra data for the CPU to be burdened, Same frame rate, same video data, same audio.

[traal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

TBC adds no extra data...same video data...

My TBC visibly changes the video data.

[latreche34]

Unless the proc amp is altered or its components aged, it should be transparent. But that has no effect on the CPU.

[traal]

If we were talking about capturing to an uncompressed format then I would agree, but HuffYUV's compression efficiency is based on content so at least the I/O load is variable, and I think it's likely that the CPU load is also variable.

[KhAoS182]

I tried all, not success for now