ATI 600 USB capture with VirtualDub fails?
 

Hello video experts! I am trying to setup my capture workflow and have run into a problem with the ATI 600 USB Capture card. I am using a 64 bit Vista installation, and have installed (and re-installed) drivers for the ATI 600, but I am still getting the same issue when capturing (or viewing) with virtual dub. The video will play fine for a few seconds then completely corrupt. Its definitely not the video reaching the device, so something is off with the capture card. It was new in box as well. I have attached a sample video in case that helps. Any thoughts?

Lack of TBC.

What you see is anti-copy (copy protection), or false anti-copy. Macrovision, etc. Anti-copy is an artificial video error, and natural video errors can appear the same. Most devices will pick up the anti-copy flags. The TBC removes all signal imperfections, artificial or natural.

This isn't an error with the capture card. It's a signal issue.

Some cards "ignore" anti-copy, but the underlying signal errors will still usually cause capture issues. It will go from a violent error, to simply a visual problem. Lots of "copyright removers", for example (Grex, etc) will have leftover luma and chroma issues. Yes, no longer anti-copy signal to prevent copy/capture, but the signal is still lousy due to lack of TBC.

And frame TBC, not mere line TBC (not usually).

Ironically, flawed Cypress TBCs can cause similar problems, so don't buy any random TBC for a few dollars. That's why some units are cheap -- not helpful, nobody buys them (except sucker newbies that don't know any better ... yet).

Thank you Lordsmurf!
Ironically, I discounted that as a possibly because my Dazzle 100 had not had any (noticeable) issues with this tape, so I assumed it did not have Macrovision, so I was using it as a test tape for setup.
I think my plan now, since I have at most a handful of Macrovision tapes that I may need to capture, is to use the Dazzle 100 with those and accept whatever quality issues it gives. The VCR has a built in line TBC. The vast majority of my tapes are home recordings so I think I can live without a great macrovision solution.

ATI and Hauppauge have always been a wee more touchy than others at detections, but most cards have it.

Ironically, the Tevion version "clone" of ATI 600 USB has near-zero detection. Those cards are rarer, harder to find, but I have a pair, and sometimes have extras in the marketplace. It uses the generic eMPIA drivers, which may be related (or not, could just be lack of chipset instructions).

Nothing really "ignores" anti-copy, it just doesn't have any info on it. Few companies could sell cards in North America or Europe, and get away with that. Companies that tried, like Canopus, were forced to address it.

Dazzle detections may be weaker. Then again, that card is overall not great, may also lack info on signal processing (good and bad).

If I recall correctly, there were something like 3 generations of Macrovision? No idea which this tape has, but it may have been an older version which was comparatively simple hence the ATI vs Dazzle result here. I was originally going to use the Dazzle 100 for all tapes, fortunately your advice squared me on that and I grabbed the ATI card instead.

Also more than just Macrovision. Some were nastier, some were quaint and amusing attempts.