AmaRecTV crashing when tape shows static?
This is a weird issue I haven't been able to find anyone else experiencing. I'm using AmaRecTV and a AverMedia CE310B to capture tapes from a standard consumer VCR. Everything works perfectly, except when a recorded tape ends and hits static, AmaRecTV immediately crashes. It's happening on multiple tapes. I'm not sure where the issue lies so I'm fishing here for suggestions. It's extra frustrating as I have to stop the recording right before it hits static or else burn my entire session, as the resulting file after the crash is unplayable. Also, VirtualDub isn't a solution as it gives me really bad dropped frames, causing my video and audio to be out of sync, whereas AmaRecTV has no issues with dropped frames or audio sync.
|
Quote:
AmaRecTV is starting to become irritating. VirtualDub doesn't cause dropped frames. If the video signal is bad (and a "bad signal" often includes visually "good video"), the capture card gets confused or overrun, and that's what causes drops. Nothing at the capture software level can change this. At most, it just dupes frames or ignores drops (disables reporting). So the question is this: Do you properly have TBCs in use? If not, that's your problem. Capture software does not, cannot, magically preclude the need for TBCs. AmaRecTV has bugs, regardless of how some folks insist it's perfect software. Far from it. VirtualDub can also have dropped frames reporting disable, if that's what you want to do. Go to the timing settings, untick the top 2 options. Tada! "No more dropped frames." :rolleyes: Now VirtualDub acts like AmaRecTV. It's the video capture equivalent of sticking your head in the sand, or closing your eyes and insisting others can't see you. It's just getting ridiculous lately. Most VirtualDub issues are caused by bad settings, such as the timing settings, or audio preview (a mix of OS and software settings). So, backup, and let's take a second look at VirtualDub (or 2). - card? - OS? - timing settings? - audio preview settings? |
However pedantic you want to be, my videos captured in VirtualDub had unsynced audio and choppy looking framerate, whereas the ones captured in AmaRecTV didn't. But now that I'm aware of those settings in VirtualDub, I'll just try that. I use an ES15 in place of a true TBC, but personally some dropped frames aren't important as long as the audio syncs. I'm not a serious archivist and the imperfections are part of the aesthetic charm of using VHS. Thanks for the heads up.
|
There's lots of settings.
If you want assistance, again: - card? - OS? - timing settings? - audio preview settings? ES10 is a strong+crippled line TBC with non-TBC frame sync. It's extremely minimalist, and facts affect it's success/fail rate. So I need to know more about the source tapes, and again brand/model capture card. Using low-end junk cards can contribute, especially Easycaps, and HDMI adapters (made for DVD players and video games, not VHS videotapes). I don't see how digital artifacts are aesthetics of VHS. And most people appreciate details, not insult it as "pedantic". Video isn't a task for those with impatience and short attention spans. |
Some workarounds you can do, Try to set AmarecTV to stop capture the moment it detects absence of VBI (meaning absence of frames), Try to see if there is a setting in the capture card driver to enable blue screen in the absence of frames, Also try VDUB with the right settings. Ultimatly you need a frame TBC that can provide a constant VBI signal regardless if the video signal is present or not. But more info is needed because it could be OS related, driver related or both.
|
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
However, AmarecTV is not better than VirtualDub for dropped/inserted frames, that depends on the tapes and the workflow. But when the drop/inserted frames happen or NOT happen, AmarecTV does a better job of synch. Period. Quote:
Follow latreche34 indications, check drivers/setting/etc. Follow the guide here: https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vid...html#post86872 Quote:
I am now sure you never used it or do not understand how to use it. In any case, I should avoid loosing my time answering your frequent nonsense and blah-blah without facts :( Readers may judge by themselves. |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I'm glad you found a capture solution that works for you. Unfortunately for many others, it just does not. I've been able to recreate more failures than successes. AmaRecTV is an option to investigate, but must be approached with caution. Same for OBS. There are unknown aspects to these software, and users have observe oddities or have problems. You appear to have fully vetted your captures, and made a conclusion that no issues exist. Great! :congrats: But others have done the same due diligence, and found concerning results. :( Some have outright obvious problems, no testing needed. But in this thread, it's a simple lack of TBCs in use. Captures halting on snow is what happens in that instance. The OP never replied to the questions asked to ascertain the issue, narrow it down. |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Ultimately it looks like my solution was to capture with a different VCR. I switched to a consumer JVC deck that displays blue screen instead of static when frames drop or the tape ends and the program doesn't crash anymore. There might be other settings in VirtualDUB that could mitigate the audio sync issues, but I don't feel like troubleshooting further when what I have going works for me. What the wider issue with the crashing was, I probably won't ever know, but I appreciate everyone's responses. |
Lack of constant signal caused this, aka lack of TBC. Also the cause of audio sync issues.
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
To support your wrong theory bring a fact, an experiement, a result. Even from others. You won't, and it will be your classic blah-blah. Quote:
Quote:
The crash for static must be a combination of card/OS/drivers/software. Do the capture in 2 steps (1 before the static starts) and one starting just before the end. You can debug easier and join the segments (the last will be few seconds) later. Good luck! P.S.: this was probably my last post here, so if you need additional help, join us on video forum ;) |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Somebody in another thread within past days reported oddities with the frame capture length, if if it was "in sync" (likely mere attenuation to cover up drops/dupes, an option in VirtualDub as well). Quote:
But in the past months alone, I've dealt with tens of people that had issue getting AmaRecTV to work for them. Hence my frustration in my first reply in this thread. In most cases, the person tries VirtualDub, and immediately gives up on it when it's not working out-of-the-box. They move on to AmaRecTV, and 9 times out of 10 the result isn't any different, or even worse (card not even seen by it). - Step one is to always go back to VirtualDub 1.9, adjust settings. - If fail, VirtualDub2 and variant settings. - If fail, then re-visit AmaRecTV, but it rarely gets to this stage. - If fail, then we're stuck with far lesser options, such as OBS or NLEs. - This assumes it doesn't have proprietary software needs, such as Blackmagic or Matrox. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
We've gotten along well for years, and I think your Avisynth work is excellent. But one disagreement, and you have to retreat to a "safe space"? Are people really becoming so fragile these days that any disagreement, any healthy debate, make them run away and hide? |
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Take for instance MediaExpress from BM (see attached), Input format is automatically detected no need to set that up, but can be manually selected, Output format follows the input format by default, There is a setting to stop capturing if frame drop is detected. There is also a setting to stop VCR playback if frame drop is detected, But this won't work with VCRs that don't have interface control such as VHS and Betamax, That's it, one tab, Too bad it works only with their devices and there is no HyffUYV or Lagarith. Quote:
https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/att...1&d=1683131416 |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
And again, I do not care that you don't understand, because my aesthetic values trump yours in my projects. And I'm not going to spend time trying to convince you of something that you're not going to understand, because we value different things, and that's OK. Quote:
|
Quote:
Youtube is a constant source of misinformation these days. And certain vocal folks on certain sites (and no, not lollo2) try to shout you down, and have even bigger temper tantrums when you don't agree with them. So forgive me if I came across aggressive in my first post here, but it does get tiresome reading or listening to the online drivel. Not you, not this site, not anybody here, but the BS that sometimes filters here. Quote:
Again, the problem with not having any form of TBC is that it's often not just "some dropped frames and sync issues", which is brush-off excuse to diminish the reality of the situation. Audio skew tends to be heavy, and dropped frames tends to be many. To the point where a scene can change, and people are still talking seconds later. Or so many frames dropped that the scene is completely obliterated. As an example, try walking, while slowly blinking your eyes. Good luck not bumping into something, or even tripping over your own feet. For the audio, put an earplug in one ear, and chew gum. That's essentially what happens at the video level. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I need to overhaul sanlyn's guide sometime, since he has disappeared (during Covid-19, with health issues, and I hope nothing bad happened to him). To help with capturing, I have to have a baseline of info, and then more questions continue from there. We'll solve it eventually. But again, it takes some patience. As far as TBC, "some form" of TBC is required. The further away you get from actual TBCs, the worse it gets. But even a minimalist ES10/15 is better than nothing. The OS comes into play. And the capture card does as well. There are "more resilient" cards, and "weak" cards, in terms of signal processing. Dropped frames (and thus audio skew) happens due to malformed video data intercept. Some cards intercept better, some fail immediately. But it's also heavily dependent on the VCR/camera in use, source tape format, recording mode, etc. There's not a single easy checklist. I actually tried to make one, but it was a flowchart that looks like a family tree of now back to George Washington and down again. Maybe I should try to tackle that again, but in a different (still unknown) presentation format. I'll guide folks to capture success, as I have for decades. But patience, cooperation. :2cents: |
Quote:
|
Site design, images and content © 2002-2024 The Digital FAQ, www.digitalFAQ.com
Forum Software by vBulletin · Copyright © 2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.