Capture issue with DVX100b

C

cmcalister

New member
I have had my 100b for about 3 years now and probably about 9 months back the dv port burnt out. Since then, I have had a constant battle finding another capture device. I know I could probably spend $1500 on Panasonic's DV deck, but I don't have that kind of money. I recently bought a Canon Optura 50 and was able to capture several tapes, but soon enough I ran into the problem I face now...

When capturing with the Canon (in FCP 6) the audio and video are choppy. However, when I play it back on the 100b, everything flows smoothly and is fine. I cleaned the heads at about the 50 hr. mark, so I know that is not the problem. I am recording in 24p 16:9 w/ 16bit audio, if that has anything to do with it, which I don't think it does. I was under the impression that miniDV is miniDV and it will be captured all the same...

Hopefully this is enough information for some feedback.

Thanks.
 
Once it's on tape with miniDV it's all 1s and 0s and will transfer from any camera, no matter if you shot 24pA or squeeze.

Your FireWire connection could be loose. Try re-seating the cables, or try a different cable. Or it could be that the capture camera simply isn't holding up.

Though I don't know how your FW port on the DVX was fried, but the best bet is how you connect everything. Because a miniDV camera has a 4-pin connection and your computer has a 6-pin connection, you need to be careful about connection order. The best bet is to connect while everything is powered off, but if that is not an option at least be sure that the cable is in the camera before it is connected to the computer. Otherwise, you risk frying one or both ports.
 
C2V said:
Because a miniDV camera has a 4-pin connection and your computer has a 6-pin connection, you need to be careful about connection order. The best bet is to connect while everything is powered off, but if that is not an option at least be sure that the cable is in the camera before it is connected to the computer. Otherwise, you risk frying one or both ports.
Click to expand...
just because of that ....no way:violent5:
learned something new again.
 
The footage does not just do that during capture, but simply when I play it back on the Canon camera. However, I know it can't be the tapes because when I play it back on the 100b (even through the a TV set) everything flows smoothly. This leads me to believe it has something to do with the camera...
 
C2V said:
The best bet is to connect while everything is powered off, but if that is not an option at least be sure that the cable is in the camera before it is connected to the computer. Otherwise, you risk frying one or both ports.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that it's the other way around -- make sure the cable is connected to the PC first, then the camera.

The reasoning, as I understand it, is simple. The PC end of the cable has 6 pins, while the camera end has only 4. The other two pins carry power from the PC's firewire port, but the camera doesn't require that power. What this means is that on the PC end, there are 2 pins -- or rather, 2 holes -- that have power running to them.

What happens, from what I hear, is that if the cable is connected to the camera, and then the user tries to connect the PC end while the computer is powered up, the pins can brush against the powered pins on the computer end, which sends power through the cable to the camera, thus frying the camera's port.

That's the way I understood it. Am I wrong?
 
Thanks for all the firewire talk, but I already was aware of that. What I am asking is why would a miniDV tape (Sony to be specific) play back just fine in the DVX100 but not play in the Canon that I am using as a capturing device?
 
I bought it used, so I don't know the history of it. I cleaned the heads when I bought it, and have only used the Sony DVM60 tapes since then, which I believe are wet tapes.. So to my knowledge just those. Could it be an issue with the heads?
 
I'd complain to the guy who sold it to you.

And I'd also refrain from putting tapes into the DVX after they've been in the Cannon, just to be safe.
 
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I'll try to find a link but I read that all the tape manufactures use dry now, or at least Sony uses dry now.
 
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