virtualdub not capturing from USB device

[hydra3333]

I just purchased a cheapie USB based analogue capture device (wanting to do VHS->avisynth cleanup->DVD), and now need recommendations on which lightweight program(s) to use to capture from it !

In the past I used the latest VirtualDub to capture VHS from an old WInfast-TV2000Expert PCI based card, but thought I'd go "more portable" by acquiring a USB based thingy... what could go wrong, I thought ?

I bought a GadgetGeek VHS DVD Maker from Dick Smith for AU$59, http://gadgetgeek.biz/vhs_dvdmaker.html Once the drivers were installed from the CD, it showed up in VirtualDub as "USB 2863 Device" (video) and "WDM 2863 Audio" (audio).

But for the life of me I can't get it to capture in VirtualDub - the capture screen flashes a couple of times and then gives the error "Unable to start video capture".

It came with software "Arcsoft ShowBiz DVD2" and "Media Converter" but I want to install any of that stuff, and instead want to stick with VirtualDub / Huffy / AVIsynth / HCenc. (ArcSoft wants to capture and on-the-fly compress to mpeg2 whereas I want to denoise, crop, adjust colour/lighting, etc, in AVIsynth).

I think I found a generic driver download for it at http://home.eeti.com.tw/web20/eg/download.html It's the one ending with "EMPAudio" - the top one labelled "WQHL" seems to install both video and audio and detects the device. Unfortunately it still has same problem with VirtualDub.

Can anyone please recommend how to capture from this device to a huffy avi ? eg
i) how to capture from it with VirtualDub
or
ii) how to capture from it using another lightweight capture program (which does not require an "install") ie which programs would you recommend ?

Thanks.

[Lynx Pardinus]

Try VirtualVCR.

[Ghitulescu]

I just purchased a cheapie USB based analogue capture device (wanting to do VHS->avisynth cleanup->DVD), and now need recommendations on which lightweight program(s) to use to capture from it !

You should have done this before buying that thing.
In the past I used the latest VirtualDub to capture VHS from an old WInfast-TV2000Expert PCI based card, but thought I'd go "more portable" by acquiring a USB based thingy... what could go wrong, I thought ?

Well, never change a working system ...
I bought a GadgetGeek VHS DVD Maker from Dick Smith for AU$59, http://gadgetgeek.biz/vhs_dvdmaker.html Once the drivers were installed from the CD, it showed up in VirtualDub as "USB 2863 Device" (video) and "WDM 2863 Audio" (audio).

But for the life of me I can't get it to capture in VirtualDub - the capture screen flashes a couple of times and then gives the error "Unable to start video capture".

It came with software "Arcsoft ShowBiz DVD2" and "Media Converter" but I want to install any of that stuff, and instead want to stick with VirtualDub / Huffy / AVIsynth / HCenc. (ArcSoft wants to capture and on-the-fly compress to mpeg2 whereas I want to denoise, crop, adjust colour/lighting, etc, in AVIsynth).

See my first paragraph - for such devices it's always the best to use the software provided, since it's usually a custom taylored solution.
Can anyone please recommend how to capture from this device to a huffy avi ? eg
i) how to capture from it with VirtualDub
or
ii) how to capture from it using another lightweight capture program (which does not require an "install") ie which programs would you recommend ?

Well, sell it to eBay and find a real good one, since the analog is outmodded you'll sure find profi cards at 20€ or so ...
I know I could say use that or that, but I would lie to you, and soon you'll realize that yourself. So spare your energy for a better goal and think you drank that money (if it helps). Go on eBay or whatever and hunt for a real capture card - you have internet therefore you have google, spend some hours before shopping ... or use the Leadtek, it's not that bad and it appears to be supported by VDub&Co.

[hydra3333]

... and think you drank that money (if it helps). That does help :)

Anyway, I'm swapping computers around (some PCI based, some PCIE) hence consideration of the USB path for more portability. The arcsoft s/w provided with this thing didn't give the file type I needed, hence the enquiry here.

I did look on the web at the locally-available USB dongle things and none of the sites I saw told me jack about their product's compatibility with things like vdub nor capability to capture to avi with huffy or the like. The manufacturer never responded to an email.

Seems like (expensive) trial and error to get any compatibility right with any of these things.

[Ghitulescu]

The arcsoft s/w provided with this thing didn't give the file type I needed, hence the enquiry here.

I did look on the web at the locally-available USB dongle things and none of the sites I saw told me jack about their product's compatibility with things like vdub nor capability to capture to avi with huffy or the like. The manufacturer never responded to an email.
The manufacturer is in reality some OEM Chinese firm that sells the same thing to many distributors. They (both of them) don't care about customer needs or satisfaction, the Chinese because the customer never reach them, the distributors because they went "hunting" for customers by advertising and price ... And VDub & Co. are known only by the enthusiasts, and even if, there are also internal policies (in case they also sell a capturing software ;)).
Seems like (expensive) trial and error to get any compatibility right with any of these things.

Don't spend more in the wrong end, there are also good cards in PCIx or USB (also Firewire).

[hydra3333]

Traced the problem to the audio driver of the device. Vdub successfully captures video if a different audio source is selected, so need to capture audio via another route (line-in) - however then sync issues ...

Care to suggest a good USB (or firewire) device ?

[Emulgator]

I found my self spending some on Canopus ADVC-300 after going though some cheapies around 50.-€
and not so cheapies around 350.-€.

BTW, Canopus ADVC-50 (now ADVC-55) is enough for most needs, captures to DV-25 and cheaper too.

Further improving and so having to be more picky each day,
I will soon look for a solution to capture to DV50 or at least less compressed.
Even Canopus DV25 is showing compression flaws in noisy sources.

[Ghitulescu]

Traced the problem to the audio driver of the device. Vdub successfully captures video if a different audio source is selected, so need to capture audio via another route (line-in) - however then sync issues ...

If the audio is driven by a secondary quartz, you'll have the same synch issues irrespective whether it's one card or two separate. To have them in synch you need a profi card that runs slaved to a clock-master or use software solutions (there's a vdub version that does it).
Care to suggest a good USB (or firewire) device ?
Well, Canopus was already suggested, then comes DAC (quite expensive), there's one FW box from Pinnacle/Dazzle (that also exists as an USB one - pick the FW version).

[hydra3333]

Thanks