Video capturing...I'm so frustrated!!! Driver disappears!!

[dazedandconfuzed]

ARGHHHH!!!! I'm so frustrated!! I have a Dell desktop, running Windows XP SP3. I have an old video camera, the kind that records directly onto a full size VHS tape. I have the EasyCap Video Capture USB 2.0 and Ulead Video Studio 7. I used it last year and transferred a couple of tapes to my pc, then burned DVD's. I decided to finish transferring all of my tapes, but now I'm having a problem. I connected my video camera via the RCA plugs on the EasyCap, then connected the EasyCap to my pc via a usb port. When I open the movie wizard it shows the device in the list (Syntek STK1160). However, when I click on "Capture", the program starts, but the preview screen stays black. After 10 seconds it stops and I get a pop-up window that says "Either no video capture driver is installed in this system or no device is connected". When I go to Device Manager and click on imaging devices, Syntek isn't listed. I've unintsalled the program, then reinstalled.

After an internet search I found this on a MS website. Apparently this is what's happening:

Device Appears and Then Disappears After Installation
This usually occurs because of a misinterpretation of the Power Management features of the device itself. It most commonly occurs with camcorders that have been connected to the IEEE 1394 bus. Once the device's internal power management cycles the device's power, it disappears from Device Manager because it has been "removed." The only solution, if available, is to alter the power-down settings on the device itself. There is no option to do this in Windows.

We've had several family members pass, and I'm the only one that has them on video. Their children are asking me for copies of the tapes.

Does anyone here have any suggestions or "work-around"? Please??? Anyone???

Thanks in advance!

[lisajohn]

Check if you have windows installer and java installed.

[DavidGP]

Hi

Open the Ulead 7 software up and click File > Change Capture Plug-in and choose from the dropdown "ADS Instant DVD USB2 Capture Plug-in" (if listed) and click OK, then close and restart the software and try again but have the EasyCap and camera plugged in before you start the Ulead software.

Not always easy to fix are video camera connectivity issues, but what I would also try is as you plug in via USB the EasyCap is to open Device Manager up and in the Universial Serial Bus branch open it up and make a note of what devices are listed (screenshot will help remind you) then plug in the EasyCap and is a new device listed?

If it is then what you can do and this works for many USB devices that may at times not be recognised is to right click it and choose Uninstall, then reboot and install your software again, then plug in the EasyCap and hopefully Window will re-assign the device. Its just at times some USB device drivers become corrupt.

[dazedandconfuzed]

Thank you Davidgp. I tried all your suggestions, still had the problem. However...you did lead me in the right direction. There were some settings that needed to be changed in the Ulead program. I never would have figured it out without your help.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[DavidGP]

Hey Dazed

Cheers for the update and what did you need to change as it may help others to know?

Many thanks for the feedback and your resolution.

[dazedandconfuzed]

Cheers for the update and what did you need to change as it may help others to know?

No problem, DavidGP...

Using the Ulead 7 program, in the Capture Settings I selected "Options". I clicked on "Video and Audio Capture Property Settings". From the drop-down menus I changed the video from PAL to NTSC and the audio from Sigma Tel to USB Audio Interface.

Hopefully I have figured out how to transfer my VHS tapes to my PC, cut and delete the unwanted sections, save the movie files, copy to a DVD disk and upload clips to you tube!