Gray screen in FCE when capturing VHS

[Mattaut]

I'm trying to convert VHS tapes to DVD using FCE, a Sony DCR-VX2000, and a small old tv with a vcr built in. I have the TV connected to the camera with A/V cables and I'm going out of the camera with a DV cable. So I get FCE ready to capture and I press play on the TV then I press the capture now button and the camera automatically starts playing, but all I'm getting on both the camera and in FCE is a gray screen while the video is playing on the TV. Can anybody help me out with this?

 

[spinnerlys]

That's because the VX2000 as no video inputs except DV (i.Link, Firewire, IEEE 1394). The ports you use, are for video output.

This might help you.
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/int/mainmenu/products/Accessories/Video-Capture/product1.en.html

 

[Mattaut]

Thanks for a quick reply but I don't think that's the problem. In the part of the VX2000 manual that shows how to convert an analog signal to a PC it says to connect the VCR to the camera using A/V and then connect the camera to the computer using DV. If I had to guess I would think that my problem is somewhere in the computer/FCE part of the signal flow, though I'm not sure.

 

[spinnerlys]

Thanks for a quick reply but I don't think that's the problem. In the part of the VX2000 manual that shows how to convert an analog signal to a PC it says to connect the VCR to the camera using A/V and then connect the camera to the computer using DV. If I had to guess I would think that my problem is somewhere in the computer/FCE part of the signal flow, though I'm not sure.

I haven't used the VX2000 in several years now, so I don't know the menu layout that good.

But does the manual say anything about enabling the video input on those ports? Do you see the video on the VX2000 display? What is your camera set to? Is DV-OUT enabled?

And what do you mean by "the camera starts playing"? There is no tape in it, is there? Can you capture to tape first and then capture the miniDV tape?

 

[Mattaut]

But does the manual say anything about enabling the video input on those ports?
Is DV-OUT enabled?

There is an A/V->DV OUT setting that I have switched to On.

Do you see the video on the VX2000 display?

Nope, just gray screen.

What is your camera set to??

Are you asking whether it's on VCR or Camera? I have it on VCR.

And what do you mean by "the camera starts playing"??

When I hit Capture Now in FCE it tells the camera to automatically start playing.

There is no tape in it, is there?

Hmm, yeah there was a blank tape in there so I took it out and tried again. Now the FCE capture screen is black and at the bottom it says-
Waiting for Timecode.
Device must be in VTR mode when Device Control is enabled.

And the camera display is just blue and not playing or anything.

Can you capture to tape first and then capture the miniDV tape?

I tried this and I can't get the video to appear on the camera. I just get blue screen.




Just FYI- I put a DV tape in the camera that already has stuff recorded on it and I turned AV->DV OUT to Off and switched the TV to Aux and was able to watch the footage on the TV.

 

[LethalWolfe]

If the VHS tapes are copy protected you won't be able to record them. If you change your capture settings to "non-controllable device" you won't get the "waiting for TC" message.


Lethal