Help
Posted 08 September 2005 - 09:08 PM
I have a Sony video Hi8 camera and a computer system running Windows XP. I have an All-In-Wonder 128 Plus video card. I can not record the video signal from this camera. (I can record the sound but not the video.) I am told that I need to download "The Codecs". I know nothing about Codecs except what I have read here in the past few minutes. Most of the codecs here seem to be designed to enable the playback of a video or music. I want to record. (I am able to record from this camera with other computers running XP, so I believe I am connecting the hardware correctly.
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Want to record video from Sony Hi8 camera
#2 Guest_Jim Pivonka_*
Posted 09 September 2005 - 02:23 AM
How are you told you need to download the codecs. By an error message? By an authoritative Sony customer service person? By a friend talking through their hat?
What happens when you attempt to record on this XP machine? How does it act and look that is different than when you successfully record on other machines? Any messages? If you get messages, what program appears to be originating them?
What format are you successfully recording in, on the other machines? (mpg, avi, etc. would be "format" in this context.)
What format does your Sony documentation indicate is the "native" recording format for your camera?
Are you using a Sony program installed on your machine to attempt the recording, or some third party program. Is it the same as on the other machines you refer to?
Kind of hard to guess what the issue is, knowing nothing about your circumstances there.
What happens when you attempt to record on this XP machine? How does it act and look that is different than when you successfully record on other machines? Any messages? If you get messages, what program appears to be originating them?
What format are you successfully recording in, on the other machines? (mpg, avi, etc. would be "format" in this context.)
What format does your Sony documentation indicate is the "native" recording format for your camera?
Are you using a Sony program installed on your machine to attempt the recording, or some third party program. Is it the same as on the other machines you refer to?
Kind of hard to guess what the issue is, knowing nothing about your circumstances there.
#3 Guest_Dixie_*
Posted 11 September 2005 - 02:49 PM
My answers follow your questions
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QUOTE(Jim Pivonka @ Sep 8 2005, 08:23 PM)
How are you told you need to download the codecs. By an error message? By an authoritative Sony customer service person? By a friend talking through their hat?
*I was told this by PC Parts and Service where I bought the computer and the All-In_Wonder 128 Plus board when I tried to return the board because I could not make it work. Ok, so I may have been had. The reason I thought this might be true information is my computer has about 5 codec files and the computer that works has about a zillion. (Searched C: drives for "codec").
What happens when you attempt to record on this XP machine? How does it act and look that is different than when you successfully record on other machines? Any messages? If you get messages, what program appears to be originating them?
*I am trying to record with Windows Media Maker. Everything acts the same with this PC as it does with the PC that actually works. A .wmv file is created with both PCs except with mine the file is empty, File size=0 KB. I receive no messages.
What format are you successfully recording in, on the other machines? (mpg, avi, etc. would be "format" in this context.)
* File type is .wmv
What format does your Sony documentation indicate is the "native" recording format for your camera?
* I have read the Sony Manual. It does not indicate a "native" recording format.
The camera is a video HI8 CCD-TRV/TRV 82NTSC
Are you using a Sony program installed on your machine to attempt the recording, or some third party program. Is it the same as on the other machines you refer to?
*This is an old Video Camera Recorder. It did not come with software. I would not even be trying this if I had not seen it work on the other computer. The .wmv files created by the other computer will not play properly on mine. When I open them with windows media play I do not get a message but only the sound plays. When I try to import the .wmv files created on the other computer into my Windows Movie Maker I get the following message which appears to be generated by the Windows Movie Maker program: "The file can not be imported. Make sure that it is a valid type and the contents have not been courrupted." This exact file plays on the other computer with Windows Media Player and can be imported into the Windows Media Maker on the other computer. My computer plays the demo .wmv files that came with the computer and the .wmv files made by (I think but am not sure) an old Nicon Cool Pic Camera. One difference I see between the computers is I am running version 8.00.00.4477 of Windows Media player and the other computer is running version 10.????.
*Obviously, I should simply logon to Microsoft and download the updated versions of Windows Media player etc. But this is a special computer I use for photo manipulation. For fear of viruses I have never connected this computer to the internet and I have never installed software that did not come from a CD from a major software company or that I created myself. I have honestly thousands of digital photographs stored on this computer; most are backed up onto CD as they were created or modified but if my system were courrupted I would lose my organization. I am in the process of creating a photo database that can be backed up. Bottom line: at this time I am not prepared to connect to the internet.
Kind of hard to guess what the issue is, knowing nothing about your circumstances there.
*Thanks, any leads will help. I do not want to replace the entire system right now, but I am willing to spend a little money buying replacement hardware or software. I hate to buy another video board because this is the second board I have installed to correct video problems.
*I was told this by PC Parts and Service where I bought the computer and the All-In_Wonder 128 Plus board when I tried to return the board because I could not make it work. Ok, so I may have been had. The reason I thought this might be true information is my computer has about 5 codec files and the computer that works has about a zillion. (Searched C: drives for "codec").
What happens when you attempt to record on this XP machine? How does it act and look that is different than when you successfully record on other machines? Any messages? If you get messages, what program appears to be originating them?
*I am trying to record with Windows Media Maker. Everything acts the same with this PC as it does with the PC that actually works. A .wmv file is created with both PCs except with mine the file is empty, File size=0 KB. I receive no messages.
What format are you successfully recording in, on the other machines? (mpg, avi, etc. would be "format" in this context.)
* File type is .wmv
What format does your Sony documentation indicate is the "native" recording format for your camera?
* I have read the Sony Manual. It does not indicate a "native" recording format.
The camera is a video HI8 CCD-TRV/TRV 82NTSC
Are you using a Sony program installed on your machine to attempt the recording, or some third party program. Is it the same as on the other machines you refer to?
*This is an old Video Camera Recorder. It did not come with software. I would not even be trying this if I had not seen it work on the other computer. The .wmv files created by the other computer will not play properly on mine. When I open them with windows media play I do not get a message but only the sound plays. When I try to import the .wmv files created on the other computer into my Windows Movie Maker I get the following message which appears to be generated by the Windows Movie Maker program: "The file can not be imported. Make sure that it is a valid type and the contents have not been courrupted." This exact file plays on the other computer with Windows Media Player and can be imported into the Windows Media Maker on the other computer. My computer plays the demo .wmv files that came with the computer and the .wmv files made by (I think but am not sure) an old Nicon Cool Pic Camera. One difference I see between the computers is I am running version 8.00.00.4477 of Windows Media player and the other computer is running version 10.????.
*Obviously, I should simply logon to Microsoft and download the updated versions of Windows Media player etc. But this is a special computer I use for photo manipulation. For fear of viruses I have never connected this computer to the internet and I have never installed software that did not come from a CD from a major software company or that I created myself. I have honestly thousands of digital photographs stored on this computer; most are backed up onto CD as they were created or modified but if my system were courrupted I would lose my organization. I am in the process of creating a photo database that can be backed up. Bottom line: at this time I am not prepared to connect to the internet.
Kind of hard to guess what the issue is, knowing nothing about your circumstances there.
*Thanks, any leads will help. I do not want to replace the entire system right now, but I am willing to spend a little money buying replacement hardware or software. I hate to buy another video board because this is the second board I have installed to correct video problems.
#4 Guest_Jim Pivonka_*
Posted 11 September 2005 - 06:51 PM
I think you see the likely core of the problem, yourself. There appears to be some discrepancy between the codec suite available on the Windows Media Player 10 machine and that on your WMP 8 machine. That discrepancy's effect appears to be centered on the .wmv file type in this case, and to prevent the import of the Sony camera's media into the Windows Media Maker program, as .wmv files. It does not seem to have the same effect on what you think are Nikon Cool Pic camera originated files.
Understand that I am absolutely not an expert on media, and am here to learn, so my comments are only suggesions for consideration, based on experience with other aspects of the Wintel environment. I really hope that moderators and others more expert than I read my comments carefully and critically, and post exceptions and cautions if I go astray.
First, I believe you are absolutely correct not to attach your machine to the internet, if it has not previously been attached. You are running naked, without many critical updates that would have been installed from the internet. Some of those updates are necessary to prevent virtually instaneous infections by internet worms which are constantly broadcasting "feelers" to identify unprotected machines so they can be infected. There are ways around this (a free firewall such as Zone Alarm will do the trick) but your way is working and adequate for now. And changing is decidedly non-trivial, and dicey considering the sensitivity of your situation.
It may be possible to identify a codec, or series of codecs, that is included with WMP10 that is compatible with WMP8. If so, it may be possible that the availability of the codecs would fix your problem. Others on this forum may know of such codecs off hand, I do not. I'll look though, and see what I can find. After all, I am here to learn, and that's a good way to do it.
In the meantime, it looks like your giving primary attention to disaster prevention and recovery is (as is often the case) a pretty good use of your time.
Understand that I am absolutely not an expert on media, and am here to learn, so my comments are only suggesions for consideration, based on experience with other aspects of the Wintel environment. I really hope that moderators and others more expert than I read my comments carefully and critically, and post exceptions and cautions if I go astray.
First, I believe you are absolutely correct not to attach your machine to the internet, if it has not previously been attached. You are running naked, without many critical updates that would have been installed from the internet. Some of those updates are necessary to prevent virtually instaneous infections by internet worms which are constantly broadcasting "feelers" to identify unprotected machines so they can be infected. There are ways around this (a free firewall such as Zone Alarm will do the trick) but your way is working and adequate for now. And changing is decidedly non-trivial, and dicey considering the sensitivity of your situation.
It may be possible to identify a codec, or series of codecs, that is included with WMP10 that is compatible with WMP8. If so, it may be possible that the availability of the codecs would fix your problem. Others on this forum may know of such codecs off hand, I do not. I'll look though, and see what I can find. After all, I am here to learn, and that's a good way to do it.
In the meantime, it looks like your giving primary attention to disaster prevention and recovery is (as is often the case) a pretty good use of your time.
#5 Guest_Mischcabob_*
Posted 11 September 2005 - 08:06 PM
That's part of conundrum... you have dated system running with WMP 8. You are kind of shooting yourself in the foot (so to speak) using old Camcorder. WINXP works well on newer hardware and needs latest updates to recognize older legacy stuff.
First generation WINXP comes with WMP8, but recommend getting latest windows media 9/10 codecs to capture and import movie files in Movie Maker. Windows media codecs:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...ecdownload.aspx
I suggest find a workaround since you are reluctant to access the internet by getting the latest WMP and Movie Maker on cd.
If you are worried about database backup, I suggest you get a routine backup to disc/external hard drive/tape in place. You can't be too careful! If you have a fear or unknowledgeable about d/l or installing stuff then I suggest you get the System/I.T administrator to help you.
If want to to do any serious editing, I would suggest Sony Vegas, Canopus or Pinnacle Studio (commercial 3rd party software) with your HandyCam (MovieMaker is quite simplistic/ with proprietary WMV format).
First generation WINXP comes with WMP8, but recommend getting latest windows media 9/10 codecs to capture and import movie files in Movie Maker. Windows media codecs:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...ecdownload.aspx
I suggest find a workaround since you are reluctant to access the internet by getting the latest WMP and Movie Maker on cd.
If you are worried about database backup, I suggest you get a routine backup to disc/external hard drive/tape in place. You can't be too careful! If you have a fear or unknowledgeable about d/l or installing stuff then I suggest you get the System/I.T administrator to help you.
If want to to do any serious editing, I would suggest Sony Vegas, Canopus or Pinnacle Studio (commercial 3rd party software) with your HandyCam (MovieMaker is quite simplistic/ with proprietary WMV format).
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