PAL ---> NTSC issue

[fenberry]

Hi there!

Like many, I've only just received my own copy of the Easycap, and am having a unique problem I believe no-one else is. I have a UK Wii a UK Gamecube and a UK ps2. All of these work well in PAL ofcourse. I've connected up my Easycap, and I can record sound and video using windows movie maker without a problem for PAL. The problem is when I try and record my US and Japanese NTSC games. I can record sound without a problem, but the video I simply cannot.

I boot up the console as normal, then try and freeload over to ntsc, there is no picture. It's very odd. I am using windows XP (as vista doesn't seem to even begin to want to look at the Easycap install CD). Is there a driver which I need for the Easycap which can help in this pal-->ntsc conversion which I do with the freeloader...I bought my easycap hoping to upload some videos of my imported games to youtube - however by the looks of things I may have wasted my money and time. Can someone please help?  I'm almost at my wits end...


I've played around with some of the settings, and the only things I've been able to see in windows movie maker (I've tried with Debut video capture and also virtualdub as well - still no luck) are that the different formats of PAL_B --> PAL_F only pick up the signal when the consoles are loading up - then when I change the settings as the ntsc formats are playing, the NTSC M and NTSC M_J and PAL_M all say they have a signal - but there is no picture at all (just a black window). I'm curious about the conversion between the two, since I've tried it with only the easycap plugged directly into the game consoles, also trying with the y-splitters I have - and even the TV out RCA plugs I have on my tv - all without any success. Any light you might have would be deeply and sincerely appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Liam

[EZ-Fan!]

The problem is when I try and record my US and Japanese NTSC games. I can record sound without a problem, but the video I simply cannot.

Are you playing these imported games on imported consoles? Or are your consoles chip'd or altered in some manner?

 

[fenberry]

Thank you for the reply.

To explain this a little better (as I know after re-reading my own post probably doesn't make much sense) -

I own a PAL Gamecube, PS2 and Wii. All of my consoles are PAL, and ofcourse I have a number of PAL games to play on them, without a problem. I can capture these PAL games with good sound, reasonable quality and everything works wonderfully.

Unfortunately, the main reason I got the easycap in the first place was the fact that I want to be able to record myself (directly from the TV, since I don't have a Camcorder) playing all the imported Japanese games which I have for my consoles. These games are all (bar 1... One Piece Grand Adventure for the Gamecube is NTSC-US) are in NTSC-Japan.

My issue is, that when I use my Freeloader to play the games on each of the PAL consoles, I am only able to get sound. That is, I use a PAL console to play an NTSC game, and the video format doesn't seem to reach the Easycap properly. I have thoroughly tested with this a number of different settings on Windows Movie Maker (as I am unable to get the ulead software to install properly) on both my Vista and Windows XP laptops, so I don't believe it to be a computer based problem. The only possible I can get any sort of picture (and it's still a very unusual scrambled image all in black and white, frozen on the frame which the Easycap seemed to get a signal for that instant) is if I rapidly try and unplug and replug the video (yellow) RCA cable from my console to the y splitters I have.

I believe, after trying to think logically, that I am unable to get any picture out of this because of the fact that the PAL console is trying to run an NTSC format game - due to the freeloader this can be played, but because the frequency isn't quite right, it never reaches my easycap in any proper form.

As of this evening, I have been able to get my hands on a NTSC--> PAL booster off ebay, hoping that this can somehow correct the incorrect frequency, as I believe that if I can get the easycap to eventually see a PAL signal, as it's coming from a PAL console in the first place, I may be able to correct this issue. I have yet to fully try this out though. I will post my findings regardless, just in case someone else has a similar issue....

I'm very sorry for not explaining this problem properly, and I feel very foolish for making you wait this long for a response.

I know that I am probably the only one who has had this issue, so I imagine that I have to be creative if I am solve this - however any further light that anyone can shed on this would be most appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Liam

[EZ-Fan!]

Freeloader is software that allows an NTSC game to be played on a PAL console, the console should still be outputting a PAL signal of some sort, I don't think that a converter will help but I would be interested to know how this problem works out!

BTW, what model is your EasyCap? Click here to check.

Also, what OS version are you using? XP-SP3 or Vista 64-bit for instance.

[fenberry]

Thank you again for the reply. I've been going spare about this for a little while, though I'm happy to work through it as long as I can get it working - Thank you!

I believe it's this one - http://www.szforwardvideo.com/product/Pro_7_6.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=250343254998 This was what I bought - so I'm assuming it is the EzCAP108...

I have had a check (I will try and upload the results on youtube tonight) this morning, and unfortunately it still doesn't give sound. I'm running on Win XP service Pack 3 - I have yet to try vista 64bit, but last time I tried this didn't work either, and the ulead software never installed properly - nor does it load or even start up on XP (SP3).

I've tested this though, (focusing on my wii at the moment - which really is my primary concern) changing over to 50HZ from the Wii menu seems to work flawlessly (the Wii menu when you first turn the console on does anyway) with good sound and proper colour - until i try and load an NTSC game.

After this (and also after trying my NTSC--PAL booster) , regardless of trying the NTSC versions on windows movie maker (NTSC M and NTSC J), and every version of PAL B through to N, the only thing I get is just a static image which refreshes roughly every 60 seconds or so - though sound comes in nicely.

When I'm playing an NTSC game on any of my consoles, it seems that the device drivers for the Easycap seem to detect this as either NTSC M or NTSC J, or PAL M...I have also attempted to adjust settings for framerate up to 30fps  - to no avail.

Do you have any extra thoughts? Does the Easycap108 display or can record in 60hz? Or just in 50Hz...I'm even considering getting something like an Adaptec Game Bridge - which I've heard is fairly good. I'm sorry to post so much, but I've never seen anyone else trying to record via Freeloader...

[EZ-Fan!]

I don't think Ulead Video Studio is compatible with XP-SP3 or Vista, see here. EasyCap 108 is not fully compatible with Vista 64-bit, see here (see note at bottom of page), also it does not support PAL 60. It would seem that Freeloader is confusing the EasyCap somehow!

I also am using XP-SP3 and had no joy running Video Studio, I also had loads of problems with WMM and nero. All my capture problems were soloved when I downloaded the free Video Grabber software from the EasyCap website, it also comes with updated audio drivers aswell. You will need to uninstall the old drivers and make sure EasyCap is plugged in when you run the installer. Afterwards you may also need to re-install the old driver aswell (Syntek 1160). Click here for a link to download the update. Maybe this will be of some help.

 

[fenberry]

Fantastic!! 

EZ fan, I could hug you, however this is a professional forum, and I will keep a respectable distance 

I will certainly try this when I get home...as I was very very close to buying an gamebridge, and spending even more money, I had hoped to check again, and find out any further info. As soon as I know any more, I will let you know.

You are a god-send. I thank you bazillions of times over and over.

Kindest Regards,
Liam

[fenberry]

 I have just tested it this morning - I've done as you kindly suggested, uninstalled the drivers completely - rebooted the xp machine, then plugged the easycap back in, installed the new drivers (nothing really happened), but then when I reinstalled the original drivers which came with the CD, I now have picture. It's only in black and white (and I've tested all available NTSC formats {NTSC_M and NTSC_M_J}, even PAL M), plus changed the picture settings to 30fps, instead of the usual 25 - but still no joy. Though having streaming picture for my imported NTSC J games is definitely an improvement. I've attempted to record on Debut, Virtual Dub, WMM and that video grabber program which was installed - but still only black and white. I'm wondering if the Easycap 108 does actually deal with 60Hz games, since I've been having such troubles wrangling with it.

I have yet to try on Vista, though from past experience XP tends to load a whole lot easier than Vista for this EasyCap108 I have. Thank you oh so much again for your information, and I feel like I'm about 98% of the way there. If I can somehow find a way to get the black and white to translate into colour, I'll be laughing.

Any further assistance you may be able to give would be tremendously appreciated - I'll also check and myself and see if I can dig anything up. I will definitely let you know the outcome regardless.

Kind Regards,
Liam

[fenberry]

This may be what I'm looking for - hopefully this will support the 60hz I'm looking for -

http://cgi.ebay.com/EASYCAP-DC60-USB-2-0-VIDEO-CAPTURE-XP-Vista-MAC-OS_W0QQitemZ110339800104QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item110339800104&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

I've been reading around on a lot of different forums, and quite a few people are having issues with capturing from Xbox 360 60Hz - and this product was suggested - especially the NTSC 433 sounds promising, as I've checked around this morning, and found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/dpJ_ps_Rj5k&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/dpJ_ps_Rj5k&rel=0</a>   - Which gives specific info on capturing with the AMcap program.

I'll check this out - maybe I need to buy the above capture device for my Import game capturing woes to disappear...I just think my easycap 108 is a little outdated for dealing with NTSC 60.

[EZ-Fan!]

Well done mate, I think you've cracked it! It would appear that the EasyCap 108 comes in two models the DC60 and the DC60+, I have the older DC60, the Video Grabber software was for the DC60+, that's why I had to reinstall the old drivers after installing the update! It's all starting to make sense now! The update was for the 108 DC60+.

So I guess if you buy the DC60+ model it will give you NTSC 433 in the menu options which will hopefully allow proper PAL 60 capture. I don't need to capture PAL 60 and I have been realy fortunate that my EasyCap is working well, it's good to know though and hopefully other people will come across your post when googling for solutions. Let me know if you buy another model and if it works out or not.


Nice one!

 

[fenberry]

Ahoy EZ-Fan,

It's all thanks to your efforts, I have been able to persevere and find out what needs to happen - After a heap of reading around, alot of models of capturing devices (From the Easycap models, to Dazzles and even the aforementioned Adaptec Game Bridge) don't support the 60Hz which almost all online games (and anything from NTSC countries via freeloader..as I've been able to ascertain) normally need.

For general capturing, easycap is not as easy as it names suggests, but it works very well - it's just a matter of making sure for 60Hz-needing games, you get the right one... I'll give this a shot (ebay purchasing very soon), and we'll see what happens, but yes, thankfully, looks like my knowledge of video formats is alot more vast that it was before easycap.

USB capturing device = learning curve 

Thanks again, and I'll keep you posted. Excellent to hear yours is working well (for a change)

Liam