sony DCR-VX1000

art petranek

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May 30, 2002, 7:26:16 PM5/30/02

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Sony dropped fire wire support on this camcorder when they introduced Win ME. On your hardware compatibility page you list this camcorder and windows ME with Premier 6.0 as "Conditional". I am unable to get your samplier Premier 6.0 to activate "capture video" using this camcorder via the fire wire. Can you resolve this? My model Laptop Sony computer is PCG-FX210

AndyRPSmith

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May 31, 2002, 6:39:58 PM5/31/02

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Art,

The key factor in all this is does your system see the xv1000 when attached to your firewire card and can you see microsoft dv camera in device manager. If not Premiere and any other NLE will not be able to work with the camera. I have my vx1000 working with win98, winME and win XP. Others have problems with winXP and the vx1000 due to the microsoft file that talks to the camera via the firewire card. Do you have communication between the camera/firewire card and system?

Andy

Goran Todoric

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Jun 1, 2002, 12:40:12 PM6/1/02

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Hi art petranek and hi Andy, I have WinXP and sony vx1000 and it's attached via the PixelWave firewire. I can see Microsoft DV camera in DeviceManager and I have control over it in Premiere but my problem is that when I am trying to capture video firs frame freezeees and it has some blocks on it and no frames were captured or dropped. It works fine at my frends computer. Do I need some kind of codec or drivers for solving this problem?

... sorry for bumping in with my problem :( ...

RAY EDWARDS.

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Jun 2, 2002, 7:07:37 AM6/2/02

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TRY THIS LINK TO GET DVGATE 2.5 AND NEW CODECS FOR SONY DV CAPTURE IN PREMIERE 6.0,WORKS GREAT IN WIN 2000.

http://vcl.vaio.sony.co.jp/download/W-A06-U17-0.html <http://vcl.vaio.sony.co.jp/download/W-A06-U17-0.html>

art petranek

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Jun 2, 2002, 1:59:16 PM6/2/02

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Hi Andy,

Thankyou for your response.

When I connect my camera via the firewire to my Sony Laptop Premier shows "offline".

I have entered the Sony manufacturer and DCR-VX1000 into the setup part of the Premier program.

I am advised by Sony that their ME does not support the DCR-VX1000. To me that means Microsoft ME does not have the driver necessary to talk to my camcorder.

Yet you say you are using ME with success. What am I missing?

art petranek

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Jun 2, 2002, 2:15:24 PM6/2/02

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Hi Ray: Your reference to the Sony download fixing the DV Capture problem. Are you saying that Sony has fixed my problem?

c. j. ma

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Jun 2, 2002, 6:01:04 PM6/2/02

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hi art... sony screwed us good! i paid $4000 for my dxc-iooo, i was promised it would work with digital editting forever... they lied! i notified sony, adobe and the california consumer protection agency but no one cared. i had to buy a 2nd digital camcorder to solve my problem... i will never buy another sony product again...they need to be shut down they are thieves and liars! someone needs to initiate a class action law suit!

AndyRPSmith

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Jun 2, 2002, 6:31:24 PM6/2/02

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Art,

As Ray says Adobe have a download file if you are using a Sony viao (or what ever) laptop, have you downloaded this file?

You have not answered the question about whether you can see microsoft DV camera in device manager (look under imaging devices). This is important as unless the system can correctly see the camera when connected to the firewire card you will not get anywhere. If you can we can then talk about the settings in Premiere, it is important to take this in stages, you will be wasting a lot of time fiddling with Premiere and be getting nowhere if the system cannot see your camera.

Goran, Your problem might be incompatible settings in Premiere or a hardware issue with your hard disk. Do you have a recent hard disk spinning at 7200rpm (what are the specs of you PC). Also what are the settings for capture & the project?

Andy

art petranek

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Jun 2, 2002, 8:47:05 PM6/2/02

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C J: I couldn't agree more. I have been a Sony customer for years. They really did us in. I am in the process of looking into converting my laptop back to windows 98...if I can find the drivers. That maybe my only solution. Of course, I am getting no support from SONY!

art petranek

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Jun 2, 2002, 8:57:37 PM6/2/02

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Hi Andy; No, I have not downloaded the adobe fix. I will follow your step by step instructions. Let me look into the DV camera/device manager/imaging devices issue. I will get back to you. Thanks

art petranek

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Jun 2, 2002, 10:22:09 PM6/2/02

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Hi Andy, I located Premier 6.0/movie capture/capture setting, capture format/DV/IEEE1394...with my camera connected prior to start up it says: Unable to connect to capture driver. Under Premier 6.0/movie capture/preferences/device control either selection of "Device Control 2.0" or "None" result in "Device is unavailable for device control" I am unable to locate your specific microsoft DV cameras in device manager (under imaging devices). Please advise.

AndyRPSmith

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Jun 3, 2002, 5:03:28 PM6/3/02

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Art,

With a standard OHCI firewire card you do not need any specific Sony drivers to capture DV from the VX1000 camera.

1). To see if your firewire card is recognised by your computer, look in control panel then system then device manager, you should then see an entry under IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers. Click the + and you should see, Texas instruments OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 host controller. If not then your PC has not recognised your firewire card.

2). If your card is recognised then you need to connect the Sony to the firewire card via a standard IEEE 1394 cable and turn it on (use the mains charger as a power supply to ensure there is enough power to operate the camera correctly). Set the camera to player. You should now see, after a few seconds, the computer recognise that a DV camera has been connected and a symbol appear in the task tray at the bottom of the screen. Also if you click on start/my computer you should see a camera icon. If not then the PC has not recognised your camera as being connected to the firewire card. It will only recognise the camera when it is turned on. If your pc has regognised your camera you will see it identified in device manager/imaging devices/as a microsoft dv camera.

Tell me exactly what your system reports in device manager.

Andy

AndyRPSmith

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Jun 3, 2002, 5:03:21 PM6/3/02

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Art,

With a standard OHCI firewire card you do not need any specific Sony drivers to capture DV from the VX1000 camera.

1). To see if your firewire card is recognised by your computer, look in control panel then system then device manager, you should then see an entry under IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers. Click the + and you should see, Texas instruments OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 host controller. If not then your PC has not recognised your firewire card.

2). If your card is recognised then you need to connect the Sony to the firewire card via a standard IEEE 1394 cable and turn it on (use the mains charger as a power supply to ensure there is enough power to operate the camera correctly). Set the camera to player. You should now see, after a few seconds, the computer recognise that a DV camera has been connected and a symbol appear in the task tray at the bottom of the screen. Also if you click on start/my computer you should see a camera icon. If not then the PC has not recognised your camera as being connected to the firewire card. It will only recognise the canera when it is turned on. If your pc has regognised your camera you will see it identified in device manager/imaging devices/as a microsoft dv camera.

dbelyea

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Jun 3, 2002, 6:18:52 PM6/3/02

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FWIW I have a VX-1000 connected to a win2k machine and do not have any problems. My 1394 (Canopus DV Rapter) card does not show up in device manager under any IEEE1394 header.

art petranek

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Jun 3, 2002, 7:49:17 PM6/3/02

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Andy, Step 1 of your instructions is complete...Device manager does show "Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE1394 Bus Host Controller". Step 2: I have the camcorder powered with the power supply and connected to my Sony Laptop using the firewire cable. I will double check but I get "offline" or "Device is unavailable for device control". Sony did advise me that this ME will not recognize the DCR-VX1000 camera. It was part of their ME version cost reduction effort!!! What's next? Thanks

art petranek

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Jun 3, 2002, 7:51:48 PM6/3/02

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Hi Ray, I am not ignoring your suggestion on fixing my Sony ME problem. Andy is working me one step at a time. Thanks for your input.

art petranek

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Jun 3, 2002, 8:26:46 PM6/3/02

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Hi Andy, Step 2 recheck shows: Trying Sony's DVgateMotion or DVgateStill the Ilink window shows "offline". Trying Adobe 6.0, the Device Control 2.0 says "The Device is unavailable for Device Control" Art

AndyRPSmith

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Jun 4, 2002, 4:15:06 PM6/4/02

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Art,

Have you installed the download? Is your PC a Vaio? This is what it does: Premiere 6.0 (Windows) - SonySwitcher 3.0

The SonySwitcher will allow you to switch between the Sony and Microsoft class drivers on your Sony Vaio. You need to switch to the Microsoft drivers in order to take advantage of Premiere 6.0's full DV integration including device control, capture, playback from the timeline and live DV preview on your camcorder. Run the SonySwitcher to change from Sony to Microsoft drivers. To return to Sony DVGate, simply run the SonySwitcher again, and "Switch" back from the Microsoft drivers to the Sony drivers. You can switch back and forth as often as you choose. For information about Premiere's built-in DV support, see the "1394 Troubleshooting Guide" installed with Premiere 6.0 (Start > Programs > Adobe > Premiere 6.0).

You need to switch to the Microsoft drivers.

At least you have got passed step 1 and we know the firewire board is working OK (dbelyea, your Canopus DV raptor is not an OHCI 1394 board and therefore has Canopus drivers to make it work, an OHCI board uses built-in Microsoft Drivers, thus your board will not show up in device manager the same as a standard OHCI 1394 firewire device.)

I am not clear about what you are seeing in step 2. Do you get an 'imaging devices' option in device manager when you plug in and turn on your camera? If you do what is listed when you click on the + to open the tree?

Andy

art petranek

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Jun 5, 2002, 11:40:11 AM6/5/02

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Andy...OK, now we are making headway. 1. My PC is a Sony VAIO Laptop with windows ME. 2. I have not yet downloaded the Sony Switcher if that is what you are asking about Sony appears not to support their own DVmotion or DVstill on this ME laptop using the VCR-vx1000. What you are telling me is Microsoft will support Premier 6.0 with the Switcher download. Is that correct? 3. When I connect the camera and turn it on under device manager I get the Yellow ? with yellow ?! and AV/C Subunit come up. So the IEEE connection is working. What's Next? Art

AndyRPSmith

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Jun 5, 2002, 6:15:02 PM6/5/02

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Art, The yellow! in device manager is bad news as this means that the system is not talking to the camera. Have Sony confirmed to you that the DV gate switcher is not appropriate for your laptop? Failure at Step 2 is the reason you cannot capture with any NLE system such as Premiere.

Andy

art petranek

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Jun 6, 2002, 12:40:07 PM6/6/02

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Andy: Ugh! That's what Sony told me a year ago...they have dropped their support on the DCR-VX1000 in their "Misfortunate" ME product. See message #6 from C. J. He has the same issue. If we are at a dead-end I believe that we have two options: Convert the Laptop to XP...Sony has issued an "elaborate" conversion download...ME must be eating them alive! OR convert my laptop back to Windows 98...Sony will not provide the Audio/Video/Modem drivers so we will have to find them elsewhere. The benefit to me by going back to windows 98 is that both my computers will look the same. What's your thoughts? Thanks for all your help. Art

Amy Park

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Jun 6, 2002, 1:22:49 PM6/6/02

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Hey,

I found 2 documents that Adobe published that deal with this problem. Surely one of them will fix it for you...

326533 Capture Card: Sony VAIO--Known Issues

322512 Error "Unable to Detect Capture Device" When Capturing DV in Premiere 6.0

Good Luck!

AndyRPSmith

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Jun 6, 2002, 3:36:47 PM6/6/02

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Art,

If you go to XP which is a much more stable system than 98/ME you may still have problems with the xv1000 as some cameras are not 100% compatible. I am lucky in that mine works fine but many other posts here show problems.

Win98SE with video update installed may be your best bet just now if you already have other PC's running 98. It will crash more often but at least the xv1000 should work fine with your firewire card. 98SE is no longer supported by Microsoft who want every one to move to XP. ME gives you nothing over 98SE really except even more instability.

Check out Amy's documents to see if they may help.

If I were you I would go back to 98 until you decide to migrate to XP (try and see if you can try your camera on someone elses XP system first).

Andy

art petranek

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Jun 8, 2002, 9:48:19 AM6/8/02

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Hi Amy, How do I access those Adobe documents? Thanks for your assistance. Art

art petranek

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Jun 11, 2002, 7:58:36 PM6/11/02

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Andy,

Thanks for all your help. My current plan is to convert my Sony back to Windows 98 or 98SE if we can find all the drivers. Sony has developed a conversion to XP so you know there are a lot of unhappy ME people out there. Art