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Using video capture but only getting video, not audio
I am new to Sony Vegas Pro (and video shooting/editing in general). I’m using the Sony Handycam DCR 52 (yes, bottom of the line!). Trying to capture the video (and audio) from the dv tape. The DCR 52 doesn’t come with a wire to upload video to pc, so I bought a usb to firewire adapter cable, and set out to upload footage right into Sony Vegas. Using the video capture controls, I can get it to capture the video just fine, and as it captures the footage I can hear the sound just fine, but it isn’t capturing the audio properly. When I put the file in the timeline, there is no audio present. I have spent a couple of hours trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong, with no luck. Any advice appreciated!
Thanks,
Neil -
12 Replies
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This is a miniDV camcorder so you have to use a firewire cable to go from the camcorder to the computer which must have a firewire card installed.
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Thanks for the response Mike. I am using a firewire cable, but it didn’t come with a firewire card. Not sure what a “firewire card” is! It is capturing the video track — does that indicate I already have a firewire card installed?
Thanks,
Neil
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Neil, a firewire cable goes from the firewire port on your camcorder to the firewire port on your computer.
If you don’t have a firewire port on your computer, it means that you don’t have a firewire card.
They’re less than $20 at places such as Newegg and are the proper way to get video from a miniDV camcorder into your computer. -
Hi Mike:
I am using a pc rather than a Mac, so I didn’t have a firewire port on my computer. I did a bit of research and purchased a “DV to usb pc transfer cable”, (all in one unit) which is designed to go from the camcorder to the usb port on my pc. It is IEEE 1394 compliant (which I understand is important). When I set up to capture video/audio from a mini dv tape in my camcorder, it captures the video just fine. But it doesn’t capture the audio. That’s where the problem is.
Thanks for your help!
Neil
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You can try to capture through this DV to usb pc transfer cable with Windows Movie Maker. That is supposed to work. Another option is ImageMixer, which you possibly got together with your cable.
And if this all doesn’t work for you (which version of Direct X are you working with?), just try the suggestion of Mike (the firewire card).P.S: do you know what kind of files are saved on your PC by this DV to usb pc transfer cable? Are you sure it’s DV-avi and not MPEG1??!?
Theo
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Hi Theo, and thanks. You’re right, the cable came with ImageMixer. I think I did capture it via that software at one point, but had a hard time importing it into Sony Vegas. I believe it did save it as an avi file, but I didn’t save the file since I couldn’t import to Sony Vegas and (stupidly!) thought I could just capture it direct to SV. I will try again to capture it in image maker, and try to get it to SV from there.
Not sure what version of DirectX I am working with, and can’t locate on my pc.
Thanks for the help!
Neil
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Return it, buy a firewire card, and capture the right way. You’ll be happier in the end.
Edward Troxel
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Sad to say, I’m not sure what a firewire card is, or how to use it in this situation!
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Just go to your local computer store. They will show you a firewirecard (and probably place in into your laptop). Next is to connect the camera to the firewire card using the cable that will be supplied together with the card.
Theo
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Thanks Theo. That sounds easy enough. I don’t have a laptop – is it difficult to install into a desktop?
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