Capturing NTSC sources is black and white

[marcus]

I bought a Sparkle Geforce 5600 256mb FX with VIVO video card and want to capture from NTSC console sources, like the PS2 or whatever. When I try this, the capture is in black and white. I am connecting via composite lead. I have tried using Power Director Pro, VirtualDub and iuVCR but all are in black and white. I was told by someone that I need to set my capture card to NTSC, but have no idea how to do this as I cannot find the appropriate option anywhere. I have installed the latest WDM drivers. Any assistance on this would be appreciated.

[marcus]

Does anyone know what type of NTSC my PS2 outputs - is it NTSC 3.x or NTSC 4.x?

[Kirby]

Your PS2 outputs NTSC 3.58.

[Valken]

You probably need to set it using TV tuner software.

I think virtuadub lets you select channels to capture from.

[marcus]

I saw that option last night but didnt try it. Ill give it a go when I get home. Thanks.

[goldbricker]

This thread sounds like a similar one to what you were talking about:

http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/viewtopic.php?t=6877&highlight=jumper

It says you can change it in the bios or via a jumper setting on the card (although that was for an ATI card).[/url]

[Valken]

Incedentally here is a short video of F-Zero I captured using virtuadub and a GeForce4 Tv in port... it's about 20MB and encoded with divx5. The source was NTSC.

[marcus]

Ive checked and there are no jumpers for this, and nothing in the BIOS. Short of buying another capture card I dont know what else to try. Its a bit of a waste of money should I have to do this, especially when perhaps it IS possible somehow to capture NTSC with my card. Anyone with any more ideas before I hit the shops?

[Kirby]

Hmm. I'm sure my friend says his Nvidia card can output NTSC/PAL.

1. Try going into Device Manager, expand Sound, Video and game controllers and you should have a few entries like nVidia WDM Video Capture. Try going into the settings for them and see if you can change the video in format. Also go into Display Properties and try going into Displays and seeing if you can change the format there (changing the TV Out format could very well affect the video in too).

2. Powerstrip and Riva Tuner might have options to change the output format.

3. Try checking out the HCPC forum and www.avforums.com and the forum at www.nvnews.net.

[Valken]

Here's some screens... sorry about their width but I did them in a hurry...





If you want me to change them to links just yell out!

[marcus]

Ive copied your settings, however I get no output at all using those. I have tried an Svideo cable in my Gamecube, and finally can make out colour. The screen however jumps all over the place, but at least I have a little colour.. I read somewhere that on some cards you just have to use Svideo as composite wont work, maybe this is the case here. If I can now sort out the terrible picture Ill be getting there.

[Valken]

Well how do you mean jumping about? Does it eventually stabilise? Are we talking artifacts as a result of interlacing?

[marcus]

Its like crappy reception on a tv, the picture rolls and so on and is very flickery. Not watchable at all. It does stabilize for brief moments before messing up again.

[Valken]

Did you try any of the other NTSC options available? sometimes it's just trial and error.

[marcus]

It could well be the Svideo lead I am using as when I connect the GC direct to my plasma the picture does as above. Ill try to source another lead in the meantime.