TOTMC Video Capture Odd Behavior

[BuckSkin]

For two years, I have been using my TOTMC USB analog video capture device on two Windows 7 desktops without a hitch; one is Win7 Home Premium, the other Win7 Pro.
Capture software is ArcSoft ShowBiz.
I have been saving my vast VHS collection to digital while I still have working VCR players.
When the video capture device is connected to either of the above-mentioned PCs, it is via a self-powered 30-foot USB extension cable.
I open the ShowBiz software, click "capture", and right there is my video ready to digitize.
For what it is worth, both sound and video quality of the finished product is as good as the VHS tape.

With all that being said, I had reason to connect the device to my main computer, another Win7 Pro machine identical to the aforementioned Win7 Pro machine.
On this machine, I plugged the device directly into a USB port, instead of the 30-foot extension necessary for the other two machines.
As soon as I plugged it into the USB port, I noticed a faint humming coming from my speakers that is not present on either of the two other machines.
I opened the ShowBiz software and clicked "capture"
I was beginning to think that it wasn't going to recognize the device, but after a bit it connected and everything looked good to go.
Then, after about five minutes, the capture screen went black; then, a notice appeared saying something to the effect of "Windows does not recognize the USB device; the USB device is defective and in need of replacement."
I tried a couple of different USB ports and got the same message.
I tried it connected via a 10-foot 3.0 USB extension and still no go.
During all this, whenever the device was connected, I had this faint hum through the speakers.

I uninstalled and re-installed the capture device drivers and restarted the computer; I still got the "Windows does not ...." message.

I then moved the device back to where it had previously been, connected it to one of the other machines via the 30-ft cable, and have since digitized about five hours worth of video without a hitch, and without the humming noise.


I know this is a tough one to troubleshoot; but, why will this video capture device work fine on the other two units and not work on the third one ?

Whether it has any bearing on the situation or not, the first two machines have original integrated graphics and the one refusing to recognize the device has an EVGA invidia graphics card.

Thanks for reading.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok mate for starters we need a few more specs on that computer as it could possibly be the USB driver at fault. System Info - See Your System Specs and we need the specs to track it down. Plus it might be as well to update that GPU too.

Now if it were me I would at least run these also for starters
SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker
Disk Check < if necessary include the /f and /r in the command line as per Option2
Run these in safe mode and the sfc often best run for two to three runs – you can leave out the /r switch in ckdsk if you feel it not necessary


if no fix then these

SUPERAntiSpyware | Remove Malware | Remove Spyware - AntiMalware, AntiSpyware, AntiAdware!
Malwarebytes | Malwarebytes Premium
AdwCleaner Download
ADW download from bleeping computer delete any rubbish found with the malware scans
(NB If you are running Kaspersky as the main AV then it might need disabling it when trying ADW because it does not like it at times)

 

[BuckSkin]

Ok mate for starters we need a few more specs on that computer as it could possibly be the USB driver at fault.

Thanks for taking the time to assist me in understanding this.

Your first sentence there prompted me to remember one other addition to the machine in question that differs from the other two and may very well have a bearing on the situation; it did not come original with USB 3.0 and has had a Rosewill 4-port 3.0 USB card installed.
I cannot remember if I had to install special drivers at the time or not.>>On EDIT: I guess I did install a driver as I just found the CD in the box. <<

As to the rest of the instructions you provided, I will try to implement them; but, as I am not yet very adept at such things, it may (and probably will) take me a good bit of time to follow through.

Also, what is "GPU" ?

 

[gldndragn]

The "GPU" is the graphics adapter.....wether integrated, or the evga nvVidia card. This device is what puts the picture on your screen.

ICIT2 was saying you might need to update the drivers for the nVidia card.....this might help resolve some issues.

 

[BuckSkin]

The "GPU" is the graphics adapter.....wether integrated, or the evga nvVidia card. This device is what puts the picture on your screen.

ICIT2 was saying you might need to update the drivers for the nVidia card.....this might help resolve some issues.

Thanks for the explanation.

I have very recently updated the invidia drivers.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok mate now although you have updated them recently it does o harm to redo them it sometimes happens the drivers get stuck or corrupted and what have you got to lose?

Now that USB card very often the driver for such things like it and motherboards etc come with a disk with software / drivers on it but really in reality by the time one buys the device the software is near always out of date so that is why we need those specs mate.

You could start with letting us know what model that card is so that we can track down the driver and also because it is best one gets the driver from the manufacturers site - I always do that as a matter of course

Oh and the model the Dell machine is please.

 

[BuckSkin]

The box the USB card came in says Rosewill RC-508

The Dell is mini-tower Optiplex 780, upgraded in June with new 500GB hard-drive, Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 3.33GHz, 8GB RAM

3.0 USB driver in "programs" says Renesas Electronics 3.0.23.0

 

[dg1261]

I have been saving my vast VHS collection to digital while I still have working VCR players.
[...]
Whether it has any bearing on the situation or not, the first two machines have original integrated graphics and the one refusing to recognize the device has an EVGA invidia graphics card.
[...]
the machine [...] did not come original with USB 3.0 and has had a Rosewill 4-port 3.0 USB card installed.

I can empathize. I just completed a 6-month project digitizing my home videos. Mine consisted of 300 hours in three formats: full size VHS analog tapes, compact Video8 analog tapes, and compact MiniDV digital tapes.

In my case, I used my MiniDV camcorder as the converter: from VCR's RCA plug outputs to camcorder's analog input, camcorder did the analog to digital conversion in real time, then straight through via firewire output to an add-on firewire card in an old, spare desktop computer running Win7 Pro. Capture software was the free WinDV.

Like you, I was worried about losing access to a working VCR player. As it turned out, my VCR died in the middle of the project, and I had to borrow my sister's VCR to finish up converting the last couple of VHS tapes. So I'm glad you're getting on top of this before your VCR suffers a similar fate.

But back to your setup, my old workbench tower is also running an add-on EVGA-branded nVidia graphics card, and I had no symptoms like you're describing. My content was going in via an add-on firewire card, though, rather than an add-on USB3 card.

Does your converter require a USB3 connection? I don't think the data transfer rate is too high for USB2, so perhaps you could take your Rosewill card out of the loop to rule out that (and its drivers) as the source of the problem. (Aside: did the other two computers also have the Rosewill card? How were you connecting the converter to those two?)

FWIW, my sister happened to have a copy of Roxio's "Easy VHS to DVD 3 Plus" software, which came with a RCA-to-USB dongle. I tried it out and it seemed to work fine plugged into a USB2 port. (My old workbench tower does not have USB3, either.)

 

[BuckSkin]

I have had the USB device plugged into the original 2.0 ports and also the added 3.0 ports with the same problem.

The device says USB 2.0 on the box.

As for VCRs, I had three that worked and two have quit during this quest; one garbles the video and audio; and the other just decided to hang-up and stop working when the tapes gets about 3/4 loaded.

I got on E-bay and took a chance on three different ones; two arrived in acceptable working order (one is probably the best VCR I have ever owned); the one I paid the most for and had the highest hopes for lights up but no response whatsoever from any of the function buttons; it is a top-loader JVC, built like an army tank.
The seller claims it was working fine when it left his house; surprisingly, it was well protected and there isn't a mark on the box, yet I cannot get it to do a thing other than light up and the clock works.
So, I got two out of three; I guess I could look at it like buying a herd of cattle and figure in an expected death loss.

 

[dg1261]

I have had the USB device plugged into the original 2.0 ports and also the added 3.0 ports with the same problem.

Hmm, okay. If there's no change when plugged into the motherboard's USB2 ports, then I think you can rule out the Rosewill card as contributing to the problem.

The Optiplex should have onboard Intel video, so you could temporarily pull the EVGA card out and boot with the Intel video. If you still get the hum (and I suspect you will) that would also exonerate the EVGA card.

So if you rule out the add-in cards ... and you mentioned another Optiplex 780 doesn't have a problem ... then, I don't know. You changed the CPU, but I don't see why that would make a difference. No wifi card that might be picking up radio interference?

What kind of hum is it? Does it sound like the familiar 60-hz hum of a bad ground connection? You mentioned the humming "as soon as I plugged it into the USB port" ... is there any difference if the VCR is unplugged from the converter? If so, you may have a ground loop problem.

 

[BuckSkin]

I don't think I tried it with the VCR disconnected.

I have it connected back like it was originally to the other PC and have no hum whatsoever.

I am about half afraid to connect it back to this PC as I don't want to push my luck and destroy the capture device.

Everything else on this PC connected to USB, whether 2.0 or 3.0, has always worked fine; it is just that video capture device that is having the problem and it doesn't seem to have any problem at all on either of the other two PCs.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Buckskin sorry late reply this is the driver for that card Search Download Files if this does not take you straight to the actual driver then just click on the #4 listing and look for the 508 model.

Ok mate if this doesn't work then we might nee to check out the system with some other software but lets see what happens with this one.

 

[BuckSkin]

Thank you.
I found and downloaded the drivers and a firmware update; they are the same version already installed that came on the CD.
Should I uninstall/reinstall or leave alone ?
I appreciate the help.

 

[dg1261]

I am about half afraid to connect it back to this PC as I don't want to push my luck and destroy the capture device.

Agreed. You have a working procedure so the first priority should be to get those tapes converted asap. There will always be time to experiment later.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well I am inclined to agree with dg mate get those tapes done as much as you can then we might have to revisit this issue because obviously the driver is not the cause.

 

[BuckSkin]

I am about half afraid to connect it back to this PC as I don't want to push my luck and destroy the capture device.

Agreed. You have a working procedure so the first priority should be to get those tapes converted asap. There will always be time to experiment later.

Well I am inclined to agree with dg mate get those tapes done as much as you can then we might have to revisit this issue because obviously the driver is not the cause.

I really appreciate the time you guys took in responding to my questions.

As soon as time permits, I intend to revisit the suggestions about checking for malware, spyware, and such and try to become better versed in all of this.


Just in case anyone who is having difficulties in digitizing their VHS collection should stumble upon this thread, I will add one more bit that I have learned about capturing video --- about one in five VHS tapes I do, I find that once in a while the device will not capture the video; when I come across one of these tapes, I just pop it into a different VCR and it will then show up.
I have had this work both ways in that sometimes it is VCR "A" that the device will not capture the video and other times it is VCR "B"; I just switch VCRs and it then always works.
I have no idea why this is; I just know it is good that I have more than one VCR.