When capturing an NTSC VHS video on my Hurcules 7500 All in wonder video card, or even just previewing before starting to capture, the picture is very clear and perfect but it is in black and white, with the odd green tinge. This happens with my capture software set to capture in NTSC and NTSC-B, and it also happens when using another piece of capture software. If I change the software to capture in PAL and insert a PAL VHS tape it capture fine in full colour. The video I'm using supports playback of both PAL and NTSC video tapes. I think the output signal from the video is in colour because if I set the software to capture in PAL and play the NTSC tape, the image is in colour but it flickers and rolls because it's the incorrect format. Yet if I change the capture software back to NTSC or NTSC-B the picture becomes very clear and almost perfect except for the lack of colour. If any one has any ideas how to get around this I would be sooo greatful Cheers Paul

-- Paul Hancock (paul@pahancock.freeserve.co.uk), May 03, 2002

Answers

Mehmet talked about this recently and if I remember, I think the problem is that ATI cards only do video capture correctly for whatever video format is standard where they are sold. For example, I can't capture PAL input with my ATI card and I live in America. Well, technically I can capture it, it just looks like garbage. NTSC captures work fine. Sounds like you have the reverse problem. One solution is to ditch ATI and use the Dazzle DVC II, which records in whatever format the input video signal is in. I don't think there is any solution to your problem. I just noted that you said your card was a Hercules, but here in the USA this card is sold by ATI. I'm sure it's the same thing since you called it an All-in-Wonder.

-- Jason (Jason.Shumate@equant.com), May 03, 2002.

The 7500 is a dead giveaway to a form of ATI Radeon 7500.

-- Mehmet Tekdemir (turk690@yahoo.com), May 04, 2002.

Yes it is an ATI card, I just used the word Hurcules to be more specific as there is an ATI All in wonder that is better than then one I have. But the puzzle is that in the ATI software I can choose if I want to capture in either PAL, SCEAM, or NTSC. When playing an NTSC source into the card, with the input in the software set anying other then NTSC the signal is just garbled, as you'd expect. As soon as you tell the software to start capturing in NTSC and the Picture becomes crisp and clear, almost perfect, just lacking in colour. The card is able to capture in NTSC as it tells me I can do this in the instruction manual. If my card was not able to capture in NTSC why would it have an NTSC setting (infact it has two NTSC Settings) to capture in, and surely if the card was not able to capture in NTSC then why would the output signal be garbled on any other seting other than NTSC?

-- Paul Hancock (paul@pahancock.freeserve.co.uk), May 07, 2002.

You should try a legitimate NTSC source then. By this I mean a true- blue NTSC 3.58 source. The color subcarrier in a genuine & standard NTSC signal is 3.58MHz. In certain VCRs meant to play mainly PAL and SECAM, a concession is given to play NTSC tapes but the color subcarrier is the same as that of PAL which is 4.43. You may see this as labeled there NTSC4.43, which is, although your TV may not have problems displaying, NOT a legitimate standard NTSC signal. Anything (including your capture device) that ALWAYS assumes that an NTSC signal is a legitimate true-blue NTSC3.58 signal will naturally balk and give monochrome on being presented with this NTSC4.43. N'est ce pas?

-- Mehmet Tekdemir (turk690@yahoo.com), May 08, 2002.

I dont have an answer, but I do have the exact same problem. I have used an ATI all in wonder (16mb) for a couple of years and have managed to capture ntsc video into my machine and then push it out and record it directly to a PAL VHS recorder, no problem. Recently I have 'upgraded' to an All in wonder Radeon and now find that I have the same problem as you do. I too would appreciate any one who can guide me around this annoying limitation.

-- Dave Graham (ati@sladeinengland.co.uk), June 21, 2002.

Sorry but I have the same problem (since Jan. 2002) if you get a answer pls let me know how to fix that problem. Thank you Thomas

-- Thomas (tschreier@hotmail.com), August 19, 2002.

Hi, I have this problem and contacted ATi... This is what they said (bear in mind that I'm in the UK and use PAL. I wanted to capture NTSC VHS videos):

"ATI do not make a multistandard Tv Tuner card that could support Pal and NTSC standards. The software however is the same for both cards and explains why you receive an option to select NTSC.

If the card was purchased in Europe it will only support European standards".

-- Paul Dixon (psdixon@ntlworld.com), August 26, 2002.

The reason for all this appears to be that UK VCR's do not send a true NTSC signal to the video card but use a format called PAL60 which is a NTSC/PAL hybrid. I have an active thread at the following location if people are interested:-

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

ATI cards? - never again.

Pete Y.

-- Pete Young (pete671@hotmail.com), October 26, 2002.

I had the same problem with black and white NTSC capture and was able to fix it very easily by selecting 'ntsc 3.58' from the onscreen menu of the VCR theres 3 options on my VCR 'ntsc on pal tv' (default setting), 'ntsc 3.58', and 'ntsc 4.43' if you select one of the ntsc settings it should work

-- TWiremu (twn@hotmail.com), November 24, 2002.

Hi,

I have a Radeon 7500 and bought it here in Texas US and I cannot capture NTSC in Color for some strange reason I can only capture Pal. Eventhough I did buy it here in the States

This post is oldish but any help would be appreciated

Sonja :)

-- Sonja Fitzgerald (snfitz@hotmail.com), March 15, 2003.

I have the same problem as described above. My Pinnacle Studio Deluxe video board (purchased here in Germany) only captures a b/w picture when I connect my Philips (PAL) VCR using NTSC playback. What was mentioned above is correct: The reason for the b/w recording is that Philips (as many other companies) uses a NTSC 4.43 MHz signal (the same frequency that PAL uses for the color subcarrier) instead of the "pure" NTSC 3.58 MHz signal for NTSC playback. So the problem should not occur if you connect a "real" NTSC source. There might also be a converter available...

-- Steffen Schreiber (steffen_p_schreiber@t-online.de), September 19, 2003.

There are 2 bits of good news and 1 not so good.

I had the same problem and cured it by using a regular VCR bought in the USA (i.e. NTSC standard) Full colour copying is now possible.

I am in the process of transferring stuff from VHS to VCD. I have mixed bag of PAL & NTSC tapes.

This means that the bad news is that you have to buy a USA VCR but eBay is probably full of offers.

The other bit of good news is that I finally won a battle with my wife who is always complaining that I hoard things - she is mostly right - but in this case, keeping the VCR from when we used to live in the USA was worth it in the end!

Regards

Barry

-- Barry Blitz (bblitz@yahoo.com), September 21, 2003.

anyone has tried a NTSC to PAL converter? not a real one but i read that theres some covnerters that convert only the colour.. maybe it fix the problem.. by the way i'm with the same problem with my canopus advc-1394 ;)

-- v1p0n3 (alapimba@hotmail.com), October 29, 2003.

I have a GeForce 2 mx 400 and have the same bloody problem. May be the problem is in the colour compresor. My card uses UYVY and I´m trying to find out how I can change to a RGB compresor. My TV card uses RGB 16 bits and I can see NTSC in Full colour, the problem is that my TV card only captures 1/4 screens. So the quality I get is not good enough. Has anybody any ideas.

A friend from Spain

-- javier (javier.perez@c2i.net), January 23, 2004.

I do recognise the problem and think i solved it partially. On http://www.dvdrhelp.com you can find some answers in forums for instance. Another site with a guide is www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/archive/t194855.html It gives you at least some answers and advice for software to download and use. I tried it myself, and first thing I noticed was that the color to the NTSC-videotape came back. The problem for me now is to find my way through the settings, because the given advice does not seem to be enough. I do have color, can capture but the result is still not what I want it to be.

-- Dick Berghuijs (d.berghuijs@quicknet.nl), January 29, 2004.

I also have allinwonder 7500 card, and note similarity to my issue: set up 2nd monitor as my TV via s-video and it is BW... Anybody see this color-capture-as-bw issue couple with s-video-2nd-monitor-is-BW issue?

-- R.Meagley (rmeagley@comcast.net), February 03, 2004.

Well I have a Xpert 98 (16MB) (bought and used in Canada)with an ati TV-Tuner add on card and when I try to watch my satellite dish (american) on my computer thru the ATI AV pack (svid, rca vid, rca left + righ stereo) using the svid and left+right stereo all I get is black and white.

Is this the NTSC issue that everyone seems to have?

-- Michael F (ferrisxbuehler@hotmail.com), February 12, 2004.