Check Device File

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8meter
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Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:02 pm

Check Device File

#1

Post by 8meter »

I have a MallenCam Micro EX camera that works perfectly with a AverMedia DVD EZMaker 7 analog to digital converter adapter, Windows 10 and AMCap recording software. When I try the latest ShapCap install on the same machine, I am unable to get a preview image. Based on the name ShapCap gives for the AVerMedia device, compared to that given by AMCap, I think SharpCap is looking at the wrong file/device. Is there a way to view SharpCap's config file to see if the device name matches that show by AMCap? Thank you.
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Re: Check Device File

#2

Post by admin »

Hi,

are you using SharpCap 2.9 or the beta of 2.10? If you are using 2.10, did it work in the previous (2.9) version of SharpCap. The reason that I ask is that the handling for webcams and frame grabbers has been rewritten for 2.10 and it's entirely possible that there are still bugs in the new code to be found and fixed.

If it is 2.9 that is giving you the problem, please can you share some more details including a screenshot of the problem and the contents of the SharpCap log after the problem has happened.

thanks,

Robin
8meter
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Re: Check Device File

#3

Post by 8meter »

Hello Robin.
I'm using SharpCap 2.9. This is the first time I have ever used SharpCap so nothing to compare with.

The problem is that there is no preview image from the AVerMedia/MallinCam Micro, just black, no static.

I have attached two screen shots. The AMCap image has SharpCap2.9 running the laptops built in web cam and AMCap 2.99 showing the preview from the AVerMedia/MallinCam Micro. The AMCap preview is showing static from the MallinCam Micro camera. The SharpCap image is SharpCap 2.9 connected to the AVerMedia/MallinCam Micro, no static just a black background. Notice that the two apps have a slightly different naming scheme for the AVerMedia. That is why I was wondering if SharpCap 2.9 is using the wrong device file. I have also attached the last SharpCap 2.9 log as requested.

With the AVerMedia/MallinCam Micro/AMCap setup, I was able to grab video of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury on 3/25/2017. So everything is working correctly on that end. If I can provide more info, please let me know and I will try to get it for you. Thank you.
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Re: Check Device File

#4

Post by admin »

Thanks for the further info - please could you try the 2.10 beta version of SharpCap to see if that helps, as in some ways it has a simpler handling of Webcams and Frame grabber devices than 2.9.

Also, it would be useful to understand a bit more about the AverMedia USB device you are using - is there a product page for it somewhere that you could share a link to?

thanks,

Robin
8meter
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Re: Check Device File

#5

Post by 8meter »

Hello Robin, Here is a link to the AVerMedia device: http://www.avermedia.com/tv_more/produc ... _ezmaker_7.

I have not installed any of the software that came with the AVerMedia device. I just installed the drivers for the device and Windows had no issue with the driver install or the recent driver update.

I will try SharpCap 2.10 and report back. Should I uninstall SharpCap 2.9 first? I see that you can install different versions of SharpCap on the same machine without overwriting each version. Today's schedule is packed, so it will be a day or two before I can install SharpCap 2.10.
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Re: Check Device File

#6

Post by admin »

I see what you mean about the name being different, although I suspect that this probably isn't the root cause of the problem. SharpCap gets a list of available DirectShow devices straight from Windows and asks for the 'Friendly Name' of each device - it's possible that AMCAP is getting it's device name in a slightly different way and so showing different text. I'm presuming that the device *is* only appearing once in the menu here...

Let me know how 2.10 works out - these Frame Grabber devices have been a bit of a challenge - some of them work fine, some give weird issues like one model that only captured a single frame with 2.9, but would run perfectly in preview mode.

One other thing worth trying is to bring up the 'Video Capture Pin' window from the Options menu after starting the camera and see if changing any of the settings in there helps. Sometimes you can pick between (for instance) PAL and NTSC in this dialog and the wrong option can mean no picture.

cheers,

Robin
8meter
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Re: Check Device File

#7

Post by 8meter »

Hello Robin, I installed SharpCap 2.10 last night and tried it out; not good. The preview window would not show a picture from the laptops built in web camera nor would it show a preview image from the AVerMedia USB device (still just a black window). I tried using the "Options" pull down window, but doing so resulted in SharpCap crashing. In fact, using any of the pull down menus resulted in SharpCap crashing. I uninstalled SharpCap 2.10 and reinstalled SharpCap 2.9x. Now the built in web camera shows a preview image and the AVerMedia USB device does not. I had a look at the camera filter options from the pull down menu and noticed that SharpCap is using the same settings as AMCap, so that is good. I tried your suggestion of looking/changing the settings under Pin from the Option pull down menu but that did not get the preview image working. I am playing with the idea of installing an older copy of SharpCap to see if I can get a preview image. I remember reading of others using this same camera with a "cheap" video capture USB device and having everything work fright "out of the box".
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Re: Check Device File

#8

Post by admin »

Aargh! I think I am most upset that 2.10 is worse than 2.9 - it was meant to be an improvement!

I have just tested about 7 or 8 different webcams and one frame grabber in the latest 2.10 build and everything works fine (I have another frame grabber somewhere around the place, but can't find it at the moment). What version of Windows are you using? I wonder if that has any relevance (I have Win10 64 bit).

Please let me know any other information you turn up about what works and what doesn't - sometimes it's the littlest things that point you to where the bug is - I will try testing on Win7 this end to see if that is any different.

cheers

Robin
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Re: Check Device File

#9

Post by 8meter »

I'm using Windows 10 64bit system on a HP Laptop. My Windows 10 is fully updated and working fine. I chose the AVerMedia video grabber on the advice of my local computer supply a & repair shop. The AVerMedia hardware and drives are fully compatible with Windows 10. What video grabber are you using? Thanks for you help Robin. I will keep you posted on anything I turn up.
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Re: Check Device File

#10

Post by admin »

I have a 'cheapo' EasyCap clone (as shown on this page - https://visser.io/2015/06/easycap-drive ... ndows-8-1/) that shows up as an SMI Grabber device in windows. This currently works fine for me with Windows 10 and SharpCap 2.10 (I have just attached it to an old DV camcorder to verify that I get a picture).

I also have a genuine EZCap (http://www.ezcap.tv/) which also worked the last time I tested it, but I seem to have mislaid it at the moment :(

Do watch out for the cheapo clone devices - they can look identical on the outside and have different chipsets on the inside...

cheers,

Robin
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