Software Mystery: Need Help Roxio Easy VHS to DVD 3 Plus

[Bill Tarkington]

I am in the process of capturing all my old VHS tapes (not movies, my own made tapes) digitally for storage and future editing, etc. The primary software I have purchased and used for this purpose is Roxio Easy VHS to DVD 3 Plus. This software comes with Roxio's USB capture device with S video and RCA (Component?) female inputs. I initially installed and used the software on my old PC and it worked quite well. Having built a new PC, I was finally at the point that it needed to replace the old PC (both being self built desktops utilizing utilizing Intel upscale cpu's, lots of memory, and Asus upscale motherboards: point being that both are relatively new and modern in parts and construction), with the new PC. Both pc's running with Win 10 Pro. New PC is performing quite well, so no complaints there. However, upon installing the subject software, to my dismay, software fails to work at all. This software opens and presents a two option view choice: Record a DVD or Capture, Edit and SAVE; and I always select capture because at this point I have no interest in making DVD's, just capturing the video digitally and saving same. The next screen up also has two options: 1. Setup Guide; 2. Show Video input; and I always got with #2 which has a couple of preference configurations, etc. The important point though is the second option provides a preview display so you can watch the video as it comes in with/without audio. When you are ready to capture, I just click on a red button in the lower right corner of the interface presentation and that is all there is to it normally. Once the video is capture complete, I can then export it to a default location on the PC. But, the install on new PC looks and works just fine up to viewing the incoming video in preview window. Said window is subdivided into 3 blocks,two being mostly square, and the 3rd a longer rectangle below the other two. The Video shows identically in all 3 frames/blocks and all are jittering to the point the video is useless. I have proven the playback VCR and USB capture device are not the source of this anomally. What i see if I did not know better looks like copy protection, but am certain none of my tapes employ that as I shot them myself ages ago. The tape too is not the source because i am viewing it simultaneously on a separate small monitor where it presents a perfect video picture as expected. When I plug all hardware back into the old pc, software works flawlessly, so hardware/tapes cannot be source of problem. I have uninstalled and reinstalled numerous times with same result on new PC. See no reason for or how the new PC can be the problem cause. Therefore, conclude that must be the software, but for the life of me cannot determine why and how fix it.
Presented the problem to Corel tech support who now owns Roxio, and got back a response providing a direct download link for the software along with a patch to be installed after the software. Supposedly the patch was to make the software MORE compatible with Win 10. Had my doubts about all this, since the software unpatched runs under Win 10 on the old PC perfectly. But tried it anyway. Result was that the preview window/display no longer had anything in it period. Just a msg stating NO SIGNAL which can only mean the video is not getting to or into the software at all. All connections from VCR to Pc via capture device are unchanged and sound. Further tech support is pending but probably worthless as first time. At this point it is a major mystery why this software will not work on my new PC just as well as it does on the older one??? It can only be the computer itself (though I fail to see how) or the software itself ( obviously I think it to be the software) and thus the MYSTERY. Know this is a long post, but any suggestions, or comments that might offer a fix are certainly welcome. Incidentally, I am not a computer novice, though not an expert my any means. Just have years of experience in building PC's and using software. Thanks in advance to all who might respond.

 

[Regedit32]

How are you feeding your VHS output?

Have you tried feeding from player via camcorder to pc. That may improve the output signal and help stabalize things.

 

[Bill Tarkington]

How are you feeding your VHS output?

Have you tried feeding from player via camcorder to pc. That may improve the output signal and help stabalize things.

Thanks for the response. I no longer have the camcorder, just the VHS tapes. These are being fed to the new PC from the VCR audio/video outputs on rear deck to the Roxio USB capture device, then into PC via usb plug in of the device. The outputs from VCR are also being monitored separately on a video monitor simultaneously. Thus, I can see that the tapes themselves are not a problem; and as i said before, the entire chain of hardware has been plugged into the old pc where the software then performs perfectly. So, think I have eliminated all hardware as problem source except potentially the new computer itself, but cannot imagine anything with it that would account for the software not working on it. Have just received a response from the Corel/Roxio tech guy and have yet to try it out, but do not have much hope it will be of any worth. He is one of those third party asian types hired to work from a prepared troubleshooting list, but in my experience they are usually not worth the time or trouble communicating with them. Once I try his latest suggestion, will post the results. And, I think I have understood your suggestion properly, but if you think not, try me again. Thanks again.

 

[Bill Tarkington]

UPDATE: I have loaded the software on my portable computer (a 3rd computer) running Win 10 Home edition. The software worked perfectly as it does on my old desktop PC. This would seem to point to some kind of incompatibility between the software and my new PC. To my thinking a computer is a computer is a computer, so it is beyond my imagination to even know where to start troubleshooting the computer as source of my problem. The new computer utilizes the Asus X99 Deluxe/usb 3.1 Motherboard, populated with Intel 5960X cpu, Invidia GeForce 980Ti GPU, 65434 Mb of 2400 Memory, an Intel 750 NVMe PCIe 1 TB SSD (used for data only, not boot/OS), and a Samsung 1 TB 840 EVO SSD hosting the Win 10 Pro OS. So, if anyone out there can suggest what part(s) could potentially be the source of my stated problem, please speak up. It could still be the software about which I an know nothing, but seems unlikely though. I have also tried plugging the Roxio USB capture device into several different USB ports which made no difference. Any suggestions anyone????

 

[Regedit32]

It is a bit of a mystery now you have two computers working fine and this one still refusing to play with your RE-VHS. The only thing I can think of is that somehow the USB hub is shorting or faulty. Possibly the drivers associated with the hub are the root cause of trouble. This is assuming you are connecting that adapter via USB.

Are there any com port differences between the two working pc's and the non working one?

 

[Bill Tarkington]

It is a bit of a mystery now you have two computers working fine and this one still refusing to play with your RE-VHS. The only thing I can think of is that somehow the USB hub is shorting or faulty. Possibly the drivers associated with the hub are the root cause of trouble. This is assuming you are connecting that adapter via USB.

Are there any com port differences between the two working pc's and the non working one?

Not sure what you mean by port differences? Could you explain? Right now I have uninstalled the software provided by Roxio tech via link plus patch which results in "No Signal" in preview window. I am reinstalling the software directly from the purchased disk since it did result in a signal just an abnormal one that is unuseable. Wht i am considering doing is first physically removing he Intel 750 NVMe PCIe SSD from the new computer, then running the software to see if there is any different result. do not expect it will. If not, then next remove the Nvidia GeForce 980Ti GPU from new computer and substitute the GPU from the OLD computer and see if that make a difference. My aim is to at least eliminate or identify both these components of the new computer as source(s) of the problem. Beyond that I cannot think of anything else I can test this way. However, I will not do anything pending your reply concerning USB port differences. I will say that I have at the front panel of the new computer 2 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports and have tried all of them, but all produce the same abnormal video signal in the preview screen. Reason I uninstalled the software first though is because it resulted in No Signal being detected while that installed directly from the disk does detect a signal, but just presents it abnormally and unuseable. Both the old and portable computers on which the software worked correctly have the disk software installation. Bottom line is that I trust the disk install over the Roxio link install just because at least it does detect a video signal, so I want the new computer to be as close as I can get it to the older one for testing purposes. I will surely be unhappy if either component ends up being the problem source as each cost me near $1000 each. The GPU output to the new Asus ROG monitor is HDMI at both ends, while that for the old computer which used a Dell monitor used DVI output at both ends. I mention this though I cannot see how any of this would make a difference? Looking for your reply. Thanks.

 

[Regedit32]

The com ports are for usb serial adapters when networked devices are attached.

In your case that is an unlikely scenario.

Pretty sure you ought to be using full powered USB 2.0 for your converter.

If the VHS in question were analog that might explain seeing an image but no audio, but given you say all was well on other devices that too seems like an unlikely scenario.

I'll be interested to see whether your tests come to anything. I don't think the GPU should change anything, but who knows perhaps its drivers just don't like your converter.

 

[Bill Tarkington]

In all my previous trouble shooting I had dwelt on the screwed up Preview screen display the software presented on the new computer. Since the Corel tech provided software plus patch resulted in NO SIGNAL detection, had noted that accordingly the RECORD button was greyed out. So, I uninstalled and reinstalled directly from my purchased disk that gave me the messed up video preview, but a operable RECORD button, which for no particular reason, I clicked on expecting the recorded video to also be messed up. SURPRISE? The recorded video was perfect as that on the old computer. That provided some relief, but still did not resolve the preview issue. This happy result though caused me to experiment further by clicking on the SUPPORT tab, then CHECK FOR UPDATE. Guess what? There was a SP2 patch that even the Corel tech apparently did not know about. Downloaded and run the patch, but it did nothing to fix the preview screen, though it had no other undesireable effects since recording was still perfect as before the patch. Then started all the hardware trouble shooting I could do which included switching dispays,display connections (DVI vs HDMI), removal of the Intel 750 SSD ( had no effect), and finally switched the old computers GPU to the new computer (which had no effect). There was nothing left for me to do and I still did not pin point the source of the preview issue. Began reinstalling all components to both old and new computer expecting the issue to remain unresolved. Low and behold upon firing up the software, the preview screen worked perfectly on new computer for first time. All I can surmise is that the GPU had one or more bad connections somewhere since the only thing that I had done that could account for this was reinstalling that GPU. So, the mystery apparently is resolved, and it was hardware not the software. Took lots of time and patience, but so happy that the software is now working as it should on both old and new computers. Would like to know though what that Corel SP2 patch was supposed to fix, but it certainly had nothin to do with the preview screen issue. Thanks for your interest and suggestions. Problem solved.

 

[Regedit32]

Hi Bill, or should I call you Sherlock

Nice detective work and thanks for the update.

Glad you finally got it working.