Dabber,

And some MORE info, please... What camera are you using, and which version of MEP? Does your recording window look something like this (my screen shot from VPX not MEP)?

I'm a bit confused by what seems a contradiction in your statements that your film "...is visible in the preview screen.", but then you say "The preview screen that was black turns grey...". Did you do anything that made the preview change from visible to black? Are you lining up the first frame using the camera controls or the transport buttons under the MEP preview window?

Transfer from old VHS taps seems to often have problems but I've never had any with DV or HDV.

Regards,

Carl 

Carl: Sorry, that was confusing. In my attempts to get the programme to record I tried a few times. Sometimes I could see the scene in the preview screen after I lined it up. At other times the screen was black and just turned off (went grey like the background to the panel) when I clicked on the play arrow. Yes, I know, I should have clicked on the red record button. I wasted an hour playing one DV tape thinking I was recording when I was only viewing the tape in the preview screen.

The recording window is exactly as you show it. Except that I don't save to My Record. I send files to Libraries > Videos > My Videos > (project title) > filename. 

As I say, the preview screen went grey (turns off) from black when I wrongly clicked on the play button under the preview screen.  The camera is linked to the computer via a Firewire cable and the "Set device automatically" operation is selected. I find the first scene with the VCR-like buttons under the preview screen. (See, I've read the user manual). 

Jeff: I use Windows 7 Professional* (which I hate, but don't get me going on that!). I have not changed the computer since I last successfully recorded from a DV tape.  As I say above, I use a Firewire cable. I recently extensively updated my computer - well, bought a new one with many high-powered giozmos, so I'm not in need of more memory, etc. 

Basically, it is the case that the red record button doesn't react to the cursor clicking on it. But it did previously. 

* [I wanted Widows XP !]

ADDED (thursday pm - GMT): For the record the Firewire / IEEE 3914 cable is working fine - I can control the camera from the buttons under the preview screen.

I suppose there is only one recording site? !

To access the DV Camcorder "page" I click on the record button under the video project window. This brings up the panel showing several sources of material. I click on DV Camcorder and up comes the import / capture panel where I fill in all the boxes, find the first frame and click on the Record button on the panel. This seems to be interpreted as a Stop instruction and the LCD window on the camera shows STOP, the full size of the tape (60min) and a blank counter.

What else can I do? What else did I do previously??        

FURTHER FACTS (Do they help?)

I have just successfully loaded the first segment of the video that I want to import into Magix - but loading it into another video editing programme. Same connections, no problems, so all is well on that score. But the other programme lists the input source as "Canon DV device". It recognises the camera all by itself. I don't have to type anything into the text box. 

When I try the same things with Magix the input source (top box) says: "Microsoft DV Camera and VCR". I cannot change this. That is, I cannot delete the line and type in "Canon DV device". Magix then says: " !  Could not connect to selected device", whether it is the Microsoft camera  (do Microfost make cameras?) or a blank box.  

Hi Dabber.

Thanks for those very full replies.

My reason for asking about your OS was that Win 7 - I have Pro also and must say I think it's great(!!) - introduced a "new" Firewire (IEEE1394) driver that appears to actually work with nothing!  Unfortunately I'm away from my home computer at the moment so cannot give you the full details on how to check which driver is running and, if it's not the "Legacy" one, how to install it.

I would suggest you search this site for references to Firewire, Legacy Driver, Win 7 (or any combination of these) for details.  Failing that, a Google search will turn up a number of references to this problem and how to resolve it.

HTH

Jeff

Hi Dabber.

Thanks for those very full replies.

My reason for asking about your OS was that Win 7 introduced a "new" Firewire (IEEE1394) driver that appears to actually work with nothing!

Jeff

Thanks for that Jeff, but the "other" video editing programme (which I am using on Windows 7 Pro) is clearly having no problems with the "new" IEEE 1394 driver because, as I say, it carries out the import task all right.  So the driver must be all right, and Windows 7 Pro must be connected to it.

See my later added comments below. 

Hi

This soundslike a driver issue with the Canon DV camera, Win 7 does not have or recognises that the camera is a Canon and has installed generic Microsoft drivers - this would explain why Record == Stop on the camera - the wrong 'translated codes' are being sent to the camera.. 

Have you installed the drivers/software that came with the camera?  They may be on the CD/DVD you got with the camera or you will need to download them from the Canon site.

The Legacy drivers Jeff is referring to tutorial is here http://www.magix.info/uk/resolving-windows-7-1394-firewire-transfer-to-comuter-button.online-training.691755.html.

However this is for the 64 bit version of Windows so may not be relevant - still check however.

HTH

John

John (johnebaker),

I have tried that (after reading your post). I also looked in the Device Manager where I see I have  two controllers:

LSI 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller and VIA 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller. Neither, as you see, say Legacy.  But both are said to be working all right.

Actually . . . I seemed to be getting a lot of messages about new drivers (not sure what for) being available. Having got fed up I deleted two of the drivers (I acquired three driver programmes after a recent problem. Not sure why; one would have done!). I used the remaining driver programme and a scan showed I had two out-of-date drivers - both for the mouse.  And as I say, my other video editing programme works just fine with the Compliant Host Controllers I have on Windows 7.

So are we going down the wrong track at the moment? 

CORRECTION: I meant to say "I deleted two of the driver checking programmes (not drivers)" 

 

ADDED: I have now updated the LSI 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller to a Legacy version. And absolutely nothing has changed. The problem still exists and I have wasted a morning.

[By the way, I can't find a Delete button so I'm wondering if some behind-the-scenes expert could delete the other two versions of this particukar answer? They appeared after I edited the original version. Thanks.] 

Hi

What is the camera model?

John