Honestech VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe USB problem

[todivefor]

I have Honestech VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe USB device for converting VHS tapes to DVD. I have been trying to get this to work with Windows XP under Fusion. It does not work. However, it does work in my bootcamp system. If I run in my BC VM while capturing, the display will periodically pause. After capturing, I am unable to edit, ie the Honestech application crashes. I am not able to play the mpg file in Windows Media Player, it crashes. I have tried it under Fusion in a non-BC Windows XP VM with the same results. If I run everything in my BC partition native it works fine.

I am running Fusion Version 1.1.2 (87978) on my iMac with Mac OSX 10.5.4. I am running Windows XP Home SP2. I have also tried it in a Windows Vista Business SP1 with the same result. All Windows XP tests were run with 1MB memory. I have tried increasing that , with same result. In the VM, I am also running with "Accelerate 3D Graphics" enabled.

Honestech VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe system requirements

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows XP (SP2) / Windows Vista

• USB 2.0 Host Controller/Port

• Processor: Pentium IV 2.0 GHz or equivalent

• Memory: 256MB of RAM

• Video Output: DVD,VCD, SVCD,AVI,WMV,MPEG-4

• Other:

Composite (RCA) cable

1. Audio cable (3.5mm to composite)

2. Audio cable (3.5mm to 3.5mm)

DirectX 9.0 or higher

Windows Media Player 6.4 (or higher)

CD Writer for VCD, SVCD

DVD Writer for DVD

Any ideas?

[todivefor]

Help????

[asatoran]

I don't think there are that many people using that specific product here on the forums. So I'm not sure how much help you'll get. These are my thoughts, based on my experiences with VMWare products over the past few years:

1. There is always a performance penalty with a virtual machine. Most times, this won't be noticeable in light duty applications, but video is often not light duty. Video capture can be quite resource intensive. My experience with USB TV tuners in the past has been less than optimal. I'd have to capture in a smaller window, etc. You didn't mention what kind of Mac you're using for a host. The Honestech requirements call for a 2GHz P4, so you'd want a Mac that's faster than that. I don't have any experience with very recent USB video capture devices so I can't say for certain how much faster, nor if it will actually help with improving video capture.

2. The virtual machine still has a SVGA II video card, even when you select 3D acceleration. This video card might not be powerfull enough for the Honestech software. Honestech may not have tested with a SVGA II card, believing that "no one would use such a old video card with our software." This would explain why the software works in Bootcamp, but crashes in a virtual machine.

So I don't know if you're going to have much more success getting this to work in a VM. Hopefully someone else has some ideas. Otherwise, you may have to use it only in Bootcamp.

[todivefor]

asatoran,

Thanks for your reply. I am running an iMac ( 2.4ghz core 2 duo). I had never heard of Honestech until I saw it at Sams.

Hopefully, someone with video capture experience will have some ideas.

[Uncle_Art]

So... since you're trying to use an Hosestech device... I'm going to be Honest with you...

You have a new Mac. It came with a most awesome batch of Video Capture/Editing/DVD Burning apps in the form of iLife: iMovie, and iDVD.

Yeah, I know this is a Fusion Forum, and we might or might not get your Honsetech to ever suck footage into Windows through Fusion....

But, may I suggest you "Stop Suffering", and beg buy, borrow or steal a Canopus ADVC100 or 110? Or ANY of the less expensive "Mac Compatible" Composite Video-to-Firewire/DV converters?

Really... it will free you of Windows for the (should be) fun and creative task of digitizing Videos, and let you do it natively, in a much more enjoyable, creative environment. Your Mac, as a Mac, is going to let you do things with video that would take the Windows equivalent of a combination vasectomy/root canal.

Can you DO it solely in Windows? Yeah, probably. In a Virtual Machine? Much less likely. Either way, see the "combination procedure" I mentioned above.

SAME exact exercise strictly in OSX and the iLife suite? You're going to have FUN. Actually ENJOY using a Computer again.

Having "Been there, done That" on both sides of the aisle... my advice is "If you don't absolutely NEED to do it with Windows, DON'T"

(And FWIW, I DO use Fusion for all manner of crazy one-off apps and GUIs that will never see OSX, and I LOVE it for that, but give me the Mac Equivalent of ANY windows app, any day...)

-art

[todivefor]

Uncle Art,

Sounds like good advice. The Canopus devices are much more than what I want to spend. My application is basically a one shot deal (convert 4 tapes). In addition, I have some friends who have some tapes they would like converted. It is really just an issue of convenience. I do like your approach.

Thank you.

Peter