Connecting an Analog Video Source to a Computer

has anybody figured out how to use the rca jacks on front of their gateway yet

 

OK then don't know if this has been asked before (I havent seen it but if it has accept my apolgies and post the link)

Right, Im not very smart so could someone please explain this to me STEP BY STEP.

I have a Windows Media Centre PC - XP not vista
It has the the S-Video port, The yellow video, and red and white audio ports at the front as well. I have an old analog JVC nicam video which has 2 scarts inputs at the back and the Yellow,Red,White ports at the front of the video.

Now How do I connect them so I can record the video playback on my PC? I also have "Pinnacle Studio 500-USB" but even with that I cannot connect the video to the PC succesfully.

Thanks For Your Help

 

I have this same Gateway running Vista 32 bit. After 4 months of back and forth with Gateway, Geek Squad/Best Buy where I purchased it, and AVerMedia (maker of this capture device), and numerous trial versions of software, I finally talked to a Gateway salesperson who told me how to do this. Yes, this is in lieu of trying to get me to buy something I didn't need. Pretty remarkable and very redeeming for Gateway. Too bad nobody else seems to have known this little known way of getting these ports to work. Here is the secret:

You have to program the TV tuner to believe that your analogue video inputs are coming from a cable box.

First, I had to hook up the remote control that came with the computer and also had to attach the video camera to the remote (even though it doesn't work the camera). Do this by taking the little sticky part of the cable that came with the remote infrared sensor and stick that part on the camera near its infrared sensor, the other end goes into one of the ports on the back of the infrared sensor that goes into the computer's USB port.

Then open Windows Media center and get to the TV set up. You can do this by going to TV and getting to TV set up. However, if you've already set up a TV you have to go into Tasks > settings > TV. Once there you answer a few basic questions (I cancelled out of the TV set up options download). When given the choice, check MANUAL configure. Choose the cable option, then YES that you have a set-top box. Have your video camera ready set up and plugged into the analogue inputs, have it on and playing. Then in the next screen choose one of the composite video settings. Mine worked on composite video 2.

The next few screens have you setting up channels, etc. I just fudged with this and selected channel 2, and one of the other choices (RCA I think), but I didn't really find that this mattered. Once I could see my video playing, you record it by choosing record live TV. Once it's recorded you can open it in Windows Movie Maker and save it as whatever kind of file you like. You can burn a DVD directly from the live recording, or you can burn it from DVD maker.

At any rate, I found that for the simple things I wanted to do, my computer is sufficient and no other software is needed. Also, I do not have my computer hooked up to any other kind of TV. If you do, I'm thinking you probably have to reprogram your TV card every time you want to set up your camera to input directly.

Hope this helps somebody!

 

Wow, finally! I did what you said and it worked perfectly.Thank you very much.

 

I'd Like to thank you for this,with this info you provided I am able to get everything running,I even can get my xbox and wii to play threw front jacks,Wii sucks tho to much lag,but anyhow thanks alot.

 

Hello eveyone, I am also wondering if there's any good video capturing techniques for this setup:
From a PS2 to my comuter using Component video (not RCA). I want to be able to record my games (I also have a component video splitter) and create video files and store them on my computer (I'm trying to create a game-video guide).

My choices are using a DVR (don't have) or an expensive capture card.
Also, if using Component cables doesn't seem to be a good idea, I guess I could switch back to the old RCA cables.

 

I used a Dazzle it has the component cables on one side and a usb on the other. I needed to split the connection that I was wanting to capture so that it would also show on the tv while I was capturing it on my computer so I bought a splitter amplifier that makes up to five connections out of the one and it also amplifies the signal so there is no loss in quality of picture.

all together I paid 80 dollars for this. 50 for dazzle at bestbuy and 30 for the splitter. the picture looks good and I don't have any complaints.

 

maybe ur rca connections are inputs instead of outputs? I use pinnacle to capture the picture I want its a decent enough software but I use a different method than you do...