"Recorder captured no frames" with Premiere CS4

[Lauran]

Hi, i'm new to muvipix, I came here through the official Adobe-forums where they couldn't help me with the following problem:

I'm trying to import a video from my SHARP VL-SD20 into Premiere Pro CS4. But when capturing, the screen on the camera shows the video, but in CS4 it's black. It seems like it's recording because the time is running (or more 'jumping') and when I stop recording it say's "recorder captured no frames". I already clean installed my laptop (Sony VAIO FZ21E but that doesn't help). I tried capturing in Windows Movie Maker, there it works, but it gives a really distorted image without sound.

Does anyone know what might be the problem I'm dealing with and how to help it?

[Chuck Engels]

I see that the Sharp is a MiniDV camcorder so I assume you are connected via Firewire but just to verify:

Are you capturing via Firewire?
Are you capturing to a laptop or a desktop?

If Firewire, are you using a 4 pin to 6 pin cable?

[Chuck Engels]

Oh, and by the way Lauran -

Welcome to Muvipix

[Chuck Engels]

Oop, just saw that you stated you are using a laptop
I really need to read a little closer.

I had the exact same problem, purchased a 6 pin Firewire card for the laptop and now I can capture just fine.
Not sure if that will solve your problem but might be worth a try.

Do you have a desktop you can test it on?

[Lauran]

Thanks for the reply Chuck!

Yeah I'm capturing through a laptop, with Firewire. The box my Firewire cable is in says "4 to 6 Firewire". I'm not sure what that means.

[Chuck Engels]

There are two types of Firewire connectors, 4 pin and 6 pin.

The 4 pin is the small end, 6 pin is the large end.

The fact that you have a Sony Vaio could be a problem, they tend to have issues with Premiere Elements at times.
Are you using a Sony iLink cable? That is just a specific Sony brand of Firewire, but it may help considering you are using a Sony laptop.

If your Firewire port on the laptop is a large 6 pin connector then you don't have the same problem as I do.
I would recommend getting a Sony iLink cable and trying that next.

[Lauran]

Yeah, I heard about Sony laptops having issues with capturing before. I actually have a 6-pin cable, but a converter part which makes it a 4-pin cable. It's because I just spent 28 euro's on it. I guess I'll just have to buy the iLink tomorrow. I'll post my experiences.

[Chuck Engels]

If the port on the laptop is a 4 pin port then you may need to get a firewire adapter with 6 pin ports instead.
That is what fixed my problem.

No sense in getting a Sony iLink cable and plugging that into a 4 pin port on your Vaio.

Now that I know you have an adapter (converter part) it is the converter part/adapter that could be part of the problem.

The port that the cable fits into on your camcorder is 4 pin, what is the port on your laptop, I assume that is 4 pin also.
Then I also assume you have a 4 pin to 6 pin cable and a 6 pin to 4 pin adapter.

The first thing you can try, if the above is true, is to get a 4 pin to 4 pin cable.
If you get a Sony iLink cable that is ok as long as it is 4 pin to 4 pin.

If that doesn't work then I would suggest an additional firewire card for you laptop that has 6 pin ports, that is what fixed my problem that is very much like yours. My laptop is a Dell however, but I was getting the exact same error until installing an additional Firewire card.
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