0.8.5: "unable to open 'dshow://'" problem

[dancingnomad3]

Hi. Ever since I installed 0.8.5 version of VLC, I keep getting the above error when I try to capture video. The log window tells me:

"Capture device 'UFG.dll' does not support required parameters"
"dshow demuxer error: can't open video"

I got the same problem with a Foresight Imaging Capture card.

Any ideas on what's wrong? I've tried resetting preferences but that doesn't help.

Thanks.

[DJ]

Assuming your capture device is showing up in VLC, one of the options you are selecting or one of the defaults is incorrect for your card.

[dancingnomad3]

I haven't changed any options in the new version (it worked in previous versions). And I am able to capture using other software. Just not in VLC.

[DJ]

The features and option have change between versions. One of the defaults is probably not working for you.

[dancingnomad3]

Is there some place where I can find these features/changes between versions? It'd be nice to have a place to start as I have no idea which defaults could be causing the problem.

[DJ]

You could try searching the change logs. They are created daily. But you are going to search through about four months of them. Then there is the issue that the dev may or may not have seen fit to note the exact differences, but only the changes.

[dancingnomad3]

Ok, this isn't helping.

And I guess no one else has seen this problem or have any other suggestions???

[Kashy]

I have this exact same problem and also clueless as to what may be causing it.

I will do some research and post any results here.

[DJ]

It may be easier to either use graphedit and see how the different pins are used or read the manufactures specifications or go to there website for more information. In 0.8.5 you can change pins for the various functions of your device. There is supposed to be a auto system for pin recognition, but as near as I can tell this doesn't always work and may need to be set manually.

Another area that seems rather problematic is the Chroma formats in raw output and may be why the auto recognition isn't working for your device.

But all in all I'm guessing here as it is impossible for anyone without purchasing all the capture devices in the market place and writing specific instructions for each. I believe though the new system a major step in the right direction as it allowed more functions for more devices.

[dancingnomad3]

I had a few email exchanges with the UFG03 guys and supposedly it does not work with VLC on Linux because it does not support v4l. I tried a command line streamer (from Xawtv) and got some picture but it was very choppy and I couldn't pin point where the problem was.

The card works fine with VLC on Windows XP though.

[Kashy]

I can only get it to run with 0.8.4a on windows XP SP2, any later versions that I have tested have failed with the same error as you posted above.

[mcartmel]

I have the same problem with the Camtasia device. Opens and displays fine in version 0.8.4a, but 'does not support required parameters' in 0.8.5 and above. I have tried changing all the options/defaults I can... does anyone know how to get this working in the newer versions?

[gguruusa]

Got around to playing with my TV card last night, and noticed the following bugs:

1) When choosing audio device, the field is not long enough - my device name is 32 chars long and the last char is being clipped. Oddly, this doesn't happen with the video device selection which is also 32 chars long.

2) saving a dshow:// VLM entry has all the usual escape problems (all the "s need \s in front of them)

3) when adding a dshow:// playlist item, anything past dshow:// are not transferred from the directshow customize box to the playlist item. You can cut and paste the settings into the URI (right click/info), however.

4) if I "open capture device" from the main menu, there doesn't appear to be any way to stop the stream other than closing the app (stop button doesn't work)

Maybe it's just my tuner, but frequently I can't get more than the first few frames of video (but the audio plays fine). It's a roll of the dice as to eveything works, or stuck/no video.

all of this was tested against 0.8.6-061208-0330 on winXP SP2 with DViCO FusionHDTV5 USB Gold tuner (software decoder).

BTW - VLM manager still crashes when VOD items exist.

[gguruusa]

my first point above turns out to be a fault of the Fusion drivers, and not VLC.

as to point 3), this is a little weird...if I add 2 directshow playlist items, each with different capture devices selected, they both show just dshow:// as the URI, but pressing >>| to advance to the next stream indicates that they know to use the different capture options I specified. Weird. (In the specific case I was playing with, I was selecting different audio devices).