capturing problem

[snarkle]

Everytime I go to screen capture a video I get a black screen as a capture. I have tried using both media player and realone player,I have shut off the hardware acceleration in both media player and realone player. I have also tried to turn of the acceleration by going into the contol panel-display-settings-advanced-troubleshoot, when I do this one I get no video.

[TSC2]

Are you playing back a DVD video?

Thank you for using SnagIt!
-TechSmith Support

[dutch143]

I am having the same problem. Hardware accel is off. I'm not trying to capture playback from a DVD, just an mpeg file. I'm playing the file using Windows Media Player 10 (up to date version)and I'm using a geforce fx 5950 Ultra video card with up to date drivers(if any of this helps). Hoping you can help me. Extra note: what is interesting is that as long as the movie is playing in Media player(even after the capture is ended - stopped) the video appears (running in real time) in the Catalog Browser(which is where I have the file being saved). When I stop the player the thumbnail movie goes black and the "captured" file plays back black.
Thanks for your help.

[TSC2]

Hello,

The issue you described at the end is the result of having hardware acceleration disabled. Did you disable hardware acceleration from within Camtasia Recorder, or in Windows itself?

[dutch143]

Hi,
I'm using SnagIt (not Camtasia). I disabled the hardware acceleration from within Windows.

[TSC2]

Are you just trying to capture single frame images, such as a BMP or Jpeg? Or are you trying to capture videos?

If you are trying to capture single frame images, try setting your input to DirectX, then press Scroll Lock to capture. If you are using Media Player, that may work for you, unless it is using a special form of hardware acceleration to display those images, other than DirectX.

If you are trying to capture video and have already disabled hardware acceleration system wide, then unfortunately you won't be able to capture that video. If this is the case, it is using a non-standard form of hardware acceleration, displaying its image in a non-standard memory location and then overlaying it on top of the desktop. SnagIt and Camtasia STudio only capture from the desktop and are unable to capture overlayed items. Disabling hardware acceleration will often force and application to display the video/image directly on the desktop. However, in this case, it may be overlaying it despite the fact that hardware acceleration was disabled.

Just as a reminder, you can disable h/w acceleration, system wide, by going to:
Control Panel>Display>Settings>Advanced>Troubleshoot, then slide the hardware accleration slider to none.

Thank you for using Camtasia Studio!
-TechSmith Support

[dutch143]

Very disappointing. While I thank you for your response (really I do)- I don't like what I read. Essentially you said the purchase was a waste of money. Really now, I doubt there is anything special about my particular hardware acceleration - it's an NVIDA chip board, c'mon. Seriously, if the product can't capture video with the accel on, then you should let people know about it in the product desciption. Before they buy. Capturing video is why I bought SnagIt. I have many other choices for capturing stills (which also doesn't work using SnagIt with accel turned on). In the end I share the blame - should have used the trial first. What a waste. Found a competitor product that works for me. Thanks anyway.

[deadmaus]

I have a similar problem in that I can never seem to get my capture centred. When I examine to captured frame I can make it slide all over the place ( if you have done this you will know what I mean) and the image is always off centre. Even if I take a whole screen shot I only get part of the image in the movie screen. Strange.
ps
Dutch143 you said you found a prog that worked better with movie grabs, can you PM me the name?

[Nightingale]

I totally agree. You shouldn't have to disable anything to get software to work. This is too buggy.

[rayola]

Very disappointing. While I thank you for your response (really I do)- I don't like what I read. Essentially you said the purchase was a waste of money. Really now, I doubt there is anything special about my particular hardware acceleration - it's an NVIDA chip board, c'mon. Seriously, if the product can't capture video with the accel on, then you should let people know about it in the product desciption. Before they buy. Capturing video is why I bought SnagIt. I have many other choices for capturing stills (which also doesn't work using SnagIt with accel turned on). In the end I share the blame - should have used the trial first. What a waste. Found a competitor product that works for me. Thanks anyway.
I am also looking for an alternative to Snagit Video capture, as I have been getting the black screen capture. I would appreciate a link to the alternative software that you refer to in your post.

[Manny Carvalho]

I am also looking for an alternative to Snagit Video capture, as I have been getting the black screen capture. I would appreciate a link to the alternative software that you refer to in your post.
Camtasia: http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

[Snaffer]

Wait! Don't Go! I found the solution to the black screen of death. I use WMP11 and this worked for me: Don't turn acceleration off. The problem is with layers. (The picture displayed in the player isn't actually on the screen, but rather a layer above it). Snagit reads the actual screen. In WMP11 (tools, options, performance, advanced) uncheck Use Overlays in Video Acceleration. Apply changes and voila!

Note that the procedure is different in earlier versions but can be done in other players as well.