Sony DVgate Manual - Limitations and Cautions

Specifications
Limitations
Cautions

Specifications

DVgate Motion

Refer to the Readme file for the DV devices supported by DVgate.

When scanning for recording start and end points

When scan stops at an unrecorded segment on a DV tape, the point that comes directly before the unrecorded segment is treated as an out point.
If you click the [Stop] button while scanning is taking place, scanning stops and that point is treated as an OUT point.
While directly manipulating a DV device, the point at which the DV device changes is displayed as an OUT point and scanning stops.During direct manipulation, scanning stops when the status of the DV device changes and that point is displayed as an OUT point.

When capturing

You can save up to 50 sub-files when saving AVI format files.
OUT points are not included in the capture. Capture ends at the frame prior to the OUT point.

DVgate Assemble

You can save up to 50 sub-files when saving AVI format files.
Still image file sections have no sound when previewed or when the output file is played back.

Limitations

General limitations

DVgate Motion does not support the reading or writing of data in the memory of cassettes equipped with cassette memory
Titles created by the index title function of DV devices on a cassette with cassette memory cannot be captured.
Compressed drives are not supported.
System standby is not supported.
DVgate Motion and DVgate Still cannot be launched and used at the same time.
When a source tape is recorded in the LP mode, it is recommended that you use the same DV device that recorded the tape for playback or capturing purposes. Using a different DV device may cause problems during playback or make capture impossible.
Multi-monitor is not supported.

The DV device is not recognized when Smart Capture is being used and DVgate is running.

If your computer has a Windows XP OS, any DVgate applications that are running will stop when another user logs on using Fast User Switching. Therefore, the interrupted operation must be done again.
- Before starting any operation, make sure that all connected devices are properly configured and that the tape settings are correct.
If your computer has a Windows XP OS, operation is not assured if you start the DVgate applications from the Remote Desktop.
- Starting DVgate applications from Remote Desktop places a tremendous burden on the computer and network. Avoid doing so if at all possible.
If your computer has a Windows XP OS, files such as DV-AVI files cannot be saved to the root directory of the drive formatted in NTFS. Save files to directories other than the root directory.

DVgate Motion Limitations

Limitations when scanning for recording start and end points
- Recording start/end points may not be detected correctly if they are too close together.
  - The minimum detectable interval is about one second, depending on the DV device.
- Recording start/end points located at the very beginning or very end of the tape may not be detected correctly.
- This software cannot search for DV titles or indexes.
- If the tape has many start/end points, it might take more time to complete a scan in the [Scan with fast forward/rewind play] mode without the [Do not adjust start/end point] being checked than it takes in the [Scan with normal speed play] mode.
- When [Scan with fast forward/rewind play] is selected as the scan recording start and end points setting, and [Do not adjust start/end points] is checked, the duration values for images recorded in the SP mode are displayed as the IN and OUT points that are detected.
- When [Scan with fast forward/rewind play] is selected as the scan recording start and end points setting, the start/end points may not be correctly detected.
- Recording start/end points may not be detected on a tape containing images with no recording date information.
  - To verify that an image has recording date information, observe the main window of DVgate Motion while playing the tape image.
- You cannot control the DV device from within DVgate Motion while scanning is taking place.
Limitations when capturing
- Whenever DVgate Motion encounters a video sequence with different sound modes during capture, another file is created to save the portion after the position where the sound mode changes. However, sound may be lost at the beginning of the new file.
- Video cannot be captured from copy-protected tapes.
- If there are only 100 MB or less of free disk space available at the start of a capture session, a message appears saying that there is insufficient disk space regardless of the length or size of the upcoming capture.
  If free disk space drops to 100 MB or less during a capture, capture automatically ends.
- If the segments to be captured were recorded with different modes (SP/LP), the duration display and other progress reporting displays may not function properly.
- The number of lost frames reported may be incorrect when the time code on the tape is not completely consecutive within the captured area.
- Stereo 1 and stereo 2 cannot be captured simultaneously. Also, the main bilingual sound channel and the sub-channel cannot be captured simultaneously.
- If your computer has a Windows 2000 OS that saves image files to a compressed folder or if image files are compressed or password protected then capture does not occur correctly.
Limitations on recording correction values
- Perfect splice recording with a +/-0 frame cannot be accomplished even after adjusting the recording correction values because there are always errors associated with the accuracy of the DV device or the condition of the DV tape.
- The drive set for images captured with automatic calibration of recording correction values needs to have more than 100 Mbytes of available memory.
Limitations when recording
- When a digital video cassette recorder is used for recording, you cannot record video properly if the input switch on the recorder is not set to DV.
- You can record AVI files with different sound modes on a DV device, but about one second of no sound (depending on the DV device) may occur at the point where the sound modes change.
- In some cases, more blank-image frames than the set number are recorded after the image, to avoid recording image noise interference at the end of the file.
- If a heavy load is put on the CPU or hard disk while recording, frame duplication may occur (the phenomenon where the same frame is recorded over and over again). To prevent the occurrence of frame duplication, set up your personal computer according to "Configuring Your Computer For Use With DVgate. (Important. Please read.)"
- You cannot do insert editing when the image is recorded
- Recording on a DV device in the [EXPORT-Auto] mode is not possible when the DV device is engaged in a recording session or if it is put on pause while in a recording session.
- Also, disrupted images or interrupted sound may result during playback of recorded images that have been recorded in different modes (SP and LP)
- If your computer has a Windows 2000 OS that saves image files to a compressed folder or if image files are compressed or password protected then capture does not occur correctly.

DVgate Assemble Limitations

Wide TV mode is not supported when saving files in the MPEG format. Scenes shot in the Wide TV mode will appear to be warped or contorted.
You may not be able to save files in the MPEG2 format, depending on the model of your computer.
You cannot save in the MPEG1 or MPEG2 format if the file has only 6 frames or less.
Files cannot be split up or divided when saving in the MPEG1 or MPEG2 format.
MPEG1 and MPEG2 files saved with DVgate Assemble cannot exceed 2 and 4 Gbytes, respectively.

DVgate Still Limitations

Only original sound is played back in DVgate Still.
Still images may not be properly captured if capturing is done at fast forward/rewind play speed.
Saving in the DVF format disables [Save after field interpolation].

Cautions

General Cautions

While launching DVgate Motion or DVgate Still do not connect or disconnect any peripheral devices, including DV devices, nor insert or eject PC cards, and do not turn the power off and on.
While DVgate Motion is in use, do not use Smart Connect.
While the connected DV device is recording images or is in standby for recording images, do not use DVgate Motion or DVgate Still.
While DVgate Motion is in use, do not change display properties.

DVgate Motion Cautions

Cautions when capturing
- While capturing or recording in DVgate Motion, do not launch other software or move any window.
- Files captured in the IMPORT-Auto Mode, with the same IN point and the [7 digit time code] used in the file name, are overwritten.

Cautions on recording correction values

The test signal, that is needed to acquire the correction value during automatic calibration of recording correction values, is recorded on the tape. When doing automatic calibration you have to put a tape to record the signal on in the DV device.

Do not operate other software or windows when operating automatic calibration of recording correction values.

Cautions when recording

Do not launch any software, operate Windows or remove or insert disks from the removable disk drive while recording an image.
When recording on a DV tape in EXPORT-Auto Mode, recording correction values are used to correct the position of the image. The start position adjustment, based on the time code on the DV tape, might not be correctly done in the following cases.
- When using a (blank) DV tape on which a time code has not been registered.
- When recording near a blank area on the tape.

Cautions Regarding Device Connections

Depending on the DV device, an error may occur if an automatically controlled DV device function (eg., scan, capture or auto record) is executed from DVgate Motion immediately after the DV device is turned on. In this case, normal operation can be achieved by first playing a tape when the device is turned on (before executing such functions).

DVgate Still Cautions

All images are lost if you exit DVgate Still without saving the captured images.