No audio with any video capture device

Fred7

I've tried 4 different capture devices to transfer loads of old analogue video tapes to my computer, but can't get the audio to work on any of them.
My original capture device from a few years ago, used to work on XP. I'm now running Win10 and I get get video on three of the four devices but no sound.
I even bought a cheap pc set up, with Win7 installed as all the devices I've tried are supposedly able to run on XP and Win7, but still no joy.
The software has installed correctly, I've done everything in the right order, the drivers all installed fine and are showing as audio and video both working correctly.
I'm at a total loss now, and have spent far too many hours on this. I'm desperate to preserve all my old tapes of my children, family holidays etc, but just have no clue what to do now.
Any help would be massively appreciated, thankyou.

stearman65

Are you sure the capture device it suitable for W10? Have you tried changing the name of the file you are trying to convert? If you have Audacity, you can strip audio from a file but you need one of their plug ins to do it. When you have Audacity (it's free BTW) open the programme & add the video file you've captured, it there is sound it will show & play it. You then just need something to combine the audio & video files such as Video Pad (that's free to).

Emerton

If you can say what equipment you are using it will help to troubleshoot the problem.

Abacus

Are you sure you have selected your capture device as the sound source and not the computer sound input. (I am assuming your capture device has both video and audio inputs)

Bill

Fred7

After discovering the devices wouldn't record audio on Windows 10, that's when I bought a cheap XP set up. My original capture device used to work fine on XP.

Fred7

I tried using my original EasyCap that used to work fine on XP, I've used the more updated Ezcap, and two different Dazzles.

Fred7

Yes, all were set up correctly. The interfaces of all devices are very simple and straighforward, and pretty similiar to my original EasyCap that I used without issue when I had considerably less computer know how.

12harry

This is a strange problem / arrangement.
You say these re old video tapes . . .  from a camcorder, or VHS? When you play them back( to record on yr PC ), does the audio come thro? e.g. It should play on ANOther device, so it may be possible to overcome the "lack-of-audio re-recording " = by recording the audio onto a Audio digital Recorder ( Like "Zoom" starting about £80 plus SD card: useful if you later want to record Music ) - - -  or some Speech-only types, with internal memory, typically £30.
You will have to combine these files in a Video Editor, - but this is a minor inconvenience as you can "improve" the original sequences, by the Editing process.

It is odd that yr new XP - PC is not doing what you want, when earlier machines you say were OK.....( er, that's when you should have done all the transfers...). However, you said it was a cheapie - so it may have had poor components and that explains the lack of interface to the Audio files . . . .

Have you tried a local Movie-making Club? - they usually have someone with working old-gear . .  . failing that a Computer Club may have several answers ( so only take a tape you've already copied ).
I thought that modern OS Like Win7 / 10  allowed an older Win-system to be installed....whilst this requires having a valid disc, it might allow the more-modern PC Components to be used for the transfer, yet under the older OS.

As others here a have stated, you've not given full-details, but that may be unreasonable anyway.

Transferring old videos is something that many folks want to do, so it is difficult to understand why PC's are so reluctant to perform this simple task . . .  just because new opportunities exist - we shouldn't delete the old, otherwise we will make the same mistakes by re-invention of the Past.
Good Luck.

Fred7

They're Hi8 cassettes.
Yes, I know I should have done them years ago, unfortunately, life got in the way.
As I've said, I have set up Windows XP on an old PC as this was the last configuration that worked last time I attempted it many moons ago. I'm not sure what other details there is to give?

noiseboy72

Have you checked that there is audio coming off the tapes? The audio is normally recorded as a separate track, so it's not impossible that the head or some other part of the circuitry has failed within the player. There's the added complication that some camcorders could record PCM - which will not play back on older non PCM players.