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FAQ for Interview 2.1 for OS X


The Interview Capture window sometimes shows different colors rather than my video clip. What does this mean?

When the InterView Capture window shows a solid color instead of video, interpret the color as follows:

Red: no InterView
- make sure an InterView device is plugged in.

Yellow: low-power
- InterView needs a USB powered port in order to operate. Connect directly to the USB port on your Mac or use a powered USB hub such as XLR8’s Iceview Hub.

Green: no video
- plug a video source into the InterView and make sure it is playing.

Blue: OS X Interview upgrade required
- You have an InterView 1 device. You can purchase a serial number from http://Daystar-Store.com/.

Purple: USB state corrupted
- this occurs when the InterView device is unplugged while a capture application is open. It is the result of a bug in Mac OS X. Force-quit the application using command-option-escape and then restart the machine. If the screen does not go black during restart, restart the machine one more time.

Note that some VCRs output a bright blue screen when not playing. Do not confuse this screen with a "problem" screen. Check the tape, and hit the play button to make sure the VCR is playing.

Why can't I capture at 30 frames per second (25 fps for PAL/SECAM)

Be sure to set the key frame rate to 15 in the Video Settings dialog in the "Compression" panel. You can also try reducing the quality of the captured data, quitting unnecessary applications, running the monitor in "millions of colors", disabling the sound capture, reducing the captured size to 320 x 240, etc. Also be sure that the selected compressor is "USBvision" in the Video Settings dialog in the "Compression" panel.

What should I check if sound quality is poor?

Check the gain setting in the Sound Settings dialog. It should be set to 100 or less. The audio level meter should not push heavily into the red.

If using external speakers, check wiring. If your speakers have a volume control and it causes static when adjusted, turn off sound source and rapidly move the control from minimum to maximum rapidly several times. This cleans the internal contacts of the volume control.

Why is the video playback is jerky?

The InterView decompressor requires a powerful processor for optimal performance. If there is not enough CPU power available, and a frame is dropped, then all frames will be dropped until the next key-frame arrives. If the key-frame rate is set to 15 this means that video will appear to stop and start at half-second intervals in movies recorded at 30 frames per second.

To improve performance it is most important to quit unnecessary applications, in particular "InterView Capture" which is extremely CPU intensive, even in the background. If you have QuickTime Pro you can export the video to an alternative format for faster playback performance.

You may want to consider getting a more powerful processor. XLR8 offers a wide range of processor upgrades.

When I take a snapshot, why does it slightly darken or lighten the video?

The video decoder state can change when a snapshot is taken. To restore the video to its original state, quit the capture application and restart it. This resets the decoder to its original state. Consider taking snapshots in a session independently of capturing video, i.e. don't mix the two actions unless small variations in brightness do not matter.

I unplugged my InterView device and the capture application froze. What do I do now?

My InterView no longer works and the preview window is filled with a solid purple color. What’s wrong?

Do not unplug the InterView device while it is in use by any digitizing application. It is perfectly safe to unplug the device at any other time. If you do encounter this situation, force-quit the application using command-option-escape and then restart the machine. If the screen does not go black during restart, restart the machine one more time.

Can I capture video in Classic?

No. You must reboot into Mac OS 9.