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📸Cameras & Camera Software => Camera General Discussion => Topic started by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 07:33:47 AM

Title: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 07:33:47 AM
Hi
I am new to the forum, but have done lots of reading before joining. I am one of the millions that got addicted to the Decorah Eagles nest cam. For many years I have had one wireless x10 cam and a VR31A Receiver. This has been mounted on the front of the house for many years, and it still does a job of letting me see who is out front. Last week I found that in my tree about 10 feet away from my camera is a nest with eggs. I pointed my camera to this tree to see what kind of bird is in the nest, the bird is super fast and I haven't been able to see what kind of bird it is. My first thought was if I could hook the VR31A to my computer I may be able to take a screen shot. In my computer I have a Hauppauge Win TV PVR PCI II tuner, but since I upgraded to Win7 64bit some months ago this card is not compatible (in Vista I used to use the windows media center with this card). I tried everything I could think of to just use it as a capture for video from my camera with no luck. I also have a USB Microtune ATSC / NTSC capture device that will capture TV with the cable plugged in (this comes with Blaze DTV 3.5) , but I have had no luck with putting the cable from the VR31A receiver cable on it. Any ideas of how I can get this camera to show up on my computer? It has been going to TV since I have had it.

Thanks in advance for reading my post.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: Brian H on July 12, 2012, 11:31:41 AM
The VR31A has an RF output for the old analog channel 3 and 4.
You tried that output and the Microtune can't receive the old style NTSC analog type RF?

Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 12:45:13 PM
That's what has me stumped, I used the RF output and its not finding the channel. I had to have searched for it at least 25 times because I thought it should. We don't even have cable here, we just use an antenna for TV, that works. this morning I got to thinking it may work through the digital TV converter and no luck there either. now on the back of the digital TV converter are the RCA inputs i'm thinking of trying that next. It just seems like it should be simple..........

with the antenna plugged in it finds all my channels, with the VR31A plugged in it finds nothing.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: Brian H on July 12, 2012, 01:37:48 PM
The VR31A is the old analog TV signals. Before we where forced by greedy cell phone companies needing more band width to go digital.
The RCA jacks on the back of your digital converter are outputs for TVs that use composite video inputs.
Try the VR31A directly into the TVs antenna input and if it has a choice of analog cable or off the air. Use off the air or antenna choice.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: dave w on July 12, 2012, 02:25:20 PM
with the antenna plugged in it finds all my channels, with the VR31A plugged in it finds nothing.
Don't scan for the VR31A. The Microtune might be scanning for only digital channels. Can't you force the Microtune to tune analog channel three?
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 03:29:03 PM
Try the VR31A directly into the TVs antenna input and if it has a choice of analog cable or off the air. Use off the air or antenna choice.
I have the choice of analog on my Blaze program and I tried that, but the only way in that program to get any signal is to scan.  I searched the internet for hours trying to find out how to manually put a channel in and doesn't seem to be a way, or I just didn't find it.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: Brian H on July 12, 2012, 03:43:01 PM
I don't have exact information on the VR31A. So I don't know if with no camera signal it outputs snow.
If it does. Maybe you could go to a friends home and see if it actually is putting out a analog ch3 or ch4 RF signal.
Maybe it is not and then a channel scan would never find it.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: dave w on July 12, 2012, 03:45:15 PM
I searched the internet for hours trying to find out how to manually put a channel in and doesn't seem to be a way, or I just didn't find it.
Then it sounds like "you can't get there from here". Maybe a VA12A is what you need. It appears the VA12A works in win 7.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 04:33:09 PM
I don't have exact information on the VR31A. So I don't know if with no camera signal it outputs snow.
If it does. Maybe you could go to a friends home and see if it actually is putting out a analog ch3 or ch4 RF signal.
Maybe it is not and then a channel scan would never find it.

It works perfect hooked to my TV, just trying to get it to my computer :)
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 04:38:03 PM
I searched the internet for hours trying to find out how to manually put a channel in and doesn't seem to be a way, or I just didn't find it.
Then it sounds like "you can't get there from here". Maybe a VA12A is what you need. It appears the VA12A works in win 7.

I was playing with the idea of upgrading my camera to zoom and pan with a different system, I just thought that since I can get TV channels on my computer then I should be able to get the cam on computer.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: Brian H on July 12, 2012, 06:25:13 PM
I must have missed the worked on TV.
OK that at least verified the VR31A has an RF TV signal available if the tuner can be convinced to receive it.
Title: Re: VR31A to computer ?
Post by: SRQFL2 on July 12, 2012, 06:48:42 PM
I must have missed the worked on TV.
OK that at least verified the VR31A has an RF TV signal available if the tuner can be convinced to receive it.


No problem, easy to miss things :)