Debut (Pro Trial) has many problems

[Kreelor]

August 13, 2009

 

I just downloaded and tried Debut (the Professional Trial version) yesterday. I can't get it to do what I want. NCH did not provide sufficient documentation including "Troubleshooting Procedures". Worse than that, NCH refuses to support its customers as most other companies do. I think they use customers as 'unpaid beta testers."

 

I love some of their products, and I have paid for a few of them. But, each product always seems to have customers here in these forums begging for help! Many forum posts have gone unanswered for months and years!

 

Now, I'm asking for help.

 

My objective is to capture short segments of NetFlix "Instant" movies and/or record segments of the game World of Warcraft. They "stream" to my computer via the internet. I want quality video with smooth frame rate and synchronized audio with the video.

 

1. Unless I plug a microphone into my sound card and place it close to my speaker, I get no sound. That baffles me because sound IS INCLUDED with the NetFlix movie that I'm watching and listening to! Debut apparently doesn't "know" that my computer system has a sound card! Why not???

 

I merely want Debut to produce an output file to my hard disk that contains what I'm viewing and listening to. I just want short segments... not hours, or complete movies.

 

Problem #1

 

Debut does not capture "fluid" video. The playback appears to have a framerate of 1. It looks like a "slide show" instead of video!

 

-- The output from Debut was .wmv and was viewed with Windows Media Player.

-- When output from Debut was .avi, there was no sound at all. I tried viewing it with Windows Media Player and with VLC Media Player. No sound either way.

 

Problem #2

 

Debut does not allow me to watch (preview) the movie in its own 'preview' screen. There is no option to "point to" the movie I'm watching. Debut shows only itself and my cursor! I have to minimize Debut... watch the movie... pause the movie, then go back to Debut. Not very convenient at all.

 

-- My PC system is running Windows XP Home Edition, Internet Explorer 7 and has all latest updates, etc.

-- My video card is ATI X1550 (AGP). It works great for nearly everything I do, including movies, etc.

-- My monitor is Acer H233H 23" HD running at 1920x1080. CR is 40,000:1 (ACM).

-- Sound card is Creative Sound Blaster Audigy.

 

Can any of you offer suggestions on how to configure Debut to record and playback smooth video? I need more than just a soundless, "slideshow creator!"

 

NCH states that Debut is designed to capture "movement on a normal Windows desktop". Well... it doesn't seem to work. I need help. My game does run in a "Window" of its own. That ought to work.

 

-- Larry