ATI TV Wonder PCI - not getting stereo?

[weisssj]

I recently just went from the ATI TV Wonder VE (mono) to the ATI TV Wonder PCI, which is supposed to be a stereo card. However, I've been unable to get, I think, stereo sound. At least, that's what the MMC says, it just reports all my channels coming in as mono. I have cable by the way. So I thought I'd hook up my HIFI Stereo VCR to it, using the coax cable, and put in a tape that I know is stereo, but alas, it still just says it's mono. So I'm not sure if I have it hooked up correctly to my sound card.

Basics of what I have:

Dell P4 1.7 GHz w/ 384MB DDRAM running Windows XP Pro Svc Pack 1
ATI TV Wonder PCI
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Sound Card

I look at the back of the ATI TV Wonder Card, and there's only one jack for Audio Out. I've taken that to my sound card's line in - should be that easy, shouldn't it?

Any help, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve

[Amontillado]

the modulator on almost all vcr's (even the stereo ones) are mono. This means you will always get mono sound from the coax cable.
If you want stereo you'll need to connect the svideo(or comp.) + audio rca connectors

[lordsmurf]

the modulator on almost all vcr's (even the stereo ones) are mono. This means you will always get mono sound from the coax cable. If you want stereo you'll need to connect the svideo(or comp.) + audio rca connectors

That's not true at all. I'm sure you're right sometimes, but I've never seen that, and all my VCRs and cable boxes and satellite boxes and broadcast sugnals all come in stereo using the coax.

[Amontillado]

Sorry to say it is true.
Only the rather expensive ones have it.
I worked for a cable company and we were able to test a extremly large amount of these thing, all were mono. Sometime later a guy at Philips technical division confirmed that all the consumer vcr's had mono modulators.
(main reason is that a stereo modulator would add to much to the cost and since most people use the scart / rca cables anyway it is not really needed)

Maybe the way you detect wether it is mono or stereo is wrong somehow.
To be absolutly sure you can capture a bit and look at the audio in a audio editor, this will most likely confirm it.

edit:
You can easliy find references to this on the google search

[lordsmurf]

To be absolutly sure you can capture a bit and look at the audio in a audio editor, this will most likely confirm it.

Always stereo, all the time. From a eons-old Magnavox, to a GE cheapo, to a cheap Sharp, to a Samsung worldwide, to various JVC SVHS models, all of them, always stereo, always from coax. Never heard any different, never heard audio deteriorate, never seen anything but stereo.

[Amontillado]

Well, I don't want this to turn into a yes no discussion, but I think it might be helfull if I provide at least one link were my statement is confirmed.

There are most likley much better sites to be found but since I'm a t work know i keep it with the first link i got from google.

http://www.monstercable.com/connection_tips/choosing.asp

but seriously, all sites will tell you the same.
I'm not telling you that there has never been a vcr that has a stereo modulator in it but 99,9% doesn't.

So maybe you just got very lucky,maybe I'm just stupid, or maybe the sound from your left and right channel are actually the same.

As soon as I'm at home I'll post some other links for you if you want.

(and please if somebody else will confirm that either i'm right or just plain stupid, feel free to let me know)

[weisssj]

Okay, I can buy all this stuff about the VCR having a mono-modulator - but that doesn't explain getting nothing but mono when I hook it directly up to the cable itself.

As for hooking it up to the VCR, should I then try to get a Y-cable for the stereo?