Poor Audio Capture in ATI MMC

[SteveX2]

Hello,

First off here is what im capturing with.

ATI TV WONDER PRO
ATI MMC 8.1 ( Dont even say upgrade lol)

I Capture at

MPEG2
NTSC
320X240
Encode Interlaced
48,000 KHz 16bit stereo
P Frames: 1
B Frames: 1
Variable Bit Rate
Max: 3.96 Ms
Target: 3.80 Ms
Motion Estimation Quality: 99
Audio BitRate : 224k
No Video Soap

When I am just watching TV the audio is perfect., but when I record the audio becomes poor. It is not crisp like it is when I am just watching it. On recodings the higher I have the volume when I am watching the poorer the quality is. The audio is always in sync.
Any Idea what iI can do for better audio?
Thanks.

[Coluph]

Two things I would try:

1) I usually capture at 256...it makes a difference and the size of the file isn't that much more.

2) If you go into your registry, there is a section for the record level for MMC. From what I've seen, it's always set way too high...better to have audio that's too low and normalize it later, than have audio that is clipping, giving you a horrible static sound IMO. I have mine set around or below 200...the default had it at something over 400. I have no idea what these numbers mean but it worked in my case.

It's really too bad MMC doesn't give you a record level option, and the ability to capture in wav or ac-3 format instead of just mp2...oh well maybe in the next version

[SteveX2]

thanks Ill try that.

[muskgrave]

Coluph,
Thanks for the good advice! I had been countering the HOT signal by just patching a dual rca to mini cable straight from the vcr to the line-in of my sound card.

dlv

[SteveX2]

Coluph-
how do i do that thing in the reg.?

[Bright1]

I'm using the CD Aux (inside case) for my audio connection.

Just running a cable from my Radeon to the onboard Soundstorm audio chipset 'CD-Aux' header on my Abit nForce 2 mobo. Dunno if thats the ultimate way to do it. The audio sounds ok though.

Any reason why I shouldnt connect things this way? Is the LineIn option a better one?

Thanks.

B.

[Coluph]

The line that I edit for record levels: (note I am using XP Pro this may vary if you are using another O/S)


go to start and run
type in 'regedit' and click ok

go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
ATI Technologies
MultiMedia
Features
TV
Sound

In that folder there is a line for 'Record Volume' Double click it and choose 'decimal' and just put in a lower value. Mine is currently set at 140. This is probably a bit on the low side for most people so you may need to play around with it. I'm guessing alot of this has to do with what type of sound device you are using.

Be very VERY careful editing your registry...if you do the wrong thing your computer will no longer boot!

[BrainStorm69]

Interesting...mine was set to 844

I'm going to try 422 for now.

[SteveX2]

mine says 34d is that the right thing?

[Bright1]

Mines set at 492 as well.

Follow this path.......
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
ATI TECHNOLOGIES
MULTIMEDIA
FEATURES
TV
VIDEO CAPTURE

I've found a registry entry for CAPTURE DELAY thats set at 600 DECIMAL?!?! Couldnt that be set to 0?

Cheers,

B.

[merl101]

I have this problem with MMC 8.9 also. I generally capture satellite TV content stored on a Dishnetwork 501 PVR receiver and noticed that the captured audio is very tinny compared to what I get when I play the content "live" on the ATI TV Player.

Audio hardware is the SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio (AC 97, I think) built into an Asus P4P800 Deluxe motherboard and is connected to my AIW Radeon via the internal sound cable connection.

I tried, using the same segment from a recorded movie, both LPCM and various MPEG1 Layer I bit rates, with little effect in improving recorded audio. I also tried the registry hack described in this thread, reducing the record level setting from its origianl 859 to 410, and that didn't help.

What did help finally was opening the SoudMAX volume control and setting the record level for AUX, which is the connector I'm using, to its maximum--it had been set at 50%. (The MMC setting is still at the reduced value of 410.) Playback of captured audio is now much, much better, though to my ear still not quite as good as what plays directly from the original source on the PVR. I won't try to explain why this helps, since I don't have a good concept of how the AIW card, the sound hardware, and MMC software work together during recording. It's just something I tried as a random experiment and it worked.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone else can get improved audio by increasing the record level of their sound device.

[Kolosus]

AIW's do not alway's get along well with integrated sound. So make sure you're drivers are up to date.
Coluph's suggestion will sometimes work.
merl101's suggestion is also good. Sometimes this will work. And sometimes it will only work while MMC is open. Then when you close it and reopen it, you find that you have to set the levels all over again.
I've not found a fix for the latter except to install a good sound card and disable the integrated.
In this area though, the AIW is at least a little more forgiving than the TV Wonder Pro is.

[merl101]

merl101's suggestion is also good. Sometimes this will work. And sometimes it will only work while MMC is open. Then when you close it and reopen it, you find that you have to set the levels all over again.

Yes, I've seen this a couple of times since I posted, and had to raise the AUX record level back to 100%.

[Keo]

go to start and run
type in 'regedit' and click ok

go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
ATI Technologies
MultiMedia
Features
TV
Sound

Coluph, question for you!!

Just went to that registry key and noticed my decoder (under TV/Display "DEFAULT DECODER") is not there (displays double quotes). the last used decoder is also absent.

I have a problem with viewing the video on my tv tuner on an All In Wonder Pro.
Post => Tuner Problem

My question to you or anyone who can check that registry key:
What should be listed under decoder?

Cheers

[mastersmurfie]

Coluph, question for you!!

Just went to that registry key and noticed my decoder (under TV/Display "DEFAULT DECODER") is not there (displays double quotes). the last used decoder is also absent.

I have a problem with viewing the video on my tv tuner on an All In Wonder Pro.
Post => Tuner Problem

My question to you or anyone who can check that registry key:
What should be listed under decoder?

Keo...mine says "ATI Rage Theater Video Capture" on an ATI All-In-Wonder...maybe it should be the same???

(disclaimer...don't change the registry without backing it up first...)

Just a thought...

mastersmurfie

[Keo]

Keo...mine says "ATI Rage Theater Video Capture" on an ATI All-In-Wonder...maybe it should be the same???

(disclaimer...don't change the registry without backing it up first...)

Just a thought...

mastersmurfie

Excellent Mastersmurfie, cheers! yes, i did back it up, gonna try inserting the correct video capture setting.

thanks a bundle bud

[mastersmurfie]

No problem Keo...hope it helps you...

go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
ATI Technologies
MultiMedia
Features
TV
Sound

In that folder there is a line for 'Record Volume' Double click it and choose 'decimal' and just put in a lower value. Mine is currently set at 140. This is probably a bit on the low side for most people so you may need to play around with it. I'm guessing alot of this has to do with what type of sound device you are using.

I also have a "User RecVol" that the value is set to "1"

Since I did a full reinstall of XP, my captures have seemed kind of "muted", even though the value of the "Record Volume" is set to "748"...

interesting...

Edit...

AIW's do not alway's get along well with integrated sound. So make sure you're drivers are up to date.
Coluph's suggestion will sometimes work.
merl101's suggestion is also good. Sometimes this will work. And sometimes it will only work while MMC is open. Then when you close it and reopen it, you find that you have to set the levels all over again.
I've not found a fix for the latter except to install a good sound card and disable the integrated.
In this area though, the AIW is at least a little more forgiving than the TV Wonder Pro is.

I don't know about the TV Wonder, but I had nothing but trouble with All-In-Wonder and the onboard REALTEK sound...had to go with a new(er) PCI sound card...

just a thought

mastersmurfie