Problem capturing cable tv with All-In-Wonder 7500

[royphil345]

Have had the All-In-Wonder for a few years. No problems capturing from a VCR or DVD player plugged into the line-in jacks. Always wanted to try out the built-in TV tuner for capturing TV shows at DVD quality and burning to DVD-RW to watch elsewhere if desired. Card has a nice timer function to make it easy. Have been too lazy to run the cable over to the computer until now.

Problem is, it doesn't work. The picture on all the channels looks almost like a scrambled cable tv signal looks or like the fine tuning is off. Wavy and unstable. Very high contrast. (see screen shot) Think the cable run is fine. used an expensive splitter and cable. There is a signal amp in my chain. Thought for sure that was the problem, but there was no improvement when I removed it. Picture on my other two TVs is perfect.

I've tried different drivers and have had the card installed in two different computer systems with the exact same results. Like I said, capturing from VHS or DVD through the line-ins works great. (provided I use the proper device to "stabilize the picture")

Is this some kind of scrambling done by my cable company to prevent digital recording? If so, any way around it? (the device I have has line-in and out jacks, not for coax cable) Or is my All-In-Wonder possibly defective? Would buying a newer TV / Capture card help?

Thanks much for any help!!!
Roy

[lordsmurf]

You need a cable box?

[royphil345]

No, Just for premium channels (I don't have). Other TVs look great. My cable company (Cox) does offer a DVR package, making me think they might somehow scramble the signal so you can't do it yourself?

[lordsmurf]

Maybe just a bad wire.

[Almost Human]

I have an AIW7500, and Cox is my cable provider. Running the cable line directly into the AIW produces the same distorted picture. I simply placed an old VCR at the end of the cable, then use composite wires to the AIW - perfect picture. It's a bit awkward scheduling separate channels though. Haven't a clue why it won't work without the VCR.

[royphil345]

Thanks for the input lordsmurf. You're right. I had to eliminate the new cable as the possible cause of my trouble.

Unhooked the cable from the computer and plugged it into a spare VCR. Plugged the VCR line-out into the line-in of the All-In-Wonder. Cable TV signal looks fine this way. Wouldn't be able to use the ATI software for choosing shows to record from a TV listing and simply clicking on them though. This sucks. I've been looking forward to trying this feature for years now!!! Figures it doesn't work!!!

My guess is now that it's a defect in my All-In-Wonder card's tuner. I'm going to pull it out and look for a possible broken solder joint by the connector. Or maybe a PC-board mounted fine-tuning control. If that doesn't work, I guess I'm in the market for a new All-In-Wonder. The 64 MB video card is getting outdated anyway.

Thanks again,
Roy

[royphil345]

Thanks Almost Human!!!

Didn't see your post until after my last one. Looks like we came up with the same solution.

You saved me alot of money on a new card that probably wouldn't work either. And from taking my computer apart. Guess it's a good thing I still have a few nice VCRs.

THANKS MUCH!!!

[Almost Human]

If you ever run across a solution, I would really like to hear about it.

[royphil345]

I'm thinking some sort of simple video stabilizer with coax ins and outs might work. I'll post the solution here if I ever come up with it. You can send me your e-mail address if you want me to get in touch with you that way. (not sure if this message board lets you e-mail people)

royphil345@yahoo.com

[redwudz]

It may be your cable signal is overloading your video card. Radio Shack used to sell a video attenuator that would work for that. However, this is kind of a long shot. My general problem with COX is low signal levels, not high.

Here's a 6db attenuator from RS if you want to give it a shot: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-1257

[Nelson37]

No solution for you, but possible I can make the "problem" go away.

On my previous cable hookup, I could tune stations below 100 (analog) and non-Premium over 100 (Digital according to cable company), using the ATI tuner. However, the dropoff in PQ using coax to ATI tuner as opposed to using S-Video input was so significant that I stopped using the tuner altogether. Won't work on Premium channels anyway.

Scheduling recordings is no real problem. Schedule the channel change on the cable box and then schedule the ATI software to record at the appropriate time. Remember to specify the input type.

[junkmalle]

Can you get channels 2 to 13 with the onboard tuner?

[lordsmurf]

It may be your cable signal is overloading your video

Also very likely.

[royphil345]

No channels 2-13. Same problem on all channels.

I'll try an attentuator, but don't think it will work. Tried a few experiments. A few caused the card to receive a weaker signal. More noise, but the same problem. The more I look at it, it definitely looks scrambled in some way. My guess is that the ATI TV converts the signal to digital where a standard TV or VCR tuner wouldn't? Seems Cox does something to the signal that messes this up? Probably a way to make you get the DVR from them if you want digital recording?

I looked around for some kind of video stabilizer that could be used for cable (with coax ins and outs). Doesn't seem to be such a thing.

Oh well...

Thanks for all the replies!!!

[lordsmurf]

Is ATI MMC set to cable or antenna?
Sounds like tuner is not set properly.

[junkmalle]

No channels 2-13. Same problem on all channels.

I asked because, in the USA, channels 2-13 are common between broadcast and cable. Above that they use two different frequency ranges. So there's an antenna/cable switch in the software.

Seems Cox does something to the signal that messes this up?

Doubtful. I have Cox cable in California and have no problem capturing any of the analog channels with my Hauppauge PVR-250 or two ther cards I've tried (none are ATI).

I looked around for some kind of video stabilizer that could be used for cable (with coax ins and outs). Doesn't seem to be such a thing.

There is no such thing. All channels come over the wire simultaneously just like all signals come over the air simultaneously. A stabilizer can only work on one channel at a time, after it's been converted from RF to composite or s-video.

[hudsonf]

The only two settings I see in ATI MMC that may help is the country and cable/antenna settings. Check to make sure they are set correctly.

[royphil345]

Yes, those are the only two settings I see that would make a difference also. They are set correctly.

I'm back to thinking the card is probably just not working properly. Maybe I'll find some sort of adjustment in the tuner section of the AIW. Probably won't bother replacing it now, as long as it can capture through the AV jacks and I can capture cable through a VCR. I Remember seeing some good deals on newer All-In-Wonders that come without a remote. (could use my old one) Maybe I'll try one of those eventually and promptly return it if it doesn't work out.

Thanks again,
Roy

[edDV]

If you find the signal is too hot, you can get an attenuating splitter or ask the cable company to adjust the level on the pole outside (or wherever their amp is).

[royphil345]

Got it!!! (see pic)

Took out the card and there are two tiny adjustment screws under the shield for the tuner section.

Put it back in and tried turning them while watching the output on the monitor. One didn't seem to do anything, which is good because I eventually broke it!!! (my smallest phillips screwdriver for turntable cartridges was a little too big for this job). When the other one is adjusted properly, the auto fine tuning kicks in. Adjustment either drifted over the years, or was never right to begin with. I DID recheck capture from the video-in jack. Luckily, I didn't mess anything up by breaking that pot.

Picture quality still doesn't look worth capturing from. Reception looks weak, even with cable. A couple channels won't come in at all. Think I've heard this complaint about the newer All-In-Wonders as well. Might come in handy to watch in a window while working at the computer though. Think the tuner in this card just isn't too great.

Thanks for everyone's input. Steered me in the right direction.

Anyone know of a TV tuner / capture card with good enough picture quality to capture to DVD?.... Or are they mainly for watching TV in a little window on the computer and I'm expecting too much?

[junkmalle]

Interesting fix royphil345! Did you put the shielding back on when you were done? Otherwise some of the noise you see is likely to be from other components in the computer.

The AIW 7500 should deliver about as good a picture as any other card. Maybe you need different drivers or settings? I believe LordSmurf's site has some information on that: http://digitalfaq.com/

[Torrential]

Have you tried another capture program besides ATI MMC. Try VirtualVCR, I use it, and I think it's great, much better then MMC in my opinion. It works well with Tuners.

[hudsonf]

I use a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR USB2 and a Hauppauge WinTV PVR 250 to capture directly to mpeg2. I didn't like the capture software so I bought Beyond TV .

[DarrellS]

I have the same card (ATI 7500 AIW 64MB VE) and I have no problems with mine. The only channel that looks scrambled on my PC is HBO and it doesn't come in real good on my TV. I wouldn't doubt if the pay channels are scrambled on the ATI cards. Seems like I've read something to this effect, somewhere.