*LORD SMURF* Help with Macrovision ATI Card

[Dude_Son]

Ok Ive tried everything, Ive never had this problem yet, but today when i tried to back up a VHS to DVD I got the stupid error that it was copy protected ect.... well I went to your site *Lord Smurf* and tried those disable programs for ATI TV program. Im am currently using ver. 8.1 and it still screws up my recordings i sthere anything I can do to get this thing to work? Ive tried 3 different VCR's and still no luck. Someone please help me. By the way I want to thank you Lord Smurf, you have helped me tremendously, your the man.

please help,

thanks

[BrainStorm69]

I don't think it's the version of MMC you are using. I had MV problems with the latest drivers and MMC loaded. The hacks wouldn't work.

I then went back to the Catalyst 2.4 drivers and MMC 7.7 on my driver cd and the MV hacks worked. I then upgraded only the MMC to 8.1 and the MV hacks still work.

What version of Catalyst drivers are you using? You might try going back to the 2.x Cats and see if this allows the MV hacks to work.

Good luck!

[Coluph]

I had this problem with the TV Wonder card (that I do not have anymore) and also found the hack did not work for the version of MMC you mentioned. However, at many electronics stores, they do sell a small black box usually labled as a 'video stabilizer' (black box on a yellow cardboard background wrapped in plastic) that will get around the macrovision problem. Unfortunately in this case, changing VCR's will not help as it is the recording device which determines if protection is enabled, not the player...if you have multiple VCR's, and don't have alot of tapes to do (yes I know this loses quality) you could try making a copy of a tape on a vcr that doesn't have the macrovision problem, and then try to capture your copied tape. If you have a hi8 camcorder to use as your recording device, you can keep the video deterioration to a minimum.

Just an idea.

[Dude_Son]

Hey guys thanks for ur help! BrainStorm69 how do I find out what version of Catalyst I have? and were do I get V.2.4? I wanna do this bad, I just need to find all of this. I also need MMC 7.7 I have 8.1 now and thats what came on my disk. can u point me in the right direction?


thanks alot

[BrainStorm69]

You can download previous versions of the Catalyst drivers here:

http://www.ati.com/support/products/radeonwinxppreviousdrivers.html

As far as determining what Cats you have installed right now, right click on your desktop and click "properties."

Then click on the "settings" tab and click on the "advanced" button.

Then click-on the "options" tab and look in the "Version Information" box. Older Catalyst drivers gave the Catalyst version...the newer ones just give the "packaging version," which you can match up with the "driver build" information given for each older version of the drivers given on the page I linked you to above.

[spiderman2k1]

go to www.doom9.org they have a patch to remove MV

[BrainStorm69]

The patches don't work with the latest Catalyst drivers...that's the whole reason for going backwards

[Dude_Son]

Ok I have 2.4 installed now, but when I go to "TV 8.1" it says "unable to start tv...etc. what did I do wrong? does 8.1 not work with 2.4? hmmm

[Dude_Son]

Never mind, I fixed it... and it WORKED!!!!!!!!!! thank u very much BrainStorm69!

[spiderman2k1]

I have 8.1MMC and the patch worked for me. But try this can you install MMC 7.6 patch it then upgrade. I have also done that. I also had MMC 8.5 with no problem with the patch

[FOO]

OK, now it will record. Great !
You still have the light/dark problem however

[lordsmurf]

OK, now it will record. Great !
You still have the light/dark problem however

Only on some cards. And only if that was the MV error.

Yeah, you're bitter. I know. I feel for you, that would really suck. I have seen it on the 128PRO I gave for Christmas. Luckily, that person will only be doing home movies. But I captured Sixth Sense, and all I needed was the MV hacks on my site, no light/dark errors on that tape.

Glad the rollback of CATALYST worked for you.

[BrainStorm69]

Never mind, I fixed it... and it WORKED!!!!!!!!!! thank u very much BrainStorm69!

Glad it worked for you!

OK, now it will record. Great !
You still have the light/dark problem however

Unfortunately that is still possible. Still happens to me, in fact, along with occassional signal corruption. Guess I need a better VCR and/or a Sima Copymaster

[Dude_Son]

Ok somethin really weird is goin on here... after I installed the Cat. 2.4 my sound that I record has a noise in the background I went back to my Cat.3.1 and I have perfect sound... whats goin on here?

confused again

[FOO]

You're lucky . Most people have to spend money on drugs to
get that confused effect

[Dude_Son]

anyone?

[Dude_Son]

*bump*

[Dude_Son]

*bump*

[lordsmurf]

Don't know. Maybe you knocked a wire loose.

[PolarBearWY]

I just want to say that I'm proud of everyone that posted in this thread. You guys used "lose" and "loose" properly. I can't count the number of times I see them misused or up every day. I'm finally hanging around people that have an education higher than 3rd grade. I knew I loved this site for a reason!!!

[Dude_Son]

hmm I just dont understand this. if I go back to the 2.4 cat. drivers my sound sucks when I record. but when I then go back to my 3.1 cat. my sound is great. it has somethin to do with the cat. versions. this is drivin me insane!!!!!!!! there has to be somethin I can do

[lordsmurf]

I just want to say that I'm proud of everyone that posted in this thread. You guys used "lose" and "loose" properly. I can't count the number of times I see them misused or up every day. I'm finally hanging around people that have an education higher than 3rd grade. I knew I loved this site for a reason!!!

Chalk mine up to years of writing and knowing AP style like a second language.

Typos are another thing.

[BrainStorm69]

Dude_Son, I'd try the Cat 2.5 and see if it fixes your problem without disabling the MV hacks. If that doesn't work, try the Cat 3.0s. And so on and so on.

I don't know for sure at what Cat driver version the MV hacks stop working. Maybe you can find a version that doesn't have the audio problem and still allows the MV hacks to work.

Good luck!

[Dude_Son]

thanks man!
Anyone know exactly what the cutoff limit is for the Cat. Drivers is? 2.5???

[lordsmurf]

I forgot where to find out what CAT I'm using..
I've not upgraded in some months.

[Dude_Son]

LordSmurf...

As far as determining what Cats you have installed right now, right click on your desktop and click "properties."

Then click on the "settings" tab and click on the "advanced" button.

Then click-on the "options" tab and look in the "Version Information" box.



so urs works fine with no bad sound in the background???? Im using a ATI All In Wonder 9000 Pro

[lordsmurf]

Ah! I was looking in the wrong place.

I'm on CATALYST 3.4 ... nothing abnormal here.

Sounds fine. May have hiss if volume too low, crackles if it's too high. I know my sweet spot for audio. And if I go too low, easy to use SoundForge to remove hiss and normalize volume (using an 80% curve). If I go too high, have to redo it.

I have the MV hacks, using ATI AIW 7200 AGP card, MMC 8.1, video/audio quality great, it's all working quite well right now.

Other system of mine uses Catalyst 3.9, MMC 8.7, has a nasty buzz on the line, but that's likely due to a PCI audio card and PCI video card together. Not sure. Video fine. (Celeron 1.7, must use CBR and no VBR to prevent dropped frames). I can easily use a DartPro hiss filter on it (level 5) and then run a SoundForge high restore filter on it, and all is good. Takes very little time extra, easier than fiddling with drivers and trying to rearrange the cards in the case.

[Dude_Son]

hmm very intresting, thank u for taking the time to look that up for me... I could have swore that if u try the MV hacks on a catalyst 3.x it wouldnt work, is that just on my ATI AIW 9000 pro AGP? I do know my sound card is built into my Motherboard. but I am having the "Nasty Buzz noise" but I am off to try the 3.4 driver and then see if SoundForge will do the trick for me as well. thanks again lordsmurf!

also... isnt it weird that the sound is absolutly perfect when I go to the 3.1 cat. driver? I cant record my VHS copyrite tapes but its better than nothin... It just doesnt make since.

[lordsmurf]

Use audio filters. The buzz often needs more than SoundForge, DartPro is a good option.

[Dude_Son]

well I just got done installing all of it again, and I still get the stupid green bar over my video. I guess my card is just cursed. man that sucks. I dont know what Im gonna do, I guess order one of those stupid "Video Stabilizers"