Capturing with ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0

[Caple]

Hey guys, here is my trouble.
I recently got an ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0 and I'm having some troubles to capture with it.
I have analog cable and the coaxial is connected direct to my VCR, I am using the RCA outputs to send audio an video to the ATI device and my Sound Blaster Live line-in (if I use the ATI RCA audio inputs the sound gets really distorced).
I can't use the MMC software to watch TV or capture, the image is shaking and like slow motion (pausing). I also can't use PowerVCR, VirtualVCR or iuVCR, none of them display any picture.
The only software I can use is WinDVR, but I'm losing lots and lots of frames during capture.
I tried the latest ATI drivers and the latest MMC version with no success, I can't even use WinDVR with them installed.
I'm using USB 2.0 ports and the test thing (on ATI configuration) says the USB port bandwidth is 24mbps, dunno if it's right or not.
I'm almost formating my PC to check if it's the problem.
Any clue?

How I miss my Pixelview PlayTV MPEG2...

[QuaiBoy]

What's your computer specs?
Try connecting the coax out from the VCR to the ATI box and see if that helps. Have you uninstalled ALL the ATI software and installed the three packages on the ATI site? If not, try that. The only thing you'll miss is the ATI DVD Player, and that's not much of a loss. Reinstall Directx9c first.

Good luck,
-Evan-

[Caple]

Just formated my HD. Installed WinXP SP2 and the ATI card, nothing else. Same thing. MMC still showing the video shaking and pausing and still having problems to capture with other softwares.
I'm really mad with it :/

[QuaiBoy]

Might be defective, return/warranty. Or try it on another computer.

-Evan-

[Caple]

I'll try on another computer as soon as I can.
I'm wondering why I dind't wait more time and got a Hauppauge PVR 500 :/

[dj4monie]

I have the same thing (ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0)and while I haven't tried to capture anything with it, I'll have to connec it and try it to see if I have the same problem you do.

I have a AIW in the desktop so U haven't had to use it much since I sold my laptop, but I'll give it a shot.

[RacerRich]

Rule of thumb......USB devices SUCK for capturing video. I've owned 2 and I hated them both compared to my AIW AGP card. Numerous things can cause your prob.........

1. Defective hardware.
2. Too many other usb devices hogging your usb bandwidth. Unplug all other usb devices so that the tv wonder is the only thing on the usb's.
3. Older model motherboard that don't properly support usb2.0 standard.
4. Not enough processing power. Try lowering the resolution/bitrate and see if the prob gets better or goes away.

What format/resolution/bitrate are you trying to capture to? The higher the bitrate, the more system resources it takes to keep up. Do you have DMA enabled on the IDE channel the hard drive is on that your capturing to? Also, you might try shutting down all other proggie's running in the backround.

[Caple]

1. Defective hardware
No, I really don't believe it could be defective.

2. Too many other usb devices hogging your usb bandwidth. Unplug all other usb devices so that the tv wonder is the only thing on the usb's.
No, I don't have ny other USB device. But the Configuration Test (before running MMC) says the USB bandwidth is 24mbps, dunno if it's right or how to increase it.

3. Older model motherboard that don't properly support usb2.0 standard.
It's not the best card, it's an ECS K7S5A Pro, but it has USB 2.0 ports.

4. Not enough processing power. Try lowering the resolution/bitrate and see if the prob gets better or goes away.
I believe an AMD AThlon XP 2000+ is good enough. 512mb DDR 266mhz and two 120gb HDs. Lowering the resolution didn't make much difference.

I have DMA enabled and nothing is running in the background.

The only thing I can imagine is about IRQ. It's sharing IRQ with my Sound Blaster and video cards, but I can't take the video card off, and moving/removing the sound card does not help.

I need to try the card on other machines and buy a PCI card, those with USB 2.0, to test it on my computer.

But I'm officialy selling it, gonna try an AIW card.

Thanx for the help.

[Richard_G]

Sling the K7S5A, not the best card is a slight understatement. The USB bandwidth speed shows that it is running at USB 1 and not USB 2, even though it claims to be.

[Caple]

So I'm gonna try a PCI USB card before selling it.
Thanx for the help, Richard_G.