ATI TV WONDER, MMC 7.6 & Stinky's Reg Tool...

[jpb1977]

Ok, I've got the TV Wonder in, I've got MMC 7.6 installed (no problems at all after switching the setup.inx file from 7.5) Here's the prob - I've made custom profiles...

- (352X240, mpeg1, 2.25Mbps, used Stinky's tool to switch VCD complaint ON)
- (352X480, mpeg1, 2.25Mbps, used Stinky's tool to switch VCD on and change 240 res to 480)
- (480X480, mpeg2, 2.75Mbps, used Stinky's tool to switch VCD on and change 240 res to 480)

So, the problem is, the only profile that actually works is the 352X240 profile. I know I'm gonna get myriads of posts saying capture higher than 240 is not possible, but I'm sure there are TV Wonder users who DO capture at 352X480. HELP! Thanks!!!

jpb

[Stinky]

Load the SVCD standard PreSet in my tool and then try that - you should be able to record but you wont see it playing as it records.

I don't have a TV Wonder but over at Network54 I've read a bunch of threads about people capturing 480x480 and 352x480 with TV Wonder and my tool

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/70438

if my memory is correct Mark Tyler is the guy who knows how to do it best

[jugernaut]

I tried to capture in VCD format but my MMC does not like 352 x 240 It resets to 320x240. I have a Ati All in Wonder Pro, with MMC 7.2 W2000.

I tried your utility for 7.1/.2 and it has no options to change the resolution, then i tried your last version, but while the change of bitrate works, after i change the resolution, the profile on MMC dissapear.

Thanks in advance!

[acrufox]

I've tried stinky's tool which everyone suggests, however with my tv wonder even if I load the svcd profile in his tool, when I try recording with my TV wonder, the record menu comes up but it doesn't actually record anything :(

I've tried setting the resultion to 480 x 240 in MMC itself then updatind it to 480 x 480 in the MMC tool however same thing happens, it doesn't actually record :<

Any ideas? :/

[jpb1977]

Same deal here - but, Mark Tyler from the SVCD forum has a TV Wonder and has successfully captured at 480X480, so I'm just awaiting news from him, and I'll post it here!

jpb

[cofferscuffs]

Did you turn the res manager off when u made your custom profiles...?

[vhelp]

Afternoon all.

Hay guys, guys, simor down, he, he....

I too have the ATW (that's, the ATI-TV Wonder, NOT all-in-wonder)
Get that straight all you's peopole out their confusing us all
with your "my tv wonder's not working" crap.
So, get it straight. Is is "the all in wonder"??, or is it
ati's "ATI-TV Wonder or ATW for short ??

Anyways, it sound like Stinky's app is geared for the AIW, and
NOT the ATW's, hence your constant reseting.
.
.
but, with a happy face you CAN cap higher than 352x240 WITH
the $59 ATW cards. I've done it many, many times. I've capped at:
* 352x240 (forget this res. )
* 352x480 (best for VCD/SVCD)
* 480x480 .
* 704x480 .
* 720x480 .

all w/out Stinky's tool. But, i dont use the MMC from ATI anymore.
A special note, when you proceed to set the new resolution, you
need to be OUT of the MMC app and after you go back into it, you
need to NOT take a peak at the setting, by that, i mean, DON'T
be tempted to click on configure or settings. Doing this will
erase the settings back to defaults.
I've never used Stinky's tool (I think) but I'm assuming you have
to be out of it to use it for the ATW's. Maybe you CAN be in the
AIW's though. I don't know for sure, but whenever i made a change
in the reg. file (as Stinky's does) I had to be OUT of the MMC
app all-to-gether.

Another special note, assuming you want to capture in AVI or MPEG1
For those ATW users, whenever you need to make a change to your
resolution, first open MMC and set the AVI standards, then close
it, then use the reg. or Stinky's tool to make changes to reg.
file, then open MMC, then start the Capture by clicking on the
"record" button, but DO NOT proceed to view any settings or
configuration else you'll wipe out the settings. MMC by default
will initialise (at least for the ATW's) settings whenever you
click on the "setting" or "configure" button (I forget which one)

Another special note:
for best or MAXimum capture (less frame % drops) shrink your
capture window to a stamp size or if there's a "no view" button
checkbox, make sure this is set, cause this will give you max.
capture w/out % framedrops.

I'm blowing some fuses over hear, so later!

-vhelp

[cofferscuffs]

i hate to tell you but it wasnt designed with aiw cards in mind... but most ppl do have a aiw and i did work out the pal res manager part on a aiw 128

edit: and yes, you have to be out of the mmc to apply or create reg changes otherwise they will not update or be created properly

edit edit: hahah! you found the mmc profile protection fun too! i wish someone will find a way round that...

[Stinky]

I can state these facts :-)

1) my tool was written for MMC regardless of the card you are using

2) I know of a LOT of people who have used it (with TV Wonder Cards) to capture 480x480 (or other resolutions) using my tool -- it's not the only way to do it - but it was written to make things easier

3) once you setup the custom res - or load one of my presets you CAN NOT go back into the MMC settings before you record or it WILL change the values

4) you will NOT see it recording! I think the time it's recording will display though

5) wait until jpb1977 hears back from Mark Tyler he is THE expert on the subject

6) I don't have a ATW so I can't verify any of this

7) if you go back over the old threads at Network54 there are about 10 threads on this issue http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/70438

8) there is a remote chance it worked with MMC 7.5 but NOT 7.6 ... I have no hard facts yet that it works with 7.6

also if you are using a version of my tool thats not version 0.9.8 then PLEASE update to that one ... the version of the tool is on the bottom grey bar of the main screen.

[Stinky]

quick update there seems to be a brand new thread at Network54 on this subject

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/thread?forumid=70438&messageid=1019335287&lp=1019408457

but I still suggest you look for the older ones which have step by step info

[acrufox]

Ohwell guess it's just me then LOL haha

Ahwell done everything that has been listed in these threads that were listed to scope out before capping but alas it doesn't do a thing! Yeah MMC is closed, opened stinky's tool and tried upping 480 x 240 to 480 x 480 then clicking update, then when you close out the app and load mmc and click the record button the record menu comes up and does everything like its actually recording, however the time left on the drive does not change as does the time recorded, it just sits there and records nadda, it just creates 2k files.

I have the ATI TV Wonder PCI running 7.6 software, and the MMC tool indeed updates the registry and sets it to 480 x 480 but the software will not capture to file.

Ohwell...

[vhelp]

acrufox, and others still having trouble...

one last thing (that I can think at the moment) you can try is this:
* before opening up mmc, open up AVI_IO or Vdub and proceed as if
you were going to capture in AVI (I assume, not mpeg1 realtime??)
* next, set your AVI capture settings for resolution, etc.
* set your "format" to 24bitRGB (may try YUY2) and click "custom"
and type in [352] x [480] and click ok (assuming you want to capture
in this resolution (res. )
* THEN, open up or click the compression option, and select huffy.
* go through the motion of configuring huffy
* do a capture for a couple of seconds - you want to set configs or
some misterious settings that will "stay" Sound pretty damn stupid
but works.
* Close down AVI_IO or Vdub
* NOW, go into mmc (If you still bent on using it vs. vdub or avi_io)
* assuming that you didn't change anything in mmc, and you used the
reg. change or stinky's tool, prior to these steps above. . .
* click on record.

The above should work. It worked for me way back when. I know how
you feel about those 2k files. I've ben there.

Mind you, all this works in my windows 98 (not SE)
I used whatever driver MMC installed.
However, if this still doesn't work, you may be able to try one more
thing. Find a VFW driver (Hauppauge has ben all over the place)
So, do a d/l search on Google.com and do a search for:
"VFW driver download" ...or something like that, or...

...here, at <<Hauppauges>> site for their VFW's driver here: << VFW v4.18a >>
.
.
and try their VFW's driver in your system and see if this works.

-vhelp

[jpb1977]

Ok - PROGRESS - 7.6 is cool, captures at 480 will work - the funny thing is, it captured at 640X480, not 480X480 as the profile demanded. AHHHH!!! It has become obvious that you can't even CLICK on the Digital VCR tab, or MMC jumps in and screws the settings. Do what VHELP said, create a profile, CLOSE MMC, jump to Stinky's tool, make changes, and then straight to RECORD, don't double check your settings! It can work, we will make it work! Stay tuned. Now, about this PowerVCR app that seems to be able to make the big captures at will, where can we get this, and is it fully functional???

jpb

[jpb1977]

SUCCESS!

http://forum.vcdhelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=235654#235654

[acrufox]

Yaaay I got it working, I had to end task ati scheduler in XP and then open the tool now it works Now I can cap at a higher resolution!! Thanks!!

One question though, interlacing is much more noticible, any way of fixing this? Or just run it through vbdub and use its deinterlacing filter?

Cheers and thanx!

[jpb1977]

yeah I've also found that - it seems at the higher resolutions interlacing becomes that much more apparent. If your captures are going to end up on TV, then I would leave them because the interlacing will display properly on a TV. If you captures will be displayed strictly on a computer, then turn deinterlacing on in the profile.

jpb

[Bstansbury]

Now that you are able to capture at higher resolutions, i.e., 480x480 or higher,... you will experience interlacing. When you captured at yyyx240 you were basically dropping every other field,.. and therefore would have never seen any interlacing artifacts. ONce you go above 240 the capture card will pick up both fields. Remember, NTSC(TV) is 30 frames per second (60 fields per second).

NOw that it is captured, you should have deinterlaced the picture before you convert it to MPEG. When you deinterlace, your capture card performs a function that combines the two fields into one frame suitable for display on PC's which are continous. In this format the video is in it's best form for conversion to MPEG. REmember, MPEG is very sensitive to any kind of artifacts in the Video and will assume they are really important and therefore generate all kinds of pixel data to preserve the information. The answer is to get ride of all of the interlace artifacts before you compress the video into MPEG format. Once you have the new VCD or SVCD it will automactically be converted to interlaced video by the DVD player you use to output to your TV. It you play it on a DVD player using a PC as the display device,.. your player software should all set the output for continuous display and not interlaced.

Hope this helps you understand it. If it is still not clear,... go visit Lukes video Guide site and read some of his basics on Video, compression, etc.

http://geocities.com/lukesvideo/

This link will take you to that site.