AverTV HD DVR video glitches

[FTW]

I recently purchased a AverTV HD capture card (specifically the AVerMedia AVerTV HD DVR MTVHDDVRR)...and am very glad I did! This thing is great...only problem is the more I use it to watch HD tv the more I've begun to notice that periodically the video stream will suffer a glitch while watching video via HDMI (both in the preview screen and in the actual capture). Examples below... (these glitches occur for only a single frame in the capture)



I will admit that the glitches may be due to one of two possibilities:
1. I use the bundled software that came with the card. I've read from several sources that I should be using a 3rd party software to capture on this card (virtualdub, fraps being among those mentioned)...but I can't seem to get any other programs to work with this card. If someone could help me out here that'd be great!
2. I'm using an older set of drivers for this card...need I mention why?

If anyone can help (or at least point me in the right direction) that'd be greatly appreciated! I haven't seen anyone else mention this particular video error afaik...but I have read reviews that mention the HDMI input on this card was "touchy"...could this be the "touchiness" they were referring to?

[Brad]

Haven't seen anything like that, but then I haven't used the bundled software for hours. I'm actually not sure why you're using older drivers. If you can capture from HDMI using the bundled software, it doesn't matter what driver version you use as your HDMI is not encrypted.

To use VDub:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/333860-So-how-do-I-use-VirtualDub-to-capture-from-t...=1#post2071121

[jagabo]

I'm actually not sure why you're using older drivers. If you can capture from HDMI using the bundled software, it doesn't matter what driver version you use as your HDMI is not encrypted.

I thought the reason for using the older driver is to allow the capture of HDCP protected HDMI. I don't have the device but I download the old driver version in case I ever decide to get one!

The images show two problems:

1) Tearing -- part of the image is from one frame and part is from another frame, with a horizontal "tear" between the two. This occurs on-screen when the frame buffer is changed while the graphics card is sending the frame to the monitor. This is usually fixed by enabling the vertical sync option in the graphics driver. If the torn frames are also in the caps then it's some kind of hardware/driver problem.

2) Blend deinterlacing -- where the two fields of an interlaced frame are being blended together rather than being displayed individually. This could be related to the first problem if there is a hardware/driver failure.

I would try capturing with the image preview turned off. That will eliminate that as a contributor to the problem.

[Brad]

I thought the reason for using the older driver is to allow the capture of HDCP protected HDMI. I don't have the device but I download the old driver version in case I ever decide to get one!

It's to enable the "trick"/"workaround" that allows outside programs to capture HDCP. Since he's using the included app, which refuses to record HDCP content regardless (that isn't something they would have missed...), his HDMI signal must not be encrypted.

2) Blend deinterlacing -- where the two fields of an interlaced frame are being blended together rather than being displayed individually. This could be related to the first problem if there is a hardware/driver failure.

Always-on in their software, unfortunately. Applied to both preview and the captures themselves.

[jagabo]

I thought the reason for using the older driver is to allow the capture of HDCP protected HDMI. I don't have the device but I download the old driver version in case I ever decide to get one!

It's to enable the "trick"/"workaround" that allows outside programs to capture HDCP. Since he's using the included app, which refuses to record HDCP content regardless (that isn't something they would have missed...), his HDMI signal must not be encrypted.

Thanks for the clarification.

2) Blend deinterlacing -- where the two fields of an interlaced frame are being blended together rather than being displayed individually. This could be related to the first problem if there is a hardware/driver failure.

Always-on in their software, unfortunately. Applied to both preview and the captures themselves.

Jeez, what crappy software!

[FTW]

Thanks for the input!!

I tried to look for an option for "vertical sync" or anything that sounded similar to that verbiage but was unable to find anything. I'll give that Vdub tutorial a shot when I have more time in a few days.

Just for reference I guess, this is the current setup on the computer I'm using...is there anything here that could possible be causing this issue? My (time-for-a-replacement) video card perhaps?
Capture card: AVerMedia AVerTV HD DVR MTVHDDVRR
Motherboard: Gigabyte P55-UD4P
CPU: Intel i7-860
Video card: ATI Radeon HD 4300 (using dual monitors with a DVI Y-cable)

note:
As it turns out, the older set of drivers was not actually providing a "loop hole" to circumvent the HDCP as I previously thought...as I connected my PS3 and unable to capture the signal as I had with my sat HD box with those same older drivers. I then updated the drivers to the newest per the manufacturer and was still able to capture HD streams via HDMI from my sat box. So at this point I suspect the sat box truly isn't encrypting the signal (it's an older HD non-DVR box).

[jagabo]

Dual monitor setups often lead to tearing problems. Tearing also occurs if two media players are running at the same time. Only one gets video overlay with vsync, the other writes to the Desktop without vsync. Which rendering device the player is using can effect tearing too.

[Brad]

I think you should confirm whether the artifacts really are in captured files or if it's just that you're seeing a video card issue on the overlay both times.

Try grabbing direct shots of the captures on those frames instead of the output of a media player. Use an editor like VirtualDubMod, Avidemux, etc. Or upload samples here so we can check whether we see the same thing.

[FTW]

Dual monitor setups often lead to tearing problems. Tearing also occurs if two media players are running at the same time. Only one gets video overlay with vsync, the other writes to the Desktop without vsync. Which rendering device the player is using can effect tearing too.

So I removed the second monitor and attempted to view the glitchy video files and they were still there (in media players I have: MPCHC and KM Player and also in Avidemux), I also attempted to capture new content and the glitches were still present . Also, every time I run a capture I make sure to have no background programs running and I even do a reboot just prior to capturing

I think you should confirm whether the artifacts really are in captured files or if it's just that you're seeing a video card issue on the overlay both times.

Try grabbing direct shots of the captures on those frames instead of the output of a media player. Use an editor like VirtualDubMod, Avidemux, etc. Or upload samples here so we can check whether we see the same thing.

I opened up the video files that contained glitches in Avidemux and they were still there.