ATI AIW Radeon 8500 DV problem

[jimb]

I bought an ATI AIW 8500DV capture/video card for $70.00, new still in the box. Installed with no problems on an XP platform (or so I thought) and works fine except for capturing video.

The capture button is greyed out and won't allow me to capture anything (not talking about macrovision, trying to capture non MV video). Upon investigating the problem and running the PC Test I get the following:

"WDM devices not listed in registry".

I have tried everything ATI suggested and tried re-installing and updating drivers to no avail. I am running an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ processor, Creative Audigy 2 platinum sound card, 256mb memory 80 gig hard drive and Sony DRU510A DVD burner.

Is there a solution for this? I need help with this if possible. How did the rest of you running with this card get it to work?

Hope this is the right forum to post this.

Thanks.

Jim

[c_hernandez32]

Its the drivers. Don't ever get the new ones. I had REALLY big problems with them. I downloaded, installed, uninstalled, reboot, repeat the drivers hundreds of times.

Try using version 8.5x and read each of the driver installs. I think they give you an extra driver download that screws up everything. Read the readme, which is inside the driver install program. ATI might give them to you, but they are only for the latest hardware and not for the 8500DV. Do them in order and restart at the very end.

On the driver install page of ATI, click for "older version" or something to that effect link that has a page of older versions of MMC.

Good luck, I paid $300 for mine, then it went down to $100 about a month later. You got a bargain!

[racerxnet]

Use Driver cleaner or a registry cleaner to remove all files from ATI. Make sure you have the standard VGA selected and then load the new drivers. Pretty simple really!

[jimb]

Thanks guys!

This was installed on a fresh install of Win XP. Should I remove the display drivers and the control panel and then run the driver cleaner then try re-installing or should I do a system restore and run the driver cleaner then re-install???

My MMC is Version 7.7.

Thanks,

Jim

[Sparkplus]

I have the same card, I installed by switching default video from onboard to AGP, used VGA drivers and installed eveything else in order suggested in this forums and it works fine, if you made a complete or incomplte installation that failed it is better if you uninstall and clean the registry as mentioned above then start again.

[vivisimonvi]

I've had problems with this card for months, but I find this method useful. I'm copying from a previous post of mine from last May:

You MUST uninstall all previous versions, then install the updates in order.

1. Install WDM Capture Drivers (DO NOT RESTART even when asked to!!)
2. Install Display Driver (restart)
3. Install Control Panel (restart)

These drivers from around that time (in May) have worked for me.

I use MMC 7.7 with no problems, I recommend it over the 8 and up versions.

[lordsmurf]

I use MMC 7.7 with no problems, I recommend it over the 8 and up versions.

Why? The 8.x series has better MPEG encoding algorithms, better audio and video options, and many expanded features.

MMC 7.x is like a standard no-frills sedan. Gets you from point A to point B, but not necessarily an enjoyable ride.

MMX 8.x is like a car with heat seats, electric windows, compass, GPS, OnStar, etc etc etc. Luxury and options.

[vivisimonvi]

My AVI captures from this version were somehow incompatible through TMPGEnc (the program locks up whenever you're trying to edit or set start and end points through SR). The MMC 7 version can cap. AVI's with no issues when encoding through it. I don't remember what other problems I ran into but I just went back to 7. (I use VirtualDUB now for this instead)

I don't use MMC anymore, as real-time MPEG capture no longer fits my taste for true archival quality.

[jimb]

I will try to uninstall drivers and use the driver cleaner first. If this works and I want to upgrade to MMC 8 or above (don't know if I will or not), will I have these same problems installing drivers or do I keep the old drivers?

When I originally installed the ATI card (on a freshly built system) I use the Easy Install selection on the install CD. And, BTW, It is being used with an Audigy 2 Platinum sound card. Could this be causing my problems?? I noticed that the ReadMe file mentioned that an Audigy family of sound card would cause problems with the MMC.

Jim

[handyguy]

Don't use their CD. Only use the new one they have on the website.

[jimb]

OK, I ran driver cleaner and re-installed the drivers, WDM, then Display drivers (got a "Zero Display Service Error"), re-booted, installed the Control panel, ran the PC test and still get WDM driver not listed in registry.

Now I have two errors. What do I try now?

Jim

[jimb]

I've gone back to a restore point before the ATI drivers. I have found some ATI drivers on Microsofts Windows Update, any word of caution on these?

Still getting the WDM drivers not listed in Registry and when WDM drivers are first installed, I get a "Zero Display Service Error" and the pop-up window says "Severe". I don't get these after the first install. Any suggestions anyone? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Or should I just get a different caputre card?????

Thanks,

Jim

[lordsmurf]

Sounds like Windows gagging, not the ATI software.

[jimb]

Finally!!

I got the ATI 8500DV capture to work. Wasn't easy, but it works.

I had to go back to a restore point before I installed the drivers the first time. Then re-boot, cancel all "Hardware Detected" notices. Installed DirectX9 b, downloaded and installed WinEncoder 9, re-booted again. Flashed my BIOS with the latest version (ABIT KR7A-133 MoBo). Installed the latest drivers from ATI (WDM Drivers, then Display drivers, re-booted and installed Control Panel, re-booted again). Then installed MMC ver 7.7 from the original install disk. From there, I installed Remote Wonder and Guide+ from install CD. Did not install Hydravision. Configured the TV player and Voila! It finally worked. I am able to capture video now!

If I should go to MMC 8.8, are there any special steps to take? Or should I just leave well enough alone?

Posted this in hopes that it might help someone else having similar problems.

Hope I never have to go throught this again!

Jim

[lordsmurf]

I would use ATI MMC 8.7 and follow those instructions WORD BY WORD. It is worth the upgrade over 7.7 ... honestly, without MMC 8.x, you're only getting half the experience of ATI users like myself

[jimb]

On the MMC 8.7 (I only see the MMC 8.8 listed on the site) do I just install the MMC or MMC, DVD Decoder and DAO files? Is there a section on the web site for the MMC 8.7? or is MMC 8.8 ok to use?

Thanks so much for all your help!!

Jim

[Zetti]

My card came bundled with Ulead Video Studio 6 - did yours too ?

Take a look at it, it's MUCH BETTER than crap MMC 7.x;8.x;9.x;10.x; 1000.x;23567.x; ..... :P

If you're a musician enthusiast like me, you'll realize that, with Ulead, you can capture Video at real time MPEG-2 and audio as LPCM, unlike crap MMC, that keeps you stucked with lossy MPEG audio;

Last time I tried MMC I was recording a VHS through the TV tuner link, after some minutes it returned me a message saying that "recording has been interrupted cause broadcat is protected against copying"...it was a VHS of my last european trip..... :P

Also, if you have LPCM audio, you can restore it easily with lots of free tools (normalize, etc); you don't have to buy a separate MPEG-2 audio software (like for example Sonic Foundry's plug-in);

And the best of all is to take advantage of UVS "smart render" functionality, capture with it, cut comercial outs and join separate MPEGs without re-rendering all video;

BTW, I use latest Catalyst drivers 3.10 with no problems, and don't need to install them separately, I simply run the unique whole package and it's OK.

Zetti

[jimb]

After checking, it did come bundled with Ulead VideoStudio 6. Also has MatchWare Mediator 6 and Half-Life CD's.

I haven't looked up the version numbers of the drivers, but I downloaded the latest graphics drivers from ATI.

So, it sounds like VideoStudio 6 might be worth loading and giving a try. I haven't installed the Sony DRU-510a DVD software burner yet, too busy trying to get the capture card to work.

Jim

[Zetti]

So, it sounds like VideoStudio 6 might be worth loading and giving a try.....
Jim

Y-E-S ! DEFINITELY

If you don't like it, quit it later;

Use "Field order B" when capturing analog;

Good luck,

Zetti

[Sulik]

Actually, you can capture LPCM audio with ATI MMC since v7.7, just edit the preset and change the audio mode from MPEG to LPCM.

[non-linear]

Actually, you can capture LPCM audio with ATI MMC since v7.7, just edit the preset and change the audio mode from MPEG to LPCM.

Only if you're capturing AVI. If you're capturing MPEG, you're stuck with MPEG audio (I'm running MMC 8.5).

[Zetti]

Actually, you can capture LPCM audio with ATI MMC since v7.7, just edit the preset and change the audio mode from MPEG to LPCM.

Only if you're capturing AVI. If you're capturing MPEG, you're stuck with MPEG audio (I'm running MMC 8.5).

Very well said;

I really don't know why there are SOOO many people out there making AVI to MPEG-2...........considering the sources are in good quality, why to do not capture real time MPEG-2 ?

It's easy to cut comercials out and join clips into a new one, it's not actually heavy editing;

Unless one has a video that needs a filter, etc; it's easy to go real time;

And with Ulead you can capture LPCM audio with Video at real-time MPEG-2

Zetti

[Sulik]

Only if you're capturing AVI. If you're capturing MPEG, you're stuck with MPEG audio (I'm running MMC 8.5).

Nope. You have to select "MPEG2-DVD" in the video format when editing the preset. Once you do that, LPCM will show up in the audio format selection (same screen).

I'm using 8.8, but it was the same in 8.5.

[non-linear]

Only if you're capturing AVI. If you're capturing MPEG, you're stuck with MPEG audio (I'm running MMC 8.5).

Nope. You have to select "MPEG2-DVD" in the video format when editing the preset. Once you do that, LPCM will show up in the audio format selection (same screen).

I'm using 8.8, but it was the same in 8.5.

I never looked there, I was always using the MPEG-2 format, I never bothered to look for a DVD spec. Thanks.