TV Tuner / Capture Card - WinDVR 3 no Audio after Windows Vista install

[buzzsaw]

I have a "Smart TV tuner / capture card", it is pcmcia. It came with InterVideo WinDVR3. I had it working under Windows XP Professional fine. In fact, the instructions were to ignore Windows XP detecting the card and installing driver and install the driver manually from the CD.

Anyways, I reformatted the computer and loaded Windows Vista Business. Now the card is auto detected and a driver is installed. When using WinDVR 3 to watch TV or VHS, there is no sound. In fact the sound volume control in Win DVR3 will not even go up, you can drag it up and it just slides right back down after you release. I tried replacing the Windows Vista driver with the one on the CD, and it does replace it but I still get no audio.

Any suggestions ?

[oldandinthe way]

Is your hardware Vista compatible?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905090.aspx

[buzzsaw]

It is Vista compatible. I have an Audio device - I just cannot seem to source.

Check out the screen shot - does it help ?

TIA - I am so ready to go back to XP when this all worked.

[buzzsaw]

I cannot seem to get a hit on this anywhere. The device is there, but the source is not selectable. Very weird.

[sanlyn]

Best solution: uninstall Vista and go back to XP, until Gates' boys get out Vista Service Pack 7 or 8 (or higher). It only took them 3 years to get XP straightened out, so there's still hope.

[guns1inger]

It is not a Vista issue, it is a driver issue. Manufacturers have had plenty of time to get their sh$t together and get new drivers out. They simply chose not to. Update to the latest version, preferably one marked Vista compatible, and see if things change.

[sanlyn]

I beg to differ on that Vista driver issue, guns1inger. In most cases, you are correct. In other cases, it is Vista's fault all the way. Many good products no longer in current editions will never have new drivers beyond XP. Installing the latest Vista drivers and newest WDM's for many graphics cards, for example, will likely render VirtualDub useless as a capture device.

Then there is the problem of newer products that aren't as good as their older versions. I liked Pinnacle Studio 8 for quickie slide shows, rolling titles, and other small work (and anyway, my wife could use it). You wouldn't want the latest 10.5 of that program -- many stores won't carry it any more because everyone returned them as defective. I returned my copy within 4 hours.

Of course, time moves on. Progress, etc., etc., etc. Complaints and howls about Vista are rolling in all over the 'Net. I give it 2 more years. Meanwhile, many graphic artists still use Windows 3.1 and 1996 Macs to design TrueType fonts because newer versions of the font programs either don't exist or are too bug-ridden.

I have a Vista PC in my bedroom. The new interface is, IMHO, a cute little joke. Maybe it's really and truly better, but I just don't have time right now to re-learn everything and test all 40-plus of my video and graphics products one by one. Maybe when I have a couple of weeks to spare and a whole lotta spare cash for new versions of everything, and hundreds of hours for update downloads and re-installs, and going to Symantec's site to avoid paying another $30 for an antivirus program whose license I just renewed in January, and trying to convince TMPGenc and NeatVideo that I really do have licenses for their products but that I have a new machine .....

Like I say, give it 2 years to ripen. [End rant].

[buzzsaw]

Well said.

I find that the biggest problem with Vista is you don't know what will work / not work. The upgrade path is a joke, they almost convince you not to do an upgrade but a fresh install.

After the installation of Vista, you then load your programs which may or may not work correctly or at all. Then the software vendors may only release a new version that works with Vista and no support for current version under Vista. No new updates or drivers available to get perfectly good working programs under XP to work under Vista. Then you got Windows Defender and IE 7 fighting you tooth and nail on anything that isn't Microsoft.

And even when things "look right" - they are not. My example, my Smart TV (SinoVideo SAA7134 PCMCIA) capture card is installed in the device manager ok, and Intervideo Win DVR3 loads fine and appears to be OK, but no audio. There is no errors, beeps, warnings, etc. Vista considers the device OK, the program loads ok but the end result is no audio.

I think the benefits of the pretty interface of VISTA is not worth the hassel of compatibility, not to mention the hardware upgrades needed in memory, video, etc.

And have you tried to use Office 2007 yet? What a pain in the a$$.

[unfed_neuron]

hi Buzzsaw,
To make it work in vista, take the old beaten compatibility path..
right click the exe file of winDVR.. (in prog files folder), go to properties, in compatibility choose win XP.. do this from admin account..

[buzzsaw]

hi Buzzsaw,
To make it work in vista, take the old beaten compatibility path..
right click the exe file of winDVR.. (in prog files folder), go to properties, in compatibility choose win XP.. do this from admin account..

Good idea! I did this and yes I get an audio source now, and I can control the volume slider - but still no audio.

Almost there - what else is missing ?

[alexinlondon12]

Did you ever solve this problem Buzzsaw?

I've got a Smart Tv card (DVB-T2100) and it's doing exactly the same thing as yours did.

If anyone could help it'd be really appreciated.

[buzzsaw]

Did you ever solve this problem Buzzsaw?

I've got a Smart Tv card (DVB-T2100) and it's doing exactly the same thing as yours did.

If anyone could help it'd be really appreciated.

Nope. The closest I got was running it in compatibility mode which enables the volume slider but still no sound. I am running Vista Business, I am thinking of loading on Ultimate and see if it makes a difference.

[alexinlondon12]

I've not managed to get it working either, and I asked around elsewhere and did a whole load of googling and couldn't find a solution.

I've given up on it, and put mine up on ebay, as long as I get back roughly what I paid for it I won't mind too much.

Cheers for the reply, anyway.

[surfing4fun]

I have the exact same problem with my TV tuner/Capture card. what pisses me off is that the box said windows Vista compatible. One more thing i have notice, when i record the TV, it does record the video as well as the sound. but does not play any sound when just viewing tv.
I will keep track of progress on this post anyway.

[CANNONXTI]

STOP! it's not vista thats to blame its money, for all the venders to make a profit they need to get rid of the old what better way than to not produce a
vista compatible driver microsoft takes the hit and in a few months out comes the new hardware from the venders.

[themaster1]

Have you checked the audio volume in the windows audio control
i don't know vista but in Xp there is an icon with a speaker at the right/bottom corner of the screen. It's there that u can check everything (input/ouput volume levels)

[SIPPA07]

Sup,
havin the same problem and im gettin really really angrey
If someone gets it please let me know

[SIPPA07]

ok Well i have done enough searching and i gave up lol (30 minutes later) can someone tell me if the audio works in

[SIPPA07]

LOL does the Audio work XP PRO?

[suzu]

Hi,
AA. I am here just to inform u all that everyone is thinking wrong.The main issu is that wnidvr 3 is not competible with sound cards in vista of mostly all kinds of new motherboards.So after a hard work of months, i got a solution.You have to get a new sound card(vista competible). Install with its driver and got all fearures of windvr 3 like xp in vista too. thanx.

[prankstare]

Guys, I don't really think this is a Windows Vista problem; I have Windows XP and had faced the very same problem about not getting any audio while watching TV channels on WinDVR3.

Try version 3.0B079.514C8G (http://rapidshare.com/files/153355417/windvr3.0._b079.514c8g_-br-pt.rar.html) of the WinDVR program and let us know whether it will work. I am not so sure about this different version though -- perhaps it is a modified one. I can't google this version since apparently there's no entry or page whatsoever relating to it. It bundles my capture card, the PixelView PlayTV USB 2.0.


PS: if you test it, the only concern you might encounter in this specific version is the interface language; since I write from Brazil, the bundled software matches our native spoken language, which is Portuguese (but I'm sure you can mess around with it, if you know some Spanish). I wonder if there's a way to change the language in this case.