avi capture size problem with ATI TV Wonder

[uoxon]

My hardware/software:
ATI TV Wonder card
Windows 2000 pro
mmc 7.6

I got MMC7.6 installed and worked to capture in mpeg format. With Stinky's tool, I can change the template/capture size with no problems.

When I try to capture in AVI format, the mmc 7.6 only allows max 320x240 capture size. Stinky's tool doesn't help on this. So I created my template in MMC and went into registry to modified the width and height.
After I went back to MMC to start capture, it captured it in MPEG format???
When I checked the settings, my new created template is not listed anymore???

Does anyone experience this? Or just me doing something wrong?

Thanks for comments and experience.

[Stan DeHaven]

Ah!

Thanks you brave soul who has enough clarity to provide your OS, ATI card type and software version!! How refreshing! So, to ask a question... did you need to install MMC7.5 first before MMC7.6? Or did you just go to the ATI web site and download MMC7.6 (no DVD)?

I have had a suspicion that MMC7.6 can be downloaded and will work with the ATI TV Wonder just like 7.1 does. However, I have not taken the system backup prepartion necessary to install MMC7.6 (after you have lost a your OS to software a few times you get timid). I found some good instructions on MMC7.5 installation details and why ATI does not have the software on its site (its the DVD license).

Pray tell, did you just download "MMC-7-6-noDVD.exe" from the ATI 8500 card support?

Stan

P4 1.7GHz, ABIT TH7 Raid MB
512MB RDram
Leadtek GeForce2 Pro Video
ATI TV Wonder VE Capture Card
30GB & 60 GB (NTFS for capture) drives
Win2k/98 dual boot
MMC7_1

[uoxon]

I download a mmc7.6 with DVD from www.filemirrors.com.
You don't need to install mmc7.5 first. You can go directly to install mmc7.6. The only tricky part is that you have copy a file setup.inx for mmc7.5 installation set to mmc7.6 installation set in order to have the TV installation option. I also changed the install.ini so that the DetectHW=0

Then mpeg capture is just smooth with Stinky's tool.

[futyb]

I have the same problem with a ATI-TV Wonnder. You mentioned that 7.5 file
can you tell me where I can get it and how to get stinky's tool. Can you capture in the full 720 x 480 mpeg2.

thanks

[oldfart13]

How powerful a comp you got? I find that everything with the ATI line depends on how much brute force you have. No way I can cap on my PIII 1GHz with the All In Wonder 128 AGP 16 Meg card at quality above 352 X 480 Mpeg-2 or AVI. Simply not enough horsepower on the card or the comp. I might go to the 7500 AIW though. That should allow me to get up to DVD spec. If not, then I'll just have to build another more powerful computer...

[Stan DeHaven]

Maybe here is an answer to your question:

Win2k/XP/NT need DirectShow (that ATI does support). IUVCR and VirtualVCR are two DirectShow AVI output programs. I switched to VirtualVCR. It's free (with source code). Here's the url:
http://www.digtv.ws/


Don't know why this program is not on the tools page. One note though, in getting the WDM's for the BT848 to work in VirtualVCR, ATI MMC 7.1 TV video stopped. Apparently ATI ATW drivers don't play well with others.


Have fun!

Stan

p.s. before I switched to VirtualVCR, I noticed that if you edit the registry you can change the resolution of the captured file. Per some discussion (here?) you need to edit the registry *after* the MMC7_1 TV app is running and the custom profile (with everything but resolution) is selected. You cannot select the profile or it will rewrite the profile. It worked for MPEG-2. I never tried it with AVI.

[futyb]

Stan, can you elaborate on the below
"Per some discussion (here?) you need to edit the registry *after* the MMC7_1 TV app is running and the custom profile (with everything but resolution) i" Can you point me to how to do this? I'm not clear what you mean.

thanks
john

[jpb1977]

Stan - can we get some more info about using VirtualVCR with the ATI TV Wonder. I have 7.6 installed, and the mpeg capture at various sizes is working flawlessly. I would love to start capturing at even higher resolutions, perhaps straight to Divx - will VirtualVCR allow this?

I have Windows98SE, ATI TV Wonder, MMC 7.6 - AMD 1.2, 256 ram etc...

[Stan DeHaven]

Futyb

Ok, before people start modifying their registry and destroy their systems....This information *ONLY* applies to ATI MMC7_1 using the TV Wonder VE (ATW), not the All in Wonder (AIW). Also, these mods were made using Windows 2000 Pro/SP2, although I believe they would be applicable to Win95/98/ME/XP/NT.

Here is how I modified the capture resolution in MMC7_1:

1.) Create/edit a custom profile and call it something like BUBBA (or equally unique) and use BUBBA in the description (important!).
2.) Select MPEG
3.) Chose MPEG-2, a resolution like 640X240 or 352X240, some frame rate (29.97 for VCD) and I typically use visual masking even though I don't know what it is.
4.) Go to next screen.
5.) Select I frames or not.
6.) Save your profile.

You can now capture in MPEG-2 at 640X240 or 352X240 depending on your choices with the custom profile named BUBBA. Note: by this I mean if you select capture, you will begin capturing a MPEG-2 file to some disk location defined in the custom profile BUBBA.

7.) Now, with ATI TV MMC7_1 open ....
8.) Select start -> run (at the lower left hand corner of the screen)
9.) In the box, type regedit to bring up the registry editor.
10.) Select ->Registry->Export Registry file
11.) Now select a location to store the backup registry file (up to 25 MB in size)
12.) Select: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
SOFTWARE
ATI TECHNOLOGIES
MULTIMEDIA
FEATURES
TV
VIDEO CAPTURE
MPEG
or... Edit->Find->BUBBA and it will find the registry key BUBBA
13.) There will be several profiles. The one with the name BUBBA in its description key is the one to edit (if you used the find option you are in the profile). Select height then Edit->Modify->Value Data->decimal and enter 480. As in height resolution of 480.
14.) Close regedit.
15.) Select Capture in the ATI TV MMC7_1 program.
16.) You will have a ??X480 resolution MPEG-2 file.

When you finish capturing, and look at the profile again. The height resolution is back to 240. That height resolution will remain until you go through the process described above again (maybe w/out the registry backup). I have not tried the horizontal resolution so I don't know if it can be modified.


References:

http://www.pcphotovideo.com/7.htm


Stan

P4 1.7GHz, ABIT TH7 Raid MB
512MB RDram
Leadtek GeForce2 Pro Video
ATI TV Wonder VE Capture Card
30GB & 60 GB (NTFS for capture) drives
Win2K/98SE dual boot

[Stan DeHaven]

Jpb1977,

VirtualVCR (and IUVCR) are DirectShow AVI output applications. That means they are optimized for WinXP/2K/NT(maybe) with DirectX 8.x. Since you are using 98SE (which is a decent operating system) VirtualDub should work fine. Use TMPGenc to convert to VCD.

Here is a partial list of capture software and OS:

VirtualVCR -> WinXP/2K (DirectShow) (Free)
IUVCR -> WinXP/2K (DirectShow) ($25.00 Shareware)
AMCAP -> WinXP/2K (DirectShow) (Free)
VirtualDub -> Win95/98/ME (VFWWDM) (Free)
FreeVCR -> Win95/98/ME (VFWWDM) (Free)
MMC7_X -> Win95/98/ME/2K/XP VFFWWDM/DirectShow) (Free?)
PowerVCRII -> ? not sure, see web site ($50.00, trial version)


I have just started using VirtualVCR. I recently (re) found the program and got it working. It is a WDM based program optimized for DirectShow (XP/2K), not a VFWWDM (9X/ME) based program like VirtualDub. It might work just fine in 98SE. It certainly installs/uninstalls cleanly... and is free.


Reference:
http://btwincap.sourceforge.net/index.html


Stan


P4 1.7GHz, ABIT TH7 Raid MB
512MB RDram
Leadtek GeForce2 Pro Video
ATI TV Wonder VE Capture Card
30GB & 60 GB (NTFS for capture) drives
Win2K/98SE dual boot

[uoxon]

Here is my avi capture advanture update with mmc7.6.

I tried change registry while mmc is opened just like Stan described in his post on May 02 17:03 except I used mmc7.6 instead of mmc7.1 and I tried to capture in AVI instead of mpeg. Basically the result is failure. I guess when mmc 7.6 is opened, it keeps current profile in memory instead of reading for registry when beginning capture.

By the way, the max resolution it allows me to capture in AVi is 720x240.
Not 320x240.

It's just so FUN to play with MMC...

[oldfart13]

Have you tried Stinky's Tool for altering the 7.1 or 7.5/7.6 registry to allow for higher caps? I couldn't get it to disable Macrovision but the templates for the higher quality settings are there. I tried the WDM wrapper for Virtual Dub but they don't work on my system. Instead, I can use Video Capturix and select the WDM for VFW wrapper and it works perfectly. I can also select the ATI or WDM drivers and they work as well. Only wish Virtual Dub gets re-written to take advantage of the new drivers...

[uoxon]

Stan,

Thank you for the little summary of the capture softwares.

Can you give us a little bit more info on the capture quality comparison of those softwares? At least your experience of using whatever software you are using.

Also there is one important capture software: AVI_IO. Someone said it sometimes has better capture result.

Thanks in advance.

[mixer]

I've checking in to this resolution issue. It's seems that the new MMC 7.6 capture software will not all full resolution AVIs for some unknown reason (ATI is not talking either). Maybe it's a bug or an oversight. MMC 7.1 will work fine.

[Stan DeHaven]

Uoxon,

I recently started using VirtualVCR (VVCR) and believe it will be the program I stick with. The main reason being it is extremely similar to VirtualDub (VDub) but is optimized for DirectShow. There is a good knowledge base on how to capture in VDub.

As noted before DirectShow is for XP/2000 multimedia. Having used 2000 Pro for a while, I have gotten spoiled by its stability. Also, I use it all day at work so it's familiar.

For my money, the free program with more features always tends to win out. Especially when it installs/uninstalls cleanly and has source code available. I think VDub has its source code available too.

Not to seem arrogant, but I don't believe I will waste any more time with MMC, IUVCR or PowerVCRII. Not that they are not good programs, but I believe VVCR will do everything I want. It will capture in all resolutions up to 740x576, the TV tuner is better than in MMC7_1, and I can use a wide variety of codec's.

Also, using new WDM848 drivers for VVCR caused the video in MMC 7_1 TV to stop. Someday I may reinstall the ATI BT848 drivers and buy IUVCR or PowerVCRII. However, I kind of doubt it. I will probably upgrade to a better card (BT878 processor) or stop capturing.

I am a newbie at capturing so I have not tried every switch, bell and whistle. However, in just a short time capturing with VVCR using the huffyuv codec I have captured good quality video. I could never get that same quality output from MMC7_1 unless I used straight AVI (no AVI codecs' in MMC7.1). I made tens of VCD's using MMC7_1 and none of them look as good as the ones from VVCR.

One thing I learned in testing various settings was to use a CDRW, record about 2 minutes of processed VCD on the CDRW and then test the output through the DVD player. It's a pretty quick way to compare settings and you don't end up with a pile of junk CDR's. TMPGenc can process the file at the time the CDRW is erasing, so it takes the same time as burning CDR's.

There are plenty of guides to capture using VDub. I am using those guides with VVCR.

Good Luck!

Stan


P4 1.7GHz, ABIT TH7 Raid MB
512MB RDram
Leadtek GeForce2 Pro Video
ATI TV Wonder VE Capture Card
30GB & 60 GB (NTFS for capture) drives
Win2K/98SE dual boot