Pls ensure that Quartz fixes this problem

[srigby]

Maybe some other PAL users can confirm this problem.

If I freshly boot my machine, and then startup SnapStream, the image that it records is very distorted. So bad that you can hardly make out the picture.

If I run ATI's MMC TV app, this fixes the picture and any subsequent recordings are fine.....until I reboot.

Needless to say, I don't have this problem with ShowShifter. There's obviously some PAL mode that you're not setting properly.

Since I've already paid for SnapStream, I hope this problem is dealt with in the upcoming Quartz release.

[amit]

Hmm. It will be hard to test this issue in house, but we will definitely look into this and attempt to resolve it.

[Daniel Broad]

This must be an ATI only problem - fine here with PAL on WinTV GO

[srigby]

Yes, Daniel, maybe it is an ATI only problem. But it doesn't occur when I use ShowShifter. Probably because that product is from a PAL country and they're a little more PAL aware.

It's a shame that everytime I boot my PC, I need to open and close ATI's TV app, otherwise anything I record with SnapStream will be garbage.

Hey Amit, happy to record you 1 minutes worth of what the video looks like if I don't run the TV app first!!

[cristobal]

Not only an ATI problem. I have a AVERMEDIA TV PHONE and have the same problem. I have solved runing the avermedia tv application in the startup.

I remember the administrator to respond to my question about wake up the Pc from sleep mode.

I have paid too and hope bouth problems will be solve.

i have the same issue - it appears that snapsream does not initialise the tv card to pal - the card defaults to ntsc on powerup and stays that way unless the tv app is started and shut down

j.

[srigby]

Great guys!

Keep that input coming in... We need to show SnapStream that this problem really does exist before they'll fix it.

Surely it's just a matter of an eMail to their contacts at ATI asking how to put the card in PAL mode.

[srigby]

In addition to the problem for PAL users, could you please allow an IR Blaster to be used for set-top box channel changing - without the RF channel being changed as well (needs to be locked on Channel 3).

This will almost definately be fixed due to the amount of heat the company took over this problem as soon as they started selling those Blaster packs.

I've just verified that I can use two audio/video sources and by changing the video source, I automagically get the corresponding audio source! People have been asking for this for ages. Obviously only works for AIW users.

So, I could now set up two video source profiles, and choose them based on what I want to record......arrrgghhh, but how can I train the IR Blaster to channel change on two different set top boxes (one from the cable company, one being a sat decoder) !?!?!?!

[neilpickford]

I have the same problem with SSW.
I am in Australia using PAL B/G 7 MHz.
After a reboot or logout (XP) the tuner card has to be initialised by running it up with it's supplied viewer, waiting for a stable picture/sound and then closing down the TV viewer package. SnapStream can then be started ok.

This occurs for me with two different capture cards.
1) PixelView PlayTV Pro using VFW drivers under Win98
2) Genesis TV Tuner card using VFW Win98 & WDM WinXP

The Hauppage cards that are normally specified by SnapStream are just not available in this part of the world.

Windows XP correctly controls tuning on the Genesis card using WDM drivers, however the card still has to be initialised otherwise it starts up in NTSC mode.
Under Win98 neither card can control the tuning.
Have not tried the PixelView card on WinXP yet.

I would be very happy if this PAL initialise problem was addressed in Quartz.

Other problems to be addressed for Australia.
Cannot schedule record jobs between 00:00 and 10:00 without SS startup problems after reboot.
Problems on reboot generally result in loss of Jobs.dat file. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> Keep a backup of this file elsewhere if you have problems.
To edit any of the .dat files you must NOT insert <CR> characters into the file. (Don't use Wordpad). If you do edit the files use the FROMDOS.EXE unix utility (there are DOS versions around) to remove all the <CR> characters.

[Sean C]

Using my ancient Miro/Pinnacle PCTV card I have never had this problem on Windows 2000. If only the card was stereo I'd be happy with the whole setup.... I still havent been able to get any other card to work at all (which really drives me nuts), so I can't comment on any others.

Neil, go to http://www.ht.com.au and type "hauppauge" in the search field.
I had a bad experience with the expensive PVR card, so I havent tried any of the others.

Cheers,
Sean.

[SirFlakey]

Hmm I have a AverMedia Tv Phone (98) and whilst I had some troubles with the tuning (thread) - the image has been rock solid all the way.

It's sitting in a Compaq SB3000 P4 Win2K machine and doing a good job so far.

Why is it difficult to test PAL in house? Just curious, not trying to criticize. Those ShowShifter guys must have the same problem. Don't you just get a PAL DVD player or VCR and plug it in? Or how else do you address the PAL issues?

[srigby]

Sgriffin:

ShowShifter is based in the UK.

How else do they address PAL issues? Obviously they don't.

But great suggestion anyway!