Quality Settings

[mjlaris]

I have just recently discovered SnapStream and have been experimenting with the free download version to see if I want to buy version 3 when it comes out. However, I not sure that it's ready yet. I have tried many different quality settings and the resulting video is still very jumpy (low frams per sec or more accuratly seconds per frame). I'm running a P4, 2.8 gig pc with 1 gig of ram. Am I doing something wrong or is this software not able to record TV quality recordings?

Mark

[ptaylor]

I'm totally new to SnapStream too, but I definately don't see the problems you are talking about, at least so far....

What kind of hardware are you running, in terms of vid capture card?

Paul

[mjlaris]

I'm using a Matrox Marval G450e TV card. It's not a cheep card. I paid $200 for it only 6 months ago. Any other ideas?

Mark

[ptaylor]

It may just be that SnapStream doesn't work well that that particular card. I bought an ATI 8500DV shortly after it's release and it was over $300 when I bought it, but SnapStream 2.0 didn't work well with it. 3.0 works much better with it.

Paul

[mjlaris]

I've done some research and I beleave that you are correct and it may well be my card. First the Matrox cards do not support WDM drivers (required for SnapStream 3). Second, no Matrox card is in the list of compatible cards. I think whhat I'm going to do is buy another video card for my second computer (a Dual PIII, 1 gig machine). The video card in it is about 4 years old and I had planned on replacint it anyway. Then I'll use that machine as a media server. Thanks for your help.

Mark

[ptaylor]

If you want a good price on a decent card and have a BestBuy near you, they have the ATI 8500DV for 159.00 with a $30 mail-in rebate...

One thing about the 8500DV is that is comes with the ATI remote, which is nice.

Paul

[BlueWolf2005]

Originally posted by ptaylor
If you want a good price on a decent card and have a BestBuy near you, they have the ATI 8500DV for 159.00 with a $30 mail-in rebate...

One thing about the 8500DV is that is comes with the ATI remote, which is nice.

Paul

now didn't you say it had a couple of problems with it.

BlueWolf

[ptaylor]

Well, I didn't like the way LiveTV worked with the 8500DV... At least, in PVS... To me, the PVR 250 looks better and acts more like I'd expect.. (~2 seconds to change a channel, etc.)

If ATI keeps on going the way they are headed with MMC (their software), though, PVS will have to really work hard to be better... I admit that I like the 8500DV better with Live TV in either MMC or ShowShifter. Those applications let you actually look at the real live TV signal, so it's about as clear and crisp as you can get. PVS with the PVR 250 looks almost as good as the live signal.. So close, that I can live with it.

Of course, everything is a matter of opininon... I think Julia likes the 8500DV for LiveTV better than her PVS 250.

Oh - and I think the the Best Buy rebate on the 8500DV has ended anyhow...

Paul

[Julia]

To be honest if I'm going to watch LiveTV on the machine with the 8500DV card I just use the ATI program for it, but I like the 8500DV for streaming LiveTV to my laptop and hopefully handheld one of these days (continued hint, hint).

The nice thing will be when I can have the PVR-250 card recording one thing, and the 8500DV card streaming something else...

Julia