Problems with ATI HDTV Wonder card

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

Anyone have this card working correctly for both DTV, regular TV,
scheduled recordings and GUIDE? It seems to be very buggy, and I have
yet to get a reponse from ATI support after 3 attempts. My list of
issues in no particular order are:

- DTV application doesn't launch from the ATI system tray icon
(r-click->ATI Programs -> DTV).

- File Player falls out of ThruView Window after playing for a while.

- File Player crashes on Native format HDTV recordings when using the
Position slider.

- Scheduled recordings don't work if Windows is "locked" (Windows+L).

- Scheduled recordings sometimes record the wrong channel. I think it
records the last channel viewed instead of the desired channel.

- TV application (analog TV) won't launch. Fails with error:
Unable to start TV
The TV player failed to initialize the video.
Check the Windows Device Manager to ensure that the correct video driver
has been installed and is working properly before attempting to restart TV.

- PC Check reports problems:
-> DirectX components not installed properly (they've been reinstalled a
few times)
-> Capture driver INF files are not installed

- GUIDE PLUS doesn't appear to work with DTV. It prompts to start TV
application (which doesn't work - see above) unless you already have DTV
running. If already running DTV, then it only sometimes shows the
program but it doesn't appear to allow me to change the channel or record.


I've asked them if they'll standby their card while trying to work these
issues out, but given the lack of response I'm probably going to take it
back to CompUSA next week. Seems very buggy for a $200 card running
version 9.03 software.

At the very least, maybe I'll save someone else the pain with this posting.

William

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"William E. Jens" <wjens@pagepath.com> wrote in message
news:9yEGd.18233$by5.4789@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
> Anyone have this card working correctly for both DTV, regular TV,
> scheduled recordings and GUIDE? It seems to be very buggy, and I have
> yet to get a reponse from ATI support after 3 attempts. My list of
> issues in no particular order are:
>
> - DTV application doesn't launch from the ATI system tray icon
> (r-click->ATI Programs -> DTV).
>
Mine works ok.


> - GUIDE PLUS doesn't appear to work with DTV. It prompts to start TV
> application (which doesn't work - see above) unless you already have DTV
> running. If already running DTV, then it only sometimes shows the
> program but it doesn't appear to allow me to change the channel or record.

Have this problem but understand that no other or few other tv cards
support two antenna input jacks and few people have antenna and cable (I do
and it's annoying for guide plus to only support one at a time, you have to
change setting and download a new guide for either)

My big issues with ATI wonder DTI with remote are: 1) can't turn off
recorder that's always running and 2) It appears that the Phillips tuner
that's used is a 2nd or third generation tuner. We are currently at 5 (QAM
support for cable with smart card for unscrambleing) I don't know what you
would call the chipset from Lucky-Goldstar that's supposed to have
exceptional multipath abilitys.

The tuner misses entirely ch 40 in my area (ch 52).

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jeff Rigby" <jeffg212@comcast.net> wrote in message
news-GdnQ5irIMlcaffRVn-qQ@comcast.com...
>
> "Jeff Rigby" <jeffg212@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:rtydnZQar-MwkHDcRVn-ig@comcast.com...
> >
> > "William E. Jens" <wjens@pagepath.com> wrote in message
> > news:9yEGd.18233$by5.4789@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
> >> Anyone have this card working correctly for both DTV, regular TV,
> >> scheduled recordings and GUIDE? It seems to be very buggy, and I have
> >> yet to get a reponse from ATI support after 3 attempts. My list of
> >> issues in no particular order are:
> >>
> >> - DTV application doesn't launch from the ATI system tray icon
> >> (r-click->ATI Programs -> DTV).
> >>
> > Mine works ok.
> >
> >
> >> - GUIDE PLUS doesn't appear to work with DTV. It prompts to start TV
> >> application (which doesn't work - see above) unless you already have
DTV
> >> running. If already running DTV, then it only sometimes shows the
> >> program but it doesn't appear to allow me to change the channel or
> >> record.
> >
> > Have this problem but understand that no other or few other tv cards
> > support two antenna input jacks and few people have antenna and cable (I
> > do
> > and it's annoying for guide plus to only support one at a time, you have
> > to
> > change setting and download a new guide for either)
> >
> > My big issues with ATI wonder DTI with remote are: 1) can't turn off
> > recorder that's always running and 2) It appears that the Phillips tuner
> > that's used is a 2nd or third generation tuner. We are currently at 5
> > (QAM
> > support for cable with smart card for unscrambleing) I don't know what
you
> > would call the chipset from Lucky-Goldstar that's supposed to have
> > exceptional multipath abilitys.
> >
> > The tuner misses entirely ch 40 in my area (ch 52).
> >
> The phillips tuner also drifts and some channels can't be received due to
> the initial point (voltage that generates a freq that the tuner uses to
tune
> a station being too far from the station freq).
>
> Other glitches appear to go away when using a faster processor (3.2 ghz).
> >
>
>
I have the TV and DTV working but don't use the GUIDE. Don't like the way it
works with TV so just use the guide from my cable box. DTV stations are able
to send program information but it's use seems to just be beginning and is
sporadic and often incorrect for the next program.

You can get a program for just watching DTV. WatchHDTV It's free for now.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/sho [...] genumber=1
If you can't get the link to work just google avsforum.com for watchhdtv.

I've had no tuning problems. I'm using a 2.4ghz P4 system. What version of
MMC is the OP using?

Hope this post makes sense. This was the only post in the thread I could
find. Not sure who's typing what. Mostly wanted to recommend WatchHDTV. It's
a nice little program.