HDTV Wonder Discussion

HDTV tuner HELP!!!!!!!

HDTV tuner HELP!!!!!!!

I can get the tv to work with rabbit ears and also with my direct TV through the RCA's but I cant get the DTV to work I keep getting this error "the DTV player failed to initialize." WTF ??? I went to ATI's site trying to troubleshoot the issue and I feel like I'm running around in circles can someone help me? Ive looked in this thread but there is too many to read.
 
03HDFATBOY said:
never mind I got it
BTW holly crap what an awesome picture :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, it really can look quite good!

The last HD show I watched was the “Victoria Secrets Fashion Show”,……it was amazing,….just awesome!!!

BTW, I finally implemented my custom antenna setup (AKA HD antenna array 1.0) using the second antenna from the additional HDTV Wonder I bought from CompUSA. Basically, there are two HD antennas (setup at different angles) that connect to a splitter and then to the input of a signal amplifier. From there I could have run two separate lines to each HDTV Wonder but I currently use one line and then split it to connect the two HDTV Wonder cards (one in System64-X1 and the other in System64-X2).

I used some rather questionable wire in some places and the splitters are not of the best quality either but it seems to get the job done nicely. Basically I find that I don’t need to adjust the antenna anymore once set up correctly and that’s what I was aiming for.

I’m going to upgrade the wire and swap out some of the splitters which should improve some minor glitches (such as both systems not seeing the exact same signal strength for the same channels).
 
Agustus said:
BTW, I finally implemented my custom antenna setup (AKA HD antenna array 1.0) using the second antenna from the additional HDTV Wonder I bought from CompUSA. Basically, there are two HD antennas (setup at different angles) that connect to a splitter and then to the input of a signal amplifier. From there I could have run two separate lines to each HDTV Wonder but I currently use one line and then split it to connect the two HDTV Wonder cards (one in System64-X1 and the other in System64-X2).
Click to expand...

Hi Agustus. I always wondered if a splitter could be used as a combiner and it looks like that worked for you. What brand of splitter did you use, and where did you buy it from?
 
Radio Shack,….

As I said before, they (splitters and cables) really aren’t very good and I plan to replace the splitters and some if not all the cables soon.

This isn’t the exact splitter but it is something like this:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...&cp=2032057.2032187.2032191&parentPage=family

I am using this amp though:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...cp=&kw=cable+hdtv+amplifier&parentPage=search

It was actually very good with just the antenna and the amp on one HDTV Wonder but I did have to mess with the orientation of the antenna more (from channel to channel).

I’ll be able to say whether or not it really gets the job done adequately once I get better cable and better splitters. Right now it seems like System64-X2 gets a stronger signal consistently (this is likely due to cable quality). I’ll also need to use a compass to properly align the antenna (plural).
 
Has there been any sort of work around to get 5.1 sound working yet? I had a Audigy 2 ZS & it 5.1 sound would make the sound stutter. I upgraded to a X-fi card & it does the same thing. You'd think ATI would fix this after over a year. I bought the card when it was released & it still isn't FULLY working.
 
toddklost said:
Hi, here is what I have working and hopefull people in my area can help me complete the list!, I am in South-Eastern Toronto, I used a combination of sites , MCE2005 and ATI's MMC signal detect to get this complete list of working channels.
......

Another thing CFTO which is CTV (9-1) has sound but no picture since July 2005 started, another question I loved to get answered.

.....

I would like to Start a Toronto thread here with people's channel list and experiences.
Click to expand...
The CTV problem is a bug in the HDTV Wonder driver. I've posted my latest experience with ATI Customer Care about this issue in the Toronto section of the AVS Forum and on the RemoteCentral HDTV/Satellite forum.

ATI isn't going to fix this problem, saying that they don't support or sell the HDTV Wonder in Canada. Ironic that the CTV transmitter is probably just a few tens of miles away from ATI's headquarters.
 
DaVinci42 said:
Has there been any sort of work around to get 5.1 sound working yet? I had a Audigy 2 ZS & it 5.1 sound would make the sound stutter. I upgraded to a X-fi card & it does the same thing. You'd think ATI would fix this after over a year. I bought the card when it was released & it still isn't FULLY working.
Click to expand...
I can't even get mine to reconize my Audigy2 ZS:mad:
 
DaVinci42 said:
Has there been any sort of work around to get 5.1 sound working yet? I had a Audigy 2 ZS & it 5.1 sound would make the sound stutter. I upgraded to a X-fi card & it does the same thing. You'd think ATI would fix this after over a year. I bought the card when it was released & it still isn't FULLY working.
Click to expand...

I can't even get mine to recognize my Audigy 2 ZS :mad:
 
Can someone e-mail me an ISO of the HDTV install CD ?? I shut my desk drawer on mine and put a bad scratch on it and now my DVD drive wont read it :cry:
Thanks
 
i'm new to all of this. i got my hdtv wonder card but it doesn't work with my medicenter version of xp. i have been reading for 2 days now about a kram driver, but every link to it i see no longer a working link. Does anyone have an idea where i can this driver so i can get this card to work? thanks
 
sandmanx13 said:
i'm new to all of this. i got my hdtv wonder card but it doesn't work with my medicenter version of xp. i have been reading for 2 days now about a kram driver, but every link to it i see no longer a working link. Does anyone have an idea where i can this driver so i can get this card to work? thanks
Click to expand...
I have the drivers on my back up drive but no real way to get them to you, there 28mb zipped. If you have any ideas I'll send them to ya.
 
For OTA HDTV support it should work out of the box provided your system meets the requirements.

Using the ATI HDTV WONDER card for Analog does require additional care to install as shown in the ATI support Knowledge Base.

From ATI support Knowledge Base.

Knowledge Base
ATI Customer Care > Drivers and Software > Windows XP Media Center Edition > TV Tuners > HDTV WONDER >
HDTV WONDER Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Drivers - 3.0.83.2026

HDTV WONDER Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Drivers
Version: 3.0.83.2026
Posted: April 12, 2005
WHQL Certified
Release Notes:

* Designed for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
* Media Center will recognize the HDTV WONDER as a separate Digital TV Tuner device; Analog TV tuning will not work or be detected by Media Center for the HDTV WONDER. A previous hardware encoder-based Analog TV Tuner (such as ATI’s E-HOME WONDER) should already be preinstalled by your system manufacturer for support under Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, and should continue to be used for analog TV viewing/recording purposes.
* The Update Rollup 1 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with HDTV Support (KB873369) is required prior to installing this driver. More information is available from Microsoft.
* A Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 compliant DVD/MPEG-2 Decoder is required for proper operation of Media Center (preinstalled by your system manufacturer). Please refer to the Windows XP Media Center Edition Partners site for details on available DVD Decoder component suppliers


Knowledge Base
ATI Customer Care > Drivers and Software > Windows XP Media Center Edition > TV Tuners > HDTV WONDER >
HDTV WONDER information for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

The information in this article applies to the following:

* Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
* HDTV WONDER (Retail box)

The HDTV WONDER (100-714127) retail box offers Analog and Digital TV (DTV) support through the accompanying ATI Multimedia Center for Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition.

Under Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, there are specific hardware and software requirements to enable the HDTV WONDER as a separate Digital TV Tuner device for Media Center.

The HDTV WONDER will operate with Media Center, provided the following items are met:

* A supported DirectX 9.0 compliant graphics adapter is preinstalled by the computer manufacturer
* Media Center will recognize the HDTV WONDER as a separate Digital TV Tuner device; Analog TV tuning will not work or be detected by Media Center for the HDTV WONDER. A previous hardware encoder-based Analog TV Tuner (such as ATI’s E-HOME WONDER or TV WONDER ELITE) should already be preinstalled by your system manufacturer for support under Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, and should continue to be used for analog TV viewing/recording purposes.
* The Update Rollup 1 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with HDTV Support (KB873369) is required prior to installing drivers for HDTV WONDER. More information is available from Microsoft.
* A Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 compliant DVD/MPEG-2 Decoder is required for proper operation of Media Center (preinstalled by your system manufacturer). Please refer to the Windows XP Media Center Edition Partners site for details on available DVD Decoder component suppliers
* A compatible Media Center infrared remote control is used for Media Center (provided by your system manufacturer)

Please note that primary support for Media Center is provided by Microsoft and your system manufacturer. ATI Customer Care is able to assist with the driver installation for HDTV WONDER.


sandmanx13 said:
i'm new to all of this. i got my hdtv wonder card but it doesn't work with my medicenter version of xp. i have been reading for 2 days now about a kram driver, but every link to it i see no longer a working link. Does anyone have an idea where i can this driver so i can get this card to work? thanks
Click to expand...
 
noob needs help

noob needs help

I just got an HDTV Wonder and was attempting to set it up for a friend.

I've installed the card and software according to ATI's manual/the website.

When I attempt to start TV (Analog) I get the 'Unable to start TV' message.

This prompts to run the PC check which the system passes. When I go to the TV tab (in MMC configuration), the TV Capture source is at No Default, there are no other choices in the drop down. Below that for 'Driver:' it indicates 'unsupported' . I have tried installing and re-installing different versions of the HDTV wonder drivers to no avail. I have also removed the card and re-seated in a different PCI slot.


I am wondering if the problem is related to the Video card in the system - Radeon 9250 with 128MB. The back of the HDTV box indicates a 'graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0 with 64MB+ of RAM' is required. Which made me think this card was ok. The manual that comes with the HDTV wonder shows a list of supported ATI cards - Radeon 9500, 9600, 9700 and 9800 and AIW's 9600, 9700PRO and 9800PRO. Both the manual and box suggest to visit http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder for a current list of supported cards. I cannot find the list of supported cards. The website specs indicates the same 'graphics card supporting DirectX 9 and 64MB+' line. I also tried updating the ATI display drivers to the latest ones on ATI's site.

Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated.

Also if anyone can find a list of the current supported cards and post a link.

(I will probably try giving ATI a call altho I am in Canada and they do no support this product here).

I have a feeling that I will need to return this (minus 25% re-stocking charge) but I would like to confirm that there isn't something else I should try. I really hoped to see this card work so I could decide if I should get one for myself.

frustrated:confused:
 
The actual term used is "Microsoft DirectX 9.0 hardware compliant" graphics card.

If you look at the specifications of the graphics cards ATI offers you will not see any hardware directX 9.0 enhancments until you reach the ATI 9600 family or better.

Greg


cactuspete said:
I just got an HDTV Wonder and was attempting to set it up for a friend.

I've installed the card and software according to ATI's manual/the website.

When I attempt to start TV (Analog) I get the 'Unable to start TV' message.

This prompts to run the PC check which the system passes. When I go to the TV tab (in MMC configuration), the TV Capture source is at No Default, there are no other choices in the drop down. Below that for 'Driver:' it indicates 'unsupported' . I have tried installing and re-installing different versions of the HDTV wonder drivers to no avail. I have also removed the card and re-seated in a different PCI slot.


I am wondering if the problem is related to the Video card in the system - Radeon 9250 with 128MB. The back of the HDTV box indicates a 'graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0 with 64MB+ of RAM' is required. Which made me think this card was ok. The manual that comes with the HDTV wonder shows a list of supported ATI cards - Radeon 9500, 9600, 9700 and 9800 and AIW's 9600, 9700PRO and 9800PRO. Both the manual and box suggest to visit http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvwonder for a current list of supported cards. I cannot find the list of supported cards. The website specs indicates the same 'graphics card supporting DirectX 9 and 64MB+' line. I also tried updating the ATI display drivers to the latest ones on ATI's site.

Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated.

Also if anyone can find a list of the current supported cards and post a link.

(I will probably try giving ATI a call altho I am in Canada and they do no support this product here).

I have a feeling that I will need to return this (minus 25% re-stocking charge) but I would like to confirm that there isn't something else I should try. I really hoped to see this card work so I could decide if I should get one for myself.

frustrated:confused:
Click to expand...
 
Probably the known bug with the files not being installed in the right place, so you have to tweak the PATH variable. Doesn't happen on every setup. (it happened on 2 of the 3 machines I've installed HDTV Wonders on), from ATI knowledgebase 737-216 [the geniouses make it impossible to link ;) ] try this:

HDTV WONDER - Error starting TV: "TV Player Failed to initialize the video"

The information in this article applies to the following configurations:

* HDTV WONDER
* ATI Multimedia Center
* Windows XP Service Pack 2

In some configurations, the ATI TV Player fails to launch resulting in the following error:

Unable to start TV: The TV Player failed to initialize the video.

It has been noted that in systems with this symptom the DTV Player will launch successfully. Not all systems are affected.

To workaround this issue you will need to add an additional line to the Environment Variables section of the Windows System Properties.

1. Open Windows Control Panel, and double-click the System icon
2. Select the Advanced tab, then click Environment Variables button
3. Under System variables section scroll to the variable called Path
4. Highlight Path, then click Edit
5. At the end of the Variable value line add the following text exactly as it appears:

;%SystemRoot%\system32\drivers
6. Click OK 3 times and then restart Windows
7. Run TV Player
 
enter said:
I have the drivers on my back up drive but no real way to get them to you, there 28mb zipped. If you have any ideas I'll send them to ya.
Click to expand...


only way i can think of is through msn or yahoo. 28mb would be to big for my e-mail.
 
Hey guys, I'm farely new to this forum and to computers. I recently got a new Dell p4 3.4 Ghz 1.5 GB RAM with a radeon x600 256MB hypermemory graphics card on Windows XP Media center Edition. I just got the atihdtvwonder, did an install with all the drivers, ati dvdencoder, catalyst, and multimedia center from the website. I've also downloaded watchhdtv 1.4.... Watching tv using watchhdtv1.4 is fine but When I try to onetouch record, it freezes and closes. When a schedule a record, it does the same. When I do a silent record, it records but for some reason, I have no audio. I've tried using windows media player and media center and I have no audio in all programs... If someone could offer me some help I would be so grateful.
 
:evil: 2 words GAS + Match

I know how you feel, it is frustrating if you;ll read all of this thread you'll find the answer your looking for.
 
Frustration with AIW and HDTV Wonder S/W

Frustration with AIW and HDTV Wonder S/W

I just joined this forum and I thought that I'd share my experiences over the last few months
wrestling with the ATI AIW 9600 XT, the HDTV Wonder, and various combinations of
drivers and MMCs.

I've had problems with ATI's software going back years, but I've finally reached the point
where I think that I'm going to scrap what I have and go with someone else. Here's some
of what I put up with.

Up until a few months ago, I had the Pinnacle software that comes with the AIW installed on
my machine. When I finally got around to trying it, it was pretty useless. So I uninstalled it.
After that, not only would MMC not work, it disabled Windows Media Player and a couple of
other players to the point where I had to wipe Windows XP SP2 from my drive and do a clean
install of everything. Nothing else would work, not repairing Windows, not reinstalling Pinnacle,
not uninstalling and reinstalling the ATI software in order, NOTHING!

Then the real fun began. I downloaded and installed, in order, the ATI software, and had
the following problems at different times:

1) ATI scheduler crashed on startup, whether trying to set a program or when it automatically
started to record a program.

2) DTV startup caused the historic error, "DMA not enabled." This also disables the use of
the scheduler since it will display this message and not call the scheduler unless you are there
to cancel the message. Checking the box to remember not to perform that check does nothing.

3) Here's a good one. Windows Media Player 10 would only play if the analog TV window
from the AIW was running simultaneously.

4) Attempting to record DTV caused the scheduler to crash.

5) Attempting to schedule a DTV recording caused the scheduler to crash.

6) The analog TV would freeze in the middle of a sheduled recording, to the point where only
a hard reboot would clear it. Task Manager couldn't kill the job.

After countless trouble tickets by web and speaking with the ATI support people personally,
I discovered several things.

1) ATI's software does not play nice with NForce 2 chips. This is a known problem and no
fix is in sight. Check your motherboard for these as potential problems.

2) MMC 9.08 is known to crash the scheduler on some systems. ATI claims that it will be fixed
on the next version of MMC. I'm not holding my breath. The solution is to go back to
9.06.1.

3) The "DMA not enabled" message when starting DTV is a known problem that may be
associated with the NForce 2 chips.

4) The PC Check function that pops up when something goes wrong is a relic from the old
days, is known to be useless, and the support people don't know when it will be trashed.

After resolving many of these issues and accepting the fact that I couldn't automatically record
DTV, I just discovered the following problems.

1) The MMC when running "one touch record" for DTV refuses to record to a directory other
than "documents and settings\<name>\application data\ATI MMC," even after many attempts
to set the record directory and temporary directory to a different desired location. It remembers
the setting, it just won't record there.

2) When recording DTV in native mode (.vcr) and playing it back on the ATI player, the bottom
portion of the recording is cut off. Only the top 2/3 of the video is visible.

3) When recording DTV in native mode (mpeg2) which, I assumed, would just dump the OTA
mpeg stream to a file, the recording (which does go to the desired directory on occasion)
is in a lower resolution, 4:3 format.

4) When setting the OTR to record for a fixed length of time (I tested it using one minute) the
recording does not stop after the specified time, but keeps on recording until stopped.

If anyone as any suggestions for this latest batch of problems, I'd be grateful for any information
that you could provide. Bear in mind that I'm not a newbie, I've followed all of the usual
advice of complete uninstalls, installs in order, etc. and at this point I know more about
system administration than I ever wanted to know.

I hope that the above is of some help to others in dealing with their problems.

For reference sake, here's my system configuration:

AMD Athlon 2700 XP+
Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro 2 motherboard
1 GB RAM
250 GB Western Digital hard drive (7200 rpm, 8 MB cache)
ATI AIW 9600 XT
ATI HDTV Wonder
Pioneer DVD burner
Antec case
Samsung HLN 507W 50" DLP TV driven by VGA
 
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