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Author Topic: To RMB - Re: Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata  (Read 3146 times)

Yaobing

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To RMB - Re: Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« on: April 21, 2003, 07:08:29 am »

Do you have an ATI ALL-IN-Wonder Radeon card? Your problem may be related to what was discussed in this thread:

http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=beta;action=display;num=1046153817;start=21#21

Search for the word AVBISurf.ax in that thread.
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2003, 07:24:25 am »

I do not have a Radeon card - too new and expensive!

I am using an All-in-Wonder PRO (PCI)

It is fine using the ATI software.  Just in case I removed  everything to do with ATI (MultiMedia Center and Display Driver) and all of MC. Then re-installed everything again.

This had no effect on my problem - I can still watch TV using the ATI TV software, and MC still crashes the PC with a fatal error.

I have noticed that thoughout everything, MC still 'knows' my TV configuration - even after a complete de-install!  I told it that I was not doing an upgrade and so it should remove everything.

All I can think is that the TV configuration maintained by MC is somehow corrupt - where is this kept?  If I can delete it, maybe it will re-discover my system and work again.

The actual error I get is DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in ATI2MPAD.SYS - but since I completely reinstalled the ATI software, it should not be a corrupt file - especially since the ATI-TV program works correctly.

Any ideas?
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RMB

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2003, 07:42:24 am »

The MC TV settings are kept here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JRiver\Media Jukebox\TV Settings

You can delete the key and try again.

Quote
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL in ATI2MPAD.SYS

This suspiciously looks like a driver issue. Sometime reinstalling does not fix the problem. Did uninstall before reinstalling?
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2003, 01:59:51 pm »

After some investigation, I believe that this is Definitely a MC problem

As previously described, I have completely removed all traces of ATI and MC, and restarted my system before re-installing.

I checked that the relevant driver file was removed and then re-installed.

All the above made no difference, the ATI-TV program still works, and M does not.

Since MC used to work, I removed MC and reinstalled old versions starting from Version 137
Version 137 works

I have followed through each version verifying that they also work up to Version 146 works

Installing version 147 causes the problem - when I try to watch TV it kills my system.

Reverting back to version 146 makes it all work again.

Whatever changes were introduced in version 147 it also introduced the problem.

Hopefuly the above information will enable you to fix the problem in current release stream.
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RMB

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2003, 09:36:39 am »

Yaobing,

Don't know if it helps, but I get the same problem if I go through
Tools, Options, TV, Advanced
If I hit cancel or make no changes and hit OK, no problem.
If I make a change, then hit OK, I get the same problem.

It might also be relevant to note that Closed Caption is not available (not NTSC TV)

Hope that helps
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RMB

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2003, 03:33:01 pm »

Does MC 9.0.161 still crash upon starting TV?  In this version, changes in TV since 9.0146 were practically rolled back, unless you specifically enable them.

Quote
Tools, Options, TV, Advanced

After you clicked Advanced, did you get the "TV Options" property pages?

Quote
If I hit cancel or make no changes and hit OK, no problem.
If I make a change, then hit OK, I get the same problem.

Do you mean making changes in "TV Options" property pages?

While you did all of the Options stuff, was TV playing in the window?
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2003, 11:44:27 pm »

;D  Just downloaded and tried version 161- and it works  :D

Now that is what I call Service!  Thanks

There is just one small detail which you may like to look at -

If I am not watching TV, and go to the TV options (Tools, Options, TV Tuner Settings), two things happen -
1) I get the TV sound
2) I get three new tasks in the Taskbar called 'ActiveMovie window'

I guess that the first is necessary since you have to invoke TV software - and it stops when I close the TV options dialog
The three tasks, however, continue to run and cannot be terminated normally. If I kill them through TaskManager, it also kills MC.
If I have the TV actually running when I go through the same process, I do not get the three tasks.

I do not consider the above to be serious problems, unlike the problem now fixed, but you might log it anyway.

..... Now if you could just make everything run with less processor requirement so that my Athlon 1100 can record TV without loosing frames....  ;)
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RMB

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2003, 09:07:23 am »

Quote
Now that is what I call Service!  Thanks

Not so fast  ;D, I need you to do more testing.

I made still picture capture optional (because I suspect that is what your ALL-IN-WONDER PRO dirver can not handle correctly). Go to TV Options property pages, there is a check box on "Advanced Properties". Check that and see if the program crashes. I am afraid it will. And since I could not find anything wrong with my code, I strongly suspect it is a bug in your driver (if it indeed crashes).

The good news is that you get the TV back, as it was before build 147. The bad news is that you may not be able to access the new still picture capturing.

What version of DirectX do you have on your system?
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2003, 12:22:35 am »

I went to the relevant place and checked the checkbox....
It seemed fine - I could set it and then start viewing TV, or I could start watching TV and then check it.

I then started looking for how to actually get a still...
when I was on the options page, I clicked on the help button - nothing happened.  When I clicked again, I got the same old halt.

After a couple of restarts, I could not reset it and the TV was automatically restarting and killing my system again.

I changed the registry setting 'Enable Still Picture Capture' back to zero, and then things were fine again....

So, it would sem that you are right again as to the problem.

You asked about the version of DirectX, from the DxDiag program -

  Operating System: Windows 2000 Professional (5.0, Build 2195) Service Pack 3
          Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: SiS
      System Model: 730S
              BIOS: Default System BIOS
         Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor,  MMX,  3DNow, ~1.1GHz
            Memory: 240MB RAM
         Page File: 233MB used, 748MB available
       Windows Dir: C:\WINNT
   DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0a (4.09.0000.0901)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
    DxDiag Version: 5.03.0000.0901 32bit Unicode


At least, if it means that I cannot capture stills, it is something that I will not miss (never having been able to do it!)

All the best
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RMB

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2003, 06:24:43 am »

Help file on TV is not done yet.

Quote
I could set it and then start viewing TV, or I could start watching TV and then check it.

This seems to be a small progress, only if we can sustain it. If you can get this far, still capture is done by pressing key combination

CTRL+ SHIFT + Print Screen
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2003, 07:57:29 am »

Some more details (after several system restarts)

When I start TV, I get a small dialog box for a short time - it is titled 'Please wait...." and has a text for 'Starting TV'
I can then go into options and set the still capture.
when I do this, under the TV I get a text for a short time 'Failed to set recording video size' - this is normally hidden under the dialog boxes.

I can then actually get a still.  (Being picky,  I should mention that the TV is 4:3, but the captured BMP file has a picture is stretched very wide - Paint reports it as being 640x240)

So far so good....

If however, I do not start TV viewing start MC and  go straight to the options while listening to music off disk, I also get the dialog box.  I can wait a short while and then hear the sound from the TV.  If I then set the option, I get the crash.

Also, if the option is left set and MC restarts, I see the 'starting TV' as MC tries to start up with TV - and I get the error.

If I start the TV, then change to listening to music, then try to set the option, I do not get the 'Starting TV' box - but I get the crash.

Just guessing, but does MC try to pass on the setting of the option to the ATI s/w when it is set and at initialisation?  It looks to me as though the ATI s/w can only have the option set when it is actually outputting TV to the screen.

Just a thought - hope this helps
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RMB

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2003, 06:08:10 am »

The following was posted by RMB in 168 bug thread, and I copied it here:
Quote
Version 168 is a backwards step versus 166 as far as TV capture is concerned...

On 166 I could set the enable still capture, and actually capture a still from TV.

On version 168 I can still enable the feature, when when I ask for a still to be captured, I do not get one.

If I leave the option enabled, version 168 still kills my system when MC restarts - just like version 166.

With version 166 if I disable the feature in the registry before starting MC, then set it again in MC after starting the TV Viewer all was fine - but not in 168.

Could MC not test the registry setting when it initialises, but test it as part of the starting TV viewer and the set it then?  I believe that this would then make everything work!

Thanks.


The only change between 166 and 168 is the way keyboard shortcuts are handled. Now the TV must have keyboard focus in order for the keyboard shortcuts to work. To get keyboard focus, click in the video window.

It is interesting to know that the program does not crash when you enable the feature after the program start.
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

sraymond

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2003, 08:08:10 am »

Yaobing,

Quote
The only change between 166 and 168 is the way keyboard shortcuts are handled. Now the TV must have keyboard focus in order for the keyboard shortcuts to work. To get keyboard focus, click in the video window.


I found this out the hard way after spending about thirty minutes with Girder trying to figure out why it wasn't sending events to MC.  I guess I should have applied Pareto's Rule first!

Requiring focus is a problem for those that use Girder with keyboard events.  I trust there are pressing reasons for requiring focus, so I'd ask that whoever controls the MCC_COMMAND list add entries for these keyboard shortcuts.  I made this request before, but I didn't get a response.

The two shortcuts I use regularly are CTRL-SHIFT-F and MENU, although I image there are other "TV" keyboard shortcuts that don't have MCC_COMMAND entries.

Could you please see if this can get done in the near future, as I currently can't use MC for remote TV watching and I expect to have my new HTPC (with wireless network) installed by the end of the week!

I got a good deal on a D-Link Wireless Router ($70 minus a $30 rebate) and Wireless PCI cards ($60 minus $10) which will give be a 22 Mbps network - which should more than handle whatever MC can stream!!!

Thanks.

Scott-
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Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2003, 08:55:58 am »

RMB,

Could you do a test for me please?

Start TV with Still Picture Capture option off. Go to TV Options to turn the option on. (According to your reports, you can go this far, and actually get still pictures). Now try switching channels by double clicking a different channel.

Does it crash?

Also please go to Right-click menu, TV Options->Devices and see what is the exact name of your capture device (the first checked device).

I am trying to isolate where the problem is.
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

RMB

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2003, 11:45:42 pm »

Yaobing.

That requiring focus got me!

I did the following -

Start TV
Select a channel - watch TV
Set The option - watch more TV
Change channel by Double-Click - watch 2nd channel
Change channel by Double-Click - watch 3rd channel
Enter CTRL-SHIFT-PrintScreen - Nothing
Click on TV
Enter CTRL-SHIFT-PrintScreen - Screen Captured (Checked file DOES Exist)
Right-Click, TV Options, Devices.  First entry reads ATI Bt829 Capture

I note that one other thing has changed - when the TV is first started it has no channel.  Clicking 'Watch' without selecting a channel just gives a 'Ping' sound - I think this used to be one way to cause it to crash - without reverting I cannot be 100% sure.

Is the 'give TV focus' really required?  It used to not need this, and it worked for me. There seems to be no obvious way of knowing for sure whether it has already got focus, so it means that 'Capture still' is now a multiple sequence of Mouse Click, then CTRL+Shift+Printscreen - this appears to be a backwards step (Making it more complicated).

One point that I should mention (again) is that the still captured seems to base itelf on the wrong screen ratio.  I have the TV as 4x3, but the BMP generated is 640x240.  This means that everything is stretched way too wide - faces look odd etc.

Hope that helps - if you want anything more tested, let me know!

Thanks for all your efforts.

All the best
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RMB

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2003, 06:01:10 am »

Quote


That requiring focus got me!


Is the 'give TV focus' really required?  It used to not need this, and it worked for me. There seems to be no obvious way of knowing for sure whether it has already got focus, so it means that 'Capture still' is now a multiple sequence of Mouse Click, then CTRL+Shift+Printscreen - this appears to be a backwards step (Making it more complicated).

One point that I should mention (again) is that the still captured seems to base itelf on the wrong screen ratio.  I have the TV as 4x3, but the BMP generated is 640x240.  This means that everything is stretched way too wide - faces look odd etc.



Thanks for doing the tests.

Requiring TV to have focus for keyboard shortcuts to work is just something we have to do to avoid other bad problems. Hope we can find a nicer way of doing this. We are working on making it less troublesome.

The still picture size is determined by user's selection of 'Recording Profile'. I have to base the size on something user selects, and yet not making the configuration too tedius. The default recording profile uses 640x240 size (even though you do not see it on screen when recording because the video is stretched back to normal ratio).  
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Yaobing Deng, JRiver Media Center

Yaobing

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Re: To RMB - Trying to Watch TV Locks PC with fata
« Reply #16 on: May 07, 2003, 11:11:59 am »

RMB,

If you do not mind doing more test, please send me an email, yaobing @ jriver.com (no spaces). I will send you a file to test.

Thanks.
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