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More => Old Versions => Media Center 12 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: alexgit on October 14, 2006, 11:25:39 pm

Title: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: alexgit on October 14, 2006, 11:25:39 pm

MC12 - 93
Whenever I try to switch to Theater Mode while using TV as monitor, I get following message:
"Error starting Direct 3D engine
(Hardware is not capable of windowed mode)"

It worked perfectly OK in MC11.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Alex

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: alexgit on October 15, 2006, 01:07:13 pm

Just to add. This box has very old ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON. Like from 2000 or 2001.
Is it causing the problem?
Thanks
Alex

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: alexgit on October 16, 2006, 11:42:41 am

Any comment please? I'd like to know what to do. If I new for sure that hardware upgrade will fix the problem I'd consider it.
Thanks
Alex

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: Matt on October 16, 2006, 11:50:34 am

Theater View in v12 requires a 3D capable card.

Installing the latest drivers from ATI may allow an older Radeon to work.

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: Alex B on October 16, 2006, 12:57:55 pm

My W2k office PC has a first generation AGP Radeon for the primary display. It has also a PCI ATI Rage "something" (older than Radeon) for the secondary display. Both display cards are fast with any 2D program, but I wonder how well MC would run Theater View in the second display if at all. (I am going to try it...)

Isn't Theater View also supposed to be a suitable interface for PC based embedded applications? I mean things like small touch screen media players that have standard, but not very powerful components.

Would it be difficult to add a simple on/off button for the 3D effects? Or is the system somehow hopelessly integrated with the effects?

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: alexgit on October 16, 2006, 04:10:46 pm

I agree with Alex B. Theater view should not target only powerful new video cards. In fact, for my HTPC I tried to use cheapest possible video card with TV out and connect it to TV. I don't expect much quality from TV anyway but its perfect for video watching. I definitely don't care about fancy animation in theater view.
So far media center allowed me to use this old Radeon card that otherwise would have been thrown away.

I will try tonight with NVidia MX 420 - see if it helps.

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: JimH on October 16, 2006, 04:14:08 pm

Quote from: alexgit on October 16, 2006, 04:10:46 pm

I agree with Alex B. Theater view should not target only powerful new video cards.

3D has been around a while.  It isn't just in the new, powerful cards.

Title: Re: Hardware not capable of windowed mode?
Post by: Mr ChriZ on October 16, 2006, 04:35:29 pm

Possibly we need some minimum requirements on this...
Mines running a bit funny on a GForce 4 MX something or other...