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    Intel Smart Video Recorder: Troubleshooting Notes from Tech Support

    Contents:

    • TROUBLESHOOTING NOTES FROM TECHNICAL SUPPORT - OVERVIEW
    • NO SOUND DURING PLAYBACK
    • SOUND GAPS AND CHOPPY VIDEO IMAGES
    • VERTICAL, MULTI-COLORED LINES APPEAR ON THE VIDCAP SCREEN
    • VIDEO PREVIEW WINDOW IN VIDEO FOR WINDOWS IS BLACK
    • GRAINY OR POOR QUALITY VIDEO WHEN PREVIEWING OR PLAYING BACK VIDEO
    • UNABLE TO CAPTURE A SINGLE FRAME OF VIDEO
    • VIDEO PLAYBACK IS POOR ON SOME SYSTEMS
    • UNABLE TO LOCATE AN AVAILABLE INTERRUPT
    • INSUFFICIENT MEMORY OR DISK SPACE
    • UNABLE TO INITIALIZE A CAPTURE DEVICE
    • VIDEO IMAGE LOOKS TORN OR BENT AT THE TOP
    
    

    TROUBLESHOOTING NOTES FROM TECHNICAL SUPPORT - OVERVIEW

    
       This document contains solutions to the more common problems experienced
    
       by Intel Smart Video Recorder users.  This document is no longer being
    
       updated due to the replacement of the Intel Smart Video Recorder with
    
       the Intel Smart Video Recorder Pro product.
    
    
    
    

    NO SOUND DURING PLAYBACK

    
       Symptom:
    
       No audio is heard when playing back a video clip using Video for
    
       Windows. Sound was heard when the video clip was captured.
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The problem could be related to the sound board software configuration.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       Make sure the sound board software is installed and configured
    
       correctly.  You may need to reinstall the Windows software that came
    
       with your sound board.
    
    
    
       Some sound board software requires that a record switch be set to record
    
       sound from either the microphone or the line input.  Check the
    
       documentation that came with the sound board.
    
    
    
       Make sure that the Audio box is checked in the Video Capture dialog
    
       screen in Video for Windows.  Also check the Audio Setup and the Audio
    
       Level before capturing the video.
    
    
    
       See Also: Document 8010, "Video Capture: System Setup for Best
    
                      Playback." 
    
    
    
    

    SOUND GAPS AND CHOPPY VIDEO IMAGES

    
       Symptom:
    
       Video clips have sound gaps (also known as "sound hiccups") and  choppy
    
       video when played back.  
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       Microsoft Video for Windows integrates the audio and video.  The
    
       advantage of this is that the video and audio will not slip out of sync.
    
        The disadvantage is that sometimes the audio will pause and wait for
    
       the video to catch up if the system doing the playback is not fast
    
       enough.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       There are several ways to solve the problem of sound hiccups and choppy
    
       video playback:
    
    
    
         *  Reduce the space the playback will take on the screen.  For example
    
            if playing back at 320x240, try playing back at 160x120.
    
    
    
         *  Reduce the audio sampling size.
    
    
    
         *  Close down all background applications.
    
    
    
         *  If playing back from a hard disk, try playing back the video clip
    
            from memory (a RAM disk) instead.  
    
    
    
         *  If playing back from a CD, try playing back the video clip from
    
            your hard drive instead. 
    
    
    
         *  Upgrade to a faster system.
    
    
    
       See Also: Document 8010, "Video Capture: System Setup for Best
    
                      Playback." 
    
    
    
    

    VERTICAL, MULTI-COLORED LINES APPEAR ON THE VIDCAP SCREEN

    
       Symptom:
    
       Multi-colored vertical lines appear on the VidCap screen.
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The daughter card (capture module) is not firmly seated on the Intel
    
       Smart Video Recorder board.  Occasionally the daughter card loosens
    
       during shipping. 
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       Place the Intel Smart Video Recorder (daughter card facing up) on a hard
    
       surface and press down on the capture module until it snaps into place. 
    
    
    
    

    VIDEO PREVIEW WINDOW IN VIDEO FOR WINDOWS IS BLACK

    
       Symptom:
    
       The video preview window in Video for Windows is black (i.e., a black
    
       box is displayed instead of video images).
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The cause is either:
    
    
    
         *  An IRQ conflict.
    
    
    
         *  A loose or bad connection along the input path.
    
    
    
         *  A loose daughter card (capture module). 
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       First, capture a video image using the VidCap utility in Video for
    
       Windows to determine the exact cause of the black preview window.
    
    
    
         *  If an error message, such as "Wave input device not responding," is
    
            received during the video capture, the system has an IRQ conflict. 
    
            Use the INTEL SMART VIDEO RECORDER config applet in Control Panel
    
            to select a different IRQ setting for the Intel Smart Video
    
            Recorder (valid IRQ settings are 9, 11, and 15).
    
    
    
         *  If no error message is received during the video capture, the
    
            problem may be with the input path.  Check and secure all cable
    
            connections.
    
    
    
         *  If the video preview window in Video for Windows is still black,
    
            make sure the daughter card on the Intel Smart Video Recorder is
    
            firmly seated.
    
    
    
         *  If you are using a camcorder and the VidCap video preview window is
    
            still black, make sure that the camera is on, that the lens cap is
    
            off, and that you have selected the correct video input source
    
            (Composite or S-Video) in Video for Windows.
    
    
    
       See Also: Document 8062, "Video Capture: Troubleshooting Hardware
    
       Conflicts."
    
    
    
    

    GRAINY OR POOR QUALITY VIDEO WHEN PREVIEWING OR PLAYING BACK VIDEO

    
       Symptom:
    
       Video is grainy or of poor quality when played back or previewed (in the
    
       video preview window).
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       You are using a 16-color VGA driver.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       Use a VGA driver that supports 256 colors or higher.  Contact the
    
       manufacturer of your VGA board and ask for a 256-color, Windows
    
       3.1-compatible driver.
    
    
    
    

    UNABLE TO CAPTURE A SINGLE FRAME OF VIDEO

    
       Symptom:
    
       Unable to capture a single frame of video in VidCap.
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The steps for capturing a single frame were not done in the correct
    
       order. 
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       To capture single frames of video, often referred to as "stills," open
    
       the VidCap utility in Video for Windows and follow the steps below:
    
    
    
         1. Specify a capture file and set up the video and audio input
    
            sources.  
    
    
    
         2. Start your input device.  
    
    
    
         3. Select Frames... from the Capture menu.  Click the mouse  button to
    
            capture a single frame of video.  With each click  of  the mouse
    
            button, another single video frame will be captured.
    
    
    
         4. Stop your input device.
    
    
    
         5. Use the VidEdit utility in Video for Windows to edit the capture
    
            file as desired.
    
    
    
         6. Use VidEdit to copy a single frame to the clipboard.
    
    
    
         7. Paste the clip where you want it to appear in your graphics
    
            application.
    
    
    
       See Also: The Microsoft Video for Windows User's Guide.
    
    
    
    

    VIDEO PLAYBACK IS POOR ON SOME SYSTEMS

    
       Symptom:
    
       Video playback (speed and image quality) is poor on some systems.
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The system being used is not optimized for best video playback.  The
    
       performance of a system is based on the type and speed of the components
    
       that make up the system. The faster the microprocessor, the video card,
    
       the controller and the hard drive, the better the video capture and
    
       playback performance will be.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       Optimize your system for best video playback.
    
    
    
    

    UNABLE TO LOCATE AN AVAILABLE INTERRUPT

    
       To resolve the error "Unable to locate an available interrupt", try the
    
       following:
    
    
    
         *  Do a clean boot of the system.
    
    
    
         *  Check to see if any devices are assigned to IRQ 2.  Since IRQ 2 can
    
            cascade into IRQ 9, devices assigned to IRQ 2 may create a hardware
    
            conflict in your system. 
    
    
    
         *  Make sure the Intel Smart Video Recorder has its own IRQ setting
    
            and is set to one of the valid interrupts (9, 10, 11, or 15).  
    
    
    
       See document 8062 "Hardware Conflicts" for more information on resolving
    
       IRQ conflicts.
    
    
    
       Customer Report:
    
       A customer reported receiving this error after installing the Intel
    
       Smart Video Recorder in a Compaq Deskpro 486/33 machine.
    
    
    
    

    INSUFFICIENT MEMORY OR DISK SPACE

    
       Symptom:
    
       The Intel Smart Video Recorder Windows SETUP program reports the error:
    
       "Insufficient memory or disk space."
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       This means that either Windows does not have enough memory to run the
    
       SETUP program, or there is not enough space on the hard drive to install
    
       the software.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       First try closing down other background applications (except Windows
    
       Program Manager).  If this does not clear the error message:
    
    
    
         1. Replace your VGA color driver with the standard Windows VGA 
    
            driver. 
    
    
    
         2. Install the Smart Video Recorder Windows SETUP program.
    
    
    
         3.  Reload your VGA color driver and rerun Windows in enhanced mode.
    
    
    
    

    UNABLE TO INITIALIZE A CAPTURE DEVICE

    
       Symptom:
    
       VidCap issues the error message: "Unable to initialize a
    
       capture device."
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       VidCap reports this error when one of these occur:
    
    
    
         *  Your system has an IRQ conflict,
    
    
    
         *  The daughter card (capture module) on the Intel Smart Video
    
            Recorder is not seated properly,
    
    
    
         *  The Smart Video Recorder software was installed in the wrong order,
    
            or
    
    
    
         *  The Smart Video Recorder software installation is not complete.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       Follow the procedures for identifying and resolving an IRQ conflict. 
    
       See document 8062.  If you determine that your system does not have an
    
       IRQ conflict, make sure the daughter card is properly seated on the
    
       Intel Smart Video Recorder.
    
    
    
       If you are still receiving the error message, "unable to initialize a
    
       capture device," reinstall the Smart Video Recorder software:
    
    
    
         1. Install Microsoft Video for Windows. (If it's not already
    
            installed).
    
    
    
         Note: See your Video for Windows documentation for more information.
    
    
    
         2. Run the Smart Video Recorder Windows SETUP program to install the
    
            drivers and configure the board.
    
    
    
       It is important that you install the software in the order shown above.
    
       Complete instructions for installing the Intel Smart Video Recorder are
    
       in Chapter 1 of the Intel Smart Video Recorder Installation Guide and
    
       Video Tips manual.
    
    
    
       See Also: Document 8062 "Intel Smart Video Recorder: Troubleshooting
    
       Hardware Conflicts" and the Intel Smart Video Recorder Installation
    
       Guide and Video Tips manual.
    
    
    
    

    VIDEO IMAGE LOOKS TORN OR BENT AT THE TOP

    
       Symptom:
    
       Images coming from a VCR show a pattern of distortion at the top of the
    
    
    
       screen.  This distortion makes the image appear as though it has been
    
       torn or bent at the top.
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The torn image is caused by a weak video synchronization signal coming
    
       from the VCR.  
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       In many cases, hooking up a different VCR to the Intel Smart Video
    
       Recorder fixes the problem.  If switching to a different VCR does not
    
       solve the problem, try the following:
    
    
    
         *  Make sure the VCR box is checked in VidCap 
    
    
    
         *  Use the S-Video input source (if using composite video)
    
    
    
         *  Reinstall the Intel Smart Video Recorder card in the slot that is
    
            farthest from your system's power supply
    
    
    
         *  Leave an empty slot on one or both sides of your Intel Smart Video
    
            Recorder card 
    
    
    
         *  Make sure the Intel Smart Video Recorder daughter card (capture
    
            module) is properly seated 
    
    
    
         *  Make sure the video cable is not lying parallel to any power cables
    
            (the power cable can induce noise into the video cable)
    
    
    
       If the video image is still torn at the top of the screen, contact Intel
    
       Customer Support for a return authorization number (RMA).
    
    

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