home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Inside Multimedia 1996 September
/
IMM0996.ISO
/
driver
/
diamond.mm
/
else
/
hotline
/
hlpvecap.txt
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1996-06-17
|
14KB
|
268 lines
SPEA Hotline Information
===========================================================================
Trouble Shooting Guide ......... Document N: Capture - Configuration
SPEA V7 series Release 0696.5
===========================================================================
IMPORTANT:
Please take note of the references to driver updates and system
configurations (document A).
SPEA Crunch It - Configuration
===========================================================================
Questions & Answers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A) Notes and known problems
B) Notes on Pixel Shrink from CeQuadrat
C) Notes on Video Maestro from Software Dynamics
D) Windows 95
A) Notes and known problems
Please take the time to read the notes an Appendix C of your manual
'Troubleshooting'.
Q: Video sequence playback problem: sometimes the video monitor screen
remains blank and pink pixels appear in the video overlay window.
The sound continues to function properly.
A: A known error in the Video for Windows 1.1e software. There is
currently no workaround solution except to end Windows and restart.
Q: SPEA's MediaStation in connection with the SPEA ShowTime Plus board
causes problems since I installed the SPEA Crunch It.
A: The Video-In of your SPEA ShowTime Plus has been deactivated by the
installation of the Crunch It. When you click on the Video-In button
of MediaStation (camery symbol) the capture driver of the Crunch It is
addressed. The MediaStation is however currently not prepared for
use with the Crunch It. New drivers for the SPEA ShowTime Plus are
expected from June 95 which include a new version of the MediaStation.
Q: When replaying AVI files the video is only displayed in monochrome
on the monitor.
A: The Crunch It is either set to monochrome playback, or the option
"Sync to Video Input" is active although a video signal is not
available on the Video IN input.
Q: Is it possible to playback other AVI (or MPEG) files, e.g. from
multimedia CD-ROM's on the monitor, TV or video recorder (VCR)?
A: The Codecs/DeCodecs of the Crunch It can only replay AVI files
coded with a Motion JPEG (MJPG) codec. AVI files such as those
found on multimedia CD-ROM's are however often coded using a
different codec, e.g. Indeo, RLE etc. In order to replay these
AVI's via the Crunch IT's output, it is necessary to recode tese
MJPG AVI's using a respective video mode resolution (PAL: 384x288,
768x288, 384x576 or 768x576, NTSC: 320x240, 640x240, 320x480 or
640x480)
This can be done using the interface software Video Maestro from
Software Dynamics.
Please note that AVI files coded with a software codec are often
qualitatively limited or unsuitable for replay via video or TV's.
MPEG files:
An MPEG file being replayed by a ShowTime can be directed to the
Video OUT of the Crunch It and then passed on to a TV (or VCR)
(from Dec.95: driver speamci.drv Rel.1.21 necessary).
Configuration (Win 3.1x & Win 95):
Start the MPEG Mediaplayer - Device - Configure. On the lower
left of the dialogue (if your Crunch It is connected) you'll
see a checkbox 'Crunch It'. When selected, output to a TV is
possible. TV output however, is only possible in the interlaced
display mode of the MPEG (not the general graphic driver!), which
is why this is always selected (checkbox over the former one).
Note:
- It remains impossible (and always will) to output the entire
screen to the TV.
- the PIP function is currently not supported under Windows 95
(a new Crunch It driver is in preparation).
Q: When recording with the Crunch It the interface software displays
still frames. When replaying, the window may even remain black.
A: The window of the interface software (or similar) only displays
a real live picture when you use a Crunch It with a SPEA ShowTime
Plus or another board which incorporates the SPEA Movie Bus.
If you use the Crunch It together with a ShowTime Plus and still
can't get a live video in picture, check the following:
- the connection of the SPEA Movie Bus between the boards
- whether the configuration of the Crunch It driver (Control Panel,
Driver, Setup) shows the option "Showtime Plus PIP" is active.
- whether the capture software's option 'Overlay Video' is active.
Q: Can the Crunch It be used to output the image seen on the computer
monitor to a TV or VCR?
A: The Crunch It is not designed for this purpose. The Crunch It
hardware was designed to record and replay ACI files with an
MJPG codec.
Q: Can MPEG files also be replayed with the Crunch It?
A: No, the MPEG and MJPG (Motion JPEG) formats are totally different and
can only be replayed with the corresponding hardware.
However, an ensuing software release will make it possible to replay
MPEG files, VideoCD's and similar objects that can be replayed by a
SPEA ShowTime Plus or a Play It. This will be made possible via the
SPEA Movie Bus which connects the boards. The output can then be to
a TV or VCR.
Q: The SPEA Play It doesn't allow a live picture (overlay) in connection
with the Crunch It board, although the software is correctly installed
and MPEG file playback functions correctly.
A: The current Crunch It driver release does not support the Play It. This
support will however be implemented in a later release.
Q: When recording with the Crunch It, I get the video picture in the
capture software window, but when I try to record the interface software
reports 'O frames recorded'.
A: This error indicates an incorrect installation (IRQ or address conflict)
in connection with the Crunch It. Check the configuration of the Crunch
It and select a different I/O address or IRQ.
Q: When I start the capture software it reports a defective capture driver.
The driver is howver correctly installed and no IRQ or address
conflicts exist.
A: This symptom concerns the capture software and driver and indicates
that the configuration dialogue box of the Crunch It driver (Control
Panel / Driver / Setup) contains an active 'ShowTime Plus PIP' option,
although a ShowTime Plus is not installed in your PC (or that it is not
correctly installed).
Q: Despite a fast CPU and hard disk, as well as a 32 bit hard disk
driver, my ISA system only yields very low data rates and sequences
recorded during playback are very jumpy and sometimes stall.
A: As the Crunch It utilizes a large part of the performance of the ISA
bus, it is necessary to use a hard disk in your system that is accessed
by the VL or PCI bus.
Q: If in Windows the 32 bit hard disc access and the file access is enabled,
in the dialogue box, the Cache size cannot be set to '0'.
A: This is - in general - not necessary. It is sufficient to set the lowest
possible value. In addition, the write cache should be disabled for the
hard disk you use for recording. To do so, in the SYSTEM.INI file look
for the section [VCache] and add the entry 'ForceLazyOff=x', where the
'x' stands for the hard disk drive you record with. Several entries for
different hard disks or partitions are possible.
B) Notes concerning Pixel Shrink from CeQuadrat
To install the software insert the first disk of PixelShrink in your
disk drive and select the options FILE-RUN in the Windows
Program Manager.
Enter the command A:\SETUP.
Please make sure when entering the serial number, that:
- you don't enter S/N. The number starts with a colon.
- you don't mix up 1 and l which look very similar.
To encode MPEG 1 with PixelShrink successfully, please take care of the
following:
- MPEG 1 used by definition 24, 25 or 30 frames per second. The source
video needs to have one of these rates. According to this, the frame
rate within PixelShrink has to be adjusted.
- MEPG 1 uses the SIF resolution, wich is one fourth of normal PAL or
NTSC. The Video you want to encode may not have a higher resolution
than this.
C) Notes concerning Video Maestro from Software Dynamics
With your release of Video Maestro from Software Dynamics problems may
occur with the German version. For example it may not be possible to place
films on the time line (this could cause Video Maestro to crash).
The latest Media Gallery CD contains an update of the German version of
Software Dynamics Video Maestro.
Start the installation of this software under Windows with the following
call (E: is assumed as the letter for your CD ROM drive):
E:\SPEA\INSTALL\CRUNCHIT\VMAESTRO\SETUP.EXE
The SPEA Crunch It installation on disks and the Media Gallery CD-ROM will
detect whether you run Windows (for Workgroups) 3.1x or Windows 95 and
install the drivers corresponding to the system you run.
Video Maestro by Software Dynamics has been developed to run under Windows
and Windows 95.
PixelShrink by CeQuadrat in its current version 1.05e does not work properly
with Windows 95. When shipping of Windows 95 starts, a newer Windows 95
compatible version will be available.
Note: Windows 95 / VideoMaestro (German)
Possible problem:
- when editing, i.e. 'cutting' AVI's / Sounds and transgressions,
the Windows error message "[VIDEO_ED] appears
Solution: installation of 'EDIT' driver update VideoMaestro German
for Win95 German. Available on the SPEA BBS.
- When capturing with VideoMaestro a reset occurs or the error message
"[V_RECORD] appears.
An overlay window is visible in VideoMaestro, the picture in the TV
is ok.
Recording is created, but the error message '0 files recorded,
0 frames lost' is shown.
Solution: installation of 'CAPTURE' driver update VideoMaestro German
for Win95 German.
Remove possible interrupt conflict.
Open Control Panel, select 'Multimedia' icon, select tab 'Extended',
select Video Compression Codecs, select Crunch It MJPEG CoDec Driver
[MJPG], click on 'Properties' button, click on 'Settings' button.
Test interrupt settings and if necessary, change the settings in your
PC BIOS for the interrupt assignment for the ISA slot.
Changes:
In the 'Control Panel' the entry 'Drivers' is not available any more.
Windows 95 users: PiP (Picture-in-Picture) is not possible with a
ShowTime Plus. The overlay window is therefore very jumpy.
To configure the Crunch It driver you need to select 'Multimedia' in the
'Control Panel'. The 'Control Panel' can be reached by selecting 'Start'
and 'Settings' on the 'Task-Bar'. In the 'Multimedia' Dialog you need to
select the page 'Advanced'. On this page all installed 'Multimedia devices'
are listed hierarchically.
The 'Crunch It MJPG Capture Driver' can be found in the group 'Video Capture
Devices'. By double-clicking this driver or by selecting this driver and
pressing the button 'Properties' you get to the 'Crunch It MJPG Capture
Driver Properties' dialog. Here the driver can be activated or deactivated
by selecting 'Use this video capture device' or 'Do not use this video
capture device'. Use the 'Settings' button to get to the configuration
dialogue of the driver.
By selecting the button 'Remove' the Crunch It Driver can be deinstalled.
The 'Crunch It MJPG CoDEC Driver' can be found in the group 'Video
Compression Codes'. By double-clicking this driver or by selecting this
driver and pressing the button 'Properties' you get to the 'Crunch It MJPG
CoDEC Driver [MJPG] Properties' dialog. By selecting the button 'Remove'
the Crunch It Driver can be deinstalled.
Settings to optimise hard disk access for the recording of video sequences:
By pressing the button 'File System' on page 'Performance' of the 'System'
entry that can be found in the 'Control Panel' you will get to the 'File
System Properties' dialog. On page 'General' you can set 'Hard disk
optimisation' to 'Desktop Computer' or 'Network server'. Selecting 'Network
server' may give better results when playing and capturing video-sequences
as more resources are reserved for I/O operations.
On page 'Trouble shooting' the option 'Disable write-behind caching for all
drives.' should be activated. Depending on you System activating the option
'Disable protected-mode hard disk interrupt handling.' may give some
advantages. You can find out whether it does or not by try and error.
Although Windows 95 has a virtual memory (swap file) handling that has been
improved a lot compared to Windows 3.1x it may be advantageous to specify
own virtual memory settings. The swap file for virtual memory should be
placed on the fastest disk of the system. If this disk is also the disk
you use for sampling video it may be necessary to use an other disk for the
swap file. The minimum size of the swap file should twice the system memory
of your PC and no maximum size should be specified.
By pressing the button 'Virtual Memory' on page 'Performance' of the
'System' entry that can be found in the 'Control Panel' you will get to the
'Virtual Memory' dialog. To specify own settings for 'Minimum' and 'Maximum'
swap file size and define on which 'Hard disk' the swap file should be
placed enable the 'Let me specify my own virtual memory settings.'
When finished you have to save and confirm all changes by pressing the
'Apply' and 'OK' buttons.
===========================================================================
-170696-TV-