Matrox VideoTools for Windows 2K/XP

[Adis]

Win2K/XP Matrox VideoTools v3.03 for Marvel G400-TV is available...
Some Marvel G200-TV and RRG users have it working under Win2K/XP...

If You want to try it it's downloadable @ http://adis.szm.com

[tabdelgawad]

Great work as usual. Thanks!

I'd posted in the VT3.02 thread that I'd write back with my experiences, so here's a rundown. I hope others find this info useful in making decisions and that you'd find it useful for debugging and further improvements.

Millenium G200 + RRG (AGP 2x)
K6-2 550 (FIC PA2013)
384 MB RAM (PC100)
20 Gig Maxtor 7200 RPM UDMA 66 with 15 gig partition for capture. Controller is only UDMA 33
Win2k SP4
VIA 4in1 4.49 (latest)
Matrox 5.88.061 Drivers (latest)
VT3.02 then VT3.03
VirtualDubMod 1.5.4.1 (Capture mode)

TV tuner and recording with matrox vcr work fine. Mostly, I've done capture from VHS using VirtualDubMod (basically with default settings). My system can handle hardware MJPEG capture at full-size and best quality (about 3 Megs/second) with minimal dropped frames (10 or so for 30 minutes of capture) and relatively low CPU utilization (30-40%). I briefly experimented with HuffyUV but either my hard drive or my CPU can't handle it.

I had two problems. First, glitches in the VHS source will cause video capture to stop. This also happened with Matrox's original tools and I wrote it off as a MacroVision false positive. MacroVision protection is supposed to be disabled in VT3.02/3, so I don't know if that can still be the cause of this problem.

The second problem is that there are artifacts (green/pink) in the top pixels of the capture frame (top 2 pixels for 1/2 size, and top 10 or so for full size MJPEG capture). I know this is specific to hardware MJPEG because there were no artifacts when I captured to HuffyUV. It's not much of a problem; the top lines can be cropped/masked easily in TMPEnc.

One improvement I noted in moving from VT3.02 to VT3.03 is that there were additional artifacts/noise near the top of the frame with best/full size MJPEG, but these were gone in VT3.03.

One final note. For capture with software compression, I cannot set the RRG to YUY2. Only the RGB buttons are available. I know there is a hack for making the 'hidden' YUY2 capability available (by Flying Dutchman. I can provide a link if necessary) but I don't want to mess things up by testing it with VT3.03. Perhaps the hack can be incorporated directly into VT3.04

Thanks again for the awesome work. You put Matrox support to shame

[cxx]

tabdelgawad,

Try AVI_IO - it has an option to resume(reset driver) capture if the number of sequential frames dropped exceeds some threshold (I usually put 10).

[virgildlv]

I uninstalled VT 2.10a and installed VT 3.03 over WinXP w/ driver 5.82 - and when I start PC-VCR or my DVD player, the video does NOT pop out on my TV.

I am using a G450eTV. I realize the target for this product is the G400 series. Is there a workaround on this or should I try uninstalling and reinstalling VT and drivers?

[tabdelgawad]

Originally posted by cxx

Try AVI_IO - it has an option to resume(reset driver) capture if the number of sequential frames dropped exceeds some threshold (I usually put 10).

Thanks for the suggestion cxx. I'll give it a shot, but I'm not sure if it'll work. VirtualDub has a counter for dropped frames, but that counter doesn't increase when capture stops in the case I described (it just freezes). So it's not clear if the reset will be triggered in AVI_IO.

When I have some time in the next week, I'll try it and post back with results.

[Adis]

More experiences...

What's bad, what's good ??

[cxx]

Adis,

if you could fix the video overlay issue, it'd be more than perfect!!!



thanks, cxx

[THE-FLAME]

xp drivers by adis.

Hi. I installed the new drivers but seem to be having the same problems as tabdelgawad.

maybe its a hardware clash or something.eg sound blaster card.
I dont know but whan I'm capturing from VHS the frame count continues up but when you play it back. after say 20 seconds the
picture will stop and the sound carry on.

when recording from tv the capture is fine apart from it records the lines of niose at the top of the screen. they seem like the lines that teletext use or somthing.

when I play back a file I just captured the picture is offset to the screen. you only see a quarter of the picture.but if you full screen it then back to normal size it centers its self.

thumbs up to all the hard work adis,

Thanks...Jim.

[DarrenD]

Adis

Am I doing something wrong or is my MOBO not compatible?

Every time I install your VT software when I reboot I get a BSOD with the following message

=================
STOP 0x00000050 (0x818BFB10, 0x00000000, 0x8049A7E2, 0x00000002) PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

Address 8049A7E2 base at 80400000 datestamp 3D366B8B - ntoskrnl.exe
=================

After this pressing F8 and attemtping Safe mode gives the same error. I then have to reinstall Windows 2000 from scratch.

With your VT 3.03 I thought I might try again so I did:

Clean install of Win2K to a clean FAT32 partition
Installed Asus patches - USB Filter driver
Installed Asus patches - AMD large AGP page patch
Installed Via 4-in-1 driver 4.48
Rebooted
Installed Matrox drivers 5.82
Rebooted
Installed Adis VT 3.03 (making the required registry patch first)
Rebooted
BSOD

My spec is:

Asus K7-V rev 1.01 BIOS 1008-001-C
-- Via KX133
-- 686A southbridge
Athlon slot A classic 700 - overclocked to 900
-- rock solid for over 2 years at this speed
256Mb PC133 (clocked at PC100
-- some guy said CAS2@100 was better than CAS3@133
Matrox Marvel G400-TV
SBLive 1024 OEM
D-Link DFE-538TX network card
Windows 2000 SP3 + all other security patches
-- my normal system

Now I know about Via chipset PCI bandwidth etc. but using PD 5.82 and VT 2.04.015 works. Have you come across this problem before? Can you give me any clues? I might strip the PC down one day and just start with G400-TV and on-board audio and reinstall again but I don't really want to if I can help it.

Any insights would be appreciated

[DarrenD]

Oops, forgot to mention

My normal system runs fine, it is only when I install VT 3.03 (or previous ones). I would like to use your VT as I would like to move to WinXP one day on this machine and I want to get to the bottom of this problem.

Looking on google lots of people get this type of error after installing new RAM but I only have one stick that has worked for 3 years. One interesting page took me to Q329772 "Stop Error Occurs When You Start the Computer for the First Time" which talks of software reading uninitialised strings in the registry. This might be a clue.

Thanks

[tabdelgawad]

Originally posted by DarrenD

Every time I install your VT software when I reboot I get a BSOD with the following message

=================
STOP 0x00000050 (0x818BFB10, 0x00000000, 0x8049A7E2, 0x00000002) PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

Address 8049A7E2 base at 80400000 datestamp 3D366B8B - ntoskrnl.exe
=================

I had a similar problem. What triggered this error for me was using VNC to access the PC with matrox hardware from another PC on my LAN (after installing VT. I had no problems before). I no longer get the error after disabling the VNC service.

I would try a different version of the Matrox drivers. Also try disabling PowerDesk or messing around with 'reserve IRQ for video' setting in your BIOS. You could also try taking out your network card temporarily to minimize IRQ conflicts.

I'm pretty sure this is a VT problem, but it might be hard to track down given the different circumstances under which it happens. FWIW, I also have a VIA chipset (that seems to be the only thing in common with your system config).

[DarrenD]

Tamer

Thanks for your input. However, because I installed Win2K clean, patches, PD 5.82, then VT 3.03 and only then did it BSOD, I don't think other software is to blame.

Of course it may be an IRQ conflict. I guess if I pull all un-needed cards out that might eliminate that possibility.

[Adis]

tabdelgawad and DarrenD

Try to install Win2K ServicePack4 after VT installation.
I think I know what's the problem with Win2K machines....

[DarrenD]

I guess you mean after VT install but before the reboot

[Adis]

Originally posted by DarrenD
I guess you mean after VT install but before the reboot

Yes !

Install VT, cancel restart here.
Install SP and reboot...