Video Capture Settings (G200)

[Sportive]

Another query!...directed to Matrox support initially but no reply received. :-(

This is again another problem that seems to have appeared as a new one.

I am using G200 5.41 display drivers and 1.52 video tools which I am SURE I was using before. (They are on a special drivers CD that I made).

I can only capture at 704*576 PAL in 25fps if I have the MJPEG compression at the midway point. If I choose a lower compression level, the fps go down to 12. Basically I cannot have full frame 25fps at top quality. As I have plenty of HD space this is what I want and I know 100% that I always used to use either the lowest or nearest lowest compression level.

Why won't the video tools allow me to do this? Is there a hack to get round this?

Many thanks (yet again)

Andrew

[This_Idiot]

Did you run the HD Test again after reintalling your drivers ? A standard driver install will re-initialise your registry entries for the card. You need to rerun the HDTest after ANY reinstallation in order to write the speed values of your HD subsystem to the registry.

Only when the drivers are forced to believe that your HD's can cope with the speed will they allow you to capture in the higher throughput categories. Failing a valid HDtest, the values can be directly written to the registry, but I don't have the details to hand immediately.

[Sportive]

Hi,

I have re-run the HD test and checked everything. I wondered whether it was something built into the video tools to "help" prevent people trying to capture at higher rates, having problems and then bothering tech support!!! I had exactly the same problem with the G400 drivers too.

I used to be able to capture at 704*576 @ 25fps with my original RRS and much slower HD's over 3 years ago!

If anyone knows how to fiddle with the registry I would be very happy!

Thanks very much

Andrew
(Almost 100% happy!)

[This_Idiot]

Andrew,

Something screwy is going on here. The RR-G is no harder on disk space than RR-S for a given compression ratio.

Can you give us a run-down of your hardware (mobo/chip, RAN, HD system, other cards and their IRQs), O/S and anything else you think may be appropriate

[Sportive]

I am most grateful that you are willing to try and help me...

Ok, my newly built (second hand!) system is as follows:

Chaintech 6LTB Motherboard
PIII 500 100mhz Slot 1 CPU
256MB PC-1333 RAM
G200 Marvel TV 5.41 display & 1.52 Vid Tools
SB Live! (Value) Live Ware 3.0
Maxtor ATA100 20GB primary drive
4 video drives in swapable drive bays. All are Maxtor ATA66, 17.2GB, 10.2GB, 8.4GB
HP 8210 CD-Writer
O/S is Win98 SE

The G200 is on IRQ 11 and the SB Live on IRQ 10. Assign IRQ to VGA is also set in the BIOS.

This is basically a set up I was using a year ago (but doubling up as my main PC) and it worked fine. I have basically reconstructed it to use soley for video after non stop problems with my G400.

Thanks very much

Andrew

[This_Idiot]

Well I can't immediately see anything contentious there unless the number of HDs you are using is interfering somehow.

What readings are you getting from Matrox' HDTest ? I'm currently running a G200Marv in my "testbed" machine (until tomorrow anyway) and have been playing with some tests on it today. I'm using Powerdesk 5.52.015 and VideoTools 1.52. The difference in PD versions shouldn't make any difference at all. You should be pulling at least 4 Mb/s on the matrox test to give minimum compression. On the testbed machine I have an 8Gb Fujitsu ATA66 bootdrive, and a Promise FT100 with a pair of IBM GX75 30Gbs. This setup gives me 7Mb/s on the boot, and 28Mb/s on the raid.

Don't get hung up on those readings, the machine that I'm typing this up on has a G400Marvel, a 4Gb Fujitsu ATA66 boot drive and a 20Gb IBM ATA100 for everything else. I've tried enabling/disabling DMA, whatever. I can't get the datarate up above 4,5Mb/s, It still lets me capture at 6.6:1 full-frame (704*576).

Doc, can you remember the whereabouts of the HDTest settings in the registry ? I've had a brief look through, but can't spot it (and of course the old site isn't up for me to refer to)

[The Scientist]

The HDTest registry settings are in this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Matrox\Vidpres\HDBench Results

- Simon

[Sportive]

I get different results every time I run it but I suppose it averages out at about 4.5mb/sec.

I don't think these are accurate because on the same setup before Norton Utilities registered 7.5mb/sec for the same drive. NU was installed as it was doubling up as my main PC but there is no unecessary software installed this time!

I'll try fiddling with the registry....

Andrew