Five Questions about X800 XT All in Wonder

[nobody]

1) I am running a All in Wonder X800 XT with two monitors
LCD Primary = Dell 2407WFP native = 1920 X 1200
CRT Secondary = Mitsubishi 2040u at 1600 X 1200 32 bit color


I want to upgrade to Dell 30 inch LCD = 3007WFP.
CRT Secondary = Mitsubishi 2040u at 1600 X 1200 32 bit color


Will my X800 XT support the 30 inch with the CRT?


2) I know that I can not use my HD output block when using two CRTs as
primary and secondary monitors. According to the ATI instructions, I
can not even plug it in. However, can I use it with a Primary LCD, and
a secondary CRT?


3) Now that AMD has taken over, ....do the latest ATI graphic drivers
still preclude one from using a second PCI video card?


4) I am using a older version of MMC = 9.08 because I do not want to
run TV on Demand. 9.08 version allows me to turn this feature off. Is
the newest version still require the user to run TV on Demand
whenever the TV is loaded?


5) I have always had a very poor picture when using the TV turner.
When viewing or recording from my Digital cable box into the in box
the picture is great. However, the TV turner picture is poor, often
grainy, like it is receiving interference. It is on the same splitter
as my 9600 All in Wonder in another box which works fine. I have
swapped cables with the 9600 and the 9600 works fine so it isn't the
cable connection.


It is bad enough that I don't record anything from the tuner... just
from the in jack using the digital cable box. It has been like this
since I bought it. Any thing I can try to clean up the TV picture?


TIA!

 

[First of One]

1) I am running a All in Wonder X800 XT with two monitors
LCD Primary = Dell 2407WFP native = 1920 X 1200
CRT Secondary = Mitsubishi 2040u at 1600 X 1200 32 bit color
I want to upgrade to Dell 30 inch LCD = 3007WFP.
CRT Secondary = Mitsubishi 2040u at 1600 X 1200 32 bit color
Will my X800 XT support the 30 inch with the CRT?

The X800XT won't be able to drive the 3007WFP at its native resolution of
2560x1600 over either DVI or analog VGA. You need a card with a dual-link
DVI port to drive this display, something in the Radeon X1K range. Of
course, there are no All in Wonder X1K AGP cards...

2) I know that I can not use my HD output block when using two CRTs as
primary and secondary monitors. According to the ATI instructions, I
can not even plug it in. However, can I use it with a Primary LCD, and
a secondary CRT?
Nope.

3) Now that AMD has taken over, ....do the latest ATI graphic drivers
still preclude one from using a second PCI video card?

Using a second PCI video card should have always been possible since the
Win98 days. What PCI card are you trying to run?

4) I am using a older version of MMC = 9.08 because I do not want to
run TV on Demand. 9.08 version allows me to turn this feature off. Is
the newest version still require the user to run TV on Demand
whenever the TV is loaded?

There's an option to turn off TV-on-demand in MMC versions up to 9.13. For
later versions, you will have to change a registry key. Details here:
http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=22252

5) I have always had a very poor picture when using the TV turner.
When viewing or recording from my Digital cable box into the in box
the picture is great. However, the TV turner picture is poor, often
grainy, like it is receiving interference. It is on the same splitter
as my 9600 All in Wonder in another box which works fine. I have
swapped cables with the 9600 and the 9600 works fine so it isn't the
cable connection.

May be a different tuner chip in the X800 that's crappier by design. There
is also a small possibility another component like the PSU or sound card is
causing the interference. Have you tried putting the X800 in the 9600's
system?

 

[Captain Midnight]

4) I am using a older version of MMC = 9.08 because I do not want to
run TV on Demand. 9.08 version allows me to turn this feature off. Is
the newest version still require the user to run TV on Demand
whenever the TV is loaded?


5) I have always had a very poor picture when using the TV turner.
When viewing or recording from my Digital cable box into the in box
the picture is great. However, the TV turner picture is poor, often
grainy, like it is receiving interference. It is on the same splitter
as my 9600 All in Wonder in another box which works fine. I have
swapped cables with the 9600 and the 9600 works fine so it isn't the
cable connection.


It is bad enough that I don't record anything from the tuner... just
from the in jack using the digital cable box. It has been like this
since I bought it. Any thing I can try to clean up the TV picture?


TIA!

4) Yes but can be stopped with registry key change. Its outlined on the ATI
website. Would recommend staying with 9.08 for other reasons though.

5) Try running the cable directly into the 9800 without the splitter at all.
It may not be as sensitive as the 9600. I have 2 AIW, an HDTV Wonder, a
cable box and cable modem on this feed into the house besides another feed
going to several actual TVs. I put an amplifier and 4 port splitter on this
feed with another splitter to the 2 cards in the video computer. All look
good now. Planning to do the same with the other feed. Had to take a
splitter out of it to get the new HDTV get all the unencrypted digital
channels. Their is only so many times the signal can be split and still be
adequate. Especially if a long run is involved.

 

[nobody]

The X800XT won't be able to drive the 3007WFP at its native resolution of
2560x1600 over either DVI or analog VGA. You need a card with a dual-link
DVI port to drive this display,

I was afraid of that. Fortunately I bought a dual DVD-D cable.

course, there are no All in Wonder X1K AGP cards...

That is OK, because I decided some time ago that while I have bought
three AIW in the last five years, I am done with them. I kept buying
them because of Multiview support, which comes in handy for me, but
the headaches aren't worth it anymore. In fact I am probably finished
with ATI

Using a second PCI video card should have always been possible since the
Win98 days. What PCI card are you trying to run?

Actually it was the policy of ATI not to allow you to easily use
another PCI video card. In fact, the drivers, by design would not let
you install another ATI PCI card. I have history with this, and I
asked ATI. There were ways around it but you end up with a problematic
set up that is very difficult to upgrade the video drivers.

My problem, turned out to be that Windows was installing the wrong
driver version form my Matrox G450 PCI... so I have that working now.
And that means I am running off a DVI cable from the ATI with no
second monitor, and I can finally use my HD block to the TV.

There's an option to turn off TV-on-demand in MMC versions up to 9.13. For
later versions, you will have to change a registry key. Details here:
http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=22252

Thank you for this. I like the fact that the new drivers have the
option to select which tuner to record from when using multiview, but
it isn't worth all the problems to do a upgrade now that I have the
PCI card working. Or do you know of a good reason to do a upgrade?

May be a different tuner chip in the X800 that's crappier by design.

that is what I was thinking. I had this problem once with a ATI PCI TV
Wonder card

is also a small possibility another component like the PSU or sound card is
causing the interference. Have you tried putting the X800 in the 9600's
system?

Yeah I did a upgrade from a 9600 and it also had problems so maybe it
is interference. But the only thing plugged into this board is the
All in Wonder, a TV Wonder and a Adaptec USB2 card. Everything else is
onboard. And it is a very high end ASUS dual processor Xeon board with
a top of the line PC Power and Cooling power supply.

I do know it is not the splitters, or cable because I have switched
them all out..... and I diital cable booster. I have also tested it
directly off the drop line with nothing else hooked up to the COAX. It
is not the source, the cable, or the splitter.

However, once I started recording TV from COX digital cable box
through the IN jacks I never wanted to record anything from the tuner
again because, even under the best reception, there is such a noticble
difference in picture quality. Recording from the Digital cable box is
excellent.

And the PCI TV Wonder works much better with TV channels, except on a
few channels. Looks like it is something I am going to have to live
with until I try another tuner card from another manufacturer. I just
think ATI has crappy tuner cards.

ATI would be a lot better off if they spent less time on features
nobody wants or uses, and more time on driver reliability, and ease of
driver upgrade.

Thanks for your help, it has been very useful!

 

[First of One]

Actually it was the policy of ATI not to allow you to easily use
another PCI video card. In fact, the drivers, by design would not let
you install another ATI PCI card. I have history with this, and I
asked ATI. There were ways around it but you end up with a problematic
set up that is very difficult to upgrade the video drivers.

Hmm, this shouldn't be. I have two X1900XTs in my system. The drivers on
installation will install once for each card. I see space for four monitors
in Display Properties and Catalyst Control Center. Granted these are PCIe
cards, but I don't see why PCI cards would be treated differently.

My problem, turned out to be that Windows was installing the wrong
driver version form my Matrox G450 PCI... so I have that working now.
And that means I am running off a DVI cable from the ATI with no
second monitor, and I can finally use my HD block to the TV.

Why are you letting Windows install its own drivers for your card anyway?
Doesn't Matrox have proper drivers available on its web site?

Thank you for this. I like the fact that the new drivers have the
option to select which tuner to record from when using multiview, but
it isn't worth all the problems to do a upgrade now that I have the
PCI card working. Or do you know of a good reason to do a upgrade?

I don't use AIW so I can't tell you. Hell, I even disabled the VIVO chips on
both cards in Device Manager so I don't have to install WDM drivers for
them.

Yeah I did a upgrade from a 9600 and it also had problems so maybe it
is interference. But the only thing plugged into this board is the
All in Wonder, a TV Wonder and a Adaptec USB2 card. Everything else is
onboard. And it is a very high end ASUS dual processor Xeon board with
a top of the line PC Power and Cooling power supply.

The TV Wonder may be causing interference with the All in Wonder. It could
be the power supply, too. PP&C are extremely robust, but they are not
necessarily well-shielded.

ATI would be a lot better off if they spent less time on features
nobody wants or uses, and more time on driver reliability, and ease of
driver upgrade.

Be careful what you wish for. MMC 9.16 will be the last version available;
development of the software has ceased. In fact, there are conflicting
reports that the entire AIW line is dead, with AIW X1900 being the last
product to bear the AIW name. Who knows? Maybe ATi finally realized what
nVidia had known for a long time, that tuner drivers are too troublesome to
spend resources on... Incidentally the core ATi display and 3D drivers are
done very well.