TV Problem

[Jim T.]

I sent a similar message a while ago, but I got a sorta snarky and
unhelpful response. Trying again:
System is a Dell Desktop 8350: XP Home up to date; FireFox;
Thunderbird; Misc other stuff
ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro with TV Tuner
Soundblaster audio
Catalyst 9.1
The system has seemed slow, but generally Ok except that the TV video
and sound intermittentsly stop and stutter. I've tried to update the
software and reinserted all the cards on the MB. TV Coax is OK.
When watching using TaskInfo I see that the ATI app uses around 15%
CPU, and it looks like the stutter is when its CPU usage drops. I have
turned off almost all apps looking for interference. No change.
The display looks OK, mouse response is often slow, etc.
I'm considering replacing the card, but don't want to spend more than
a new PC would cost! Would a TV tuner card help - I miss watchin CNBC
during the day? Combo cards seem expensive.
Suggestions or solutions welcomed.

 

[James Turner]

I sent a similar message a while ago, but I got a sorta snarky and
unhelpful response. Trying again:
System is a Dell Desktop 8350: XP Home up to date; FireFox;
Thunderbird; Misc other stuff
ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 Pro with TV Tuner
Soundblaster audio
Catalyst 9.1
The system has seemed slow, but generally Ok except that the TV video
and sound intermittentsly stop and stutter. I've tried to update the
software and reinserted all the cards on the MB. TV Coax is OK.
When watching using TaskInfo I see that the ATI app uses around 15%
CPU, and it looks like the stutter is when its CPU usage drops. I have
turned off almost all apps looking for interference. No change.
The display looks OK, mouse response is often slow, etc.
I'm considering replacing the card, but don't want to spend more than
a new PC would cost! Would a TV tuner card help - I miss watchin CNBC
during the day? Combo cards seem expensive.
Suggestions or solutions welcomed.

Adding --- it's connected to a Comcast digital/analog converter.
There's a diamond all-in-wonder premium that has an hd tuner. What
about that?

 

[James Turner]

Have you emptied your C- Windows- Temp folder and run a defrag and system
diskcheck recently? It just might be clutter on your machine gathering up
over time? Just a guess, and those are easy to do anyway, you never know.

Thanks,
Ran the Advance System Care (free version). It ran chkdsk and I did
the defrag. Not much different.

 

[Fishface]

I sent a similar message a while ago, but I got a sorta snarky
and unhelpful response.

'Had to look that up.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snarky
Prob'ly one of those. But really, that's the best I could do with
the information provided.

Trying again:

System is a Dell Desktop 8350:

What is that, exactly? AGP system? Should I really have to
Google for it? That wasn't much help either. Help us help you.

If it ran ok and is now slow, I suggest first running
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products.php

 

[James Turner]

'Had to look that up.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snarky
Prob'ly one of those.  But really, that's the best I could do with
the information provided.

 Trying again:


What is that, exactly?  AGP system?  Should I really have to
Google for it?  That wasn't much help either.  Help us help you.

If it ran ok and is now slow, I suggest first running
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products.php

Did that. It found stuff, but really just ad tracers. Removed all, no
change.
Further work, I find that it has something to do with sound, I have a
SBLive (Dell model). When I start the TV it sets it to play thru the
Wave/MP3 connection, mutes the Line-In. If I mute the Wave and open
the Line In it does not break up, but the sound and video are not in
sync. I control this with the Creative Playback Control.
All this is new!

 

[Fishface]

Further work, I find that it has something to do with sound, I have a
SBLive (Dell model). When I start the TV it sets it to play thru the
Wave/MP3 connection, mutes the Line-In. If I mute the Wave and open
the Line In it does not break up, but the sound and video are not in
sync. I control this with the Creative Playback Control.
All this is new!

How much RAM is installed?
http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Dimension 8300 Series&pl=Dell&cat=RAM

If this is your computer, it says they came with 128MB, 256MB, or
512MB. I consider any of those to be inadequate, but especially less
than 512MB. If you are running out of RAM and Windows is using
virtual memory, that could be the problem.

 

[James Turner]

How much RAM is installed?http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Dimension 8300 ...

If this is your computer, it says they came with 128MB, 256MB, or
512MB.  I consider any of those to be inadequate, but especially less
than 512MB.  If you are running out of RAM and Windows is using
virtual memory, that could be the problem.

1 Gig

 

[Fishface]

1 Gig

Any chance you have a big hosts file and didn't turn off the
DNS Client service?
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Hard thing to track down with almost no information...

Checked the Event Viewer for clues?

 

[James Turner]

Any chance you have a big hosts file and didn't turn off the
DNS Client service?http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Hard thing to track down with almost no information...

Checked the Event Viewer for clues?

I'm dropping this discussion. Not sure that I can ever give enough
info, but thanks for trying.
Closing out with this: The breakups occur when CPU usage for that
thread drops. Cannot see what interferes. For unknown reasons the
logical connection to the Creative Mixer has changed! Can't find out
how to fix it except manually every time I turn on the TV. Searched
Creative and ATI and googled a lot! Many people want you to buy their
fixitup programs.
Not related, I've just gone thru a series of crashes that seem to have
ceased after I did a lot of cleaning up.
Goodbye and Good luck.

 

[Fishface]

I'm dropping this discussion. Not sure that I can ever give enough
info, but thanks for trying.
Closing out with this: The breakups occur when CPU usage for that
thread drops. Cannot see what interferes. For unknown reasons the
logical connection to the Creative Mixer has changed! Can't find out
how to fix it except manually every time I turn on the TV. Searched
Creative and ATI and googled a lot! Many people want you to buy their
fixitup programs.
Not related, I've just gone thru a series of crashes that seem to have
ceased after I did a lot of cleaning up.
Goodbye and Good luck.

I would try running this in the background:

www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/ProcessExplorer.mspx

....and look for clues when it happens.