Stupid question: ATI Radeon 9600 S-Video out

  • Thread starter Thread starter slv_dante
  • Start date Start date
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slv_dante

I should know this, but I'm thoroughly confused my conflicting
explainations. I have a Sapphire ATI Radeon 9600 video card that came
with no dongle. The s-video out seems to have slots for seven pins. I
thought s-video cables had five. What's the deal with the extra pins?

I have no s-video connection on my TV, so I just want to be sure I
don't need a dongle before I buy an s-video to composite adapter. And
if I do need an s-video adapter, does it matter where I get it?

I see cheep adapters on ebay for nothing more than the cost of
shipping. My only alternative seems to be the $20 adapter at Radio
Shack. Is this a 2000% mark-up?

I never noticed any difference between composite and s-video, anyway,
nor have I noticed any difference between cheep and expensive cables.
Would this suggest that I should go with a cheep s-video converter?

Thanks,
Sil
 
I'm not sure if it's temporary, but the link isn't working for me. I
don't think I have the all-in-wonder either. Just a plain old 9600
radeon card with two jacks, one for the display and one for s-video (I
think).
 
I see... Thanks! So if only one of the pins is used for a composite
connection, is there a special connector sold for ATI cards that I
should look for? It seems to me, I don't need an s-video to composite
converter, but rather a connector that only uses that one pin. Right?

Thanks again,
Sil
 
DrShell said:
I’ve been investigating this issue myself. I have a Radeon X800 XL and
have been trying to figure out how to send video from my VCR to the
card for capturing stills and clips. (Which the software claims to do.
. .) I finally found the adapter that allows me to connect composite
to the many-pinned card connection, but it seems that only sends video
OUT. Is there no video IN function??
Click to expand...

No, there is no video-in on any ATI boards but the TV boards and the
All-In-Wonders.
 
No, there is no video-in on any ATI boards but the TV boards and the
All-In-Wonders.
Click to expand...

And VIVO cards. But, yes, standard cards have no video in capability.

According to ATI's site, the X800 XL AGP has video in; the X800 XL
PCIe doesn't.

Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...
 
DrShell said:
I’ve been investigating this issue myself. I have a Radeon X800 XL and
have been trying to figure out how to send video from my VCR to the
card for capturing stills and clips. (Which the software claims to do.
.) I finally found the adapter that allows me to connect composite
to the many-pinned card connection, but it seems that only sends video
OUT. Is there no video IN function??

I’m getting really frustrated! What I want to do seems like it should
be so simple!

:?
Click to expand...

It is simple if you have an AIW or VIVO. AIW's come with a purple breakout
box that has the input connectors. MMC comes with standard cards, even
though the card doesn't have the hardware the capture software needs. IOWs
they send the same disc with both cards.
 
patrickp said:
&nbsp;>> "slv_dante" wrote:
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > I see... Thanks! So if only one of the pins
is used for a
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > composite
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > connection, is there a special connector
sold for ATI cards
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > that I
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > should look for? It seems to me, I don't
need an s-video to
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > composite
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > converter, but rather a connector that only
uses that one pin.
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > Right?
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> >
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > Thanks again,
&nbsp;&nbsp;>> > Sil
&nbsp;>>
&nbsp;>> I’ve been investigating this issue myself. I have a
Radeon X800 XL and
&nbsp;>> have been trying to figure out how to send video from
my VCR to the
&nbsp;>> card for capturing stills and clips. (Which the
software claims to do.
&nbsp;>> . .) I finally found the adapter that allows me to
connect composite
&nbsp;>> to the many-pinned card connection, but it seems that
only sends video
&nbsp;>> OUT. Is there no video IN function??
&nbsp;>> I’m getting really frustrated! What I want to do
seems like it should
&nbsp;>> be so simple!
&nbsp;>>
&nbsp;>> :?
&nbsp;>>

And VIVO cards. But, yes, standard cards have no video in
capability.

According to ATI's site, the X800 XL AGP has video in; the
X800 XL
PCIe doesn't.

Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...
Click to expand...

Well, crap.

Thanks for the answers, though!

What confused me, of course, is that the software has a function
labeled "video in" that goes on about capturing images and short
video, etc., which is exactly what I want.

And I do have the AGP--I think I saw the same thing on the ATI
website, listing it as having video-in, and it gave me hope. I sure
can’t get it to work, though. sigh

Thanks again--cheers
 
:


Well, crap.

Thanks for the answers, though!

What confused me, of course, is that the software has a function
labeled "video in" that goes on about capturing images and short
video, etc., which is exactly what I want.

And I do have the AGP--I think I saw the same thing on the ATI
website, listing it as having video-in, and it gave me hope. I sure
can’t get it to work, though. sigh

Thanks again--cheers
Click to expand...


One thing that occurs to me, DrShell - you probably need a _different_
adapter for video in than for video out - if you look at the plugs,
they should have an arrow moulded on indicating which direction they
go.

When you look in Device Manager, do you see ATI WDM Rage Theatre Video
and Specialized MVD WDM VBI Codec listing listed and working under
Sound, video and game controllers? If you do, you have video capture
capability; ie video in. If you have unnamed non-working devices, you
may not have successfuly installed the capture/WDM driver but should
have the capability on succesful driver installation. If nothing to
do with ATI and no unnamed devices are listed, but you have installed
the ATI display driver, your card is _not_ a capture card (ie no video
in/TV capability).

Yes, there is a Video In application included in the MMC software.
It's the equivalent of the TV app for cards (like yours should be,
hopefully) with video in capability but no tuner.

Does it install - or offer to install - Video In when you select the
Custom Install option in the MMC installation? And, if it installs,
does it boot up and run?

Also, is your card a 'Built-by-ATI' or an OEM? Unfortunately, the ATI
TV/Video In applications will often not install or run for OEM cards.
In that case, it is possible to edit your BIOS so your card identifies
itself as a 'Built-by-ATI' one, but this is not always successful.

If you have an OEM card, the best route is probably to investigate
alternative software providers, such as WinDVR or PowerVCR. If you're
in North America, you're comparatively well-off for this as you will
receive NTSC broadcasts. Elsewhere, you'll usually be receiving PAL
or SECAM broadcasts, and most video/tv software makers don't seem to
have taken too much trouble optimising their products for non-NTSC
signals.

One exception is WinDVD, which I found to be superb for PAL/SECAM,
although it's probably the most expensive of these apps. An excellent
product, though. The other is Showshifter, which I believe is
distributed from the UK, which explains its compatibility with
PAL/SECAM broadcasts. The picture quality _is_ good; however, I found
it to have an abysmal, clunky interface, and also to be difficult, if
not impossible, to set up for video only cards (ie no tuner). Fairly
recently, someone posted here saying they had solved the setup
problem, but, having gone back to all 'Built-by-ATI' cards and MMC,
I've never confirmed this.

HTH Patrick

<[email protected]> - take five to email me...
 
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