PVR-250/Xcard config problem?

[AirJunky]

I'm having a little trouble getting my new PVR machine to work with everything. After studying the discussion forums & various hardware schemes possible, I picked up a PVR-250 package deal from Sage & a Sigma Designs XCard. I've installed everything & Sage works great on the computer monitor itself. I'm having trouble getting the video to display on the TV though. The Xcard is setup with a passthru cable from the internal video card, then SVGA out to a 15" CRT. The TV is connected via S-video from the Xcard to a Sony 32" Trinitron. I put the TV display to the S-video input & all I get is a black screen. There is something I was able to push in Sage (I can't recall what now), that would display a red circle in the top right of the screen, but still no video (so I think I have the right input).
I've attempted to use the Haupaugge software too, but it's not displaying on the TV thru the Xcard either (but I don't really expect it to since it's not a bundled package). I think the Xcard software pretty much only plays a DVD & I haven't setup a drive in this machine yet.
Any ideas what I'm missing here?
Thanks

[SHS]

Did you setup Decoder?.

[mediahome]

If you are looking for S-Video passthrough through the Xcard I don't think that the Xcard supports that. You can connect the passthrough cable from your VGA out to the Xcard and then the Xcard VGA out will display DVD image when XMP is running and your PC display when XMP is not running. However, this VGA video is not "bridged" to the S-Video out. The Xcard S-Video out will only display DVD image out.

Matt

[AirJunky]

I want the video to show on the TV. What I don't want is to have Windows on the TV in a sort of multi-monitor arrangement.

I checked the settings in the Detailed Setup window as shown above & it's setup exactly this way.

I had an nVidia card with S-Video out in this PC prior to getting the Sage & PVR-250, but I was less than impressed on it's video quality. The result was a multimonitor setup with Windows displaying on both the CRT & the TV. I'd rather have Windows on the CRT & video on the TV. Is this possible?

And is it possible with the XCard? Those of you using the XCard, what kind of results are you seeing?

[Opus4]

Originally posted by AirJunky
I'd rather have Windows on the CRT & video on the TV. Is this possible?

And is it possible with the XCard? Those of you using the XCard, what kind of results are you seeing?

I have an Xcard... My video card output goes only to the monitor. The Xcard output goes only to my TV via svideo. I see Windows only on the monitor. The Sage window shows all the user interface elements only on the monitor, all video goes only to the TV. The OSD ("On Screen Display", seen on top of the video that is currently playing) is only on the monitor, so the TV and monitor both have to be on while watching shows. (Maybe the Sage interface will get output through the Xcard some day, but it hasn't been promised yet.)

I play DVDs via the software that came with the Xcard, whatever that program is called.

Does that answer any of your questions?

- Andy

[AirJunky]

Sounds like what I want, Andy. So are you still using the crossover cable (from video card to Xcard) & have the TV plugged into the Xcard & monitor plugged into the video card? I have the crossover in place now & run both the monitor & TV off it. Guess thats my next step, huh....
Thx

[Opus4]

Originally posted by AirJunky
So are you still using the crossover cable (from video card to Xcard) & have the TV plugged into the Xcard & monitor plugged into the video card? I have the crossover in place now & run both the monitor & TV off it.

Am I still using the crossover cable? Um... you mean did I ever install the crossover cable? Nope.

As I said: my video card only goes to the monitor; my Xcard only to the TV. I guess I never saw the use of sending the Xcard output back to the monitor, so I don't know how doing that would affect things.

The Xcard output I'm getting is excellent -- I can't tell the difference between it and 'regular' TV. (Oh wait... I usually watched via 2 VCRs previous to Sage & the Xcard is much better than that.) I also never had to bother with all this overscan stuff to get the video sized correctly to the screen... it simply worked when I plugged it in.

If you are still having problems getting the Xcard video to display on your TV, try removing the video<->xcard connection.

- Andy

[SHS]

AirJunky did you change any option the in Xmedia Player under the Configuration under tab Video Setup.
It should be
Outup = "Composties/S-Video" shoud be check
TV Standard = "Auto" shoud be check
By the way that not called a Crossover Cable that called Passthough Cable

[AirJunky]

So I've removed the passthrough cable & checked the settings that SHS has suggested. The Video Decoder settings & XMP are setup as suggested.
I started Sage.... still nada. Started XMP while Sage was still running & was able to click on the folder & open an .mpg file. Displays perfectly, no Windows frame & excellent quality. But I still can't view Live TV thru Sage. Before I removed the passthrough cable, Sage would display on the monitor, which is what I don't want. Now the Sage menus appear on the monitor but no video on either the TV or monitor.
So I'm wondering if I need to start XMP & open the file that Sage is writing to in order to make this work. Or is Sage the only application needed to view/record Live TV? I tried to open the recorded file where it's setup in Sage at C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\SageTV\Video but theres nothing there.
--
Bill - bill@airjunky.com

[SHS]

You rigth AirJunky you can't view Live TV thru Sage on the PC monitor with the Xcard unless you hook up the VIP that if have the rigth viideo card and need that 26pin cable but it should sent the signel out the Composties/S-Video out so you card see on the reg TV set.
I have you have the rigth older Video card that has VIP you can get Windows mode I take that what you after, but it only work on few video.card
I test this below
ATI 3D Rage Pro PCI/AGP and be some other ATI but I don't have any VIP on them.
nVidia RIVA, TNT2, M64, GeForce2 and maybe GeForce3 a few did come with VIP very hard to find.

Forget ANY S3 card
What also may work is 3dfx and i740 or i752 card sorry I don't have any of thoses for test.

And you need this dll
ftp://ftp.sigmadesigns.com/Xcard/Rmvpe32.dll
copy it to windows\system or winnt\system32 or windows\system32 folder and reboot.

You maybe able to get cable rigth here
http://www.pmsvideo.com/

That why I and other Xcard user would like see jeff do the Xcard OSD.

[AirJunky]

I'm not sure I followed that one, SHS. As I said earlier in this thread, I want to show Windows on the monitor & video only on the TV. I tried downloading the .dll file you suggested but still have no video on the TV. Not sure why I need the additional hardware though.

So what is the file that Sage creates as it's recording? Shouldn't I be able to open that file with XMP? Seems a bit over the top but as it's working now, it might lead to something.
-Bill - bill@airjunky.com

[SHS]

check your email Bill

[Opus4]

Bill -- Not sure if what SHS emailed to you has helped or not, but like he said earliier -- did you change anything in the Xcard's XMP setup?

I don't recall having to make any such changes -- the only thing I had to do was to set the Video Decoder on the first screen shot that was posted above. Windows Media Player even automatically used the Xcard as its vieo output w/o any changes. Oh wait: I might have installed the Xcard's latest drivers from the Sigma site. (It has been a while sine I installed the card.)

Also -- be sure to run only one application at a time that is trying to access the Xcard: when using XMP, be sure Sage is sleeping or closed; when using Sage, be sure XMP is not running. Live TV, recorded TV playback, etc., should be visible through Sage; you should not have to run XMP to view the Sage recordings.

- Andy

[SHS]

It turn out that Bill Xcard driver was to old which was most lkely he had 1.1 install so we remove and install to 2.0B and it working now.

[AirJunky]

Yep, got it goin! Thanks SHS. We had to upgrade the Xcard drivers & deleted 4 Sage config files for it to all come together. The quality on the TV is just as good as if it were hooked up to cable directly. Freeze frames as good as any DVD, skips right thru the commercials. Even taught the wife how to record her weekly shows - Monster Garage & American Chopper....
I still am getting an error when I go to Live TV. I think it's an Xcard error. Says "Your display device (or driver) does not support a video port. A video port is required for this application to run". Weird thing is you click OK & it works great. I'll pursue it on the Sigma Designs site.
Thanks SHS!
-Bill

[Maladin]

I'm having the same problem Bill reported, and I updated my XCard driver but it didn't help. Any ideas?

[AirJunky]

Hey SHS,
What were the 4 Sage files we deleted & got reinstalled?

[SHS]

Del in the SageTV Folder
Sage.properties
Sage.properties.autobackup
Wiz.bak
Wiz.bin

By the way there is new set of REALmagic XCard 2.1 drivers out now.
Before you do any uninstall of Xcard drv and apps go to
C:\WINNT\inf\ or C:\WINDOWS\inf\ folder
Make a Copy of oem(??).inf and oem(??).PNF how ever min you have then del them all oem(??).inf and oem(??).PNF in the INF folder.
Uninstall the Xcard from the Deivice Manger first.
Uninstall the rest fro Add/Remove Programs AND SAY YES.
Ok now thoses Copy of oem(??).inf and oem(??).PNF you back up of open each one find the one that for the Xcard and del that INF and matching PNF file.
Move back in to INF folder and Reoot.
Now ready to install new Drivers and Apps have fun.