Re: [AG-TECH] Video Capture Card Misery

[Proshanta Saha <proshanta@gmail.com>]

Hi Zsolt,

About 4 months ago I was going through the same problem. I had
purchased 4 WinTV PVR 150s thinking that it would be a very good
solution for the AG cosidering its hardware MPEG2 and less load on the
CPU and all. The problem however is however that with hardware mpeg
capture cards there is no readily available solution to decode on the
fly. Even if you do find any you'll be faced with a significant lag
since a software will first have to buffer the video then transmit that
video. If you do find a solution please to this do let me know, I would
love to use PVRs.

What I did instead was hunt for WinTV 401 model with the BT878 chipset,
unforunately those are out of production, and you'll find only WinTV
401 models with the cx8800 chipset. Since I don't quite enjoy selecting
video sources each time I enter a different AG room, I prefer linux.
The cx8800 is supported under linux using Video For Linux 2(V4L2),
which AG does not ship native tools for, most likely because older
video cards and webcams that use V4L may break. However it does work, a
little quirky, loosing video sometimes, but it does work. 

Now, in order for you to find a capture card with the BT878 chipset, is
quite a challengin game. Since the demand is still there for the BT878
chipset, the Osprey and Winnov Cards still make manufacture a few of
their lines with it, but make sure you use the correct drivers usually
the much older drivers.  If you are in my situation, you're most
likely gonna have a tough time getting an authorized vendor to sell
those antique cards. But if you are willing to pay out of your own
pocket, you can get cheap BT878 cards for about $10 from places such as
newegg.com or ebay. I do not endorse these vendors, but after an
exhaustive search it seems to be some of the few places still selling
such antique cards at a reason able price. A few of my university
approved authorized vendors still sell the older cards but at MSRP
prices from 1996(~$150-$200)!

Good Luck,
Proshanta

On 11/3/05, Nagykaldi, Zsolt F. (HSC) <Zsolt-Nagykaldi@ouhsc.edu> wrote:

 

Anybody, ever installed a Hauppauge WinTV video capture card on a WinXP Pro SP2  that actually WORKED with the AG Venue client??? I have spent days with this thing and I am desperate here. What other cards do you have for this particular setup that works for you?

 

THANKS.

 

 

_ _ _

 

Zsolt Nagykaldi, PhD

Research Associate, Clinical IT Specialist

University Of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Department Of Family And Preventive Medicine

Oklahoma Center For Family Medicine Research

 

900 NE 10th Street

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Phone: (405) 271-8000 Ext.:1-32212

Fax:     (405) 271-1682