same problem here - I am so frustrated I have a Vaio MCE VGC RB38C with an
ATI x300 media card. My question is this - is irt really the ati card that
controls the tv tuner or is there anbother tuner card....SONY support doesnt
really give the hardware specs.


Thanks




"none" wrote:

>
> "Warpx9" <Warpx9@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:883DA655-038E-499A-9878-78F635451374@microsoft.com...
> >I was able to install and run my ATI TV Tuner, even though MCE and VISTA do
> > not recognize it.
> >
> > -Just need to download all the files necessary from ATI.com to desktop for
> > your tuner. I just used the DAO, Tuner Driver, and ATI MMC.
> > -Then right click on one file and select Properties and then Compatibility
> > - In Compatibility mode check off the Run this program in compatibility
> > mode
> > for: and use Windows XP (Service Pack 2).
> > - Do this for each installation file and then install each file.
> > - ATI Multimedia Center runs fine (except for the little message that says
> > VISTA will be changing the desktop theme because of the current program,
> > and
> > that MCE still does not recognize it.
> >
> > But at least it works.
>
>
> Could I ask if you might have an idea of why this has happened as Vista has
> progressed:
>
> I have a "lowly" PCIe x300 Radeon that came "canned" with my Sony
> VGC-RA-820G computer - with a MPEG encoder/decoder card (says it's a Sony)
>
> In beta 2, I was able to watch live TV without a problem, I didn't delve
> into recording as I was most concerned with live TV on this PC.
>
> In the RC-1 release, the TV still worked, kinda/sorta, with "glitched" video
> (interruption about every 5-10 seconds with some MPEG artifacts thrown all
> over and a picture quality that seemed degraded). I should point out that I
> tried the drivers provided on the RC-1 disc, then tried ATi's beta drivers;
> not any significant change, but the tuner was still there.
>
> In RC-1 build 5728 there were no more, er, tuner performance issues - Vista
> flat out tells me it can't find a tuner. (For background purposes this PC
> was one of those "preloaded" with Media Center 2005 but I tired quickly of
> having no backup disc and Sony's attitude of "if it's broke, there is only
> one fix, REINSTALL back to the stone age" in which I tired of going through
> a zillion updates and getting rid of the junk on the OEM install, e.g., AOL,
> so I blew it away and bought XP Home and of course gave up the media center
> functionality). I was pleasantly surprised to see beta 2 detect and use the
> tuner/mpeg in this PC such as they are. Sony tech support can only say, of
> course, that they do not support beta OS's, which is to be expected, I
> guess).
>
> Is it likely the tuner/mpeg facilities provided by this computer aren't up
> to standards - or should I rip the MPEG/tuner card out and see exactly what
> it is? I'd buy a more powerful video card but fear power consumption
> problems and from what I've read the PS on this computer, around 400 watts,
> is a non-standard physical size so replacement isn't an option.
>
> I guess Vista with "this old Sony" is likely to be a "non-media center"
> combination?
>
> Thanks! (in Device Manager, mpeg card isn't detected nor is it complained
> about but I forgot to look to see if it was detected; there were no error
> messages of any sort, just that Media Center when launched plainly stated
> that no tuner was found; in XP home the tuner has no functionality but the
> MPEG card does work for capturing video). I guess? the MPEG en/decode
> functionality and tuner are on the same "Sony" card, the bottom-of-the-line
> ATi x300 has no capabilities of this sort...
>
>
> THanks!
>
> Bill in KCKS
>
>
>