[mythtv-users] ATI AIW does it work or not?

[Ray Olszewski]

At 11:06 AM 6/1/2003 -0400, Isaac Richards wrote:
>On Sunday 01 June 2003 10:43 am, Brian Blalock wrote:
> > In the user mailing list archives (Subject line:  ATI AIW 7500(Tuner) ) one
> > user reported that the ATI AIW card (he did not specify which one) does not
> > work as a tuner with MythTV.
> >
> > But there is one entry in the hardware database where a ATI AIW 8500 128mb
> > is being used as a tuner.
> >
> > I also ran into one archived user mailing list message which stated that
> > the ATI AIW cards do not work as a video card and as a tuner at the same
> > time under MythTV.  I don't recall the subject line.
> >
> > Is the AIW simply a pain to configure under MythTV?
>
>It will not work as a tuner.  Period.  This has been discussed to death on
>these mailing lists.

But perhaps not clearly enough.

First, the problem is specifically with the AIW 7500. The 8500 is 
different. I too have seen reports that it works, but since I don't have 
one, I cannot personally vouch for them. I have not seens any reports 
either way about the 9500.

Second, the problem with the AIW 7500 is NOT a Myth problem. It is, more or 
less, a v4l problem ... specifically a problem with the way the 7500 uses 
the i2c bus. I forget the details now ... I researched this almost a year 
ago ... but the consensus of v4l developers is that it is unfixable. If you 
want the details, use Google to track them down.

You (Brian) also wrote --

>My alternative is two ATI TV Wonders and the least expensive video card I can
>find that supports X-Video.

Do you mean xVideo on TV-out? If so, the least expensive card I know of is 
a Savage IX, available for about $14 from www.compugeeks.com ... though I'm 
relying on the reports of others here on this list (check the archives) for 
saying ti works. (I have one but have not had time to set it up yet.)

nVidia GeForce cards (various models) are more expensive -- around $45 from 
the same source -- and I can vouch for their working just fine (using the X 
driver nVidia supplies ... I haven't tried the free-software one yet).

Are ATI TV wonders really cheaper (or enough better) than AverTV cards, or 
(if you can still find them) older Hauppauge WinTV GO cards?