The Desk Top Video Handbook On Line ver 11.5
Win 98 DTV tips
Well, Win98 is here and we are very excited. We feel Win98 will turn out to be a very good operating system for DTV. As with any new technology there is going to be some tech support issues, but so far, we have very good news:
All our cards work under Win98, assuming you follow these tips!!!
Whether you are upgrading to Win98 or getting a new system pre-configured with it, you may run into some problems. The single biggest issue is that the Win98 default drivers are good enough to get your system running, but not the right ones you need for the demands of digital videography.
I have broken this page into 2 sections, one for upgraders and one for pre-installed systems. I suggest you read the entire document regardless of which category you fall into. I realize that these steps may seem like a pain in the neck, but I think in the long run it will end up saving you lots of time.
Win98 is very new and there is no way we can know all the answers to all the potential problems. We do feel strongly that Win98 with its advanced system resource tools and better disk management will be very beneficial to digital videographers. We also think that Win98s USB support could prove to be very important. By simply putting the keyboard and mouse on USB you free up 2 IRQs. Today some sound cards require 2 or 3 IRQs. A USB speaker system eliminates the sound card entirely and gives you far superior digital sound quality. We will be adding a list of USB devices and tips to this page shortly.
1) Download the latest drivers
The device drivers that are in Win98 may be OK for running Excel or playing games, but they don't cut it for DTV. Before you upgrade to Win98 make sure you go to your graphic card vendors website and download the latest drivers. Some are already posting Win98 specific drivers on their sites. The same goes for your sound card. Whenever possible tell Win98 to use your drivers, not the ones in its database. If you got a preconfigured system with Win98, download and install the latest graphic card driver before you install the dtv card.
2) Install Win98 clean
If you are upgrading to Win98, don't! Take the extra steps to install a fresh Win98 from scratch. You can do this with from the Win98 upgrade CD, just have your old Win95 CD handy. It will take some extra time, and require more backing up, but it'll be worth it. You'll save disk space and any improper dll or registry files will be wiped clean. We also recommend that you start your new Win98 in a minimized configuration. This means removing the video capture card and any other 'extra' hardware beyond that which is needed to initially run your computer. Before you have removed them, back up all your important system files so that you can reconfigure with Win95 if you need to. Now you can install Win98. Poke around and play with Win98 for a day or two and get the feel of it. Once you are comfortable with Win98, start adding each hardware component one at a time with the latest drivers. Test each new piece of hardware fully before you add the next one. It is also a good practice to shut down and do a cold reboot before you add the next device. Install and test your video storage before you install the video capture card. Once everything is up and running, you'll have a much leaner and cleaner OS then someone who upgraded over Win95.
NOTE: If removing Win95 makes you nervous, follow these steps for upgrading to Win98 over Win95:
- Remove your video capture card and all its software
- Back up all necessary system files
- Install Win98 upgrade over Win95
- Whenever possible, use the latest drivers, not those Win98 comes with
- When upgrade to 98 is complete, play with it for a day or two
- Install your video capture card
- If all is working well, you can then install a clean Win98 later, confident that all your hardware works.
3) Do not use Win98 FireWire driver
If you have a DV card do NOT let Win98 install its IEEE1394 drivers. They will not work with your video capture card and they will make getting the card to work much more difficult
4) Be wary of Active Movie and all the other new Microsoft video players.
If you are not careful, it will take control of your video. If this happens you may loose the ability to either output or preview video. It always seems to be one or the other, not both.
Troubleshooting Win98 for new computers that come pre-configured with Win98 installed.
- Make sure you have the latest drivers for your graphics card, sound card, modem and any other hardware installed in teh machine.
- Reformat your hard drive and reinstall ONLY Windows 98 (which it comes
pre-loaded with).
- When Win98 finds the new hardware, make sure you install it using the latest drivers, not the default Win98 drivers. If Win98 automatically loaded its own default driver, go into device manager and update to the latest drivers for each device.
- Fully test your system. Power down and reboot several times. I suggest a 2 day "burn in" period. Use the computer for 2 days before you install the video capture card. This will give you a chance to get more familiar with Win98.
- Install the video capture card and load your drivers. Everything should work great!
The reason for all this is that Packard Bell, Compaq, Gateway, and almost all new computers come pre-loaded a bunch of
"helpful" programs, which are great for getting a computer novice up and running, but are simply a nightmare for anyone wanting to use DTV. Not not only do they fill your machine with background programs that you don't need or want, it can fill the Windows Registry with over ONE MEG of entries that slow down the entire machine terribly!
Windows 98 - IRQ's not being assigned cleanly
Symptons:
1394 Bus Ctlr, SCSI Ctlr or Video Capture Device not working correctly or system hangs when
hangs when trying to install one of the drivers.
IRQ's reported by the BIOS for devices when the system boots up are different
than windows reports for the resource used for the devices. ie. display ctlr
BIOS reports IRQ 10 used, Windows 98 reports display Ctlr using IRQ 11.
Solution:
- Before installing DV capture device
- Right Click "My Computer"
- Click "Properties"
- Click "Device Manager"
- set "View devices by connection"
- expand "Plug and Play BIOS"
- right click "PCI Bus"
- click "properties"
- click tab "IRQ Steering"
- uncheck "use IRQ Steering"
- "OK " back out
- REBOOT
IRQ's report by BIOS should now agree with Windows resources.
Prior to Win98, Windows defaulted to IRQ Steering "OFF", Win98 defaults to IRQ
Steering "ON".Special Thanx to Ed Craddock for this solution he discovered while getting his DV300 up and going.
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I have included this link because it is in my opinion the best Win98 tips article I have seen to date.
Thank You!!
I want to send out a special thanx to all our customers and on line friends who have called and emailed us with their Win98 troubleshooting solutions and tips. You have made my job easier and you are helping your fellow digital videographers!!
If you know of any Win98 tips, tricks or issues, please send email to:
videoguy@videoguys.com
Thanx again,
Gary, The VideoGuy
