On board graphics (Dell)

[frostbite]

I'm considering getting one of those USB Freeview TV gizmos.

Only thing is, it states 'requires at least 38Mb video memory' and I haven't a clue how much my Dimension 3000 allocates. The manual only states 'Intel Extreme Graphics' in the specifications and I can't think of any way to find out. The BIOS states "AGP Aperture 128Mb" - is that it?

It's a bog standard machine, aside from 2Gb RAM.

Any thoughts?

[srobarts]

If you right click on your desktop away from any icons and click properties. then click on the settings tab, the advanced button and the adapter tab, you should get the graphics memory. This for XP.
Let us know what it is!

[frostbite]

Thanks for that!

Having gone through about ten levels, it appears to say Min 6Mb, Max 96Mb, in use 6Mb.

Presumably it just grabs what it needs.

[tony draper]

As far as I know Graphic Cards of what ever ilk be they on board or a separate card in one of the slots comes with their own memory in your case 128Mb,that should be more than enough.
oops! sorry someone already answered

[al446]

You are wrong! Those that are either AGP or PCI-E , ie separate slot, have their own dedicated video memory. In built, as in this case, uses a portion of system memory up the limit of the AGP aperture, in this case 128 Mb. The memory is allocated as and when it is demanded..

[Sprogget]

Back to the point...the freeview will work fine, save to say you may get some compression artifacts due to the bandwidth allocated to freeview. Plus you will be far better off with a decent digital aerial rather than the weedy indoor thing supplied.

[tony draper]

I stand corrected I have been a graphic card chasing nut since the days of the 386,gone from ISA to PCI to Vesa Local Bus to AGP to SLI on Diamond Voodoo and now pci express with a gig of ram,somehow we managed with 16k on graphic cards once.
Never used on board graphics except in emergency.
:rolleyes:

[frostbite]

Wouldn't dream of using an indoor aerial round here.

The only digital aerial is the one they try to sell you. Ain't no such animal.

I didn't have a choice regarding on board - that's all that comes with this model and the tightfisted SOBs don't fit an AGP slot either.

[green granite]

Wouldn't dream of using an indoor aerial round here.

As a general rule of thumb, if you can get a reasonable picture on channel 5 (analogue) then you should get Freeview ok.

[frostbite]

Well, it's arrived and installed OK, but it's not 100%.

The software is not as good as the excellent DScaler that I use for my old PCI TV card (it doesn't suspend the screen power saver or kill the pointer) but the big problem so far is that although it scanned in all the BBC channels I expected, it won't display them! In fact the program closes if I select any BBC.

I seem to dimly recall that the BBC and the commercial channels transmit digital in different forms, but I can't recall the details. Does this sound like it could be the problem?

[Sprogget]

It would help to know the kit & software.

[frostbite]

It's an Artec stick and Artec labelled software.

[Sprogget]

FAQ's page:
http://www.artec.com.tw/Service_e/nl/home/digital%20tv/FAQ%20Digtv.htm#DigiTV-4

No idea how up on this digi tv malarkey you are Frosty, but you have scanned for channels & it flags up all of the ones you need?

Also, if you suspect signal reception, you can find a utility on the Hauupauge forums site that will measure the strength of the mux for each channel you scan.

[green granite]

Try reading this thread and possibly download the software.

Artec T1 USB Digital TV adaptor questions - Page 8 - Technical - Digital Spy Forums (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=6132761)

[frostbite]

Thanks for those.

That DTV looks interesting, if a little potentially scary to install! Downloaded the signal meter (runs in DOS?) and very useful.

[Sprogget]

I've used DVB-T cards for years, never heard of Artec. Have used Pinnacle, Terratec, Hauppauge & Dvico. Without doubt, Hauppauge are the big name in pc tv & I would commend them to any user. The products aren't bug free, but the team behind them jump on bugs like a colonel with a fly whisk. All the other brands I mention have dropped in flawlessly into my builds.