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Do
I still need my conventional PC monitor?
How do I connect my PC to my display device?
Can I use a flat screen PC TFT monitor instead
of an expensive LCD TV?
Can
I also use SweetSpot to connect to a plasma without purchasing
a plasma 'media adaptor'?
Performance
How
does SweetSpot compare to other capture cards?
How
does SweetSpot compare to standalone video scalers?
How
does Xcard compare to software DVD players?
Connectivity
How
should I connect my video sources to SweetSpot?
Can I connect 2 signal types at the same
time?
Which connection should I use/is best?
How do I connect Audio?
Xcard
has a VGA connector - what is this for?
DVD
playback
You have
3 options
1 An external, conventional DVD player
2. Using DVD software packages
3.
RealMagic Xcard -DVD/Divx playback card
Software
Where
do I get more information about DScaler?
Do I need to use the WDM driver?
Is SweetSpot compatible with video recording software?
Can
I use latest DScaler version from www.dscaler.org?
RealMagic
Xcard
What is included with the Xcard?
How does Xcard differ from software DVD players?
How does Xcard work with SweetSpot?
What
settings do I need to use Xcard with SweetSpot?
Do I still need to run Xcard Media Player?
Can I run alternative Xcard software?
Xcard VGA connector?
TroubleShooting
No
picture
Unusual colours
Unstable picture
Picture incomplete
Picture too bright/too dark
Aspect Ratio problems - picture looks stretched
Stuttering Picture
I
have moved the SweetSpot card to a different slot, and now
it doesn't work
General
What
is your Warranty policy?
Terms
and Conditions - liability information
Overview
What
does SweetSpot do?
SweetSpot takes the picture from any compatible device, and
utilises your PC to enhance the picture. This results in clearer,
sharper more stable images, making viewing much more pleasurable. SweetSpot can also be used to record from the attached devices using compatible software.
Who
is SweetSpot suitable for?
The larger the screen that you are using, the more SweetSpot
can help. If you are using a projector, or a plasma screen
then you will see the greatest improvement, also if you are
using a PC monitor then again you will see a real difference. Also, anyone wishing to record from an analogue source to a PCs harddrive will find SweetSpot to be the 'best in class' capture card.
How
does SweetSpot work?
1. SweetSpot is an internal card that fits inside your PC.
It has a number of high quality connections to allow you to
connect your video sources. These can be satellite set top
boxes, DVD players, VCRs, games consoles, camcorders, essentially
anything that is able to output a video signal.
2. After connecting the video source to the SweetSpot card,
the picture is then displayed on the PC screen using a special
piece of software called DScaler. This software incorporates
world class video enhancement techniques, which result in
a vastly improved picture.
3. Your PC now becomes the 'gateway' to all of your entertainment,
TV, DVD, Internet, Email, MP3, etc.
4. You now connect your PC to your display device (e.g. projector
or plasma screen), so that you can now enjoy the improved
picture and integration!
Can
I still use my PC?
Yes, but while it is running SweetSpot and DScaler then of
course the picture being displayed by the PC will be the video
picture that you have currently selected, at whatever size
you have chosen to view at.
Do
I still need my conventional PC monitor?
No, you can use your display device (e.g. plasma, projector
or LCD TV) as your monitor. Some people prefer this as it
is simpler and saves space, others prefer to have a monitor
to use for general PC tasks and the large display only when
using Video. However, for ultimate picture quality, the PC
should be set to match the native resolution of the plasma
or projector and this may not be compatible with your regular
monitor. In this scenario it can become problematic to continually
swap resolutions for each device.
How
do I connect my PC to my display device?
If you are using a projector, a Plasma TV or an LCD TV then
typically these will have PC connections. These will either
be in the format of a VGA connector (15 pin D socket) or a
DVI socket. If your display has either of these connections
then it can be connected to a PC usually very easily.
These connections are by far the highest quality connection
in to your display device.
Can
I use a flat screen PC TFT monitor instead of an expensive
LCD TV?
Yes - there is a large price difference between LCD TVs and
similarly specified TFT monitors. Sometimes the only additional
features are analogue TV tuners and internal speakers. If
you care about quality then neither of these are particularly
appealing!
Also, If you plan to use a PC (e.g. as an MP3 jukebox) then
you can save money and improve your picture by using SweetSpot
to convert the video signal from your set top box, and presenting
it through a regular TFT monitor. Sometimes LCD TVs offer
a wider viewing angle than LCD monitors and a higher brightness
which can be useful. However, most are also lower resolution
which can make use with a PC (especially with text) far from
ideal.
Can
I also use SweetSpot to connect to a plasma without purchasing
a plasma 'media adaptor'?
Yes. Many models of plasma screen can be purchased MUCH cheaper
as the commercial/business version. Usually the screen is
identical, but comes without the expensive media adaptor.
The media adaptor is designed to allow an 'end user' to be
able to connect conventional domestic video sources using
the familiar connections. The media adaptor itself then connects
to the plasma, often using a 'PC' style connector (either
VGA or DVI). The benefits of a media adaptor is primarily
convenience, it is a simple, plug and play solution. For picture
quality however there is no contest, a SweetSpot enabled PC
connected directly to the plasma screen will easily outperform
it.
Performance
How
does SweetSpot compare to other capture cards?
There are really 3 price bands for capture cards.
1. under £50
2. under £200
3. under £1000
Most capture cards are in the first price bracket. These however
are 'TV Tuner' cards, designed to allow your PC to tune in
to analogue television. As an afterthought, these also include
either a Composite or an S-Video input which can be used with
DScaler. While initially these seem to offer great value,
they offer inferior performance as they have been designed
as a low cost 'hobby' solution for casual TV viewing on a
small PC monitor, not a large display device. Furthermore,
as they only offer at best S-Video, then the video input in
to the card is compromised before the capturing process has
even begun.
Finally, the lack of high quality RGB capture means that most
sources either cannot connect at all (e.g. most Sky digital
receivers have only poor quality Composite video or high quality
RGB). The workaround to this is to utilise a converter to
downconvert from RGB to S-Video. These cost typically from
£50 to £80, eliminating most of the perceived
cost saving of purchasing an entry level capture card!
SweetSpot as you would expect outperforms all cards at this
'level 1' price point.
Beyond that, there are no other DScaler compatible capture
cards other than the Immersive Holo3D range. These can cost
anything from £400 to nearly £800 depending on
the configuration.
SweetSpot uses the same video capture engine as this card,
the Philips SAA7118, and as a result gives equivalent picture
performance.
How
does SweetSpot compare to standalone video scalers?
Quite simply, to obtain comparable performance from a standalone
scaler then you need to budget for several thousand pounds.
It is widely acknowledged that DScaler provides some of the
best video processing techniques available at any price, combined
with the ultimate flexibility that only a PC based system
can offer.
Standalone
scalers are on the other hand more 'plug and play' and therefore
the primary feature that purchasers of standalone scalers
are looking for is ease of use, i.e. it can be configured
once, and then never touched after that. While PC solutions
can be designed to offer similar levels of ease of use, typically
many users like to continually fine tune their systems, which
has given PC systems a reputation for higher levels of complexity.
How
does Xcard compare to software DVD players?
See DVD playback section.
Connectivity
How
should I connect my video sources to SweetSpot?
This is obviously a difficult question to answer without knowing
the specifics of an individual system. You can of course get
free connection information for your specific requirements
from our Advice
Centre. Alternatively, here are some general suggestions...
Using
an AV Amplifier / Receiver
If you have an AV receiver/amplifier then you can use that
to switch between as many of the signal sources as possible.
This will give you the convenience of using your AV Amplifier
/ Receiver to perform source selection.
Depending on the specification of the AV Amplifier/Receiver,
this will allow the selection of Composite and/or S-Video
and /or Component inputs. You can then connect the corresponding
video output from your AV receiver/amplifier to SweetSpot.
As very few AV receivers/amplifiers support RGB, then if
you have an RGB source (a set top box for example), then
this should be connected directly using the SCART to SweetSpot
cable available from our site. If you have multiple RGB
sources then it is advisable to use a fully wired SCART
switching box to change between sources, with the output
connection of the switch unit connected to the SweetSpot
inputs using the SCART to SweetSpot cable.
Without
an AV Amplifer / Receiver
In this scenario it is simply a case of connecting the source
equipment directly to the SweetSpot, following the advice
below.
Can
I connect 2 signal types at the same time?
Yes, any combination of connections is possible as long as
the physical sockets on the card allow. This may be up to
7 Composite connections, 1 x RGB, 1 x Component and 2 x S-Video.
Simply use the 'SweetSpot>Video Input' menu in DScaler
to switch between them.
Which
connection should I use/is best?
The SweetSpot connection types are ordered in quality as follows...
1. PDI (a direct digital connection to a RealMagic Xcard)
2. RGB(RGsB/RGBS - often available from set top boxes, DVD
players etc, and as an optional connection on games consoles.
3. Component(YpbPr - typically available on mid range to high
end DVD players and some games consoles.
4. S-Video - a general purpose connection found on many devices.
It is also sometimes (but incorrectly) referred to as SVHS
5. Composite. - the most common, and the lowest performing
video connection.
Use the
connection type that is highest in the list and is also supported
by your video source. This is typically RGBS for satellite
receivers, RGBS/Component for recent DVD players and games
consoles and S-Video for older equipment. Composite may be
the best you'll get from VCRs and digital cameras.
Even Composite can be very watchable scaled using SweetSpot
and DScaler.
How
do I connect Audio?
SweetSpot does not have any audio connections - it is purely
a video processor. Therefore any audio connections should
be made as per the manufacturers' instructions for your source
device.
Xcard
has a VGA connector - what is this for?
See the Xcard section for information.
DVD
playback
You have
3 options
1
An external, conventional DVD player
this is the easiest option, the external DVD is connected
using either RGB, Component, S-Video or Composite to SweetSpot.
While this delivers the highest level of convenience, the
picture quality will not be as good as a good PC based DVD
playback solution. The reason for this is that digital picture
information stored on the DVD is converted in to an analogue
format to be displayed by a conventional display device, and
it is during this conversion that significant picture detail
is lost. However, when using the high quality RGB or Component
video outputs from a DVD player the results through SweetSpot
will almost always be better than a direct connection from
the DVD player to the display device.
2.
Using DVD software packages
These use the DVD drive in the PC, and output the picture
from the DVD on to the main computer monitor (or other display
device). Using the latest high powered PCs has made it possible
for DVD information to be read from the DVD drive, and converted
in to a video picture in real-time entirely in software. The
resulting images when set up correctly are stunning, but there
can sometimes be problems caused by other programs running
on the PC at the same time, such as anti virus software and
other 'background processes'. The effects of these can be
to cause the DVD playback to 'judder', whereby it momentarily
stops playing for a fraction of a second, spoiling the viewing
experience. These of course can be solved, but this can involve
careful configuration of the PC environment, making it less
suitable for general purpose use and only really suitable
as a dedicated, standalone home cinema PC.
3.
RealMagic Xcard -DVD/Divx playback card
The Xcard was originally designed before PC systems became
powerful enough to convert the DVD data into images in real-time.
The solution therefore was to use a dedicated processor, or
MPEG decoder, to do the intensive calculations, and therefore
allow users with more modest specification PCs to do DVD playback.
This is effective as the main CPU in the PC is free to perform
other calculations rather than being tied up with the DVD
decoding.
The designers of the Xcard assumed that the PC would be connected
to conventional TV like display devices, so they provided
all of the major video output connections on the Xcard (Composite,
S-Video, Component, RGB) In addition to these analogue TV
outputs, the interesting part of the Xcard specification is
the PDI, or Parallel Digital Interface. This allows the transfer
of the video information in a pure digital format to the SweetSpot
card, allowing it to be processed directly within DScaler
without any conversions from digital to analogue.
The end result is that it allows DScaler to perform its advanced
image processing directly on the DVD digital data, without
the need for any unwanted conversions. Users of the system
have commented that for video based DVD material, the superior
de-interlacing techniques utilised by DScaler, plus the reduction
in overall picture judder due to the hardware assisted DVD
decoding deliver excellent overall quality.
Software
Where
do I get more information about DScaler?
SweetSpot utilises DScaler, a free software package, open
source, coded under the GNU GPL Licence (www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl.html).
Please see the DScaler (www.dscaler.org)
website for more details.
Do
I need to use the WDM driver?
The WDM driver is requred for compatability with software other than DScaler.
DScaler is often able to drive the hardware directly, However, in
some cases, we've found that DScaler can't run without the
WDM driver. We recommend that you install the WDM driver.
Is SweetSpot compatible with video recording software?
Yes, SweetSpot now has a full WDM driver which is supported by many of the industry standard timeshifting/capture software products. Many of these are freeware.
.
We have tested against the following software using Windows XP sp1:
VirtualDub 1.5.10
WinVDRPro 3.3.0
iuVCR
VirtualVCR 2.6.9
AVI-IO April 2003 trial version C 03.24 (slight problem that it shows some of the SweetSpot RGB and component inputs as 'undefined' but they do still function correctly)
Videolan VLC media player 0.7.0
.
Support for all 3rd party applications is provided by the application authors.
Can
I use latest DScaler version from www.dscaler.org?
DScaler is a free software package, open source, coded under
the GNU GPL Licence (www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl.html).
Under the terms of this license, DScaler has been modified
to be compatible with SweetSpot. This is the 4.1.7p version
found in the downloads section
of this site. This code has now been resubmitted (again under
the terms of the GNU GPL Licence) to DScaler and will at some
point be merged with the main tree. At that time an announcement
will be made and we will then link to the latest version of
DScaler as found on www.dscaler.org.
RealMagic
Xcard
What
is included with the Xcard?
The Xcard comes bundled with an infra-red remote control,
an infra-red remote control receiver (which plugs in to a
serial port on the PC), and also XMP (Xcard Media Player),
a multi format media player program that is used to control
the Xcard.
The version that is provided with the SweetSpot is the OEM
version, which means that there are no cables provided for
connection to external displays/televisions.
In real terms, this is not a problem, unless you want to connect
the Xcard to a secondary display device and view the content
on that screen and your main PC screen simultaneously (through
DScaler via PDI). If this is what you require, then you can
either connect a standard S-Video cable in to the Xcard, or
you can purchase optional cables to allow you to output Composite,
Component, or RGB video.
How
does Xcard differ from software DVD players?
The differences between the Xcard solution and DVD software
players are twofold
A] With the Xcard solution there are two pieces of software
to run. Xcard Media Player and DScaler, XMP only controls
the DVD playback (i.e. play, pause, skip, etc) while DScaler
displays and enhances the Video from the DVD.
The Xcard performs the MPEG decoding in Hardware.
With a Software DVD player, one application does all 3 of
these tasks.
B] Xcard comes complete with a Remote Control (which plugs
into a serial socket on your PC).
Software DVD players rely on your keyboard for control or
specialist (and difficult to configure) Remote Control interfaces
like Girder (you could then use a Philips Pronto for example)
How
does Xcard work with SweetSpot?
Think of it as a 'conventional standalone DVD player on a
PC card', in so much that it provides DVD playback functionality,
but does it in hardware.
The typical
usage (i.e. not with SweetSpot) of a standalone Xcard is that
the user interacts with the bundled software app on their
PC, controls playback via the bundled remote, but watch the
movie on an *external device* using the Xcard's own analogue
video output. All you can see on the Windows desktop while
the DVD is playing is the Xcard media app itself, you cannot
see the DVD video. This is at odds with software DVD players,
where you view the movie on the PC screen, and therefore *have*
to have a display device that takes a VGA or better connection
(ignoring the TV output mode of the video card of course).
Instead
with Xcard it was designed that you watched the movie on your
external display (usually a standard TV), either via Composite,
S-Video, Component, RGB, or a regular VGA compatible display
using the Xcard VGA output.
When we
use Xcard with SweetSpot we connect them together using the
internal PDI interface. So as well as the above still being
true, we can now also use DScaler to view the contents of
the DVD. Simply select 'PDI from the 'SweetSpot>Video Input'
menu in DScaler and we can now make use of all the usual DScaler
features to enhance the picture and output it via your normal
graphics card (e.g. ATI Radeon) to your high resolution display
device (Typically a Plasma or Projector).
Because the PDI interface is Digital, there are no analogue-to-digital
or digital-to-analogue conversions to degrade the signal before
it reaches your display.
What settings do I need to use Xcard with SweetSpot?
These can be found in more detail in the SweetSpot User Guide.
It is advised that you lower the Brightness setting in XMP
to 500 (from the default of 600).
In order for the PDI output of Xcard to be active, The video
output of Xcard must be set to anything other than VGA and
HDTV must be disabled. Otherwise setting should be used as
per the Xcard manual, found in the downloads
section of this site and on the SweetSpot CD.
Do I still need to run Xcard Media Player?
Yes, Xcard Media Player is still required to control Xcard.
While DScaler is running full screen, use the Xcard Remote
Control to navigate the DVD/file.
Can
I run alternative Xcard software?
Yes, there are various alternatives to XMP, including ZoomPlayer,
TVedia and Eugenes Player. Some of these offer extra features,
such as control over other PC applications and hardware. TVedia is our favourite - click here for a trial version.
Xcard
VGA connector?
This connector is not normally used in a SweetSpot/Xcard setup.
It is designed to output to a VGA monitor, but because it's
sending an image directly from the Xcard, this image has not
had the benefit of being processed and enhanced by DScaler.
Therefore, when connecting to a VGA compatible display device
then the main VGA connector on the PC should always be used
instead.
TroubleShooting
No
picture
Ensure that the video source in DScaler has been set to SweetSpot.
Ensure that the 'SweetSpot>Video Input' menu in DScaler
has been set correctly. If you are using the Xcard then you
must ensure that the input is set to PDI in DScaler, and also
that the output in Xcard is set to anything OTHER than VGA.
If using an external source for SweetSpot, check that it really
is outputting a signal. Try other SweetSpot inputs to ensure
that you have SweetSpot installed correctly.
Unusual
colours
If using either Component ot RGB, then this usually is due
to the cables not being correctly connected. Carefully ensure
that the connections are as shown in the documentation.
Also ensure that the the correct source has been selected
in DScaler using the 'SweetSpot>Video Input' menu.'
Unstable
picture
Incorrect
Sync
If you are using either a Component or RGB source then check
that the jumper has been set on the SweetSpot card as shown
in the User Guide.
If you are using an RGB source then this requires a connection
to the 3 phono connections on SweetSpot for the R,G and
B , plus a 4th connection for the Sync signal which must
be connected to S-Video1 on SweetSpot. The SCART to SweetSpot
cable available from this site has this connection and is
the easiest way to get up and running with RGB.
Note : If are using SweetSpot to take the vide from a set top box , such as a satellite receiver then you must ensure that you have enabled the RGB output for the SCART connection, and also that you are connecting to the correct SCART connection (usually marked 'TV').
Iff you do not do this then the usual default is that composite video only will be output by the set-top-box, which will result in a blank screen.
Video format
This is usually caused by the 'SweetSpot>Video Format'
being set incorrectly (e.g. NTSC for a PAL source, or vice
versa).
Check the settings in DScaler match the format of the video
being sent, for example if you are playing Region 1 DVD
in Xcard, then this will be in NTSC. If however you are
connecting a standard European device then this will usually
be set to output in PAL. Some external DVD players and games
consoles also output PAL60, again this needs to be set in
the Video Format menu.
Picture
incomplete
Use the screen capture facility in DScaler. If the resultant
screen capture file shows a complete image, then this means
that SweetSpot is running correctly and capturing the video,
and that the problem is somewhere else in the chain. Check
that the drivers for the video card are up to date.
Picture
too bright/too dark
Check the video settings in the 'Settings>Video Adjustments'
menu in DScaler. It may also be possible to adjust the video
settings for your graphics card also. In any case if using
the Xcard, check that they settings are correct in XMP (see
the Xcard section).
Aspect
Ratio problems - picture looks stretched
Ensure that DScaler has been set to the correct ratio to match
the picture source - check the 'Aspect Ratio' menu in DScaler.
You should also set the Aspect Ratio of your display device
in this menu.
If using the Xcard, check that they settings are correct in
XMP (see the Xcard section). Typically the XMP application
should be set to 'Wide' mode.
Stuttering
Picture
This is usually caused by excessive processor load resulting
in DScaler dropping frames. Check the 'dropped frames' statistics
in DScaler, it should be 0 per second, if it is higher than
this then the CPU load needs to be reduced. If you are using
multiple filters in DScaler then this adds to the CPU overhead,
so switch all of these off and see if the problem recurs.
Also check to see if there are any other processes running
that can be interrupting processing, such as virus scanners
etc - for more information please see here
I
have moved the SweetSpot card to a different slot, and now
it doesn't work
Reinstall the BtWinCap drivers included on the SweetSpot CD
(and on this site). This will pick up the changed configuration.
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