F. A. Q. - Frequently Asked Questions

Product Cinergy 400 TV
Cinergy 600 TV
Last update 17.10.2003
Version 1.3
Questions and Answers 23

Please ensure that you are using the latest driver versions.You can obtain the latest drivers from our ftp-server or from our webpage.

Internet TerraTec Electronic GmbH
http://www.terratec.com Herrenpfad 38
ftp://ftp.terratec.de D-41334 Nettetal

Question overwiev

Question 1:
When I start the TV software, the system hangs and needs to reboot. What can I do?

Question 2:
Why cant the Station setup cant find all available channels?

Question 3:
When the  TV software starts, the following  error message shows up: "No suitable DirectX provider - Overlay channel disabled? “

Question 4:
Why do I need a DirectX compatible graphic card driver with Video-Overlay support?

Question 5:
With which maximum resolution can the Cinergy capture?

Question 6:
What are the system requierments for the Cinergy?

Question 7:
Can I work with NTSC signals with the Cinergy?

Question 8:
How much data is transfered to the harddrive while capturing a video sequence?  

Question 9:
In my video recording, I have a picture, but no sound?

Question 10:
Does the Cinergy have a video output?

Question 11:
Can I connect a SAT-LNB (Satellite dish) directly to the Cinergy?

Question 12:
The Channel Setup cant find any channels, why not?

Question 13:
What chipset is on the Cinergy?

Question 14:
As soon as the deinterlacing is activated (in the TV settings) the picture starts to stutter?

Question 15:
Deinterlacing can not be activated, why is that?

Question 16:
Can the Cinergy remote control be used to control other devices for example my CD player?

Question 17:
Can I control the Cinergy or ist software with another remote control?

Question 18:
I cannot use all listed Codecs to record in the Cinergy software. Sommetimes the recording doesn’t start or the recorded file cant be played!

Question 19:
While installing under Windows 98SE/ME I have to insert the „Windows CD“ and than get the error code 69, the driver cant be installed.

Question 20:
If I  connect an external device with a SCART adapter to the S-VHS input, the picture is black/white. What is happening?

Question 21:
Can I use the Cinergy with a computer running on Linux?

Question 22:
After installing DirectX 9.0b, nno channels can be found anymore?

Question 23:
Why does the sound shut off after 2 minutes watching TV?

Question 1:
When I start the TV software, the system hangs and needs to reboot. What can I do?

Answer 1:
Check first in the device manager if  the  Cinergy has an interrupt (IRQ) of ist own. If the Cinergy shares an IRQ, such a problem can come up – espacially if the graphic card uses the same IRQ. In this case, you can place the Cinergy in another PCI slot or asign an IRQ in BIOS. Please refer to the mainboards users manual.                                                        

Note that the first PCI slot beside the AGP slot should stay free, as these two slots share the same IRQ. The first PCI slot is actually an option for a PCI graphic card.


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Question 2:
Why cant the Station setup cant find all available channels?

Answer 2:
Make sure you have installed (at least ) DirectX 8.1- available on the Cinergy CD or by Microsoft. You can also select “All frequencies” in the Station Setup as scan mode.


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Question 3:
When the  TV software starts, the following  error message shows up: "No suitable DirectX provider - Overlay channel disabled? “

Answer 3:
This error shows up when the installed graphic card drivers are not conform to DirectX. In this case, install the latest drivers for your graphic card, if this doesn’t help, you might need to reinstall DirectX as well ( at least 8.1)

If the problem persists, please contact your graphic card manufacturer. Your graphic card must support Video-Overlay and at least DirectX 8.


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Question 4:
Why do I need a DirectX compatible graphic card driver with Video-Overlay support?

Answer 4:
Like with standard TV cards, the TV data is tranfered from the Cinergy to the graphic card’s memory through the PCI Bus. This function called “Video-Overlay” and leaves the CPU free from this specific data. Without Overlay, the CPU would need to transfer all TV data to the graphic card memory. Watching TV and working with another application simultaniusly would then be nearly impossible. The DirectX graphic driver is necessary to display the TV data since the Video-Overlay directly acts with the graphic card.


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Question 5:
With which maximum resolution can the Cinergy capture?

Answer 5:
The Cinergy can capture video in a maximum resolution of 720X576 pixel.
Since the data amount created in this resolution outdoes the capacity of actual harddrives, dropped frames can be caused while recording. With dropped frames the TV cards driver regulates the amount of information until the hardddrive can handle it. The more frames drop, the more the picture gets choppy. In this case selecting an inferior resolution in the menu Option\Videoformat helps.


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Question 6:
What are the system requierments for the Cinergy?

Answer 6:


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Question 7:
Can I work with NTSC signals with the Cinergy?

Answer 7:
Yes, this is possible over the Composite or S-VHS input. The tuner only supports PAL B/G format. While recording NTSC signals over external video inputs, the frame rate will über externen Videoeingängen wird automatisch die Bildwiederholrate auf die benötigten 30BpS umgestellt.


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Question 8:
How much data is transfered to the harddrive while capturing a video sequence?  

Answer 8:
The question can not be generally answered: The amount of frames per second captured, the video resolution, the color used, the compression and the audio format are many reasons which will influence the size of a video.


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Question 9:
In my video recording, I have a picture, but no sound?

Answer 9:
In the Cinergy TV software you should select the Cinergy Audio Capture Device, since it ensures video and audio are synchronized. In third party  software, please select the LINE-IN as recording source. Connect the Audio-output of the Cinergy with the Line input of your sound card. Use for this the supplied mini-jack cable.


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Question 10:
Does the Cinergy have a video output?

Answer 10:
No, generally this feature is found on graphic cards.


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Question 11:
Can I connect a SAT-LNB (Satellite dish) directly to the Cinergy?

Answer 11:
No, the Cinergy needs a receiver since the card can only work with an analog TV signal.


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Question 12:
The Channel Setup cant find any channels, why not?

Answer 12:
Verify all the connections. Set the region to “All Frequency” and start the scan once again.


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Question 13:
What chipset is on the Cinergy?

Answer 13:
The chipset is the Philips SAA-7134. 


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Question 14:
As soon as the deinterlacing is activated (in the TV settings) the picture starts to stutter?

Answer 14:
Deinterlacing is realized through software and requiers system performance. First try to reduce the TV playback resolution (for ex.: from 720x576 to 704x576). If this doesn’t help removing the stutter, you can set the playback to half resolution (640*240) .


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Question 15:
Deinterlacing can not be activated, why is that?

Answer 15:
Deinterlacing is only available with YUY-2 color. Set YUY-2 in the TV settings when you wish to use deinterlacing.


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Question 16:
Can the Cinergy remote control be used to control other devices for example my CD player?

Answer 16:
No, the Cinergy remote control can only be used with the Cinergy software. The remote’s software can be programmed, not the remote itself.


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Question 17:
Can I control the Cinergy or ist software with another remote control?

Answer 17:
In normal cases this is not possible. If your remote control can be programmed, you can of course implement the Cinergy’s remote control commands.


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Question 18:
I cannot use all listed Codecs to record in the Cinergy software. Sommetimes the recording doesn’t start or the recorded file cant be played!

Answer 18:
Not all Video-Codecs shown in all software can be used. The following preinstalled Windows Codecs should work although a high system performance is required:

Our experience has shown that the following codecs cant be used for recording with the Cinergy software:


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Question 19:
While installing under Windows 98SE/ME I have to insert the „Windows CD“ and than get the error code 69, the driver cant be installed.

Answer 19:
While installing the drivers, Windows requires the CD to add some DirectX components. Since the DirectX version on the CD is older, the actual files are overwriten. An installation is then not possible. Solution: When the installation manager asks for the Windows CD, refer to the Windows system files  (X:\Windows\System). The needed files are located there.


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Question 20:
If I  connect an external device with a SCART adapter to the S-VHS input, the picture is black/white. What is happening?

Answer 20:
Lets first make the distinction between Composite-Video and S-Video. Composite-Video sends the picture informations brightness and color over one wire, S-Video uses for this 2 separate wires, which gives the picture more sharpness. It is not defined which signal is sent through a SCART output. SCART outputs can handle both Composite-Video and S-Video. If a device only sends a Composite-Video signal out of the SCART output, connecting a S-Video cable will result in a Black and White picture since the color information is missing. In this case, selecct the Composite-Video connection.


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Question 21:
Can I use the Cinergy with a computer running on Linux?

Answer 21:
Support for Linux can be found under this link: http://bytesex.org/saa7134/


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Question 22:
After installing DirectX 9.0b, nno channels can be found anymore?

Answer 22:
This is a general problem affecting all TV cards. A bug fix is available under this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=8DFD1B6D-E177-4A0E-91D0-B4310675B02B


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Question 23:
Why does the sound shut off after 2 minutes watching TV?

Answer 23:
this problem happens under Windows XP with Servive Pack 1. It is related to the Windows Messenger, you can resolved it by disabling the Messenger as well as the "MSN messenger check" in your anti-virus software. (for example Norton Anti Virus 2003). This problem should be solved in the next Service Pack.


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TerraTec Electronic GmbH
Herrenpfad 38
D-41334 Nettetal

tel: +49-2157-81790
fax: +49-2157-817922
hotline: +49-2157-817914

ftp.terratec.de

www.terratec.com