M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Impressions

[Bluestreak]

You probably didn't read that my problem isn't not getting sound, but that I cannot control volume through ATI's MMC, and that attempting to use TV on Demand produces two signals, which results in an echo, the reason being is that it is getting sound from the live TV signal, and then sound from the recorded file that stores the video feed since Tv was paused. Creative released drives that resolves this issue for their sound cards, but M-Audio refuses to fix the problem. Worthless company. Worthless driver support and tech support.

I'm going to see if I can get in touch with Audiotrak about their Prodigy line of cards, and determine if their sound cards will work with the TV tuners.

[Bluestreak]

Hey, I finally got a response from M-Audio tech support, only 5 days later! They're very prompt I see.

Here's the response regarding my problems with TV tuning:

"with the Revolution selected as your system sound device, you will ONLY
be able to control volume from the Revolution control panel. If you wish to
use the volume setting of your TV tuner card, you will need to select it as
your system sound device.

go to: START > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Audio
for 'Sound Playback' default device select the Device you want to use."

I'm not at my PC, but I don't think there's an option to choose another device for the ATI TV Tuner, unless it's their impression that it can act as a virtual sound card, or that I have another sound card on my rig that I can choose from. Oh well.

[Wodgy]

This is a problem with ATI's software, not with M-Audio's hardware. You should be calling ATI's customer support line for help in resolving this issue.

That said, if you can't find a solution, instead of going through all the trouble of selling the card on eBay, I'd just download a freeware program that lets you raise and lower the system volume via keyboard hotkeys. Then use the keyboard shortcuts in ATI's software.

[Bluestreak]

ATI will just say it's an issue with my sound card drivers. They were doing this with Creative sound cards too. Creative would say ATI is to blame, ATI will say Crearive is to blame. In the end Creative released new drivers that fixed the problem. On some of the ATI forums I've read, some of the M-Audio users mentioned that M-Audio knew of the problem but that they were working to fix them. They never did.

The hot key work around wouldn't solve the problem of controlling the volume by remote, nor the TV on Demand issue, where in the latest version it not only fails to mute the live signal, it crashes the system altogether. M-Audio just has crappy driver support. For a card that's suppose to be an all purpose one (unlike the EMU), that's simply unacceptable.