Updated: 2006.12.11

AlchemyTV DVR™
Troubleshooting FAQ

Product Installation
Changes in AlchemyTV DVR 2.5.x
Antenna/Cable connection and channel scan
Capturing from a VCR or another video source
Scheduled recordings and live recordings
Black screen or audio problems
Codecs, Recording sizes
TitanTV problems
iChat Patch
Using AlchemyTV DVR with other applications

Product Installation

Q: What are the minimum system requirements to run AlchemyTV DVR?
A: You will need a PowerMac G4/400 or higher, Mac OS X 10.3.x or higher and QuickTime 6.5 or higher. Please note that AlchemyTV DVR requires a PCI or PCI-X slot. It is not compatible with PCI-Express connectors found on the last PowerMac G5's and MacPro.

Q: Is AlchemyTV DVR compatible with Mac OS X 10.4?
A: Yes

Q: Where is the serial number for the software located?
A: You will find the serial number for the software on the CD sleeve.

Q: My serial number is not recognised. What should I do?
A: Make sure that you have not misread a digit (replacing a I by a 1, for example). If your card did not ship with a remote control (eg. is a AlchemyTV), your serial key will not work with DVR. More advice for serial number problems is available here.

Q: How can I see if the PCI card is correctly installed?
A: Open 'Apple System Profiler' and check under the AGP/PCI tab if 'AlchemyTV' appears. Make sure you have installed the software before installing the card. Please note that the card will not show in Apple System Profiler if the AlchemyTV Extension is not installed.

Q: When I launch AlchemyTV DVR, I get an error message saying that no supported card was found.
A: First of all, reinstall the software. Then, make sure the PCI card is properly inserted in the PCI slot. Check that your card appears in Apple System Profiler in the AGP/PCI tab. Moving the PCI card or resetting your motherboard (button usually located near the PCI slots) may help.

Q: When I launch AlchemyTV DVR, I get an error message saying that the video input is in use.
A: Make sure you do not run simultaneously another video application that may be using the Alchemy card. If you are opening the preference dialog, make sure the onscreen remote is not set to FM radio.
If the problem persists, reboot your Mac. If you are still getting the error message, delete the files and folder "de.meilenstein.alchemytv.dvr.plist" located in Username/Library/Preferences
If deleting the preference file does not help, run disk utility on your drive and select repair the permissions.

Q: The AlchemyTV DVR folder seems to be missing an installer log file. Where is it located?
A: The installation log file is named "Install AlchemyTV DVR log" and located in Users > <Username> > Library > Logs

Q: Since installing Mac OS 10.4, the AlchemyTV DVR software is very slow.
A: This may happen if you have installed Mac OS 10.4 over an exisiting copy of Mac OS 10.3.x. To resolve this issue:
- Run the uninstaller (ignore error messages if any)
- Search for files with the name 'Alchemy' and delete them. Use Find File and not Spotlight
- Reinstall the latest version of AlchemyTV DVR

Q: The Setup Assistant lets me only select 'Other' in the country list.
A: This usually means the Alchemy software is not communicating with the hardware. Make sure that the card is seen by Apple System Profiler. If it is not, make sure the PCI card is properly inserted in the PCI slot. Check that your card appears in Apple System Profiler in the AGP/PCI tab. Moving the PCI card or resetting your motherboard (button usually located near the PCI slots) may help.

If the card is seen by Apple System Profiler, but you are still getting this error, try the following:
- Delete the preference files and folder 'de.meilenstein.alchemytv.dvr.plist' located in Username/Library/Preferences. This will reset all the software settings
- Open Disk Utility located in Applications/Utilities, select your hard drive and press the 'Repair Permissions' button.
- Restart your Mac and hold down the Apple, Alt, P, R keys until you hear a second startup sound

Changes in AlchemyTV DVR 2.5.x

Q: The Audio Expert setting panel is no longer available in AlchemyTV DVR 2.5
A: AlchemyTV DVR fully relies on the QuickTime 7 API, unlike previous versions which were using an older API. Although the QT 7 API provides many benefits over previous versions, it no longer has these additional audio settings.

Antenna/Cable connection and channel scan

Q: I use digital cable. How should the connection be made to AlchemyTV?
A: If you are using digital cable or have subscribed to premium content channels, you will need to connect AlchemyTV DVR via the cable set top box. If you use a coaxial cable, perform a channel scan and the AlchemyTV DVR will find the channel on which your cable set top box broadcasts a signal.

Q: I am a cable user and the TV picture quality is quite poor
A: If you are using a Cable modem, avoid using the same cable for AlchemyTV and make sure that you are using good quality cables.

Q: The channel scan did not find some channels. Why?
A: If you are using a cable service, make sure the missing channels are not digital or premium content. If you know the missing channel frequency (available from your provider), you can enter it manually in Preferences/Video Input/Tuner; select a channel and click on FineTune. The frequency can then be entered.

Q: I ran a channel scan and the setup assistant did not find any channels. The TV window is just black.
A: Make sure the TV cable is plugged-in properly. Deleting the preference file de.meilenstein.alchemytv.dvr located in ~/Username/Library/Preferences may help. If the problem persists, please contact Miglia technical support.

Q: Can I force the software to use a given channel, even if the auto-tune function does not identify a channel?
A: Yes, simply follow the instructions located here.

Q: (US users only) I have entered my ZIP code in the Setup Assistant, but the software says it cannot contact TVGuide.com.
A: Make sure that you have a live internet connection open. You can also skip this step and directly go to the channel scan.

Q: (US users only) The channels are not lined up properly
A: Make sure that the option 'Use channel name as index' is activated in the preferences

Q: (US users only) I entered my ZIP code in the Setup Assistant, but I get the message that no Providers could be found
A: Make sure you selected the correct type of provider (Antenna for Broadcast, Cable for cable services). If no information is available, skip this step and move to the channel scan.

Capturing from a VCR or another video source

Q: How do I get audio from my VCR / DVD Player into AlchemyTV DVR.
A: You need a cable which has "Audio L-R" (Red - White) on one end (this plugs into the Output of your VCR), and a standard 3 1/2 mm jack on the other (this end plugs into the Audio-In jack of the AlchemyTV). This cable is available from any Hi-Fi store.

Q: How do I get video from my VCR / DVD Player into AlchemyTV DVR.
A: Connect a Composite or S-Video cable from the output of your VCR to the Composite or S-Video connector on the AlchemyTV DVR card. Select the relevant video input on the onscreen controller and you should see the video stream in the TV window. Press the record button on the onscreen controller to capture video to your hard drive.

Recording issues

Q: When I record a programm, the audio is out of sync.
A: Follow these guidelines:
- When choosing your capture destination, select a volume/drive that is not the startup disk containing the System Folder.
- 'Put hard drives to sleep whenever possible' should be turned off in Energy Saver.
- Connect the audio cable (if you are capturing via S-Video or Composite) to the AlchemyTV card and not the Mac's built-in audio.
- Do not activate audio compression
- Do not perform CPU-heavy tasks while recording
- Set the audio to 48 KHz
- Set the picture optimisation to a level that your CPU can handle. The Setup Assistant should set it automatically to a correct value, but you can reduce it if necessary.
- Leave the FPS (frames per second) to 'Best' in the motion sub-menu
- If you are recording in DV or MPEG-4, try to use another codec, like MJPEG-A
- Do not use the picture clipping function
- If you have a low to mid-end processor, you can also try to raise the priority of the AlchemyTV DVR application. The freeware Process Wizard is recommended.

Q: I am having some problems with dates and times entered in the 'Add Recording' window
A: Open System Preferences/International and verify that you are using a system default (eg. not custom) date/time format.

Q: AlchemyTV DVR seems to be dropping frames when recording
A: This is usually due to a lack of processing power. Closing all other applications, using MJPEG instead of MPEG-4, reducing the screen size, and making sure that no sound compression is set are the first steps to try. You can also set the process priority to a higher level by using Process Wizard.

Q: A scheduled recording stops after a few seconds and the log window indicates that the movie has been partially recorded to disk
A: Make sure that 'Put hard drives to sleep whenever possible' should be turned off in Energy Saver. If the problem persists, delete the file "de.meilenstein.AlchemyTV.DVR.plist" located in Users > <Username> > Library > Preferences

Black screens, no sound and others

Q: The TV window stays black.
A: If the TV window stays black, try the following:

- Make sure you have selected the correct video input on the onscreen controller
- Delete the preference files and folder 'de.meilenstein.alchemytv.dvr.plist' located in Username/Library/Preferences. This will reset all the software settings
- Open Disk Utility located in Applications/Utilities, select your hard drive and press the 'Repair Permissions' button.
- Restart your Mac and hold down the Apple, Alt, P, R keys until you hear a second startup sound

Q: I have no sound. What should I do?
A: If there is no audio, try the following:

- Make sure the mute button is not activated
- Make sure the volume is not set to zero
- Verify in Preferences/Video Input/Audio/Expert Settings, that the Destination is set to internal or internal&external
- Verify that the linked video and audio inputs are correctly set. In Preferences/Video Input/Audio, the video input (eg. the TV Tuner, Composite or S-Video input) is displayed on the left side of the window. The linked audio input (eg. the audio input that will be used for the given video input) is selectable on the right side of the screen.

The standard settings are shown on the three pictures below:
- TV Tuner
- Composite with audio in (TV Card)
- S-Video with audio in (TV Card)

- Open Disk Utility located in Applications/Utilities, select your hard drive and press the 'Repair Permissions' button.
- If none of this helps, delete the preference file 'de.meilenstein.alchemytv.dvr.plist' located in ~/Username/Library/Preferences. This will reset all the software settings

Q: When I press the record button, the audio 'crackles'
A: Open Preferences > Video Input > Audio > Expert Settings and lower the gain control.

Q: When I try to open the TV window, I get a message saying 'All Video inputs are in use'
A: Verify that the AlchemyTV driver is installed in your system. The driver should be listed in Apple System Profiler under 'Extensions'. If it is not present, reinstall the software. If this does not help, delete the folder 'de.meilenstein.alchemytv.dvr' located in Username/Library/Preferences

Codecs, Recording sizes

Q: What codecs are recommended
A: We recommend using MJPEG or MPEG-4 for live recordings. MJPEG requires less processing power and can achieve a higher picture quality than MPEG-4, but at the expense of required drive space. MPEG-4 requires more processor power than MJPEG and should only be used with a G4/1GHz and faster. Powerful Macs can also encode directly in DV-25.

Q: What sound compression codec should I use?
A: Sound compression should be set to 'none' for best results.

Q: I installed the DivX codec, but it does not appear in the list of codecs in AlchemyTV DVR.
A: DivX encoding works with DivX 5.1.1. Later versions no longer have an image codec required for live encodings. 5.1.1 should still be available on DivX's site.

Q: What codec should I use if I wish to burn to CD or DVD?
A: AlchemyTV DVR does not encode directly in MPEG-1 or 2, as no QuickTime component is available for MPEG-2 encoding. Using a codec like DV-25 or MJPEG is the best option. A recorded movie can then be recorded to DVD using the MovieGate plug-in, for example (or iDVD or Roxio Toast).

Q: I am recording in MPEG-4 and the QuickTime movies are taking a lot of space on my hard drive.
A: You can reduce the size by adjusting the datarate in the motion menu. This menu is accessible via Video Input/Compression/Expert Settings. For advanced users only.

Q: My remote control does not work
A: Please refer to the remote control FAQ

TitanTV issues

Q: I have selected a recording on TitanTV.com, a file ending with .tvpi was downloaded to my hard drive, but nothing happens when I click on it.
A: Run the Setup Assistant again and make sure to select USA as your country.

Q: When I double click on a .tvpi file, the Finder does not launch AlchemyTV DVR but a competitor's software
A: You were probably running the competitor's software previously. To resolve this issue, control-click on a .tvpi file and select 'Get Info'. In the information window, expand the 'Open with' item and click on other to select AlchemyTV DVR.

Q: The link to TitanTV.com has dissapeared from the AlchemyTV DVR menu.
A: Run the Setup Assistant again and make sure to select USA as your country. This can happen if you reinstall the software.

Q: Is there a way to open a TitanTV tvpi file automatically in AlchemyTV DVR?
A: With 2.4 of the software, TitanTV files are opened automatically if you use Safari.
There is also a workaround for FireFox:
Download the MIMEtype Editor extension and create a new MIMEtype "application/titantv" which is keyed to .tvpi and set to launch with AlchemyTV DVR. The first time you restart Firefox, you will be asked by Firefox if you wish to launch AlchemyTV DVR. Check the "Always do this" button and click Yes. Afterward, clicking 'record' in TitanTV will be a completely automated process; downloads .tvpi, launches AlchemyTV with it, AlchemyTV adds it to the recording queue and deletes the .tvpi. (Thanks to Andrew for this tip received via e-mail).

iChat Patch

Q: Is AlchemyTV DVR incompatible with my iSight?
A: No. There is a conflict between the AlchemyTV DVR driver and iChat AV however. This is due to a bug in iChat and this also appears with other QuickTime driven video devices. We provide a workaround in the form of a patch as we cannot modify the iChat code to solve the bug.

Q: When I try to use my iSight or FireWire camera in iChat I get an error message saying 'the video device is already in use'.
A: Check that you have installed the Application Enhancer and the iChat patch from the CD. These files are available for download as well.

Q: I have installed the iChat patch, but I am still getting an error message
A: Try the following:
- If you have installed multiple card support, uninstall it (Multiple card support is *only* needed if you have more than one card installed in your system.
If that does not help:
- Uninstall the iChat patch
- Uninstall the Application Enhancer
- Reboot
- Install the Application Enhancer
- Install the iChat patch
- Reboot
If this still does not help, you will have to start the AlchemyTV DVR application before launching iChat.

Using AlchemyTV DVR with other applications:

Q: What applications have been tested with the AlchemyTV DVR driver?
A: Any application that can communicate with a QuickTime based video input device should be compatible with AlchemyTV DVR. An application compatibility page is available here.

Q: Can I change the TV tuner settings without having to launch AlchemyTV DVR?
A: Yes. You can open the Terminal and enter 'AlchemyTVSetTuner'. Information is available by entering 'info AlchemyTVSetTuner '.

Q: Final Cut Pro 4 does no launch once I have installed AlchemyTV DVR. What should I do?
A: This FCP bug was fixed in subsequent releases. Please download the 4.1.1 update for Final Cut.

Q: I am using a third-party application and I cannot access my normal video input (DV Camera, DV converter, Webcam, etc...). The only available video source is AlchemyTV DVR.
A: This is usually due to a bug in the QuickTime code of the application you are using. Please submit a bug report to the developer of the application you are using. Miglia will be more than pleased to help any developer to resolve a compatibility issue.
A workaround is to first launch AlchemyTV DVR and then your third-party application.