ATI Radeon HD 4200 Fails Digital Cable Advisor

[arvindkanda]

Hello,

I am using ATI Radeon HD 4200 for the HTPC and using an HDMI output. When I run the cable analyzer, the WMC suggests that the graphics card does not meet the minimum requirements. I am also not able to configure digital video because of this. Any hacks other than upgrading the graphics card to get around this problem?

TIA
arvind

[Scallica]

You can override the advisor, but it is not recommended.

http://www.missingremote.com/guide/over ... a-center-7

[erkotz]

Try running the Windows System assessment, then re-running the DCA

[arvindkanda]

I heard from another forum that I can try downloading the latest drivers for the graphics card which might do the trick. I am going to try that first.

[mcewinter]

Did you try Erkotz' suggestion? If so, how is your monitor hooked up?

A current driver will help only if you are using a pretty old driver which is likely if you installed the driver from your MB disk.

[SilverRubicon]

Strange, my HD 4200 has never failed to pass the Digital Cable Advisor test. Something must be wrong with your drivers or the connection. Are you using a HDCP compatible display (HDMI/DVI) ?

[arvindkanda]

Installation of latest drivers didnt help. I am still having the same problem.

I tried Erkotz' suggestion of rerunning the experience index and the DCA. Still no help. The analysis fails on the third step.

I have the system connected to an HDTV via HDMI cable.

Let me know what else I can do?

[mcewinter]

The experience index failed?

I have a system with HD4200 and I know it will pass DCA. What is your display?

[arvindkanda]

The experience index failed?

I have a system with HD4200 and I know it will pass DCA. What is your display?

it is a panasonic HDTV connected via HDMI.

[erkotz]

What are your WEI ratings? Also, have you tried upgrading your video drivers and re-running WEI rating?

[arvindkanda]

processor 7.3
memory 5.9
graphics 3.2
gaming graphics 4.7
primary hard disk 6.9

yes i installed latest drivers and reran the WEI.

[SilverRubicon]

How old or what is the model number of the HDTV? Have you tried switching out the HDMI cable? The card is capable of passing the test. Not real sure what the issue could be. How much RAM do you have devoted to the integrated video? Maybe it's not the video card but a problem with the motherboard.

BTW, your graphics score is very low (3.2). Mine is a 4.6 with an HD4200 and an AMD Sempron processor. That's about as low as a spec as you can have without dropping down to an atom processor.

scores: 6.3/7.2/4.6/5.5/6.9

[richard1980]

It's my understanding that there is a threshold for each of the tested scores, and if a score falls below that threshold, you fail the DCA. So I think the problem is that 3.2 score, and I think the solution is to figure out how to boost it. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to boost it.

[Wolfshadw]

Found this page on AnandTech that shows some examples of the WEI scores necessary.

@mcewinter - Could you run the WEI Test on your system with the HD4200 and see what score you're getting for graphics?

-Wolf sends

[arvindkanda]

How old or what is the model number of the HDTV? Have you tried switching out the HDMI cable? The card is capable of passing the test. Not real sure what the issue could be. How much RAM do you have devoted to the integrated video? Maybe it's not the video card but a problem with the motherboard.

BTW, your graphics score is very low (3.2). Mine is a 4.6 with an HD4200 and an AMD Sempron processor. That's about as low as a spec as you can have without dropping down to an atom processor.

scores: 6.3/7.2/4.6/5.5/6.9

I think I have fairly decent components. AMD Phenom II X4 840 and MSI 785GT-E63 Motherboard. Don't remember the model of HDTV and it is about two years old. I will also try switching the HDMI cable. But correct me if I am wrong, the system is no way of knowing of what display it is connected to. It is simply going to base its assessment on the onboard components, right?

[arvindkanda]

I also found on the web, some ways of cheating, to fudge the the assessment score. Not sure if it is a good idea.

[mcewinter]

Found this page on AnandTech that shows some examples of the WEI scores necessary.

@mcewinter - Could you run the WEI Test on your system with the HD4200 and see what score you're getting for graphics?

-Wolf sends

I have since bypassed my HD4200 with an add-on card but I definitly have passed DCA prior to that and the score was low 3.1/3.2. I have a Revo that scores low as well and passes DCA.

[richard1980]

I also found on the web, some ways of cheating, to fudge the the assessment score. Not sure if it is a good idea.

I read somewhere that one way to boost the score is to disable Aero. Perhaps it's worth a shot. Completely disable Aero (IIRC, this is done by changing the desktop theme to a non-Aero theme and then disabling the Desktop Window Manager service), re-run the WEI assessment, and then re-run the DCA.

[mcewinter]

Also, how much memory do you have dedicated to your video. Is there some certainty that the assessment score is the culprit?

[richard1980]

I don't really know for sure. I know the DCA does look at the WEI scores, and based on several posts that I've read before, some people have gone from failing the DCA to passing it just by boosting the WEI scores. And like I said earlier, I think I read somewhere that there is a threshold, but I am not 100% certain that this is correct. Assuming it is, I don't know that the AnandTech article is listing the threshold values...it doesn't really say that in the article.

That said, I think it is also probable that there is some other problem caused both the low WEI score and the DCA failure. Perhaps that problem will cause DCA failure no matter how high the WEI score is.