=

AST RESEARCH, INC.          TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1463               3-15-96

=


	   Advantage! Block Buster Entertainment Video Files Distorted 


PROBLEM

When videos are played from Block Buster Entertainment Movies and Videos 
software bundled with some Advantage! units, the videos appear choppy and 
distorted.  NOTE:  Block Buster Entertainment Videos are in the MPEG format.


CAUSE

The CPU usage level in ATI Player is set to a lower level for resource 
conservation.  NOTE:  Block Buster Entertainment Movies and Videos uses 
the ATI player to run the MPEG files.


SOLUTION

Follow the steps outlined below to increase the CPU usage.  These settings 
will effect the way Block Buster Entertainment plays the MPEG files 
associated with the program.

NOTE: Increasing the usage will reduce the resources available to other 
applications when running at the same time as the ATI Player.


1.  From the Windows 95 desktop, click on the <Start> button.
2.  Highlight "Programs", "ATI Multimedia", and "ATI Player".
3.  Double Click on "ATI Player" to launch the application.
4.  Click on the <Open Folder> button located at the bottom of the viewer.
5.  Select "D:" from the drive list.  (Make sure that the Block Buster CD is 
    in the CD-ROM drive.)
6.  In the "Directories" area, double click on "Media".
7.  Double click on "Videos" to list available video files.
8.  Choose any one of the video files listed by clicking on it and then 
    click "OK".
9.  Click on the icon at the bottom of the viewer that looks like a computer.
10. Click on the <Configure> button in the "ATI Player Settings" view. 
11. Move the "CPU Utilization" slide bar to 90%.
12. Click "OK" to exit the MCI ATI Configuration utility.
13. Click "OK" to exit the "ATI Player Settings".
14. Click on the triangle in the lower left corner of the viewer to test video.
15. Exit "ATI Player" when MPEG plays satisfactorily.


SYSTEMS AFFECTED
AST Part Number and Description

501976-XXX      Advantage! 628
501975-XXX      Advantage! 626/625
501974-XXX      Advantage! 624/623
501969-XXX      Advantage! 628
501968-XXX      Advantage! 828
501967-XXX      Advantage! 826/826E
501966-XXX      Advantage! 824/823
501965-XXX      Advantage! 626/625
501964-XXX      Advantage! 624/623/624E
501963-XXX      Advantage! 822/821
501962-XXX      Advantage! 621