Have witnessesd a complete oddity:
Am trying to get video capture working with an old card.
Have used several capture programs in the attempt; all show the video
window, none capture.
HOWever: yesterday tried VirtualDub, used its "test file" function, which
produced a ten-second, 400MB .AVI file that a checking program says is OK.
Played the file in Windows Media Player 9. Saw a gorgeous, flowing, waving,
brilliantly colored abstract image moving on-screen, thought "that's nice."
Tried the same file a little later, to discover the flowing colored image
had CHANGED.
Method: close WMP, double-click on the .avi file. (WMP opens, starts
playing the file). Close WMP, re-click on the _same_ file. (Different
image). Close WMP, re-click on the _same_ file. (DIFFERENT image....)
This is to my mind impossible. WMP is playing the SAME .avi file, but every
time it plays it, what shows on screen is different --sometimes radically
different.
(Anyone who has ever seen "video feedback" or deliberately used video
feedback to create abstract imagery, would recognize what I'm seeing as such.)
It is as if the .AVI file contains nothing but instruction to the video
card, to take its output and stuff it directly back into its input. I can't
think of anything else....
I mean, it's _impossible_ for WMP to play a single .avi file differently
everytime it's run, right?
(I wanted to ask this of Microsoft's hardcore technicians, but I ain't
payin' ninety-nine buck$ just to satisfy a real puzzling curiosity that
apparently doesn't have anything to do with making the capture card work to
capture....)

Does anyone have any idea what could possibly cause WMP (v.9) to play a
single .avi file differently every time, or what could be in the file that
makes the video card feed back on itself when played in WMP ??

This one has me floored. It's shocking to see out of control feedback-like
imagery on a _digital_ decive like a computer, especially when whatever-it-is
has been _hard-coded_ into a file on disk....

Thanks.
(I'd love an email note, if any techie knows what this is...)