faqs

faqs

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  • [1] if I start a game on Windows Vista using the shortcut "Run as administrator with amBX" from the context menu, I cannot disable the effects by disabling the Gaming FXGen from the Application Manager. How can I disable the amBX effects?

    This is a known issue. The effect also won't stop when you shutdown the Application Manager. If you don't want this game to generate amBX effects you can select the "Disabled" profile in the Application Manager.

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  • [2] can I see amBX in action?

    amBX kits are on sale across Europe, the UK and the United States. Visit http://www.ambx.com/site/consumer/peripherals/availablenow for your nearest retailer.

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  • [3] does the Audio FXGen generate light effects when I play back multi-channel audio files?

    Yes it does, as long as Windows Media Player support playback of these files. The light effects may however not be optimal. The Audio FXGen uses a so called Visualizer to analyze the audio and generate light effects. When Windows Media Player plays multi-channel audio files it makes a stereo down-mix and presents this to the visualizer. Therefore the effects will be based on this stereo down-mix.

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  • [4] does the FXGen support Winamp for video playback?

    We recommend only using Winamp for audio if you want to generate amBX effects. The video playback mode is not supported. If you switch from video to the audio visualiser the effects you see are not related to the video but are related to the audio visualiser. (VLC is a recommended video playback option for amBX effects).

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  • [5] how do I get amBX effects to work with VLC Media Player?

    When playing audio files a visualizer must be running to get amBX effects. When playing videos VLC must be configured to OpenGL or Direct3D rendering mode. From the Menu click Settings->Preferences. Expand ‘Video’, and click on Output modules. Enable advanced options (bottom right of dialog). The output module can now be selected.

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  • [6] how does amBX work?

    It provides a common language for the creation and distribution of ambient experiences to enhance content, including games, through peripherals and devices. In fact, amBX is shorthand for ‘ambient experiences’. In essence, it’s a language, a software engine and architecture: middleware that, in many ways, is like a physics engine. But it’s what amBX does that makes the difference.

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  • [7] how much does it cost?

    The cost comes in two parts: the software (and games are already affordable) and the devices that are required to create the amBX experience in your room. amBX is an enabling technology, and we are currently licensing the amBX ‘experience engine’ to developers, publishers and other media providers, as well as hardware, peripheral and device manufacturers. The first hardware providers have announced different configurations to suit different tastes and budgets. US: Premium Kit = $399; ProGamer Kit = $299; Starter Kit = $199; Extension Kit = $99. UK: Premium Kit = £279; ProGamer Kit = £229; Starter Kit = £149; Extension Kit = £79. Europe: Premium Kit = 399 Euros; ProGamer Kit = 299 Euros; Starter Kit = 199 Euros; Extension Kit = 129 Euros. UK

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  • [8] if I run a game and Windows Media Player at the same time, why do I sometimes get unexpected amBX effects?

    it is possible to run multiple amBX-enabled applications at the same time. Each application will try to have the experience it wants to create rendered on the amBX equipment. You can imagine that this may lead to unexpected results. Therefore it is advised you run only one amBX-enabled application at a time.

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  • [9] what do I need?

    An amBX-enabled PC game plus amBX-enabled devices in your room. The devices respond to the instructions embedded in the game content and automatically join in to create the experience. That’s it.

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  • [10] when I click on the profile name in the Application Manager, the drop down list doesn't appear. How can I select a different profile?

    The list containing the games and profile probably has a horizontal scroll bar. Make the Game column smaller so the horizontal scroll bar disappears. Now you click on the profile name and select a different profile from the drop drown list.

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  • [11] why do I get an error message when I start the Application Manager? ("This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem.")

    Freshly installed OS (XP/Vista) may be missing the required Visual C runtimes. The following url download from Microsoft is recommended: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=200B2FD9-AE1A-4A14-984D-389C36F85647&displaylang=en

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  • [12] why do I not get any FXGen effects whilst playing multiplayer games in online mode?

    online servers that require you to enable Punk Buster do not allow you to connect while the FXGen is enabled. At this time we recommend that you disable the FXGen and restart the game or use a server without Punk Buster where possible.

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  • [13] why does the amBX FXGen stop working when I run Fraps?

    some of the techniques that Fraps uses are similar to the FXGen and can cause a conflict when the two applications run together. We are looking into a solution that may allow them to work parallel. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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  • [14] why doesn't the audio FXGen generate amBX effects when I minimize Windows Media Player?

    the audio FXGen uses a visualization to generate the amBX effects. When Windows Media Player is minimized it doesn't feed the visualizer with audio information. Hence the visualizer cannot analyze the audio information to create amBX effects. It is however possible to put other application windows on top of Windows Media Player, even full screen, and still enjoy the amBX effects with your music.

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  • [15] why don't I get any amBX effects with Command & Conquer 3?

    amBX effects are currently supported for the latest version of the game. Please make sure that you have the latest patch of the game (v.1.0.9) which can be found at http://www.commandandconquer.com/community/patches/default.aspx.

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  • [16] why don't I get other amBX effects apart from background lighting in Oblivion?

    The gaming FXGen doesn't support all screen resolutions in Oblivion. If you use a widescreen monitor the majority of resolutions selected will work with Oblivion However, if using a non-widescreen monitor you should not select a widescreen resolution because it will stretch the image. As a result not all amBX effects will work. The following resolutions give the best results: 640 x 480; 720 x 576; 800 x 600; 1152 x 864; 1280 x 1024.

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  • [17] why don't I get some amBX effects with my FXGen+ games?

    The gaming FXGen needs to analyse the screen resolution and can only determine this once when the Application Manager starts up. When the display resolution is changed, the Application Manager needs to be restarted so it can determine the new display resolution. Any application that was running with the gaming FXGen also needs to be restarted. Some video cards have a feature to let the video card do the scaling in stead of the monitor. If this feature is used, the Application Manager cannot determine the resolution properly. Hence some effects may not work as expected. It is therefore recommended not to use this feature and let the monitor do the scaling.

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