I have a desktop that I would like to convert into a PVR. I’ve done some research and I’m at the verge of picking up a tv-tuner to use with GB-PVR and I’d like some suggestions. Here are the specs of the desktop:

Sony Vaio Desktop
- P4 1.5ghz (478-socket)
- 512 mb RAM pc-133 (that’s all the board will take)
- 60 gb hard drive
- DVD rom (no burner)
- FX 5200 128 mb video card (AGP w/ no dvi out)
- PCI slot 1 (USB 2.0 card since board has only 1.1)
- PCI slot 2&3 are open
- I also am inheriting a Harmony remote (not sure which model) in the near future

I don’t have cable or anything like that so I’m limited to local channels which at the current time are all broadcast in analog and digital with some HD content on the digital stations. I’d like to take advantage of the free OTA HD, but I think I will have to wait until I have a more powerful PC. Upgrading this old VAIO doesn’t seem like a good idea given its socket, lack of USB 2.0, slow bus speed etc. Am I right, or is this computer up to the task of HD playback?

I’d like to start playing around with GB-PVR, but I need to get a capture card first. I was thinking that I could get a combo card so that I could utilize the NTSC side now with my weak computer and then utilize both NTSC/ATSC with a decent system in the future. Or should I just get an analog card now and then upgrade cards later?

Here are the cards that I have found that look like they might work:
ATI 650 (~$70 @ Newegg)
HVR 1600 (~$85 @ Newegg)
ATI 550 analog only(~$40 @ Newegg)
HVR 950 usb (~$60 various places)

Here are my questions about these cards:
Will the 550 or 650 perform the same on analog duties (in terms of processor utilization, picture quality)?

Will the hvr 1600 record ntsc and watch live atsc at the same time or can it only use one tuner at a time? How about the 650?

As far as I can tell, the hvr 950 doesn't have hardware encoding. Is that correct? It will require more processor than the other devices right?

Sorry for the long post. Please help me if you can.

Just updated to the latest version of GBPVR and in previous versions I have updated my epg using dvb-epg broadcast. However on this version it just searches for a couple of seconds says it saved, but none appear. I am tuned into the waltham transmitter.

Any ideas?

Cheers boff

Hello,

I've just attempted to begin to use GBPVR, but I'm having issues with getting the application to detect the channels I've loaded through the EPG source.

I opened an account through schedules direct, and have successfully retrieved my channel schedule. However, when I start GB-PVR, none of the channels will load, and I get the error message "No channels have been set up. Please run the configuration utility and set up EPG source, etc"

I have all of my channels checked "enabled" in the config utility. The card I'm using is a DVB-T Phillips/Asus 7131.

I have been able to successfully use this TV card with other software in the past.

Thank you for your help and your time! I'm excited to get this software to work, I've heard great things about it.

Someone tell me if I'm doing something wrong, cus obviously I am. Yes I'm a noob to gbpvr it looks like an awesome alternative to wmc. I'm running vista 32bit ultimate edition, with a Happauge pvr 150 internal card.

When I go to use the Config utility, and setup my capture devices, I click "add" and the "Create Capture Source" window pops up, then select all the appropraite hardware etc, and I leave EPG (what does this stand for) source as the XMLTV plugin. Then I click on "Update EPG" and a little status window pops up and says it's retrieveing a list....but nothing EVER pops up in the big window below the options where I guess would be a channel listing.

Then I try it anyways and go back into GBPVR to try out the live tv and it tells me that there are no channels setup and to use the Update EPG button to force the system to import the latest channels etc.......

So what am I missing here.....I know it's something simple but everything I've tried doesn't work and I did add the channels manually...but then my scheduler would not work.....

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP....LOL

can't program via webgui and "manual record". sth. is going wrong there. Sometimes I program a time, the record time is showing in "manage records" is totally wrong! Othertimes i cant even open the popup:

Quote:Server Error in '/gbpvr' Application.
Runtime Error
Description: An application error occurred on the server. The current custom error settings for this application prevent the details of the application error from being viewed remotely (for security reasons). It could, however, be viewed by browsers running on the local server machine.

I've just bought a new computer to act as a media server. GB-PVR will run on it with MVP attached (for downstairs tv) and a seperate pc acting as a client (in a bedroom).

The pc has Vista home basic installed but I have a license for Server 2003 that I could install. I don't intend to have a monitor or keyboard attached to the box and want to it work without any intervention (scheduling recordings via MVP and client PC and occassional checks on the machine itself using remote desktop).

Having had no experience of Vista will it handle this happily or will updates and their reboots happen that could affect recordings? I'm thinking that server 2003 would be better in the long term but it's the effort of having to install it and set it up, it's only worth it if it will be much more stable and easier to maintain.

So what do people who run a machine as a GB-PVR/media server use? Are there any things that are worth doing, or not?

Not sure what actual key stroke this corresponds to but the MCE Green button in GBPVR when viewing LiveTV brings up program info box that is browsable! exactly the browse mode I was looking for! You can browse the current program descriptions quickly and just hit ok when you see one you want. Perfect for Channel flickers.

Unfortunately it does'nt work in PVRX2

Please please please!

Thanks,

Lindsay

I have just got a Hauppauge Nova T 500 Card and I am having trouble setting it up.What settings do I have to alter in the config set up and do I have to set up the 2 tuners on the card seperatly. I would be gratefull of any help as i am new to this. I cannot get on with the Hauppauge software.

With thanks
Mickr

I hope not but sometimes I feel like it. A friend sent me this Youtube video called Middle Ages Tech Support and I am sharing it as I think most of us can relate to at least of of the characters.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LRBIVRwvUeE

Hi thank you for the great product I love using GB-PVR but I’m having a minor issue that I hope can be resolved. I’m using the latest version of GB-PVR with no plug-ins right now when I schedule recordings one after another (ex. record 12 P.M. – 1 P.M. and then start another 1 P.M. – 2 P.M.) even on the same channel I’m left with a second gap between the two recordings. Is there anything I can do to make it seamless rather than make the recording longer (ex. recording 12 P.M. to 2 P.M.)?

I don’t believe my computer is underpowered but here are the specs if it may be an issue: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 motherboard, 3GHz Intel dual core Conroe CPU, 4GB DDR2 RAM, GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 video card, WinTV PVR-150 capture card running on Win XP SP2.