Using multi-pin input on Sigma X-Card?

[joshley]

Hello!
I have a PVR-350 and just installed GB-PVR. As I have a digital cable NTL box so the only methods I can use to connect NTL to my HTPC is via Scart Out to S-Video in on PVR-350 (via multipin) or RF-OUT to RF-IN on PVR-350. BUT, if I could use the S-Video in on the Sigma Designs X-Card, I wouldn't need the PVR-350 at all!!
Is there any way this can be achieved? Is it really simple or am I missing something altogether?
Also, it seems that whatever I output to the TV from, there only seems to be 256 colours, which makes the lovely backdrops on GB-PVR look like my nans worst wallpaper! I've tried all options I can think of changing but no luck! My desktop is set to 32bit colours, and it looks fine on a normal screen output from the back of my graphics card (GeForce FX5200 128MB). Help!
Thanks in advance!
joshley

[sub]

The XCard is not a capture device. Its a playback device. There is no SVideo input on the XCard. It does have an SVideo output.

The OSD hardware on the XCard is only capable of showing 256 colors. I have included the flat "blue skin" which uses less colors, and as a result looks better on the XCard. You're also able to create your own skins that are more suited to 256 colors.

[joshley]

Cheers for the quick reply!
There's a VGA In on the X-Card which I think I was getting confused about. It uses the same multi-pin connection as the 'A/V Output Connector' on the PVR-350, so I thought maybe it could be used as an input. The Sigma site says that it is for inputting from the graphics card. What use does this connection have on the X-Card? Might it allow viewing of the desktop simpy via showing a simple video transmission of it (i.e. letting the graphics card do all the work)? I think I'll investigate that..
If I bought the RGB Scart option for the X-Card, would that provide more than 256 colours?
Thanks, and thanks for some effing awesome software!
josh

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]If I bought the RGB Scart option for the X-Card, would that provide more than 256 colours?

No, it the OSD hardware is only capable of displaying 256 colors.

[MrCarl]

Quote[/b] (sub @ Aug. 14 2004,14:44)]

Quote[/b] ]If I bought the RGB Scart option for the X-Card, would that provide more than 256 colours?

No, it the OSD hardware is only capable of displaying 256 colors.

Just noticed this... I was thinking of a solution with an XCard but does this mean that any picture/photo viewing though GB-PVR / XCard would be just 256 colour

- Carl

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]Just noticed this... I was thinking of a solution with an XCard but does this mean that any picture/photo viewing though GB-PVR / XCard would be just 256 colour

Yes, its not the best for photos, but pretty good for everything else.

[joshley]

Surely the tele stream itself is more than 256 colours?? Or am I going mad? The pic on the tele seems remarkably good colourwise! I tried making my backdrop with a specially tuned 256 colour pallette.. the 'Blue' background came out OK but not brilliant. Would it in ANY way be possible to use PVR-350s output for the menu system and X-Card for streaming video? It's just the digital out for sound is so much better on the X-Card! And picture is crisper in tele too, but the menu is a bit naff looking!
Would it be a case of restarting the recording service when going to and from the tele and the menu? Or to make it quicker perhaps run two services concurrently, but only one is operating at any one time.
Mind you, listening to music via the X-Card is much better again due to the S/PDIF output. Arg. I hate pro's and con's!!
The other thing is that when I use my X-Card's output, the picture looks like it's vibrating ever so slightly, but with a full screen of text it's enough to induce epilepsy! However, I'm not sure if this problem is tele specific, as I am yet to test on another tele. It is in both menu and TV but NOT DVD viewing. It's only prominent on vertical and horizontal lines, and boy does it vibrate!
I wish there was some way of using the X-Card for everything else and the 350 JUST for the menu system! Arg
goddamcomputers
joshley

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]Surely the tele stream itself is more than 256 colours??

Yes, but I'm not talking about the video stream. The video stream is capable of full color.

The XCard has special hardware for displaying graphics on top of the video stream. This is often referred to as OSD (On Screen Display). This OSD hardware is only capable of displaying 256 colors.

Quote[/b] ]I hate pro's and con's!!

I'd have to agree with you there!

Quote[/b] ]Would it in ANY way be possible to use PVR-350s output for the menu system and X-Card for streaming video?

No, I'm affraid not.

It is possible to come up with some nice looking skins that only use 256 colors.

[joshley]

Ok, how about a work-around...
Would it be possible to 'stream' the full colour GB-PVR screen as MPEG to the X-Card somehow? So technically the X-Card thinks it's playing a video all the time, when actually it's just a video being permanently rendered? This would probably slow the whole button response down by a few milliseconds but would mean that the X-Card could be used with more colours! Alternatively, I could put up with the TV being on 350s output, but what about switching to the X-Card JUST for watching DVDs? Come to think of it, I could do this myself by setting up Windows to automatically play DVDs in X-Media player and then just switching input on the tele and sound on the amp, so I might change my set up.
It is possible to make nice skins with 256 colours, but not view nice pics or have nice visualisations (seperate wishlist post of mine for jukebox ).
Of course the other option is to simply use the TV OUT on my graphics card (with GB-PVR full screen), plug that and the out from my X-Card into a two way switch unit and then into my TV. I think that would work... that way I should still get the S/PDIF out of my X-Card for music as it would be seperately streaming to my amp.
I will find a way dammit!!!

joshley

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]Would it be possible to 'stream' the full colour GB-PVR screen as MPEG to the X-Card somehow?

Sorry, you'll need to come up with your own work around.

I'm not going to look a kludges like encoding the menus as a movie. This type of thing could be hugely time consuming to implement, and in general a pretty ugly solution. 256 colours is a limitation of the OSD hardware you'll have to live with - sorry.