Plextor 402U TV and SVideo problems

[robb]

I am testing GBPVR, so far it looks very nice! But I am having problems getting my Composite or SVideo working. The forums have multiple questions regarding this but none of the answers seem to work for me, including the Wiki. My intention was to use the SVideo/Composite for my VCR watching.

Any help setting this up would be appreciated!

I am using version 0.96.12 (latest version as of 2006-04-25), XP PRO with the latest updates and a Plextor 402TVU.


I currently have the cable tuner working fine. The SVideo is another matter. My Configuration:

Using: GPVR Config
Capture Sources:
Plextor TV
Recording Source: GO7007SB Recording Plugin (WORKS!)
Capture Card Type: Plextor ConvertX TV402U
Recording Source: Tuner
Video Standard: NTSC_M
Device Number: 1
Country: USA
Tuning: Cable
Quality Profile Settings: Medium (using default settings)
EPG Source: Zap2It (configured with name/passowrd, WORKS!)
Chanel Changer: No Channel Changer Required
Channels: Loaded fine

S-Video
Recording Source: GO7007SB Recording Plugin
Capture Card Type: Plextor ConvertX TV402U
Recording Source: S-Video
Video Standard: NTSC_M
Device Number: 1
Country: USA
Tuning: n/a
Quality Profile Settings: Medium (using default settings)
EPG Source: None
Chanel Changer: No Channel Changer Required
Channel
Manually added SVID at 100 using [ADD] button. I had to click [Update EPG] before the [ADD] button was clickable.

Channels tab:
All my channels from 'Plextor TV' appear but the SVideo channel seems to wander. Sometimes its at 100, then at 102. This may be caused by my ealier experimentations. I cleared the EPG (SVIDEO), reloaded the EPG but that made little difference. It also appears that adding a channel via "Capture Sources" does not show up immediatly in the "Channels" tab.

GB-PVR:
The program guide shows SVID but it has no channel listed and there is no black bar. It cannot be scrolled to and selected. manually recording this appears to work but nothing plays back, the play back screen does not even appear. It just bounces back to the menu.

I have verified there are no other PVR or tuner related applciations running besides GB-PVR.

On occasion I have gotton the SVID to appear but the audio is from the TV tunner. I even got it to do the reverse. I am not sure how this happened, it was late and I was just playing around with it.

If it helps SageTV handles the TV and SVid perfectly so I do not think it is hardware. I think I would prefer GB-PVR, especially since it has a CD player.

[RANT] How other "Media Centers" can be called such without CD player functionality is a mystery to me [/RANT]

[JonnyCam]

Hi,

I am not sure, but dont you also have to assign the channel to Svideo through the channels tab. (double click on the channel set up as [channel name] and then on one of the tabs you can set where that channel gets it's video feed from. ( think it's the last tab, theres is a set of 3 or 4 drop down boxes)
If there is no EPG Data then you cannot scroll to or select that channel. You could have some dummy EPG data added to the XML file before doing an EPG update through some sort of batch file (each program is 1 hour long, shows as "VCR Channel" or similar) - eithewr that or you should be able to type in channel 100 and hit enter and go to that channel.

Not sure if any of this will help.

Thanks

[robb]

Thanks for the help but I am not sure I understand. The 'Channel' tab in the Config does not appear to support double click. The only option I have in the "Channel" tab is to click/unclick Favorites or change the channel number (I assume this is for remapping).

Using the "Channels" section of the "Capture Sources" I have added a channel. In my case I gave it the name 'SVID' and the channel 100 and made sure it was enabled.

Now for a strange twist. When I modified the "Channel" tab channel, changing to to 102 then back to 100 I got the S-Video outout to appear as channel 100! BUT the sound from the RCA jacks is now present on EVERY channel, even though the TV channels tune video properly. Something is very much amiss.

[JonnyCam]

I see. Maybe I was mistaken - I thought you could double click on the individual channel within the channels tab and it opened a dialog box with three tabs on it. (yeah, I see where there was confusion - I said double clik on the channels - but it should have said doublechlick on each channel that you wish to change)

From there you can set each channels tuning / input device - plus name them to whatever you want. (I had to use this screen as I use a set top box - and had to allocate each to the external tuner)

Not sure about the aduio - I am at work at the moment and cant seem to access my GBPVR webserver (firewall at work)
so cant confirm this - I'll check when I get home and if you still havent had any luck then I'll confirm if my memory is accurate or not!.

Thanks

[robb]

I am still missing something, its almost like I have a different version of GB-PVR. I have found two locations where channels are mentioned in the Config program:

1. Capture Sources TAB
[Edit] Source
Channels Panel
I can add or edit by altering field data. But no further options appear

2. Channels TAB
A list of all channels for all capture sources appears. The channel I added
via 'Capture Sources' is listed and I can change the channel number (remap?)
but cannot change the Channel name (that makes sense).

May be I am no longer qualified to use Windows! I have been a Linux guy for 8 years (Perl programmer) and only use Windows occasionally! And yes I have played with MythTV but it did not handle my devices as well as Windows, although experimentation continues.

I really appreciate you taking time to help me through this!

[JonnyCam]

My fault - my mind is not really up to this I dont think.

I was thinking of something totally unreleated to your problem. Forget everything I said.

Sorry for the hassle!

[robb]

Hey, you tried to help. Can't fault a guy for that! Still working on this issue but so far no progress. Feels like a bug in GB-PVR related to support for the Plextor.

[sub]

Feels like a bug in GB-PVR related to support for the Plextor.

It probably is a GB-PVR bug. Sorry, but I'm no longer actively supporting this device. I havnt tested it with GB-PVR for many releases (nearly a year?). There are just too few people using them to focus time on these GO7007SB devices.

[robb]

YIKES, I was very afraid of that!

Thanks for the heads up. I will try and return one of the two I have and maybe sell the other on EBAY or archive it for future use.