Grief in Wellington

[jrothlis]

Hi Sub,

I'd been thinking about the whole PVR thing for ages (a couple of years), and after finding GB-PVR and discovering it would interface with the MVP, well I was sold! So I went out and ordered a WinTV-PVR 250 and it arrived yesterday. And so began my frustration.

I still haven't been able to tune the channels! I get *some* stuff, but it I can't get all the channels. I have tried both GB-PVR and the bundled software (WinTV2k). I never realised this would be as frustrating as it has been.

Have you got any ideas for a kiwi noob?

Thanks.


--John Röthlisberger

[sub]

Hi John, I'm also in Wellington.

I personally use composite input from my TelstraClear cable box, so dont use the tuner often. My PC is actually nowhere near my antenna, so its kind of difficult for me to give you exact instructions for getting it going. I only really used the tuner when I was doing some of my initial development of GB-PVR, and had cable snaking their way through the house. That said, I'm sure we can work it out.

Do you have New Zealand PVR250, or was it purchased from overseas?

What channels have you been able to tune in (via WinTV2K or GB-PVR), and which ones are missing that you'd also like to get?

There is a useful NZ specific page here worth reading - http://www.nerdthings.com/forum_viewtopic.php?3.213 This provides *some* of the information required.

[jrothlis]

Ok.

Yes, purchased the PVR250 from Ascent (their supplier was Krome.co.nz).

With WinTV2k I can't tune using set channel numbers, but I can using the actual frequencies. That is what I have spent most of today discovering. The problem is that TV1 is *supposedly* on 45.250 MHz and WinTV2k won't let me go below 48 MHz. Huh?

I've edited the reg file from the link you provided (adjusting the channel numbers with what I think they are) and now just have to wait another few minutes while the box rebuilds with XP for the third time. I tried Windows Server 2003 and that didn't work at all (no signal from either GB-PVR or WinTV2k -- just a black window). I have rebuilt so many times I've actually made a winnt.sif unattended install so that it takes less time.

No wonder appliances you buy at LV Martins etc. have the edge -- you plug them in and they work. I never anticipated how complicated and frustrating this was going to be. And I make a living off computers; how do regular people do this sort of stuff? Having said that, it seems like *everything* is set up for the US, and we are just struggling against the tide.

Oh well. I will post an update in half an hour or so with my results. Thanks very much for your support.


--John

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]No wonder appliances you buy at LV Martins etc. have the edge -- you plug them in and they work. I never anticipated how complicated and frustrating this was going to be. And I make a living off computers; how do regular people do this sort of stuff?

Yes, this sort of project is very much for the enthusiast. Its never going to painless, and its never going to be perfect.
Specialist devices will always be better for dedicated tasks. A roll-you-own solution like GB-PVR (and many of the other PVR software packages out there) will always have to make compromises and live within the constraints of available devices, programming APIs etc, but can give you much more flexibility in terms of adding additional features etc.

[jrothlis]

Windows XP with SP1 fresh install
.NET Framework 1.1
Latest Hauppauge driver downloaded from their site
Added the .REG file from NerdThings
Installed GB-PVR
Added source, pointed to XML file downloaded from http://ontv.freesites.ws/

I run GB-PVR, hit Live TV, and after about 10 seconds am faced with a black screen. That's it.

I think I am worse off than before. Right at the beginning I was getting one or two channels (I can't recall which ones). Now I get nothing.

[jrothlis]

GB-PVR is now working. I installed the full Hauppauge suite of software that comes on the CD. I also rebooted. One of those two things has made everything work.

So I guess I'm happy. Once the frustration wears off I will be able enjoy it! =)

Thanks Sub for your help and for an excellent free product.


--John