Help and Advice requested - Pixelated Video

[stefan]

The interesting thing is that the Test Bars that come up before I start the GBPVR app is perfect when using composite out. Cheers

But the recording is still bad? What driver version do you have? Check ftp://ftp.shspvr.com and see if you can find newer ones... It sounds to me like something is really screwed up with your mpeg encoding.

[chud]

to my eyes that doesn't look like a decoder issue. looks like a plain old noisey signal. hooking that cable connection directly up to your TV yields a decent picture? how does the picture look using the Hauppauge WinTV app?

[capone]

I agree it looks like reception. If it looks good in WinTV, then I would use the tuner import app, or tune in WinTV if they look bad, and then import those.

If every channel looks bad, that would be odd. I would still try manually tuning one channel to see if one can be cleaned up.

I also noticed that my 150 card is more senstive than the TV seems to be. You could try a singal booster or an FM trap (at worst, buy & return at your local return-friendly electronics store, eg Radio Shack). Also make sure to test w/ the same cable to the card & tv and not a split...bad cable is also a suspect.

If you can play a DVD and that looks fine (and you use same mpeg decoders for the DVD), I would be less inclined to think it is your graphics card, vid out cable, or decoders.

[sub]

I agree with the last two posters. This looks like bad reception.

[helboy]

Stefan: I am using the latest decoders from shspvr

Chud, Capone, Sub: My TV is directly connected into the Antenna cable and works fine. When I plug it into the 350, I get the pixelated(?) response.

I have also used different cables. When trying the Hauppage TV app, I can't even get a channel tuned in, even when I correctly set the country (NZ). All the channels look the same, i.e. bad!

I have a passive masthead amp in the mix (a good quality one providing splitting) which I'll remove for a test. Then I'll recheck. I'll also drop the card into an established machine and reinstall there to see if there is any change. I'll post the results back.

Cheers

helboy

[sub]

It may not be the ariel that is resulting in this poor reception. It may be some other reason that is causing the tuner on your PVR350 to not tune the correct frequency, giving you the same outcome.

I'd call you picture 'snowy'.

'Pixelated' is usually a term used for a picture that is made up of obvious square blocks.

[helboy]

After chasing a couple of small red fish around today, I think I am ready to accept I may have a tuning problem ;-)

I tried my 350 in another PC, and also on another aerial output from my masthead splitter. The pixelation is less obvious and the snowiness is more so.

But, I have a pretty good picture on my TV when I connect to my aerial. Could I be looking at a faulty pvr 350? Other thoughts?

Cheers

[chud]

i would say you are right to suspect the card. i have a PVR150, actually it is my 3rd one. the first one was completely dead. the second seemed fine but a couple of the channels looked noisy using the intenal tuner. i lived with it for awhile and then decided to check and compare with another card. i bought another card, swapped it with the one i was using and presto, improved reception. i seem to recall there may have been some mixup as to which of the cards made it back to the store...

[capone]

If you have a decent buy and return electronics store nearby (like best buy or cicuit city), you could just go buy a new 150 and see how it works. If it is the same, return is and start looking for the issue anew. If it fixes it, consider keeping it and dealing w/ how to dump/return the bunk card.

[helboy]

Besides the obvious difference between the 350 and the 500 (single tuner vs dual), is there anything I should know about the 500?