VistaView Saber 2020 ?

[sub]

Ok, I'll add the following to the master direct.ini:

[VistaView Saber 2020 (device #1)]
INIT_MODE=VIXS
INIT_MSP=0
BLACKBIRD=1
FILTER_CROSSBAR=7162 BDA Analog Xbar0
FILTER_CAPTURE=7162 BDA Analog Capture0
FILTER_TV_TUNER=7162 BDA Analog TV Tuner0
FILTER_TV_AUDIO=7162 BDA Analog TV Audio0
FILTER_ENCODER=7162 BDA MPEG PS Encoder0
PIN_CROSSBAR_VIDEO_TUNER_IN=Video Tuner In
PIN_TVTUNER_ANALOG_VIDEO_OUT=Analog Video
PIN_TVTUNER_ANALOG_AUDIO_OUT=Analog Audio
PIN_TVAUDIO_TV_AUDIO_IN=TVAudio In
PIN_TVAUDIO_TV_AUDIO_OUT=TVAudio Out
PIN_CROSSBAR_AUDIO_TUNER_IN=Audio Tuner In
PIN_CROSSBAR_VIDEO_DECODER_OUT=Video Decoder Out
PIN_CAPTURE_ANALOG_VIDEO_IN=Analog Video In
PIN_CROSSBAR_AUDIO_DECODER_OUT=Audio Decoder Out
PIN_CAPTURE_ANALOG_AUDIO_IN=Analog Audioinput
PIN_CAPTURE_I2S_OUT=I2S Audio
PIN_CAPTURE_656_OUT=Analog ITU Video
PIN_ENCODER_I2S_IN=I2S Audio
PIN_ENCODER_656_IN=Analog ITU Video
PIN_ENCODER_OUT=Output0
PIN_WRITER_INPUT_IN=Input

[VistaView Saber 2020 (device #2)]
INIT_MODE=VIXS
INIT_MSP=0
BLACKBIRD=1
SUPPORTS_FM_RADIO=0
FILTER_CROSSBAR=7162 BDA Analog Xbar1
FILTER_CAPTURE=7162 BDA Analog Capture1
FILTER_TV_TUNER=7162 BDA Analog TV Tuner1
FILTER_TV_AUDIO=7162 BDA Analog TV Audio1
FILTER_ENCODER=7162 BDA MPEG PS Encoder1
PIN_CROSSBAR_VIDEO_TUNER_IN=Video Tuner In
PIN_CROSSBAR_AUDIO_TUNER_IN=Audio Tuner In
PIN_CROSSBAR_VIDEO_DECODER_OUT=Video Decoder Out
PIN_CROSSBAR_AUDIO_DECODER_OUT=Audio Decoder Out
PIN_TVTUNER_ANALOG_VIDEO_OUT=Analog Video
PIN_TVTUNER_ANALOG_AUDIO_OUT=Analog Audio
PIN_TVAUDIO_TV_AUDIO_IN=TVAudio In
PIN_TVAUDIO_TV_AUDIO_OUT=TVAudio Out
PIN_CAPTURE_ANALOG_VIDEO_IN=Analog Video In
PIN_CAPTURE_ANALOG_AUDIO_IN=Analog Audioinput
PIN_CAPTURE_I2S_OUT=I2S Audio
PIN_CAPTURE_656_OUT=Analog ITU Video
PIN_ENCODER_I2S_IN=I2S Audio
PIN_ENCODER_656_IN=Analog ITU Video
PIN_ENCODER_OUT=Output0
PIN_WRITER_INPUT_IN=Input


Note that I named the devices to better match the device numbers the user will see in GB-PVR when they setup a capture source.

Can either of you confirm "PIN_ENCODER_OUT=Output0" is correct even for the second device? ie, does it have "0" or is it supposed to be a "1". I'm guessing "0" is correct for both, but thought I'd better check.

[bungle]

Since they changed the name for each tuner (never seen that before!), then they'll both need to be setup as device #1.

Hmm, sounds like I did it right. Any ideas why I get no picture on tuner2? Anything easy to check? Tuner1 works fine. I'm pretty sure the one RF connection is a splitter for both signals. If it's nothing obvious I'll install their software PVR and make sure it works there.

Can either of you confirm "PIN_ENCODER_OUT=Output0" is correct even for the second device? ie, does it have "0" or is it supposed to be a "1". I'm guessing "0" is correct for both, but thought I'd better check.

They are both Output0. However, there's also a 7162 BDA MPEG TS Encoder[0|1] with an "MPEG2 Transport" pin under the encoder devices. I wasn't sure which of the PS/TS is better, or if it didn't matter.

Do you support the FM radio on this card?

[StupaFly]

To get the tuners to work correctly, I had to install their PVR software that came with it. Go into the Scan program (from the button on the app). Select your country and hit the Scan button. Let it finish and it should work after that.

I'm having some issues with the card already but I think it's software related. When I'm in their application the audio pops a lot and it's annoying. However, in gbpvr it does not do that. Instead the video briefly freezes every 5 seconds or so. It does this in live tv or recording modes. Quality looks good in gbpvr (for analog anyway), if I could just get it to stop freezing.

When attempting to install the newest drivers from their website, it fails and tells me that the update is "Not needed (No device for update present)". They don't have drivers where you can just select in device manager, you have to install using their program. The drivers on the cd are the same way. So the only drivers I have to work with are those that Windows automatically detected.

Any ideas on what I can try to do to fix this?

Note: With "PIN_ENCODER_OUT" set to 0 for both, it works. Other than it working I don't know how to tell if that's right.

[bungle]

To get the tuners to work correctly, I had to install their PVR software that came with it.

Did either tuner work before that? I have one working without it. I prefer not to install anything I don't have to since so many things nowadays can really screw up a system.

I'm having some issues with the card already but I think it's software related. When I'm in their application the audio pops a lot and it's annoying. However, in gbpvr it does not do that. Instead the video briefly freezes every 5 seconds or so. It does this in live tv or recording modes. Quality looks good in gbpvr (for analog anyway), if I could just get it to stop freezing.

I haven't done much testing, but I'm sure I watched for more than 5 seconds without problems. This is only the first tuner, though. The other just gets black static-y display. I couldn't rewind a recording on my MVP (it actually did a FF), but FF and skip F/B worked okay. It looked fine.

When attempting to install the newest drivers from their website, it fails and tells me that the update is "Not needed (No device for update present)". They don't have drivers where you can just select in device manager, you have to install using their program.

Yeah, that's bizarre. I tried to install the drivers before the card and they wouldn't. But I put the card in, cancelled Windows' auto-installation, then ran the latest driver exe from the website, and it seemed to work fine. This is Windows 2000.

[StupaFly]

The second tuner didn't work until I installed their app and did the scan thing. Before that it just looked like it had no signal or something.

I found that the popping thing doesn't happen when I record using their application. I even watched live tv while recording and the pops I heard in live mode did not occur in the recordings.

I'm working with their support right now to see if I can get drivers and stuff worked out.

[bungle]

I just got this from their support after asking about the scan thing. I had noticed the tray icon mentioned in the release notes for the latest version of the driver, but completely forgot about it last night trying to get it to work. I also didn't notice the tray icon on my screen. I will try this tonight, but wanted to get the info out there. I almost tried plugging the cable into the other RF input last night to see if it worked, but never got around to it. I guess that would have made it work. But I'd rather get FM and not have to split the cable anyway.

Also, I gotta say, they answered my question very quickly. I had written earlier to make sure Windows 2000 was supported and would probably work with GB-PVR (correct drivers). The first time I never got the email they sent (spam blocker I guess) and ended up calling them. Very helpful and nice. The second time the response was very quick in an email and the response, as you can see, is informative, complete, and easy to read.

You need to use the latest version of our drivers (1030.3.1.0) available on our website. This version adds a tray icon called MCEplus (excuse the name). This icon gives you explicit control over the internal switch that keeps the RF input hooked up to the tuners. In Mode 2, the switch is closed and RF1 (the lower input) is hooked up to both tuners. That way you can watch 2 TV shows with the 2 tuners. In Mode 3 the switch is open and RF1 is hooked up to one tuner and RF2 is hooked up to the other tuner. This is for FM, since that way you can keep your FM antenna attached to RF2. What I think is happening with you is the switch is open, so the second tuner is getting input from RF2 (the top connector) which is not attached.

[sub]

Do you support the FM radio on this card?

To be honest, I dont know if FM radio works or not with this device. Its not something I tested. I only had access to one of these vixs devices for a couple of hours. Unfortunately no one makes a PAL model, so I dont have one myself. (ok, there is one OEM PAL device that exists, but I cant get hold of one of these)

[bungle]

To be honest, I dont know if FM radio works or not with this device. Its not something I tested. I only had access to one of these vixs devices for a couple of hours. Unfortunately no one makes a PAL model, so I dont have one myself. (ok, there is one OEM PAL device that exists, but I cant get hold of one of these)

I haven't gotten it working yet, but that wasn't my main concern last night. But my other card is a FM-less 150, so I'd like to get it to work. If the support answer was right, FM wouldn't have worked when I tried it because the other RF input was set up for tuner 2, not FM. I'll try the tray app change and then try FM again. If it doesn't work I'll be glad to help however I can to figure it out, if possible.

[sub]

Thats interesting they'd have some software switching between use of these inputs (cable/antenna vs FM). I've never heard of that being done before now.

[bungle]

Yeah, sounds kinda cool. You could use both RF inputs for cable, allowing you to boost the signal outside the card for each tuner if you experience signal loss in their loopback. However, considering the instructions say that you only need to hook up one cable to the main RF for both tuners, and the other is FM, I think they should have made that the default mode. The other neat thing is that the card comes with a special cable that plugs into the other input on the back of the card. It has 2 sets of s-video/L+R AV inputs on it, so you don't need a separate bracket for hooking up a second STB.

EDIT: or I guess you might need one input for cable and one for antenna for some reason...