Vista and MVP

[Lindsay]

Has anyone got Vista working with the MVP? GBPVR seems to run OK at the computer and the MVP connects to the server no problem but the MVP only takes two button presses before it freezes and then re-looks for a server. The error log shows the MVP taking too long to respond. My network seems OK and ping times to the MVP average 0ms.

Wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to start a new sub-forum for Vista issues as Vista is not an optional item given that new machines will come with it loaded. It may help sub, too, if the Vista issues were confined rather than spread all over. Just a thought. Wot you think??

[sub]

A reasonable request, but having thought about it for a few minutes - it probably doesnt justify a separate forum. I imagine we'll have a few small teething with Vista, but these should be fixed in the release after I get Vista.

Unfortunately I didnt think to test the MVP when implemented Vista support in the last release (was testing using one of the Vista betas). Hopefully I'll find a cheap way to get Vista in the next few weeks...anyone here in the wholesale computer sales chain that can help me out with a cheap OEM version of Vista Ultimate? Hook a brother up PM me.

[Lindsay]

Fine, sub.

For anyone interested, don't buy the full retail ver if you want a clean install as the upgrade can be used to upgrade itself! You install as a trial (not registered) ver then re-install over the top. It sees the first install as being the upgrade candidate.

A big issue with Vista is the audio and the lack of dvrs for many cards. I need a cheap audio card (mobo audio is stuffed) that can work with Vista but can't find one with dvrs guaranteed to work. It is really annoying me at the moment.

[Lindsay]

FWIW, I tried the MVPMC dongle in emulation mode and GBPVR held up much better. It was not entirely stable but I was able to navigate around and view recordings, photos, videos etc. Getting out of LiveTV bombed it but it certainly lasted more than two button presses!

[reckstei]

I can confirm this behavior on my recent installation of Vista. I have both the wired version of MediaMVP and the wireless on separate TVs. The wired version, as Lindsay describes, continually resets with a few remote button presses. The wireless version works far longer, sometimes up to 15 minutes, before it totally freezes, but the results are the same.

Robert Eckstein
Author and Editor, O'Reilly Media

[Lindsay]

Thanks for that, Robert. It does now point to a comms issue, I think, as the behaviour is different between the different dongles and wired v wireless. Do we need an ethernet traffic monitor expert??

[mvallevand]

FWIW, I tried the MVPMC dongle in emulation mode and GBPVR held up much better. It was not entirely stable but I was able to navigate around and view recordings, photos, videos etc. Getting out of LiveTV bombed it but it certainly lasted more than two button presses!

The only reason I can think of that might explain this, is that mvpmc uses a modified Hauppauge wired network driver to negotiate full duplex instead of half duplex.

Martin

[Lindsay]

I am pretty sure you are right. I now firmly believe that the problem lies with the dongle comms negotiation like you say. This code seems somewhat flaky which is a pity. Interesting why Vista triggered the problem, though.

For interest, my nForce NIC was on Auto Negotiation. I have experimented with various other settings and got differing results. 10MB/HD was OK for everything EXCEPT TV and video. Bandwidth problem. Anything FD was woeful. 100MB/HD didn't work fully, either, with video hanging.

So that leaves me somewhat stymied at the moment.

[Lindsay]

I can confirm that the connection from MVP to switch goes to 100/HD. If the switch is still in FD mode, then this would cause many errors and subsequent mayhem. I can't connect the MVP directly to my computer to force HD mode at the moment because I don't have DHCP on my computer. So we are seeing the same problems as were being experienced a while ago (search on duplex) but what Vista has to do with it I can't fathom as the computer is one stage removed because of the switch. Any network gurus see a link??

[fhmanas]

sub,

I hope you don't abandon XP, as I have no intentions of moving to Vista with my machine. I just don't have any compelling reason to move to Vista.

The only reason I even have Windows is because of GBPVR.