Multidec with Hauppauge dual tuner fails

[Barsk]

Hi,

I have a Twinhan single tuner card that I have used it with a phoenix card reader and multidec support (newcs +Yanksee). That worked perfectly for a long time. The card is a legal Boxer smartcard (Swedish DVB-T).

However I recently bought a Hauppage Nova T-500 dual tuner card and when I now check the Enable multidec checkbox in config GBPVR refuses to tune in the channels at all. It just hangs there. It was my belief that multidec support was broken for two decoded channels at once, but should work for two non-decrypted channels or one decrypted + one nondecrypted. Now I get NO multidec support at all and cannot see any channels, decrypted or not with the new card. Without multidec it works fine, I can record and watch two free channels at once.

Any help, hints or solutions? Please...

/Barsk

[stefan]

In the next release, sub has made an attempt to solve the "one-encrypted-channel-at-a-time" problem. However, there seems to be a problem with the nova-t-500 and multidec. I'll look up the thread for you... Here you go... I have not had the opportunity to try the patch attached in the thread, since I have to rewire some of my cables in order to do that and I'm lazy... maybe you can try it?

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=27293

[Barsk]

In the next release, sub has made an attempt to solve the "one-encrypted-channel-at-a-time" problem. However, there seems to be a problem with the nova-t-500 and multidec. I'll look up the thread for you... Here you go... I have not had the opportunity to try the patch attached in the thread, since I have to rewire some of my cables in order to do that and I'm lazy... maybe you can try it?

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=27293

Hi Stefan,

I tried the new mdapi filter! No change. Same problem.

If this is a problem connected to the Nova 500 card only, then I need to know if it is solvable. Otherwise I will return the card and get another dual tuner card. A theory I have is that they have made some special quirks to hook in with their new WinTV CI reader. If so the problem may lie deep in the drivers and only solvable by Hauppauge.

A quick note. I do not get a picture in mdapi mode, but I do get some veery choppy sound with about 1/2 sec between the sound bits, even on encrypted channels. So it appears that mdapi is indeed decoding the channel. However with really bad performance.

[stefan]

A quick note. I do not get a picture in mdapi mode, but I do get some veery choppy sound with about 1/2 sec between the sound bits, even on encrypted channels. So it appears that mdapi is indeed decoding the channel. However with really bad performance.

If I recall correctly, that is the exact same behavior I got when I tried it.

[stefan]

Sub, do you know if anyone has got it working with a nova-t-500?

[Barsk]

Sub, do you know if anyone has got it working with a nova-t-500?

As a follow up to this thread. It is still not working, not with the latest version (1.1.5) either. Whith 1.1.5 I get picture in FTA channels, but not with scrambled.

Any insight in how to fix this, or if it is not fixable at all, is welcome. In that case I will ditch this card for another brand.

EDIT: Fixed spelling...

[stefan]

"now woth" = "not with"?

[Barsk]

"now woth" = "not with"?

Fixed :p

[sub]

Does the behaviour vary if the first channel you try to access (after starting the app) is encrypted?

The biggest problem to be aware of with multidec is that the third party component we use only supports one instance, so you have to be really careful to only use one tuner per process on a dual tuner setup.

[stefan]

I have disconnected my pvr-500 for now, but if I recall correctly I have tried with an encrypted channel immediately after startup, and it would not work. Only the black image, and the occasional "fraction-of-a-second" sound breaking through now and then. That part baffles me some. It's not that it doesn't work at all. It just works really, really bad.

Maybe Barsk can confirm?