So what are you using?

[Pob]

Most of us have tried all sorts of different combinations of decoders, renderers, & multiplexors in the quest for the best video & audio in our TV, recordings, and video library. I thought it would be good to get an idea of what everyone is happy with, to see if any patterns emerge. Of course we all have different hardware but still, it could be interesting...
Here is my list:
[COLOR="DarkRed"]

• Operating System XP Pro
  Just installed SP3 for XP (which is being 'pushed' by Windows update now), but it seems to have caused some issues...
  
• Video card used Nvidia 5900
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Digital
  
• Video renderer EVR
  For some reason EVR seems to be less taxing on my system when playing HD content, and I get no tearing (which I did get in FSE)
  
• Video decoder Purevideo
  I have no idea why I am still using Purevideo! I was using it to get hardware acceleration in FSE, but using EVR makes it redundant. The only other decoder I liked was the Intervideo ones installed with Hauppage tuners...
  
• Audio decoder ffdshow
  The glitchy Purevideo started causing problems in GBPVR if I used it for audio, but it was good at extracting dolby surround from stereo TV and Mpeg4 files. ffdshow works just as well.
  
• Multiplexor Cyberlink
  
• H264 playback CoreAVC
  The only H264 decoder I've found that gives smooth playback on my rig.
  
• DivX / XviD decoder ffdshow
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD/plasma? LCD
  
• Display connection DVI-HDMI
  
• Monitor resolution 1360*768
  The native resolution of my LCD, so I get a great pin-sharp picture.
  

[/COLOR]I would have done a poll, but can't work out how to:confused:

[pcostanza]

• Operating System Vista/XP Dual boot on one system, Vista/Ubuntu on another
  
  
• Video card used EVGA 8600 & Geforce 8500
  
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Analog/ATSC plus cable card
  
  
• Video renderer EVR
  
• Video decoder Nvidia
  
• Audio decoder ffdshow
  
• Multiplexor Cyberlink
  
• H264 playback CoreAVC
  
• DivX / XviD decoder ffdshow
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD? LCD
  
• Display connection DVI
  
• Monitor resolution 1280 x 960/1920 x 1080
  

I test Media Center for MS and have an HVR1600/ATI650 and OCUR tuners installed in one system. GBPVR is less problematic and just runs. I never have to worry.

[whurlston]

I doubt you will find much commonality (decoders can perform differently from machine to machine) but here goes:

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• Operating System Vista
  
• Video card used Nvidia 9600 GT
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Both
  
• Video renderer EVR
  
• Video decoder CyberLink/ArcSoft (still debating between them)
  
• Audio decoder AC3Filter
  
• Multiplexor DVR-MS
  
• H264 playback CyberLink/ArcSoft (still debating between them)
  
• DivX / XviD decoder Not used.
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD? LCD
  
• Display connection DVI (PC) -> HDMI (TV)
  
• Monitor resolution 1920x1080
  

[/COLOR]

[zaphod7501]

This may get confusing real fast

• Operating System Windows2000Pro
  
• Video card used Geforce 7600GS plus hardware 1080i and hardware S-Video
  
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Both
  
• Video renderer VMR 9
  
  
• Video decoder Software - Hauppauge supplied Mainconcept/Elecard, Hardware - MyHD MDP-130 and Hollywood Plus and Media MVP
  
• Audio decoder AC3Filter (software) Hardware - see above cards
  
  
• Multiplexor None, TS only
  
  
• H264 playback None (actually CoreAVC but the PC is underpowered and CoreAVC will not access the GPU hardware assist under Win2k so it doesn't work)
  
• DivX / XviD decoder DivX
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD? CRT TV and DLP PJ plus LCD monitor on KVM switch plus VNC. (actually I never view live TV with GB-PVR, I use MyHD card, hardware mpeg playback of current or previous recordings, MediaPlayerClassic for AVI)
  
  
• Display connection VGA -> Transcode S-Video, VGA -> DLP Proj and LCD, Component 1080i -> DLP PJ
  
• Monitor(s) resolution 1280x768p (LCD), 864x480p (PJ), 720x480i (TV)
  
  

[observer_11]

• Operating System WindowsXP Pro (Concurrent Users Enabled)
  
• Video card used Nvidia 6600 AGP
  
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Hauppauge 500MCE, Twinhann 1020a DVB-S
  
• Video renderer Overlay
  
  
• Video decoder Nvidia
  
• Audio decoder ffdshow
  
  
• Multiplexor Cyberlink
  
  
• H264 playback CoreAVC
  
• DivX / XviD decoder ffdshow
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD? CRT TV
  
• Display connection Component
  
• Monitor(s) resolution 480i (TV)
  

[rob11252]

• Operating System WindowsXP Pro
  
• Video card used Nvidia 8500 GT
  
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Hauppauge 1600 Analog and OTA Digital
  
• Video renderer VMR9
  Tried EVR but no hardware acceleration available, no Closed Captions, plus I had problems like video tearing, etc. Did not try Overlay or other posibilities.
  
  
• Video decoder Nvidia
  I switch to ATI if I want to see CC in ATSC. Both use hardware acceleration.
  
• Audio decoder no preference
  
  
• Multiplexor none
  Tried recording in mpg, but had video/audio sync issues, so I stick with ms-dvr
  
• DivX / XviD decoder ffdshow
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD? PLASMA TV
  
• Display connection DVI-->HDMI
  
• Monitor(s) resolution 720p
  

Computer used as the multimedia device only. Originally hoped that GBPVR would be the only multimedia program running on this computer, but implementation of all the features takes much longer than I hoped.

[Deusxmachina]

Future posts like Rob's would be nice in giving specific reasons WHY the person is using such-and-such. For instance, I don't use Purevideo because it's a hunk of crap that not only doesn't like Haali Media Splitter and randomly doesn't like certain 720p shows, but it also broke every other DirectShow player on my computer despite manually setting them to use a different decoder.

[ShiningDragon]

[COLOR="DarkRed"]

• Operating System Windows XP Pro SP 2
  Service Pack 3 is atm to buggy as it could be used in a 24h system (memory leakage after installing on the bootdrive.)
  
• Video card used NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS (G80)
  I planned to use the onboard X3000 from Intel to use for GB-PVR on the 2nd display, while using the G80 für the primary one. But the onboardgraphics from intel disable themselves if an external Graphicscard is plugged in (unlike my well working, old ASUS A8N-VM CSM with onboard 6150 and external G70).
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? Analogue
  Digital is in germany atm like gambling. TV Stations experiments with copyprotections, so i have to boykott these standards.
  
• Video renderer VMR9
  This one works very good. Also why change? ^^
  
• Video decoder PowerDVD 7.0
  Before i tried the NVIDIA PureVideo Decoder, but since a lot of driverchanges from NVIDIA, these aren't very good any more.
  
• Audio decoder AC3 Filter/PowerDVD 7
  AC3Filter for TV recordings and LiveTV (5.1 Sound upmixing) and PDVD7 for DVDs.
  
• Multiplexor Cyberlink
  
• H264 playback CoreAVC
  
• DivX / XviD decoder XviD SMP
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD? LCD
  It's running on my 27" LCD TFT which is connected as 2nd display.
  
• Display connection VGA/VGA
  
• Monitor resolution 1280x1024/1280x720
  

[/COLOR]

This System isn't a HTPC-only (but GB-PVR runs 24h/day on this system). It needs a lot of power, but this is needed for all the other services this PC was concepted for.

[pz1]

See signature, I try to keep it up to date

[sgilani]

• Operating System Vista Home Premium
  
• Video card used EVGA nVidia 7600GT PCI-E
  
  
• Analogue or digital tuner? ATSC + analog (Hauppauge HVR-1600)
  
• Video renderer VMR9
  I like the video inset feature, and using EVR would mean I lose it.
  
• Video decoder ffdshow
  Using the 'warped resize' option in Resize so that my 4:3 aspect ratio programming looks as nice as it can on my plasma. Wouldn't give it up for anything! Hardware deinterlacing works great too (just check the box to pass the interlace flags to the renderer)
  
• Audio decoder ffdshow
  Equalizer and volume normalization works great!
  
• Multiplexor Cyberlink
  
• H264 playback ffdshow
  Works just fine for me. Hardware deinterlacing works great too (just check the box to pass the interlace flags to the renderer)
  
• DivX / XviD decoder ffdshow
  
• Using PVRX2 on CRT or LCD/plasma? Plasma
  
• Display connection DVI-HDMI
  
• Monitor resolution 1280 x 720