Hd-pvr

[clift_3ca]

Hi, I'm new here but I'll try to be brief.

Basically I am looking at setting up the HD-PVR with GB-PVR. I have everything set up and I can access the device, but I noticed my video was sluggish, so I checked the CPU usage and it was at 100%. I thought the decoder wasn't using my hardware assist (I have an ATi HD 2400 Pro, using the Cyberlink H.264/AVC Decoder (PDVD8)). But when I exited out of GBPVR, checked all the settings, then went back in, i noticed my CPU immediately spiked to 100%, without any video playing? What gives?

I figure one issue at a time. First I want to figure out why the CPU is at 100% even idle, then I can figure out if DXVA is working. Thanks for any help.

[sub]

But when I exited out of GBPVR, checked all the settings, then went back in, i noticed my CPU immediately spiked to 100%, without any video playing? What gives?

I figure one issue at a time. First I want to figure out why the CPU is at 100% even idle, then I can figure out if DXVA is working. Thanks for any help.

When you first start GB-PVR it loads the EPG in the background, which can cause a period of high CPU usage before settling back down. How long this takes depends on the number of channels you have, and number of days of listings. For me with 40 odd channels and a week of listings its virtually instant (about 9800 individual listings to load). For a person with 400 channels and 14 days of listings it could take a significantly longer (196000 individual listings to load) - maybe a minute or too.

[clift_3ca]

Very good. Thanks for the answer. Now that brings up another question:

Does it do this every single time I load GB-PVR or only when the guide has been updated? Okay, so when I chose the decoders, I got the Arcsoft and PowerDVD, but no PowerDVD audio decoder. Do you know if that would cause the DXVA to be disabled? I truly despise Cyberlink because I think their software is buggy and unrefined, but I am stuck with them because I can't get Arcsoft or any other decoder to use DXVA... Okay enough about my rant. One last thing: In my EPG, I don't get channel numbers. Is there a setting to enable this? I have over 400 channels (and nothing to watch) and I have to scroll down through them all (!) to get to channel 628, for example... In MCE I used to just type in 628 with the remote and I was there. Thanks again

[gazoo]

Very good. Thanks for the answer. Now that brings up another question:

Does it do this every single time I load GB-PVR or only when the guide has been updated? Okay, so when I chose the decoders, I got the Arcsoft and PowerDVD, but no PowerDVD audio decoder. Do you know if that would cause the DXVA to be disabled? I truly despise Cyberlink because I think their software is buggy and unrefined, but I am stuck with them because I can't get Arcsoft or any other decoder to use DXVA... Okay enough about my rant. One last thing: In my EPG, I don't get channel numbers. Is there a setting to enable this? I have over 400 channels (and nothing to watch) and I have to scroll down through them all (!) to get to channel 628, for example... In MCE I used to just type in 628 with the remote and I was there. Thanks again

I have a bunch of channels too, and I've always just used the page up/down keys...it makes it scroll by pages instead of individual entries. I do suppose it will still take quite a while this way. I have channels on mine, but I don't think I could get the remote to move to a particular one. It should only do the CPU spike with turning on a GBPVR for the first time, not when it has been running for a while.

[sub]

Very good. Thanks for the answer. Now that brings up another question:

Does it do this every single time I load GB-PVR or only when the guide has been updated?

Yes - it loads it from the database into memory.

Okay, so when I chose the decoders, I got the Arcsoft and PowerDVD, but no PowerDVD audio decoder. Do you know if that would cause the DXVA to be disabled? I truly despise Cyberlink because I think their software is buggy and unrefined, but I am stuck with them because I can't get Arcsoft or any other decoder to use DXVA... Okay enough about my rant.

Wether DXVA can be used or not will come down to the combination of your video decoder, video renderer and video card drivers. If you're not getting DXVA, then one or more of those components doesnt support it. Also, remember that EVR video renderer does not support DXVA on XP, VMR9 does not support DXVA on Vista etc.

One last thing: In my EPG, I don't get channel numbers. Is there a setting to enable this?

Try setting <TVGuideChannelHeaderType>1</TVGuideChannelHeaderType> in config.xml

I have over 400 channels (and nothing to watch) and I have to scroll down through them all (!) to get to channel 628, for example... In MCE I used to just type in 628 with the remote and I was there. Thanks again

Type the channel number then press ok/enter.

[clift_3ca]

Okay now I'm excited! I have been messing with this thing all weekend and my wife has been very patient. If I can get the HD-PVR working, that would be a blessing. I'll try typing in the channel number and pressing enter. Will the number show up on the screen as I type it? If not, is there a way to enable it?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'd rather get them out of the way first, I suppose, then I can get home and fire off a few updates and get it going!

[sub]

Will the number show up on the screen as I type it? If not, is there a way to enable it?

No and no.

[clift_3ca]

Oh I just remembered something else:

I get no sound out of the HD-PVR. Is this because I'm using the RCA inputs? As in, do I have to use the S/PDIF input or is this another issue with my codecs?

Thanks

[athomas]

Make sure your audio is set up properly. If you are using HDMI outputs, then your audio has to be set to use the ATI card as your audio output device. If you are using RCA outputs, then your regular audio card/motherboard has to be set as your output device.

I have an ATI 2400XT card and it is barely adequate for HD output even though it states it does it fine. There are minor tearing issues in high motion scenes. I have an ATI 1650XT that handles the HD video much better but I like the 2400XT because of the passive cooling and the HDMI with both the video and audio.

[clift_3ca]

Well there are some tweaks you can do to get HD 1080p on the 2400 pro and XT. These are highlighted in AVS forums, here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=872538

and a VB Script to automagically add the registry settings here:
http://home.comcast.net/~exdeus/ati-hd2x00/