GB-PVR 1.3.7 output

[rmoberly]

Not sure how to describe the problem. GB-PVR 1.3.7 . Dell Optiplex GX280, 2.8MHz, 2.5GB DDR RAM, 160GB Seagate HD, dual video using on board and Dell PCIe card (not pushing video playback from this system. Just recording), Hauppauge PVR 1800 PCIe capture card (Basic cable only at this time), MediaMVP on 32" Vizeo HD LCD tv. NAS box using FreeNas with 2 500GB Seagate drives (not recording to the NAS yet). All cabled with Ethernet 10/100.

Basic cable channels all show up fine in channels tab. EPG based on the yahoo GO Tv. Works fine. Schedule shows up and I can select record. Shows record. When I try to play them back, the video is very bad. Unwatchable. fuzzy, pixalated, scrambled. Hard to describe, but it isn't like when the signal goes weak or static like. Below is my GB-PVR configuration. When I get home this evening I will zip up the log files and post them with this thread.

Thanks for all the good information I have read thru.
rich moberly
rmoberly@swbell.net home
rmoberly@arvest.com work
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here is what I have at this point. I can record audio really well most of the time. Video is extremely blurry, pixalated, jumbled. Hard to discribe. I get all that over the MediaMVP (connected by ethernet). When I try to play a recording on the pc thru PVRX2.exe, I get no video whatsoever, but the audio is pretty good.

GB-PVR Configuration:
General tab
Current Skin: Blue
Language: English
FullScreen/Windowed/Placement: Show in windows mode checked
Logging Level: Debug with Enable Log Flushing checked.
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Playback tab:
PVRX2.exe Video Renderer: Video Renderer: EVR

MPEG-2 Playback:
Video decoder: MainConcept (Hauppauge) MPEG Video
Audio decoder: MainConcept (Hauppauge) MPEG Audio
AC3 Decoder: system default
Audio Renderer: System Default

Advanced Codec:
H.264 Decoder: System default
AAC Decoder: System Default
HE-AAC decoder: System Default

Aspect Ration Control:
Television Shape: Standard 4X3
Default forward skip size 60 sec
Default back skip size 30 sec
manual skip timebase: Minutes

Live TV: LiveTV Pre-play delay 500ms
----------------------------------------
Capture Sources tab:
My Source Name - Direct Recording Plugin - XMLTV Plugin - No Channel Changer
Cable Analog - Direct Recording Plugin - SMLTV Plugin - No Channel Changer

Client/Server not checked

EPG Update:
Automatic EPG Update at 2:00am

Recording Padding: Minutes pre-show 1 - Minutes pos-show padding 2

Wake machine checked
Complete EPG reload checked
Don't record duplicates (SchedulesDirect/CT TV listings) checked
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MVP & NMT tab
Misc Client Device Settings:
Number of servers to autostart: 1
MVP LiveTV pre-play delay 600ms

NMT clients: NMT skin: default

MediaMVP Clients:
MVP Skin: default
Dongle: dongle-bin
MVP Transcode pre-play delay: 6000
Force minimal OSD for MVP checked
Use incremental screen updates Unchecked
----------------------------------------------
Directories tab:
Recording directories:
Recording Directory: C:\Recordings
LiveTV Buffer Directory: C:\LiveTVBuffer

Video Library Directories:
MyVideos: \\Freenas\500gbmaster\My Videos
DVD: \\Freenas\500gbmaster\DVD

Music Library Directories:
My Music: \\Freenas\500gbmaster\My Music

Photo Library Directories:
Photos: \\Freenas\500gbmaster\Photos
Genealogy: \\Freenas\500gbmaster\Genealogy
----------------------------------------------------
Processing tab:
Commercial Detection:
Comskip.exe from current directory
Run during recording instead of after recording is UnChecked

Conversion Processing:
Start conversion between: ASAP and 6:00am
Wake machine for conversion unchecked
Delete original file after conversion unchecked
Update database to point to converted file checked

Auto-Convert MPG recordings to: No Conversion
Auto-Convert DVR-MS recordings to: No Conversion
Auto-Convert TS recordings to: No Conversion
-------------------------------------------------------
DVD tab:
DVD Playback:
Navigator: DVD Navigator
ideo Decoder: System Default
Audio Decoder: MainConcept (Hauppauge) MPEG
Audio Renderer: Default DirectSound Device
Show DVD button checked
use DVD Chapter Skipping unchecked

ISO File Playback (Requires Daemon Tools)
Daemon.exe: C:\Program Files\DAEMON Tools
Drive: F
Device Number: 0

Remote Control Type:
Dafault (Hauppauge)
-------------------------------------------------------
Plugins tab:
Menu and plugins:
TV Guide checked
Recordings checked
Search Guide checked
Live TV checked
Music Library checked
Video Library checked
Photo Library checked
DVD checked
FM Radio checked
Net Radio checked
Settings checked
System checked
Exit checked
Easy View Unchecked
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Channels tab: All channels normally picked up by Basic Cable are checked.
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Misc:
Extra Features:
Auto-create folders when recording checked
Confirm Delete in Video Library checked
Auto-skip commercials (needs comskip files) checked
Enable screen saver checked
Enable splash screen checked
Use cached channel sequence headers checked
use built-in transport stream reader filter for .ts files

Live Preview Mode:
use Live Preview mode if possible checked
Return from timeshift mode on channel change checked
Deinterlacing: Encoder pass through

Teletext: Unchecked

DVB Subtitles: Unchecked
-------------------------------------
Misc2:
BDA Multiplexer:
TS Mux
Enable Multi-Record support checked

Multidec: all unchecked

Net Radio: Net Radio pre-play buffer size 96kb

Volume Control: Master Volume

Web Scheduling:
Enable GB-PVR web server on port unchecked
Enable NMT client streaming extensions checked

[whurlston]

Try adjusting your recording quality in your capture sources.

[rmoberly]

Hi Whurlston
I will do that. Thought I had it set to high, but when I choose to record a show it shows Medium. I will check that. Meanwhile attached are the files from the log folder.


Thanks
Rich

[rmoberly]

11/18/08
Got it. Making good progress now. I set GB-PVR back to defaults and set recording quality to High and it is a lot better. I will keep digging for some tweaking ideas and start expanding my options with OTA, FM, and a VCR to capture old VHS tapes.

11/19/08 Wife Acceptance Factor is up. Now to work on the video output quality. GB-PVR is a really nice interface.
I have a thread in the byopvr forum that with this GB-PVR forum thread might be of some help to someone, so am listing it here.

http://forum.byopvr.com/dvr/index.php/topic,9543.0.html

Please keep the good suggestions flowing.
Rich

[rmoberly]

Hi all
Back at it. have installed ffdshow as the video codec but still am getting a very bad video output.

[feilh]

I have seen screen like that. On my system its was Digital Right Management problem. Update your Video Drivers.

I would also try the Microsoft Decoder's if you have them on your system.

[rmoberly]

I have seen screen like that. On my system its was Digital Right Management problem. Update your Video Drivers.

I would also try the Microsoft Decoder's if you have them on your system.

Ok. How do I fix the Digital Right Management problem?

I will update my Video Drivers.

I will check on the Microsoft Decoders. Not sure if they are on my system. What are they called specifically? Microsoft Decoder?

Thanks for the input.
Rich

[bckappen]

Some old versions of video drivers had bugs in their handling of DRM material, which is why feilh suggested updating the drivers.

But, since the issues you are having is with analog recording, I don't think DRM is the problem. Have you ruled out signal strength? Try connecting the cable to a TV and check the picture quality.

If signal strength is not the issue, make sure in the capture source setup, you have the "Tuning" setting as "Cable" and not "Antenna".

GBPVR uses Windows Media Player for playback. If none of the above helps, make sure your WMP is atleast version 10. Then in the Misc2 tab, set the BDA Multiplexer to Microsoft DVR-MS. Record something and play it on the PC without using GBPVR. See if you still have the issue. This will rule out a few things.

[feilh]

That screen is not a low signal looking screen IMO. That is why I suggest DRM. I agree DRM should never be an issue. But a buggy video driver can cause that. Using ATI drivers sometimes even the newer drivers give me screens like that. I found version 8.7 for ATI to be the most recent that didn't give me issues.

Try changing your Video Decoder to other options you have on your machine. If you have a Windows Media Center edition you should have the MS Mpeg decoder.

[rmoberly]

12/05/08 Problem solved. I purchased and installed an 8-port amplifier/splitter to replace the 4-port and 2X2-port splitters I was using. All TV's have an excellent picture now and my recording playback on the PC is excellent and on the TV thru the MediaMVP (SD only) it is acceptable to the wife. It really is pretty good even though only SD. She was pretty happy with it. So, it was a signal strength problem after all.

I sure appreciate all the great help in this forum. Now on to QAM, OTA, VCR, DVD, and commskip projects..LOL.

Rich in Bartlesville Oklahoma