GBPVR vs Beyond TV

[Pheare]

Hey all,

Not sure if this is the right forum for this question or not.

My current TV tuner card does not work with GBPVR and I have been using the trial version of Beyond Tv. So far, I think BTV is great.

That said, I am strongly considering upgrading to a tuner card with hardware encoding (hauppauge 150). This new Card will work with GBPVR.

Now the price of the new card could be somewhat offset by using GBPVR instead of paying for Beyond TV.

The GBPVR website doesn't really get into the features very much. I'm curious to the features one has over the other. Has anyone used both? What are your thoughts?

I appreciate that GBPVR has support for photos and stuff; I'm really just looking for a comparison between live tv, guide, and pvr features.

Thanks.

Darren.

[jorm]

your best bet is to checkout the wiki. There are a lot of plugins (one of the beautiful things about gbpvr) we can make the app do almost anything.

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Plugin.XRecord}}

If you do not like the guide see guide2j
if you do not like the recording screen see my videos, video archiver and xrecord

Want to skip commercials see comskip.

[blader_se]

I am strongly considering upgrading to a tuner card with hardware encoding (hauppauge 150). This new Card will work with GBPVR.

Have not used it myself, but there's this Plugin/SoftwareRecorder that perhaps can help you check out GB-PVR today...

The Software Recorder plugin allow you to use standard WDM drivers for a capture card that does not support hardward based MPEG2 compression with GB-PVR.

[mobiusnz]

My personal belief is that a Hardware card is a good move regardless of whether your software needs it - your pc will be healthier for it. If you ran a Small formfactor pc in the lounge then having it work less and run cooler is better for it (and the fans will run less - hence less noise). If its a shared function pc then it will run other tasks while recording without slowing and without affecting the recording!. I suggest you buy the Hauppauge Card - then try GBPVR and if you preferred Beyond TV go that way.

The thing I like most about GBPVR is the lack of features - IE you can turn off what you don't want/need so its a very quick simple interface! I went this way to simplify recording and playback as compared to a VCR so I don't want something with too many options to confuse and slow usability. I want something where you hit two buttons and you are watching a recording or programming one.

If however you like bells and whistles like internet radio, Weather, New feeds etc then they are all there to plugin/switch on!

My next recommendation is a dual tuner like the Hauppauge 500mce - that way you can record two channels at once and it also helps recording back to back programs, you can record one with each tuner getting a 5 minute buffer for both so you don't end up with the first 5 minutes of show 2 on the end of show 1 because the channel was slightly off time. Nothing worse than watching show 1, deleting it and then going to watch show 2 a few days later only to realise you deleted the first few minutes along with show 1. Also by buying the 500mce (media center edition) its cheaper to buy as it doesn't come with a remote and you can shop around to get a remote that you like better or does more.

Sorry for the ramble! Hope if helped.

[sub]

The thing I like most about GBPVR is the lack of features - IE you can turn off what you don't want/need so its a very quick simple interface!

I cant decide if that reads as a compliment or not

[Pheare]

Ya,

I think I will go for the hauppauge 150. Dual tuner would be nice, but I don't need for my viewing purposes. I want to use my computer while watching tv and right now the 50+% of cpu that gets used for the software encoding is not acceptable.

Do you know if the hauppauge MCE versions work with XP Professional? Other than the remote, what is the difference between the MCE and non-MCE?

Thanks.

[mobiusnz]

I cant decide if that reads as a compliment or not

Definately a compliment - the features are all there - its the fact you can turn them off and not display them in the menu if you don't use them! And the most important features aren't nested 3 deep like they are in Media Center Edition.

[mobiusnz]

Ya,

I want to use my computer while watching tv and right now the 50+% of cpu that gets used for the software encoding is not acceptable.

Do you know if the hauppauge MCE versions work with XP Professional? Other than the remote, what is the difference between the MCE and non-MCE?

Thanks.

A) - My pc uses up to 3% CPU time for the Recording Service even while recording 2 shows at once. And when I say upto - generally it doesn't register ANY cpu utilisation at all!!! I just occaisionally shows 1 - 3% (Probably when writing to logs or something!)

B) - The MCE cards don't come with remotes or software, apparrently you can download the software in full from Hauppauges site anyway tho. So its really the remote that makes the difference in price. Its a cheap way to get a remote that will function with GBPVR or the Hauppage software but I have't used it so I don't know if it can be used with Media Player etc. Personally I preferred the choice of being able to find a remote that I liked. Someone else might be able to comment on the merit of the Hauppauge Remotes??? In NZ dollars theres only a $40 price difference for the 150 vs 150mce (USD$30) so its a cheap option if its a good remote.

To summerise I realised I didn't really answer the exact question - yes - they do work with non-MCE XP by downloading the software from Hauppauge. (I haven't verified this myself but been told/read it many times)

[Pilot]

So far, I have not had any trouble with the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150MCE versus non-MCE card. The regular PVR-150 drivers you download at the Hauppauge site (which you would want to do anyway, regardless of which you bought because they'd have the latest, updated drivers there) work perfectly. I have had a problem with the FM radio portion of my particular 150MCE card, but I think that's a software issue on my PC, as a previous software based card (KWorld) which had a FM tuner in it to just stopped working one day and now this one won't work either?

I upgraded to the 150MCE for the same reasons you did, except I originally wanted to get more capability out of my Hauppauge MediaMVP. Then I discovered GB-PVR which just double-justified my reasons for getting a hardware encoder card. I looked long and hard at other PVR software, but GB-PVR is really the way to go.

As for remotes, depending on what type of hardware/wiring you have in your home, you may want to just forget a remote and invest in a MediaMVP. It will allow you to keep your computer in another room and send video over to the main TV in your house. It comes with a remote control and you can completely control GB-PVR through your MediaMVP just as if you were sitting at your computer. Keeps the computer noise out of your TV room, and you'd get a remote and so much more. MediaMVP does require a network connection though, which if your house isn't wired then you'd have to run a wire or use a wireless option.

I have really enjoyed playing with all the various plug-ins (even ones I'm not continuing to use), and also immensely enjoyed creating my own skin (okay, actually heavily cosmetically modifying the default blue one). After having this working for a couple of weeks, I admit it -- I'm an addict. We'll have to get Sub to start a new forum, GB-PVR Anonymous.

"Hi, my name is Chris," (everyone: 'Hi, Chris') "and I'm a GB-PVR addict."

Now I need to get up off the wallet and donate to the cause.

[Pheare]

Okay,

I went and bought a 150. Non MCE. Just got GBPVR running. Not too shabby.

Some of things I am noticing right off that are different in beyond tv are:

1. When using the guide search there is a vertical line running through the shows, corresponding with the current time, indicating what point in the show is playing right now

2. In the searach guide you can start to type the show you are looking for and results will start to filter out.

3. When recording all of a given show, there is a record only new shows option.

4. When changing channels using the interface, you can set it so the channel does not change until you click the 'change' button. This enables you to quickly scroll through the channels and view the descriptions without having to wait for the tuner to catch up.

I am going to check out the plugins to see what is there. But overall I really like this software. Hell of a deal.