New user - advice wanted please

[reckoning]

Hi there,

Well I'm not quite a new user, not yet. Just need some advice before I get started. I want to setup my PC up as a PVR, I was all set to buy WMC when I came across this piece of software. So I've got a few questions that I hope you can help me with.

1. How does GB-PVR compare with WMC? Does GB-PVR do anything WMC can't or vice-versa? Does one done something better then the other?

2. So I've got a PC running Window XP, as far as I can tell the only thing I need to do to get this up and running is to buy a tuner card, is this correct?

3. What's the best tuner card to buy to work with GB-PVR, I'd like to be able to watch one channel and record another. Is it possible to buy cards that can record two programmes and watch a third?

4. What is the quality of recorded programmes like when replayed back on the TV with maximum quality selected, is it as good as the original broadcast?

5. How important is the graphics card in the PC? Does it make any difference to the quality at all?

6. When using the PC as a PVR is it still possible to use the computer while it's recording/playing back a TV programme? By use I mean browsing the internet/word processing, what about playing games?

OK I think that's it for now. As you can probably tell I know next to nothing about this subject so any help would be really appreciated.

Many thanks, Steve

[jorm]

1) no idea. I am sure that with all of the plugins gbpvr is more flexible but I dont know all about the features. http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Plugin/Plugin

2) that is correct.

3) Probably the hauppauge series 150, 500 etc... depending on the number of tuners you want. One of the nice things about gbpvr is it supports mediamvp to send the signal to your tvs.

You can watch one channel and recording another if you have at least 2 tuners. If you have 3 you can record two and watch one.

4) It sure seems like it is. Now if you have HDTV you might need one of the support HDTV cards, but analog broadcast it looks as good as the tv.

5) dont know. I stream the signal to my tvs.

6) yes, the capture uses very little of the PC since the encoding is done in hardware.

[reboot]

1.) GB-PVR does more than MCE...a lot more (with the plugins).
2.) You don't even need a tuner to see what the program looks like. You should be able to install it, and at least try a couple of skins. Things may cause an error because you don't have a card yet, but will work once a card is installed, and you set up the card in config.
3.) Any Hauppauge PVR 150/250/350/500 (just my personal opinion, there are others). Look on the main page for the list of supported cards.
4.) As good as the original, and totally configurable. You can record in any quality you like.
5.) Only for playback of the recordings. It has NO bearing on the recording quality.
6.) If you have your graphics card set up for dual outputs, yes, you can play games, record and watch shows, and generally multitask. This depends on how much CPU power, how many hard drives, etc.

Tell us a bit about the system you currently have, and we'll be able to recommend any changes that you might need for mutitasking.

[reckoning]

jorm / reboot,

Thanks for the quick reply to my questions.

OK here is my spec, can you see any problems with it?

AthlonXP 2100
1GB RAM
80GB <-- Yeah I know
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro

Apart from needing to get a bigger hard disk can you see anything else that might be a problem? What about the Processor? What size hard disk should I go for? Is it 2GB of space (max quality) for every hour of tv?

It looks like I'm going to get a Hauppauge card judging from your replies. So I'm going to have to buy two of these if I want to record/watch TV at the same time? Is there a tuner card you can buy that has two tuners on the one card so it only take up one PCI slot in my PC? I assume with the Hauppauge cards that the higher the number on the model the better? Is there any benefit in getting a more expensive one? Better quality?

[betlit]

AthlonXP 2100
1GB RAM
80GB <-- Yeah I know
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro

this should suffice. i'm running gbpvr on a overclocked p ii 800 and it runs without problems (altough i use a mpeg2 hardware decoder (pvr 350). but even software decoding does work).

It looks like I'm going to get a Hauppauge card judging from your replies. So I'm going to have to buy two of these if I want to record/watch TV at the same time? Is there a tuner card you can buy that has two tuners on the one card so it only take up one PCI slot in my PC?

the hauppauge pvr 500 has two tuners on one card.

I assume with the Hauppauge cards that the higher the number on the model the better? Is there any benefit in getting a more expensive one? Better quality?

all the hauppauge tv cards are brilliant when it comes to picture quality, etc.
the only difference between them are some extras.

pvr 150: one tv tuner, hardware mpeg encoder
pvr 250: one tv tuner, one fm radio tuner, hardware mpeg encoder
pvr 350: one tv tuner, one fm radio tuner, hardware mpeg encoder and _DE_coder (s-video/composite out)
pvr 500: two tv tuners

the pvr 500 is virtually two pvr 150 combined on one pci-card.

[reckoning]

Ok thanks betlit.

I'm getting quite excited now I'm moving forward with this idea and getting the info. A few more questions though. I've managed to track down somewhere selling the Hauppauge PVR500 (overclock.co.uk), it seems to be harder to get hold off then I thought. Anyway it says that it doesn't come with either a remote control or a software DVD decoder. So my question is what is the best remote control to buy for gbpvr that will work with that card? and second where do I get this software dvd decode thing from? Just going back to the remote control a second, can it be used to control all the feature of gbpvr?

Also quick question about the live tv feature. It says that gbpvr can pause live tv, rewind etc. To be able to do this is the idea that you always have the PC turned on so when you turn the tv on your actually watching the programme via the tuner card? Do you need a digital tv to do this or will it work with a "normal" tv?

Sorry for spamming with questions, but the more I read the more i want to know. I've just found the gbpvr documentation page so I'm working my way through that.

Thanks

[reboot]

Definitely grab the 500. If you find you want more tuners, get another
You can also get the Hauppauge 45 button remote for it, as a separate purchase. Well worth it!

Also quick question about the live tv feature. It says that gbpvr can pause live tv, rewind etc. To be able to do this is the idea that you always have the PC turned on so when you turn the tv on your actually watching the programme via the tuner card? Do you need a digital tv to do this or will it work with a "normal" tv?

Yes, you need the PC on to do any of this, unless you put the recordings on DVD.
The idea is, most of us use the PC to control the TV completely. We can (with the remote controlling gbpvr) do all the above, and never use the TV remote at all.
Many of us have dedicated PVR's (A PC running windows and gbpvr only) that does all this, and another PC that we use for actual PC stuff.
You can, with the right hardware, have one PC that will do it all.

The software decoder comes from Hauppauge. If you don't get one on the drivers disk with the card (you get one with all NON-MCE models), you can download it free. There are also others you may already have, if you've installed any DVD watching software on your PC. Cyberlink, Intervideo, Ulead, et al.

This all works on a "normal" TV. You don't need a digital one. The video card output is analog, and the video card's drivers and application used, determine what you watch, and how it's displayed on the TV.

There's a great set of drivers at http://www.shspvr.com
One complete download includes drivers for all Hauppauge PVR cards, so it's easy to install the PVR-500 in XP or even Windows 2000/2003, even though the card is an "MCE" model. (I have two running with no trouble in XP Pro).

Look at http://www.pricewatch.co.uk/ to get the best deal on the PVR-500.

Just to add:
pvr 150: one tv tuner, hardware mpeg encoder, no FM, w/Remote.
PVR 150 MCE version, one tuner, hardware encoder, FM, no remote.
pvr 250: one tv tuner, hardware mpeg encoder, w/Remote
PVR 250 MCE version, one tuner, hardware encoder, FM, no remote.
pvr 350: one tv tuner, one fm radio tuner, hardware mpeg encoder and _DE_coder (s-video/composite out)
pvr 500: MCE version only, two tv tuners, FM, no remote.

[sub]

You can also get the Hauppauge 45 button remote for it, as a separate purchase. Well worth it!

Can you really? Where does it plug in?

[reboot]

Oops! Was thinking about my setup, not a single 500 setup. My mistake

You'd need a PVR-150/250 retail version with remote, as well as the 500.

[reckoning]

Oops! Was thinking about my setup, not a single 500 setup. My mistake

You'd need a PVR-150/250 retail version with remote, as well as the 500.

I need to buy another card just to get the remote control? The main reason I wanted the 500 was to free up my PCI slots. Don't really want the extra cost or to tie up another PCI slot just so I can get a remote control. I don't understand why some of the cards come with remotes and some don't. How are you expected to use the thing without a remote?

So there is no way to buy a remote control on its own?

Cheers.