New Hauppauge pre-release drivers

[groover km]

With a recording, unprocessed, what is the GOP size? And are there any differences in GOP size between a recording which plays correctly and one which doesn't?

I have this problem with NTSC. The GOP size is set at 15, open. I've tried closed GOP with no discernible difference, as well as CBR instead of VBR. When I have run a 'broken' file through PVAStrumento to repair it, I get a log file that details the errors found/ repairs performed (I immediately delete these files :o). Next one I get though, I can post here if it may help...

[groover km]

From memory: For NTSC, GOP needs to be between 12-15. Typically 15 is fine for normal use. GOP structure can be open or closed; open allows for smaller filesizes, closed allows for on frame editing (but the difference is typically less than 0.5sec; it wouldn't affect comskip or anything else like that).

GOP is an MPEG specification, not windows; you can see it and amend it in the ProcAmp settings for the PVR-150. Default is GOP 15, open.

Hope this helps.

[wtg]

I too am an NTSC user.

[chud]

NTSC as well, and i do find timeline errors with the lamest and gratingest PVR150 drivers.

it is probably just my perception, but i seemed to think they were working rather well for the first few days. now it seems like every or every second recording has timeline errors. i also find that running them through mencoder with the "copy" flags does not repair the timeline. retime works though...

[UncleJohnsBand]

Are only NTSC users seeing timeline corruption, or does it affect PAL too?

I'm using PAL-I and have no problems. Please post what you are.

NTSC.

[chud]

i would guess that the question now becomes are there any PAL users out there who are having timeline problems?

[Chris.Day]

Things are handled differently for each video mode. If there's a problem with the support for one video standard it's possible that it wouldn't affect the others.

If you know what the GOPs are set to in the encoder properties, if you run the file through PVAStrumento does it match?

[groover km]

Well, first the (cautious) good news - since switching to the Feb 2005 2.0.24.23035 drivers on saturday, I have scheduled a lot of recordings with different channels/ durations, and - so far - they have all seemed to be correct. I haven't watched them, just opened them up to make sure the duration is reported correct. That said, I have run a movie that I taped a couple of weeks ago through PVAS, with the following results:

Scheduled recording duration - 2h35m
Actual recording duration (according to file timeline) - 2h23m, 4.41GB
Repaired recording duration (according to file timeline) - 2h37m*, 4.16GB

*This is correct, including pre- and post-padding.

From the PVAStrumento log file, there are a number of entries stating:

ALERT> PTS reset in video. Have to re-sync.
Re-syncing.
Closing starting GOP.
Aiming for sync at 00:06:23.253
Cutting video.
Audio stream 1: PTS DISCONTINUITY
Closing starting GOP.
Aiming for sync at 00:00:00.834
Cutting audio.
Audio stream 1 now starts at 00:00:01.365
Video stream 1 now starts at 00:00:00.834

Whenever I have repaired 'bad' files, these entries are typical; the 'worse' the file, the more entries there are. The bottom of the log shows GOP as (min/ avg/ max)(12/ 14/ 15). Anyway, hope this helps describe the problem.

[User]

NTSC
Win2k
1 PVR 150
2 MVP's
2.8 Ghz Pentium 4 with hyperthreading disabled
1 Gig Ram
Dual 120 gig drives.

I have done a lot of testing of drivers after initially having the audio distortion problem, which I solved for a time by placing an inline EQ on the input to the 150. The only drivers I find that are acceptable are 2.0.24.23035. I did not test 23025 but have tested almost everything up to 2.0.35.23348 . The only driver I have tested that has had no timeline issues is 2.0.24.23035 and I use the tweaker tool to adjust the sound to where it is clean. All I can say is everything has been solid with these drivers and I found all others I tested to be unacceptable due to timeline issues. I am not planning on testing 2.0.35.24034, I am happy with what I have.
I am posting this only in the hopes it helps others.

[andlju]

I never had any problems before, but last weekend I tried a new set of drivers I found on the hauppauge.com site (2.2.0.35.23301) and all of a sudden I got timeline issues with pretty much every single recording. So it certainly can affect us PAL users too, with the wrong set of drivers.
Also many of the files with issues didn't play properly even when ignoring the timeline problem. About 15 minutes into some of them they simply crashed. After running them through PVAstrumento I ended up with a bunch of files of about 15 minutes, only the first of which had any audio left...