having trouble using WinTV USB 2's hardware decoding...

[Sjbrown]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding how this stuff works, but in the config settings of GBPVR, under the playback tab, my options for hardware decoding are as follows:

None Use Software decoding
Hauppauge PVR 350
Sigma Designs Xcard

I figured since I am using WinTV USB 2, the correct one to select would be Hauppauge PVR 350, yet GBPVR won't start when I try to use it. The only one that works is the software decoding option. It may be my imagination, but it seems like the image is not all it is cracked up to be with this option selected. Is there something I do not have set up right?

[FKlassen]

I have the same Hauppage unit as you and use the software decoder option also.
If the transmission is good and I use the HIGH quality setting I get a very good quality recording.

[sub]

You device has a hardware ENcoder not a hardware DEcoder. You have use the 'None - use software decoder' option with this device.

[sub]

The only one that works is the software decoding option. It may be my imagination, but it seems like the image is not all it is cracked up to be with this option selected. Is there something I do not have set up right?

It'll depend on your video card, it's drivers, the video decoder you're using and whether you're using the Overlay, VMR7 or VMR9 renderer.

[Sjbrown]

Hm, alright.

It just seems the picture is pretty blurry and I'm using a satellite receiver and SVideo cable.

As well I played with BeyondTV and it seemed much clearer. Any idea on how I can clean up the image at all? For the most part they are at whatever default settings they are at when the software is installed. A lot of the settings to be played with in the config are a little isoteric for me. But I'll keep playing with them.

[sub]

The default settings rely on the system default decoders, which varies from machine to machine (depends on which apps you have installed on your machine, and the order you installed them etc). Unlike commercial apps like BeyondTV, I'm not in a position to license MPEG-2 for installing with GB-PVR, so instead it make use of the MPEG-2 decoders which are already on your machine.

There are lot factors that contribute to whether you get a good or bad picture, with the most relevent being the video decoder and renderer. Play with all the combinations of these settings and hopefully you'll find one that works well for you.