Complete newbie needs help with hcwIRblast.dll

[tara_clinton]

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I apologize in advance if some of these questions are ignorant since I'm a complete newbie and also that this post is rather long.

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Hardware:
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CPU: P4 2.8 GHz
HDD: 3; 1 & 2) WDC 120GB Caviar SE, 3) LaCie d2 Extreme 250 GB external
RAM: 1 GHz RDR Rambus
Graphics Card: nVidia Ti4200 4x AGP w/DVI & TV-Out
TV Tuner Card: Hauppage WinTV-PVR 350
Sound Card: Creative Audigy w/5.1
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The error message I keep getting: Error: Unable to load DLL (hcwIRblast.dll)

I set up the TV Tuner card following Hauppage's guide, except that I have not yet hooked it up to my regular TV set using the supplied composite cable. I have installed all the software updates from Hauppage and its affiliates.

The WinTV 2000 seemed to work okay, but when I scheduled 4 programs to record, it only recorded 1 of them, so I decided to try GB-PVR since it was suggested in a user review for the hardware on amazon.com.

Anyway, as the user stated, there's a lot of tinkering to get GB-PVR to work and this is where I run into trouble. I set it up by following the Documentation section, and it seems to work except for the Live TV button. I also noticed that WinTV Remote Controller loads at startup in the system tray and whenever I right-click it and try opening a program from it (i.e., WINTV2K.EXE, WINTV32.EXE, RADIO.EXE), I get an 'Application Not Found' error message.

I have even uninstalled and reinstalled GB-PVR, but with no luck. I did notice that GB-PVR had the same settings as it did before I uninstalled it, so is there a registry key I need to delete if I want to reinstall it so the program has the default settings?

Finally, it seems to me that since everything else seems to work except for the Live TV function and the WinTV Remote Controller, that the problem lies within Hauppage's WinTV Remote Controller, comments please!

If you have any suggestions/comments or can answer any of the following questions, I'd be most appreciative:

1. Do I need to have any/all of Hauppage's software installed for GB-PVR to function properly?

2. Is it possible that my nVidia card with TV-Out is causing/has something to do with this error message?

Thanks!

Tara C.

[stefan]

Live tv part: What do you mean by not work? What happens?

Remote part: I'm not sure what's going on with your setup, but you can try a workaround by setting the "use direct access to hauppauge remote". *Or*... I just remembered... you have to click the "fix hauppauge remote settings" in the "DVD and remote" section of the config app. Just count the number of buttons on your remote first =)

If you use direct access to remote, you don't need the ir32 software from hauppauge. If you don't use this feature (not using direct access is recommended by Sub, the author of this project), you must have ir32 installed and running.

Your question nr 2: The answer is no.

[tara_clinton]

I mean when I open gbpvr and click the 'Live TV' button, I get the following error message: Error: Unable to load DLL (hcwIRblast.dll). In other words, everything about gbpvr SEEMS to be okay (I haven't tried recording anything yet), but the main reason I installed it was that I was disappointed w/Hauppage's crappy software. Given that I've read all the documentation for gbpvr and have spent the last 3 days trying to get it to work, all with no success, I'm considering giving it up and returning the Hauppage card...too much hassle.

[tara_clinton]

I spent $150 on the card and another $35 on accessories, so having to buy a remote control on top of it is out of the question right now...so I was kinda hoping for a solution to the Hauppage IR32 problem.

I did click the "fix hauppauge remote settings" in the "DVD and remote" section of the config app.

Thanks!

[stefan]

Did you try the "direct access" suggestion? Does the remote work ok when you run wintv2000? By the way, you can't run gbpvr and wintv2000 at the same time. Do the logs in the gbpvr directory say anything that could help us figure out what is wrong?

[wtg]

I mean when I open gbpvr and click the 'Live TV' button, I get the following error message: Error: Unable to load DLL (hcwIRblast.dll). In other words, everything about gbpvr SEEMS to be okay (I haven't tried recording anything yet), but the main reason I installed it was that I was disappointed w/Hauppage's crappy software. Given that I've read all the documentation for gbpvr and have spent the last 3 days trying to get it to work, all with no success, I'm considering giving it up and returning the Hauppage card...too much hassle.

My guess is that the reason you're getting this error when you click Live TV is that gbpvr is trying to change the channel on your cable box via the IR blaster and, due to something wrong with the IR blaster installation, you get this error. You will probably get a same or similar error in Win TV, right?

I know I've seen this error before and it took wiping out the Hauppauge drivers and software and reinstalling. However, if memory serves there was something wrong with the order of things mentioned on the Hauppauge site. Everything would work except the IR blaster if I followed there instructions, and I eventually realized if I followed the installation order that can on the CD, I could get things working again.

I wish I could recall exactly what needed to be different, but unfortunately I can't. I do at least feel confident that if you get the remote working in Hauppauge's delivered software, you shouldn't have much trouble in gbpvr.

Good luck,
Tim

[tara_clinton]

Maybe I needed to be more clear. This error message was on my computer, not my TV & cable box...I don't have the cables yet to run from the TV out on the card to the cable box.

Anyway, I fixed it by doing a lot of tinkering with GB-PVR. As I'm sure you're aware, the documentation for GB-PVR is somewhat lacking and given that this is my first card with TV-tuner capabilities, I am/was clueless. Of course, I mean no disrespect to the programmers who created GB-PVR (thank God for them!), but for newbies such as myself, I think the documentation that does exist needs to be more in depth.

Anyway, I fixed in by going into the Config app, clicking on the Capture Sources tab and under my capture source, I selected no channel changer. Next, I went under the DVD & Remote tab, I selected Default (Hauppage) --> clicked the Fix Hauppage Remote Settings (45 button) button --> then under the Misc. tab, checked the Use direct access to Hauppage Remote box.

Everything works now. So if anyone else has this error, hopefully they find this post. One last question if you don't mind...is the comskip.exe something that comes w/GB-PVR or is it something I have to buy or get elsewhere? I can't seem to find it here or at gbpvr.com.

Thanks again!

[wtg]

Comskip is developed independently and you can find a link to the most recent version in the Community Announcements forum.

[stefan]

Maybe I needed to be more clear. This error message was on my computer, not my TV & cable box...I don't have the cables yet to run from the TV out on the card to the cable box.

Anyway, I fixed it by doing a lot of tinkering with GB-PVR. As I'm sure you're aware, the documentation for GB-PVR is somewhat lacking and given that this is my first card with TV-tuner capabilities, I am/was clueless. Of course, I mean no disrespect to the programmers who created GB-PVR (thank God for them!), but for newbies such as myself, I think the documentation that does exist needs to be more in depth.

Anyway, I fixed in by going into the Config app, clicking on the Capture Sources tab and under my capture source, I selected no channel changer. Next, I went under the DVD & Remote tab, I selected Default (Hauppage) --> clicked the Fix Hauppage Remote Settings (45 button) button --> then under the Misc. tab, checked the Use direct access to Hauppage Remote box.

Everything works now. So if anyone else has this error, hopefully they find this post. One last question if you don't mind...is the comskip.exe something that comes w/GB-PVR or is it something I have to buy or get elsewhere? I can't seem to find it here or at gbpvr.com.

Thanks again!

Thank god for *him*. Sub is the only developer of the non-plugin part of this project. Most of us are eternally greatful for his work =)

Regarding the documentation; since it is in wiki form, no one and everyone is responsible for keeping it up-to-date. When you/we have fiddled with gbpvr long enough, I think you loose perspective as to what needs/does not not to be in the wiki, especially for "newbies". Everyone who finds a part that is incorrect, or not clear enough, or missing, is encouraged to fill out the blanks. PM blader_se to get a password for editing the wiki. We all need to chip in to keep/make the documentation good.

[tara_clinton]

Stefan,

I will definitely consider adding to the wiki, but I feel I need to gain more experience w/GB-PVR before doing so. Yes, I realize what you said about loosing perspective after fiddling w/it for awhile, but I'm still trying to get my head around what exactly you can do with it and how it should be hooked up.

For example, I work the 2nd shift sometimes, and I want to record a program that will air in a couple of days when I'm at work. I have a 3-way splitter on the cable coaxial that comes out the wall. One coaxial cable runs to my set-top cable box that the cable company lets me use, the second coaxial is for the cable internet that runs to my computer in the other room, and the third runs to my Hauppage WinTV card. While tinkering around with the cable box and the TV earlier tonight, I pushed the record button just to see if I can record using the Hauppage while using the cable box, the cable box remote, and the TV. The TV said it was recording, but here on my computer, I see no .mpg file like I do when I access the recording function from my PC.

Before I bought the Hauppage, whenever I tried to record using the cable company's equipment, it gave me an error saying I needed some type of hardware to do the recording. So, obviously I do not understand how this whole thing exactly works and/or how to properly hook the Hauppage up to my set-top box and television so I can access GB-PVR from my set-top box/TV, if that's even possible.

Anyway, I'll search the forums and hopefully find something that helps me understand this. I originally bought the card just to convert a VHS tape to DVD for a family member, but read about GB-PVR in an Amazon.com user review and in case you can't tell, I'm not very tech-savvy, so....

Anyway, I will PM you in a week or so since I do feel obligated to help given all the help I've received.

Thanks a lot!