Is it possible to use DVI connection instead of MVP?

[canonbeck]

Hi Guys
I just took delibery of a shiny new hd-ready lcd tv with a DVI input. Until now I've been using an MVP to playback my recordings to my old CRT which is great but its not quite been up to the job for watching live tv (UK DVB-T via NOVA-T).
My question is this: Now I've got a tv that will take a DVI input and a gbpvr machine with a DVI output (radeon 7000 64mb), can I hook the two together and what would I need to do get it working? (other than a DVI cable - I guess what I mean is how will the mpg be decoded for the tv...)
Also, if this can work, does anyone know if live DVB tv could be possible without the slowness of the MVP? I'd love to be able to use GBPVR for watching tv as well as recordings. I've tried a couple of freeview boxes but theyhave all been pants - not a patch on the guide etc in GBPVR.

Any advice appreciated,

Cheers!

[fuzzweed]

I've got a radeon 9550 feeding into my LCD TV via a DVI connection - works fine, no setup needed (just the cable, as you said).
We use it as our main TV, and agree with you that the GBPVR is a much slicker (and better picture quality) way to watch DVB-T than any of the set-top boxes i've used.
MPEG decoding is taken care of by your PC, so you'll need the relevant decoders installed, which should come either with your DVB card, or in such programs as Cyberlink power DVD. Put it this way; I just plugged in my Hauppauge card, ran the setup program, installed GBPVR and I was off - no problems at all.
Not used an MVP, so I can't compare, but it doesn't sound like there should be any hitches for you

[canonbeck]

Excellent - Thanks fuzzweed!

So, can I take it that you do actually watch live dvb tv this way? How is the channel changing? What about sound, how do you listen to it (pc audio out to av amp? - are there any sync issues?)

How about remotes - do you use the standard hauppage remote?

Sorry to ask too many questions.....

[bluesxman]

All you'll be doing is piping the output of your PC to a TV. Why not just try it on your PC to make sure live tv works OK? All that will be different is picture size/quality.

[fuzzweed]

1) Yes, this is my main TV set-up - even my technophobe girlfriend prefers it to the digi-box, and that really is saying something
2) Channel changing is fine (quicker than my old set-top!) - I use live preview option for fastest channel surfing, although this generally means you'll loose a second or two if you switch into timeshift mode mid-program.
3) I have two options for sound - I use an SPDIF output to an AV amp generally (using AC3 filter audio codec - google for it if you need it) which gives me crystal clear sound off TV, and full 6.1 surround on DVDs. I also run a 3.5mm jack from the sound card to the TV (there should be a line in socket near the DVI input on your screen somewhere...) so I can also get sound out the TV either if I can't be bothered to fire up the amp, or for quieter late-night listening.
4) I have no lipsync issues at all with live or recorded programs - I am having a few glitches with lipsync during timeshift, but I'm still investigating this....
5) I've got a learning remote programmed with the hauppauge, TV and AV amp commands so 1 remote can control everything. Also the irremote.ini file in windows\system allows you to fully configure the hauppauge buttons if you need to tweek the default options.

phew! I think that's answered everything! Of course your ultimate performance and setup will depend on your individual hardware, but there seems to be a fair spread of electronics in use out there - and the support for GBPVR as as good or better than I've seen for any program (free or paid for) As bluesxman says - give it a try!

[canonbeck]

Sounds good...

My GBPVR box is currently tucked away in the cupbaord under the stairs with no monitor attached to it so I havent been able to try it that way (except via RDP which doesnt really work - no suprise there).

I'll give it a whirl over the weekend - thanks for the help guys!