Freecom DVB-T video playback jerkiness

[Jock in a Frock]

Hi, registered here to ask for some help with this wonderful program. Thanks to the author(s) & look out for a donation

I've installed BDA drivers for my Freecom DVB-T USB stick so I can use GBPVR and get away from the nastiness that is Arcsoft Totalmedia, which was supplied with the receiver, and totally sucks.

GBPVR gives me much better reception (although this may be the BDA drivers ), and much better control over TV playback. However, there's a slight (minor) annoyance.

When watching live TV or a recorded video, I sometimes get jerky playback. It's almost like an interlaced image where the second field is a few frames behind the first.

Pausing then resuming often clears this up, but can also introduce it on a previously good playback.

I suspect it's down to my video rendering, and I've made no changes to the default config in that area. CPU speed is not an issue (about 10% usage on playback).

I have an AMD A64 3700+ on an Asus A8N-32 mobo, 2Gb PC3200 RAM, a 180Gb SATA-I HD, very recent Omega video drivers for my Radeon X800 GTO card. The machine plays DVD's perfectly in PowerDVD / WMP10 etc (haven't tried a DVD in GBPVR yet).

I've not fully configured the Freeview channels yet, but I have had some success with XMLTV for the EPG, and scheduled recording is working fine. I'm using an internal antenna with a signal amp, and apart from the occasional dropout, it's working well.

All in all I'm chuffed to bits with GBPVR, and amazed that it's donation-ware. As I said, I will send in a donation to help fund development of this program. You guys deserve big kudos for your work on this.


Edit: Also, is there any way to use the supplied Freecom remote control with GB-PVR, or was that dependant on the supplied Freecom drivers? I suspect using BDA drivers has rendered the remote receiver useless. Not a major problem, but I need to know whether to toss the remote in the trash. Thanks again.

[sub]

This sounds to me like the quartz.dll problem described here: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=5600

You could also see if turning off hardware accelleration in the video decoder helps.

Its unlikely to be the cause of your problem, but I'd also apply this patch: http://forums.gbpvr.com/showpost.php?p=1...ostcount=8

Also, is there any way to use the supplied Freecom remote control with GB-PVR, or was that dependant on the supplied Freecom drivers?

To be honest, I dont know anything about the remote that comes with this device. I've never even seen one.

[Jock in a Frock]

Thanks for the very quick reply. I've had a look at that thread, and it does seem to be the same problem I'm seeing. I have checked my DX version, and it is 9.0c, with the suspect quartz.dll file.

I'm not sure I like the idea of downgrading to DX 9.0b since I use this machine for gaming (Warcraft, Flight Sim 2004 / FSX & more). Is there a way to drop the 9.0b version of quartz.dll into a 9.0c DX ?

If I did roll back to Dx 9.0b, would Windows Update continually bug me to update DX to the latest version?

I turned off hardware acceleration, but then GBPVR couldn't use the software renderer. I am currently unable to change the renderer to Cybershow SP because I'm currently recording (& playing at the same time ) the snooker on BBC2. (gotta love timeshifing ). I'll give this a go after the recording is finished (10 minutes more, I think).

[sub]

Is there a way to drop the 9.0b version of quartz.dll into a 9.0c DX ?

Yes, lots of people do that. Its discussed in that thread.

[Jock in a Frock]

Yes, lots of people do that. Its discussed in that thread.

You, Sir, are a superstar!

The snooker finished recording, so I dumped the DX9.0b version of quartz.dll into C:\Windows\System32 (after booting into Safe Mode & making a backup), and it seems to have cured the flickering.

No amount of fiddling with Hardware Acceleration made any difference to it, so I strongly suspect the problem has now been fixed with the older version of quartz.dll

This thread should be stickied / put into the FAQ / cast in bronze and hung over the entrance, or whatever other method you feel would help out other sufferers (and it would seem there may be quite a few).

Thanks to your wonderful support, I'm going to add another £5 onto my donation. make sure you get a beer out of that, and have a very Merry Christmas.