Best bitrate for MVP + plasma

[ram4x4nut]

Hi all,

Finally got a new tv ... 50" plasma! Now, the problem I have is that while playing over the MVP the video is really bad. I've increased to 9000 Kbs constant bitrate which is better but still not "good". Any suggestions on what bitrate to record at or any other tweaks for watching recordings on a big plasma?

Thanks in advance!

[mvallevand]

I only have a 35" CRT but I can't say that the problem is with the MVP, for me it think it is with the recorded source. I can capture wth 9 Mbs DVD quality bitrate and I can't get the quality from an analog capture that I get from a direct 3.5 Mbs feed of a digital mpeg broadcast. Also when I rename a VOB to MPG and play it without transcoding I don't see an appreciable difference in video quality between the DVD and the mpeg file.

Martin

[ram4x4nut]

Does it make any difference in GBPVR config app if playback is set to 4:3 or 16:9? Not sure if the MVP uses that setting.

[sub]

No it doesnt. GB-PVR has no control over the MVP aspect ratio.

If you boot the origianl Hauppauge MVP software, you can specify your preferred aspect ratio, and it should carry over into GB-PVR. This affects the way the MVP displays video, not the user inteface.

[nia]

I can second Martins observations above.

I have a 40" Samsung TFT (The EISA winner of 2006) with a MVP as the primary setup. The stuff I record on the PVR 350 just never gets very good no matter what bit rate (and I have a VERY good cable signal!).

However - the stuff I record digitally using DVB-T is excellent indeed. Almost impossible to see the difference to live (analog) feed directly into the TV. And basically just looks very crisp, sharp and fresh.

This is with the SCART version of the MVP.

On a sidenote - using the excellent MVPMC dongle allows native digitally 16:9 recordings to be displayed perfectly to the edge on a WS TV. You should use that for your 50"/MVP setup.

/Niels

[ram4x4nut]

Cool so where do I get this dongle? And all I have to do is put it in the right folder and tell GBPVR to to use that one instead of dongle.bin ? I really have no desire to load the haup MVP software on the HTPC, that always seems to lead to trouble LOL.

TIA

Ram

[mvallevand]

But all the dongles work with 16:9 after you using HAU MVP software to configure it then use the flicker control to improve the image.

The difference with mvpmc is that it uses WSS to actually change the aspect ratio based on the signal. It is only available in digital broadcast so you wouldn't notice it with your PVR-150. It is also much more prevalent on DVB.

Martin

[nia]

Cool so where do I get this dongle? And all I have to do is put it in the right folder and tell GBPVR to to use that one instead of dongle.bin ?

It's under this forum (subforum).

I find it better/more reliable in most cases on top of the other advantages above. It also has some other options outside of GBPVR.

You will probably want to let it autostart in GBPVR. It's well documented how (one file with one line).

Try it - it's just to replace the dongle.bin in gbpvr-subdir, and then power-cycle MVP.

/N

[ram4x4nut]

That was easy enough. I set it to emulate, 16:9 and svideo as the output. It does look a lot better than the stock dongle.bin.

Thanks a bunch!

Ram

[mvallevand]

That was easy enough. I set it to emulate, 16:9 and svideo as the output. It does look a lot better than the stock dongle.bin.

I'm glad it's better but mvpmc does not actually have different video output than the Hauppauge dongle since the mpeg output is done in hardware, it should be exactly the same. mvpmc does provide better aspect ratio control, better throughput and hopefully one day better AC3 sound, but I wouldn't try it hoping to get better quality video output.

Martin