Picture quality compared to TV set

[gwhitfie]

I recently installed WinTV-HVR 1600. I also installed the included software plus GBPVR. I am disappointed in the picuture quality. I have a Magnavox TV 2 feet from my computer monitor being fed from the same cable outlet. the picture on my monitor is less detailed and washed out compared to the Magnavox. I play DVD movies on my computer all the time and the quarity is exellent. I don't expect this quality, but shouldn't I at least have as good a picture as on the Magnavox when I watch live TV on the computer?

[rob11252]

From my experience with GBPVR and HVR1600, your picture quality should be excellent!
GBPVR uses the resources your computer provides so it is only as good as the hardware and software (audio/video codecs) you installed.
We need more details from you so we can help you have the same quality TV experience as the rest of us.
For example: HVR1600 comes with WinTV software. Did you play TV using WinTV? Is picture quality good when you use it?
Is your signal from cable analog or digital, standard or high def?
What are the parameters of your computer?

[gwhitfie]

My pc is a Pentium 4 2.0 ghz with 2.5 GB ram , Radeon HD 2400 pro AGP w/256 MB, Hauppauge HVR 1600 model 1178. I did install and run WIN TV and I can see no difference in GBPVR. I have cable which is split with one leg to my TV and the other to my PC. I also have an antenna connected to the ATSC connector . The couple of HD stations that I can receive are much better, but my processor is not fast enough, and the picture is jumpy. I have only analog from the cable. I will say again that when I play a DVD movie on my computer, the picture is very good, better than playing the DVD on my DVD player connected to the TV. You didn't say directly, but I gather that the picture quality should be at least as good as my TV set. Thanks G

[rob11252]

Well, your analog TV signal will always look worse than DVD, because DVD plays at 720x480 resolution and analog TV only at 480x330 interlaced. Computer monitors are designed for progressive (non-interlaced) signal so sofware has to deinterlace it which usually makes it less sharp.
Here is what I suggest you do:
- play live TV using WinTV and then same channel using GBPVR. If quality is no acceptable in both then your cable connections may be bad or HVR1600 defective.
- if wintv is fine but GBPVR not then you have to play with codecs.
GBPVR (unlike WinTV or PowerDVD or others) does not install any codecs, just uses what is available on your computer. Since you installed winTV and PowerDVD? then you have at least two codecs to choose form (Hauppauge and Cyberlink).
Check this wiki link: http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FAQ/T...ayback#toc .

ATSC: you are right, the processor is underpowered for HDTV. But, and I don't know what your video card is capable of, I think you have a fighting chance if you can do hardware acceleration.