Recording quality

[jfm]

Here's my setup -

Server:
Dual P4 2.5 ghz
2 gb ram
EVGA GeForce 8600 GT/512mb
500 mb hard drive
Hauppauge PVR-500

Config:
Video Renderer - VMR9 Custom
Video Decoder - ffdshow
Audio Decoder - ffdshow
AC3 Decoder - ffdshow
Audio Renderer - Default

H.264 Decoder - ffdshow
AAC Decoder - Default
HE-AAC Decoder - Default

Recording settings, high:
Video Resolution - NTSC 720x480 variable
Bit Rate - 5500
Bit Rate Peak - 9000
Audio Bit Rate - 224
Audio Sample Rate - 48 Khz

I'm having video quality issues (viewing on LCD monitor) when recording TV shows. These are very big files, but the quality is not what I would like. Part of it is signal, and I can work on that. The other - major - part is what appears to be due to interlacing. Looks very similar to what Handbrake shows in their guide with the horizontal lines during motion.

The question is, then, if it is interlacing--how is this being introduced and how to fix it? Or, if it could be something else, then what? I will appreciate any and all input.

JFM

[whurlston]

The question is, then, if it is interlacing--how is this being introduced and how to fix it? Or, if it could be something else, then what? I will appreciate any and all input.

JFM

All analog SD content is interlaced as part of the broadcast transmission (720x480i). De-interlacing is done by your MPEG decoder during playback. An excellent set of instructions for ffdshow can be found at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=719041

[Etacovda]

How do you have ffdshow set up? what deinterlacing setting do you have it on? try weave.

Try downloading the MPV decoder + installing it (search here, its mentioned in many posts).

Your problem almost definitely is interlacing settings, but for good measure copy + zip your logs folder in your gbpvr folder + upload it here as an attachment so everyone can see whats going on.

thanks

edit: or follow the above post

[jfm]

How do you have ffdshow set up? what deinterlacing setting do you have it on? try weave.

Try downloading the MPV decoder + installing it (search here, its mentioned in many posts).

Your problem almost definitely is interlacing settings, but for good measure copy + zip your logs folder in your gbpvr folder + upload it here as an attachment so everyone can see whats going on.

thanks

edit: or follow the above post

I really don't understand much about how the whole thing works. Pretty much a noob in this area anyway. So, I hadn't tried to set up ffdshow at all. Just hoped the defaults would work okay. So much for that, huh?

Is there a way to deinterlace the recording as it is made, or must you do it upon viewing? And what is "postprocessing"?

Anyway, here are the logs.

JFM
Waiting for light to go on

[Etacovda]

No, its done upon viewing, it has nothing to do with the recording itself.

google how to set up ffdshow, theres many guides. just turn on interlacing + set it to weave to try it as a start.

[gEd]

Doesn;t the "weave" option basically mean - leave the file interlaced?
And do you not want to deinterlace interlaced content when watching on an lcd display?
Perhaps I misunderstood as I don;t have any experience of this as I still use a CRT TV.

[stustunz]

yeah weave has more chance of giving you saw teeth when things move
i always use force bob
but try both you will see which one works for your setup

also depends on your tv some lcd screen handle interlaced signals better than others but once its displayed on the the screen it shown one full frame(full screen) at a time unlike crt which alternate between lines

[jfm]

No, its done upon viewing, it has nothing to do with the recording itself.

google how to set up ffdshow, theres many guides. just turn on interlacing + set it to weave to try it as a start.

Thanks. And ffdshow is set up in GBPVR config by clicking on the [...] button, or where?

[TonyXL]

Do you have a DVD burner? If so, burn a show to DVD and play it back in your DVD player.

If it looks bad, the problem is with your signal and/or recording settings--to adjust these, use the tool from http://www.cask-of-amontillado.com/pvr_tweak.html

If it looks good (i.e., better than your PC -> TV) the problem is with your playback decoder (ffdshow). Try bob de-interlacing, that will get rid of the horizontal lines during motion.

[jfm]

Do you have a DVD burner? If so, burn a show to DVD and play it back in your DVD player.

If it looks bad, the problem is with your signal and/or recording settings--to adjust these, use the tool from http://www.cask-of-amontillado.com/pvr_tweak.html

If it looks good (i.e., better than your PC -> TV) the problem is with your playback decoder (ffdshow). Try bob de-interlacing, that will get rid of the horizontal lines during motion.

Excellent suggestion. I'll try that later today. Thanks.