Lousy standard def quality on Hauppauge HDPVR

[potatocouch]

All this time, I've been testing my HDPVR using an HD channel from my cable box, and was having good results. When I try an SD channel, the picture quality becomes down right lowsy, and the audio gets "wobbly" (I can hear pitch changes in music). When I tune into an SD channel, the screen starts out green, and it takes a while for the (lousy) picture to take form. I have the same problem using TME. Anyone else have this problem?

I'm using updated Arcsoft decoders and HDPVR driver version is 1.5.6. And my hardware revision is C2.

I still have a PVR-150 and I'm thinking of using the S-Video input of that to capture SD channels. Then I'd have lots of free decoding/upscaling options available to me. The downside would be that I won't have digital audio with the PVR-150. Can someone recommend a good SD capture card with digital audio capture?

[potatocouch]

Okay, this problem seems to be intermittent. I don't know what the heck is going on.

That's it, I give up! The GBPVR + HDPVR combo clearly does not work reliably for me. I regret spending so much on that annoyingly loud box. Anyone want to buy it?

I'm still interested to hear recommendations on a good quality SD capture card (with digital audio input) that behaves well with GBPVR and MythTV. This will be something I'll hook up to my digital cable box.

[stustunz]

have you tried different decoders and if you do a recording what does it look like in vlc (has its own decoders)
im sure you have tried this but you dont really say what exactly you have tried/have not tried

[potatocouch]

I tried the Arcsoft and the MPCVideoDec decoders. The Arcsoft one gives me the problems I've described. The MPCVideoDec gives me a black screen. I don't know which other free decoders to try. Unfortunately, there is no trial for the Cyberlink HD264 decoder. I could download an illegitimate copy somewhere (just to try temporarily), but I've just formatted for the 3rd time and don't want to infest my machine with malware.

I suspect the problem may be in hardware, because the flakyness sometimes happens when I don't change anything in software, then goes away mysteriously. The flakyness also sometimes goes away when I power-cycle the HDPVR. I just can't trust this thing to record my shows.

For now, I must put the HDPVR out of my sight and back in the junk box, before I chuck it out the window. :mad: When I gather up the patience to try the HDPVR again, I'll try capturing/recording with VLC and see what happens.

[mvallevand]

That's it, I give up! The GBPVR + HDPVR combo clearly does not work reliably for me. I regret spending so much on that annoyingly loud box. Anyone want to buy it?

If the price is right sure PM me, noting that NCIX did sell them new for $199 CDN for one sale. Here in Canada we don't have much choice for HD.

Martin

[potatocouch]

I decided to try all over again with Windows XP 32-bit. Interestingly, I had the same flaky SD performance ("jumpy" picture, warbly sound) before TME updated itself. After TME updated itself, the SD performance is now fine in TME. That leads me to believe that the administrator security thing in Windows 7 prevented TME from updating itself properly. I could be wrong - it's just a hunch.

In live preview mode, I was having audio distortion with SD channels. That went away when I disabled live preview mode. I prefer to always be in timeshift mode anyways when watching live TV.

Sorry for starting so many topics about my problems. I should have just put it all in one. :o

[potatocouch]

Alright. So now I have audio/video sync problems when tuned onto an SD channel (but no audio distortion). But audio/video sync is fine when tuned onto an HD channel. :confused: If my channels were all HD, I wouldn't be having this problem.

I decided to hook up the STB to the S-Video input of my PVR-150 (in addition to the HDPVR). I set up my channel lineups so that the HDPVR gets used for HD channels, and the PVR-150 gets used for SD channels. It's been working well so far.

An advantage with this setup is that I only have to put up with the HDPVR's wailing when tuned into an HD channel.

Has anyone modded their HDPVR with quieter fans, or passive cooling?

[potatocouch]

I've figured out that I can set my STB to always output at 1080i, so that eliminated my SD channel problems. It turns out that my STB does pretty decent upscaling.

Now I seem to have lip sync issues in Live Preview mode. The lip sync is better in timeshift mode, though. However, when I flip to a different channel while in timeshifted live mode, GBPVR kicks back to the TV Guide and video keeps on being captured by the Recording Service. I've browsed through the logs (attached here) and there seems to be an exception thrown. All this is with the Arcsoft decoders.

I'll search these boards for lip sync issues. Hopefully I can find a solution.

I also noticed another problem. Occasionally, after I choose a channel in TV Guide, I get a black screen. If I exit back to the TV Guide and pick the channel again, then the channel shows up. This makes me nervous about HDPVR's reliability for scheduled recordings. :eek: Anyways, I'll try to reproduce this and attach logs.

I'm sorry if I sound a little incoherent. I've been hacking away at this for 4 days straight, subsisting mostly on fast food.

[potatocouch]

Okay, fixed my lip sync issues by using the system default audio renderer. This was suggested by sub in another lip sync topic. Now when I tune in a new TV channel, it's slightly out of sync, but it goes back in sync in a short while.

I haven't had the black screen problem since I re-enabled Live Preview mode. Might there be a race condition bug with changing channels via blaster, starting the analog high def capture, and starting the timeshift recording??

I hope these ramblings help someone else going through the same misery I did.

[dark_half]

However, when I flip to a different channel while in timeshifted live mode, GBPVR kicks back to the TV Guide and video keeps on being captured by the Recording Service. I've browsed through the logs (attached here) and there seems to be an exception thrown.

It sounds like you are having the same problem I am having. Sub has said he fixed it in the next release.

http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=42021