Lower quality with NPVR

[HansJoachim]

When watching a ts-file recorded with NPVR on my LG 42LD450N the picture quality is slightly lower than if I'm watching live TV with a cable directly into my television set. The quality is equally low when watching live TV through NPVR on my LG 42". I'm using TerraTec Cinergy HTC USB XS HD as capture device. When watching 720p mkv-files via the pc on my TV the quality is higher.

The picture quality through NPVR looks a bit like when the weather is misty. There is no pixellation or deinterlacing. The colours are fine as well.

On a Danish forum a guy told my that slightly lower quality was to be expected when recording with PVR. Is that true? And if not how can I improve the quality through NPVR?

[martint123]

Are you recording analogue or digital?
Digital recordings should be (and are for me) as good via a PVR as straight to a TV. PVR's just record the digital stream from teh tuner card.
Analogue is a different matter though - going through format conversions.
It can't really be your video card if playing mkv's is ok.

waiting for more expert opinion!

[jcjefferies]

The NPVR picture on my Samsung TV the looks a bit pale, particularly the flesh tones. This however is probably mainly due to the PC input on the TV only having very basic “Picture” settings compared with the TV input as the picture looks ok when viewed on my client. It is possible that tweaking the decoder settings may compensate for this but I have not bothered as I don’t watch live TV via NPVR and view recordings mainly on the client.

[pcostanza]

I've read about similar problems on forums and haven't paid much attention to specific answers but one thread discussed changing to a better quality cable. I'm cheap and usually don't buy the best cabling but with HD video, it very well could make a difference.

[HansJoachim]

I'm recording digital.
I using this cable: http://skinflint.co.uk/eu/a229426.html

[stustunz]

1.digital just records the stream (does nothing but saves it gets it from broadcaster)
2.it will come down to your decoder renderer settings if you haven't changed anything else
3.wont be the cable with digital it works or it doesn't ,cant/wont change the colours you see
4.Make sure videocard drivers are the latest
5.Does the file look better if played in VLC or similar(something with own decoders)

[Pob]

Your PC will never produce exactly the same image as your TV's built-in tuner, in the same way that your brand of TV won't produce exactly the same picture as another make or model. If using digital, cables make little or no difference, it's just snake oil.
Tom's Hardware has a good comparison of AMD and Nvidea video quality here;
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/hqv-2-rade...32108.html
The pages detailing the settings for improving video quality on AMD or Nvidea can be a good guide to what adjustments can be made. Probably the single most important setting is the video output colour setting - either full 0-255 or limited 16-235. The 'correct' setting should be 16-235, which is the range most film is produced in, but some TV's expect the full PC range of 0-255 when using a PC input. Full range gives a much punchier image, but detail is lost in dark or light scenes. For some, calibrating a TV for different inputs has been raised to an art, and that is another area to look at, as most TV's now have per-input settings, and it can take time and patience to get them just right. Have not even touched on which video decoder you are using, as that will be playing it's part in the picture you end up with on screen...

[HansJoachim]

Thank you very much for all the answers.

[DanielP]

Try recallibrating your TV picture using the THX tests off a DVD (this is an option in the bottom right of the main menu of several of the "raiders of the lost arc" series of DVDs). Go through your graphics card setting each option to neutral or off (including edge sharpening and digital noise reduction) first, though- set colour to "standard". PC graphics by default use a different black level to a set top box or DVD player, so without reconfiguration, it would look different.

Another thing you can do to increase the life of your TFT TV is put backligting down to 50% (or eco mode if there is one), then reconfigure- also consumes less lecky. Not alot of people know that.

Spent ages researching all this as I wasn't happy with the pic quality of TFT TVs....kept on going until I could get all the benefits of the flat screen whilst also having a picture as pleasant as my CRT.

Daniel