Unable to make Asus PVR-614 (Conexant 2388x) work

[MrPinks]

Hello, everyone! New guy here.

I've run into a problem that I can't seem to solve. I started down this road because I can't make Windows Media Center work the way I want, because I lack an IR blaster and can't get past the setup step I need to make it work. This is an XP box, so the virtual IR solution for Vista doesn't work and I'm stuck. In a nutshell, I want to use the tuner and SVHS inputs on the device, and WMC won't let me do it without a blaster attached. I can get the tuner to work, but can't get the line-in to be recognized.

So I went out looking for other solutions. Already tried one, and that didn't work. So I found NextPVR, which looks great, but also is not working. First things first. This is a Win XP box, SP3, with MCE 2002. The card is an Asus PVR-614, which is identified as a Conextant 23880 Blackbird. Final improved driver set is installed. Windows Media Center works the card just fine, and I can see video on both the tuner and the SVHS input during setup, but because I don't have the blaster, Windows won't complete the setup and I'm stuck with just channels and no SVHS input.

So I installed NPVR, and it doesn't work. No devices show up. Huh. OK, I learn that I have to go and get SoftPVR and install that, since it's an analog card. I do that, modify the batch file to use the latest version, and all goes well. Still no go. No devices show up. Then I learn that I have to run FilterCheck to see what's up and also that I have to edit the XML file with the results. I do that. I discover that this is a hardware enabled-card, and edit the XML file to include it.

NPVR now sees the card in devices. But if I go to set up the device, channel scan fails in a loop with unhanded exceptions, attempt to read/write protected memory. The only way to get out of the process is to kill it with Task Manager. So I add the channels I want manually, and also added the SVHS input manually, and they show up. but NPVR says "unable to find available capture device." A look at the NPVR log shows that it can't find the card (huh?) and it wants to switch to software encoding.

I give up, admit defeat, and thus this thread. HELP!

Attached are the log files for NVPR, FilterCheck's output, the exception error text, and my edited XML file. Would sure appreciate some more ideas. Thank you!

[mikeh49]

I can't help you, but you've done 95% at least of the work needed to have sub or someone else help, so thanks for that. Couple of points - you need the softPVR components (really just one filter) even if the card has a hardware encoder in order to convert the stream from the card to the ts container. I think this Connexant chip is the same used on the Hauppauge analog cards, so it should have an encoder and it will be used. Also, do you have the visualC and dotnet items installed?

You should be able to use the line-in of the card, but I don't remember how. I think you have to setup a channel and assign it to the line-in. Channel scanning on analog is a bit of a misnomer, as the tuner frequencies are "fixed". Normally, you would get your channels from the program guide source that you specified in the tuner setup tab. NPVR is "guide centric" in that it expects/needs you to have a program guide that lists the channels and that you use to select channels for recording or watching. There are ways to do what you want, however; just need to have someone who knows explain it.

[MrPinks]

Thanks. Yes, SoftPVR components are installed. And I will double-check to make sure that all of the required components are installed. I would think that the application would complain if one or more were missing, would it not?

Edit: Yes, all are present.

[sub]

It's asking directshow for the hardware encoder for this device, but it's failing to find it. It then tries to fall back to using soft encoding and things just get worse.

I'm not really sure why directshow wouldn't be finding it though. Maybe try running this filtercheck.exe and post the log: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...post442679. This version gives a bit more info.

[mikeh49]

Try this from the wiki:

http://www.nextpvr.com/nwiki/pmwiki.php?...ialog#toc9

• In device setup, add channel.
  
• Pick channel 1 since there is no analog channel 1
  
• Select the input source, S-video (may take some cut and try)
  
• Save
  

Now use this channel from manual recordings or the guide to record on this input. If you aren't using the tuner, you can delete all other channels.

This should get you at least part way there.

[MrPinks]

OK, will do. I now have to table this for a few days, will report back when I have something. Thanks for all of your help!

[MrPinks]

UPDATE:

Well, sorry to trouble everyone. I got this machine as a castaway and I thought I'd put it to good use. Subsequent evaluation after this event reveals the box to be completely b0rked. It's got major trouble in a number of areas, so all bets are off. I smell a format and reinstall in this one's immediate future.

I have installed NextPVR on a different XP machine, with the same encoder hardware installed, and all is working as expected. My sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to look at this and tried to help. Thank you!

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