MediaMVP Issues

[ZaDDaZ]

I recently attempted converting from using SageTV to GBPVR and I have to say that I am quite impressed with GBPVR, especially its MediaMVP functionality.  I have some issues though and I was wondering if anyone might be able to shed some light on them.

First, do these things just not generate good vertical sync signals when displaying menus?  Even running the MediaMVP service from Hauppauge, they didn't do all that great.  It seems worse in GBPVR, but maybe thats just because the screens look a thousand times better.  I don't have any display problems with recorded video.

Second, the remote function does not seem to work correctly.  Specifically, the replay and skip functions.  Skip seems to take me halfway into the current video and replay, goes further forward.  Is there some file I need to modify to indicate the type of remote I have?  I have the old remote as I've seen some information about a newer remote out there.

If I can get these issues resolved, I'd buy MVP's for every TV in my house!

[wfooshee]

I don't know what your'e describing in your first question, but I think I can help with your second question:

The skip buttons get weird if you're watching a program as it's being recorded, rather than waiting for it to finish and watching it as a completed recording. When the time being viewed gets past the point that was the end of the file when you started watching it, they fail miserably. (In other words, you start viewing a show at 9:21, it started recording at 9:00, when you get to the 9:21 point, the skip buttons will go schizo. The part of the file you're viewing didn't exist when you opened it for viewing, so it gets a bit lost.) This happens in SnapStream's skin for the MVP as well as in GBPVR, the two apps I've used for this, so it's a function of using an open MPEG file, I think, rather than any failure of the MVP or a bug in the PVR software.
You have to be careful with them in LiveTV, as well, because you can't skip past right now, if you see what I mean. If you hit skip forward and you're only a few seconds behind the end of the file, it gets smasmodic. Nor can you skip back to a point before you started LiveTV, because that would defy the known physics of cause and effect. ("Go back to the beginning of the show, because I meant to be recording it. . . . .&quot

[AOSandman]

Quote[/b] (wfooshee @ Mar. 16 2005,15:40)]so it's a function of using an open MPEG file, I think, rather than any failure of the MVP or a bug in the PVR software.

I believe this is actually a limitation of the MVP. When I use the TV Out on my 350 (instead of an MVP) to watch a recording in progress, the total length counter increments as it continues to record.

[ZaDDaZ]

The skip and replay buttons are exhibiting the behavior with files that are definately not being recorded. I've seen what you are describing before when I would watch something SageTV was recording. My guess is there's something wrong with the remote settings for the MediaMVP? Every other function works correctly, fast forward, pause, rewind, they all work. Skip just goes way into the file instead of 30 seconds and replay causes about the same thing. There is a setting for Minutes/Seconds on the config app. It is set to seconds, but maybe that isn't working and it is going 30 minutes forward.

My first question has to do with the menus displaying on my TV. They get real messed up, like I've gone to the television and messed with the vertical sync causing the screen to roll. This has happened with the Hauppauge MediaMVP software as well, so I don't think it has anything to do with GBPVR. I've tried different cables and various combinations of turning different devices off. Right now, it seems to be working better, but I have no idea why.

[sub]

Quote[/b] ]My first question has to do with the menus displaying on my TV. They get real messed up, like I've gone to the television and messed with the vertical sync causing the screen to roll. This has happened with the Hauppauge MediaMVP software as well, so I don't think it has anything to do with GBPVR. I've tried different cables and various combinations of turning different devices off. Right now, it seems to be working better, but I have no idea why.

I've never seen this myself or heard of any other user with this problem.

[sub]

ZaDDaZ, what capture card do you use to generate your MPEG2 files? The skip is highly dependent on the Presentation Time Stamps (PTS) in the files.

[ZaDDaZ]

Thanks for the response sub.

It may be that my televisions are just old. Call me cheap, but I'm waiting until I finish off my basement before I get a real television for my theater down there.

I have two Hauppauge PVR-250 cards and I'm currently using the original Hauppauge MediaMVP software to play the files recorded by GBPVR and it works perfect. I've read about a new 45 button remote. Does the new remote have different codes for skip and replay possibly?

[ZaDDaZ]

Also, both of my MediaMVP's are D1's. I've powered everything down and back up and the Replay and Skip functions are still messed up. Is there a file somewhere that holds the codes and mappings for the remote buttons?

[ZaDDaZ]

Thanks tipstir. I have seen the topic. I've done some of my own research on some of the issues and some of them don't seem necessary. My machine is a P4-2.6GHz HT and I have a fully switched (layer 2) 100 Base-TX network. With the original MediaMVP software from Hauppauge, I can have both MediaMVP's playing, two shows being recorded and one show playing on the machine and I don't see the CPU over 10%. I'll look at some of the other tweaks though and post a response in that thread if any help.

The Replay/Skip issue is the only issue stopping me from using GBPVR for playback on my MVP's. I've looked at all the logs generated, but I don't see any from when a MediaMVP is being used. Would I need to do sniff the network and capture the packets coming from the MediaMVP? Does anyone else have D1's that work?

[cginzel]

Quote[/b] ]First, do these things just not generate good vertical sync signals when displaying menus? Even running the MediaMVP service from Hauppauge, they didn't do all that great. It seems worse in GBPVR, but maybe thats just because the screens look a thousand times better. I don't have any display problems with recorded video.

Try some of the other skins. The Digital Plus series of skins which seem to be directed toward MVP display on a TV and display better for me than some of the others. The only area where I still see a problem is with the weather plug-in and the orange text. It seems all of the skins use the same color and size, so that skin-ability must not be available in the weather plug-in I guessing.

-Charles