Any success in using NPVR simultaneously with a capture program on the same computer?

[christheman]

Hi, I will soon be receiving a second Hauppauge capture device, and will have two on the same computer.

My existing setup currently shares a single Hauppauge capture device - with NPVR (default use), or with its packaged ArcSoft Capture program (when NPVR is not scheduled to record).

When I add a second capture device, I plan on dedicating one capture device just to NPVR, and the other just to Arcsoft Capture. That way I don't have to plan my manual captures around NPVR's scheduled captures.

So basically I am wondering if the NPVR and Arcsoft Capture can simultaneously capture on one computer (a machine built around a 3GHz Duocore Wolfdale processor).
Any successes? Any horror stories? If I have to use a second computer I will, I don't care about logistics that much.

Thanks
Chris

P.S. I think that the only common thing on the computer would be the Hauppauge device manager in the system tray (lower right corner of screen in XP). This is the small program that allows you to assign the pushbutton on the HD-PVR2 to a program. I will have two different devices recognized here, but not assigned to start any programs if the button on the capture device ever gets pushed.

[sub]

I can't see any reason you shouldnt be able to have them both installed, just don't try to use the device in both applications at the same time.

[christheman]

Hi, thanks for getting back. Actually I meant having both applications running at the same time, one device per application. Not just both installed, but both running. Would one interrupt the other?

[haverer2]

Hi, thanks for getting back. Actually I meant having both applications running at the same time, one device per application. Not just both installed, but both running. Would one interrupt the other?

I don't see why it would cause a problem... my understanding is that if you don't set one of the devices up in the nPVR settings /devices screen, then it won't use that device to record anyway! Just do the opposite in your other program and you should be good to go.

[christheman]

I don't see why it would cause a problem... my understanding is that if you don't set one of the devices up in the nPVR settings /devices screen, then it won't use that device to record anyway! Just do the opposite in your other program and you should be good to go.

Thanks, it should be arriving soon. My Christmas present to self. I am just thinking it through before it arrives!

[christheman]

Okay, I got it all hooked up and it seems to be working. The only thing is that I have the process priority elevated for NPVR from within the config file. The capture program, on the other hand, is not elevated. I could potentially do that too by starting it with a .bat file and the Windows "Start" command.

As it is right now, the NPVR program is uninterrupted by anything I do with the capture program, but the capture program flutters a little bit at the point where NPVR opens or closes a file. I suspect that this has to do with the Windows priorities. (This is basically what I was wondering about in my previous posts, but it is not as bad as I thought it would turn out to be.) Basically the picture pixelates a little bit and then clears up. It is like what my former cable provider used to do sporadically, but now that I am on satellite, it really doesn't happen anymore.

[mvallevand]

Maybe try leaving NextPVR at normal priority, it will steal cycles when it starts up and that could be hurting you more than helping.

Martin

[christheman]

Maybe try leaving NextPVR at normal priority, it will steal cycles when it starts up and that could be hurting you more than helping.

Martin

I guess I could try that. The reason I initially bumped up the NPVR priority was because I was also running VideoRedo in the background (slow 2-pass encoding). But since then I have put it on other machines and just don't use it on this one anymore...

I am thinking either restore NPVR to normal again, or else bump up my capture program to match that of NPVR, so that other programs like Windows Explorer don't interrupt them. But it would be easier to try NPVR's default first.

I will test NPVR at default, and see how Arcsoft Capture, as well as Windows Explorer, all interact together with each other while I make changes on each of them like I normally would.

Chris

[Reddwarf]

Why are you not using npvr for all capture?

[christheman]

Why are you not using npvr for all capture?

I didn't think it was possible to use NPVR to manually capture (just Start and Stop without using any TV Guide). Could it be that it is and I just haven't discovered that yet? Maybe I will look at it tonight.

I didn't get a chance to look at resetting NPVR's Windows priorities yet, as per the last few posts. NPVR is just way too darn useful as it seems to always be recording. Maybe I will get a chance tonight.

Thanks
Chris