MCE 2005 & other PVR software

[tikiman1]

Here's the question.

Why can't anybody make a pvr program that works properly with an PVR-500 mce?

They all have problems with the decoders, it seems no matter which decoders I use. The programs do not produce a clear picture. The lower channels are static filled. The only program that I have found so far that has worked properly is PowerCinema 5. The tuners come in crystal clear.

I ordered MCE2005, installed per the instructions in the forums. Finished the windows updates online, and still no luck.

I'm getting sick of this. People seem to think that when this happens, the pvr-500 is faulty. I know it's not, It works perfectly with PowerCinema 5, but not MCE2005.

I have the latest drivers for the pvr-500 and the AIW X1900. Oh yeah, they both work perfectly and I have 3 tuners available in PowerCinema 5. Recording is perfect using all 3.

I've set the decoders for powercinema 5 as the default decoders for mce2005, but still experience the problems.

 

[tikiman1]

While the picture improved after installing Power Cinema 5 and setting MCE2005 to use th PC5 codecs, the picture was better but still poor.

So, I switched the card to the next slot up to change it's IRQ, and it seems to be working well with the new IRQ. Now it is sharing an IRQ with my 1394 port. So now I am getting a low system resources while recording 2 shows and transfering files from my "My Book" storage drive. This is a problem now as the usb2 connection is much slower than the firewire on this board.

 

[Adidas4275]

mman i wish i could help but i dont have a pvr-500

try here... its where i go for HTPC stuff...
http://www.htpcnews.com/forums/index.php

 

[Rori]

Not sure what the source of your problems are... I use two 500MCEs in my Sage server without any of what you are describing.

 

[UMDivX]

Here's the question.

Why can't anybody make a pvr program that works properly with an PVR-500 mce?

First of all the PVR-500 is an old tuner card, not the top notch SD tuner card any more. Also are you using a HDTV hooked up to the HTPC to watch these channels?

They all have problems with the decoders, it seems no matter which decoders I use. The programs do not produce a clear picture. The lower channels are static filled. The only program that I have found so far that has worked properly is PowerCinema 5. The tuners come in crystal clear.

Check the coax feeding your tuner cards, if you have a bad, or weak signal going into the cards they will amplify the noise in the lines. make sure your not daisy chaining splitters.

I once was at a house that had 15 coax splitters in the home, with crappy, and I mean crappy RG59 coax, it wasn't even RG6.

I went though, tore out all the old coax, ran bran new quad shielded RG6, and only had one splitter, and that was directly at where the coax from the green pedestal in the yard came from.

I added a bi-direction amplifier as well, so in combo with the single splitter and two way amp, every single TV in the home was 100% with no signal degration at all.

I ordered MCE2005, installed per the instructions in the forums. Finished the windows updates online, and still no luck.

I'm getting sick of this. People seem to think that when this happens, the pvr-500 is faulty. I know it's not, It works perfectly with PowerCinema 5, but not MCE2005.

I have the latest drivers for the pvr-500 and the AIW X1900. Oh yeah, they both work perfectly and I have 3 tuners available in PowerCinema 5. Recording is perfect using all 3.

I've set the decoders for powercinema 5 as the default decoders for mce2005, but still experience the problems.

Download this tool:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...AC-0AB6-4990-943D-627E6ADE9FCB&displaylang=en

see what all decoders you have installed, I run ONE and only ONE decoder in my HTPC, and that is the Nvidia pure video decoders. The more decoders you have installed (this included codec packs) the worse off you will be.

- Josh

 

[CrimandEvil]

I think a lot of his problems are due to the fact that the (new) PVR500s suck. If it's got a Samsung tuner on it then you're pretty much screwed and have to deal with crappy image quailty. Now, things are different if this is one of the older Phillips tuner based cards....

 

[tikiman1]

As far as my splitters, the line comes in and is split into 2 lines. One for house tv, one for computer room. At computer room it goes into a 4-way splitter for the cable modem and the computer tv lines. I got the splitters from the cable guy when I lived at my old house. He just billed the cable company for them. They are good quality. And the line I used to make the runs is RG-6.

As far as the signal quality goes now, it's perfect. I think this card is just really sensitive to sharing IRQ's with any other rescources. Now I don't want to move the card up anymore because it will be right next to my AIW1900. I don't want heat issues. I might have to disable my onboard 1394 and install a 1394 card that I have laying around. Not sure yet.

As far as the codecs, I removed all and reinstalled Power DVD 5.

The picture now looks awesome, and looks just as good on the 360 and lcd tv in the living room.

The tuners are the Samsung ones.

 

[UMDivX]

so then it sounds like it was a codec issue and you basically had too many installed?

- Josh

 

[Rori]

I can vouch for the incredible annoyance with the PVR-500MCE and IRQ sharing. When I added my second 500 to my server I had a hell of a time getting IRQs worked out. I eventually had to turn off ACPI and assign IRQs manually.

 

[tikiman1]

It was a combination of 2 problems.

1. The codecs possibly.

2. This seems to be the more important one, the IRQ sharing.

I think I'll need to disable ACPI also. I haven't messed around with IRQ's sin the Windows ME days. This should be fun.