dvb-s2 TV in WMC

pjuegos

hi everybody,

I am considering buying a dvb-s2 TV card. Thus, I can save a little bit of money by getting free channels and I can record high quality TV signals into the HTPC...

My question is:
Can dvb-s2 TV cards be used with VISTA WMC ?
Can you get the EPG in the way you can get NTL's EPG?
Can you watch HD TV in WMC?

I know with other software apps such as MEdia Portal you can do all this. However, I really like WMC's interface and I would like to stick with it.


Thanks

bazwaldo

pjuegos wrote: »

Can dvb-s2 TV cards be used with VISTA WMC ?

dvb-s is supported when you have the TV pack installed on top of vista. Its supported out of teh box for win7 (and beta), as is HD not supported by TV pack but theres a hack available on thegreenbutton). I dont know about dvb-s2.

pjuegos wrote: »

Can you get the EPG in the way you can get NTL's EPG?

Yes. With TV pack.

pjuegos wrote: »

Can you watch HD TV in WMC?

As explained above. Yes with TVPack and hacked dll. Or in win7 beta.

pjuegos

Great!

DO you know whether is possible to have 2 different TV cards in WMC?
example: a sat card and a cable tv card

cheers

kaisersose77

this will allow to use different cards and watch dvb-s2 channels (multiple tuner support i think is out soon)

http://dvblogic.com


check it out, not completely straightforward.

bazwaldo

pjuegos wrote: »

Great!

DO you know whether is possible to have 2 different TV cards in WMC?
example: a sat card and a cable tv card

cheers

Vista with TV Pack or Win7 supports different cards together. I have a hauppauge pvr150 connected to my NTL STB and a pinnacle 7010ix with 2 sat feeds. I couldnt do this with Vista without the TV Pack.

pjuegos

Ok, I see is possible to have both TV cards.Great...

I am thinking of getting rid of NTL and just using a sat dish to get free to air channels through a DVB-S TV card. What is your experience in doing this?

At the moment in my HTPC setup, I have been testing a "Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1300" TV card in the following set ups:

1. to connect an STB boxm and the results were dissapointing ( see http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055523614)
2. to connect the analog TV signal from NTL straight to the TV card. The picture quality is as good/bad as connecting the analog TV signal directly to the TV. However, the problem is again in the latency when changing channels. There is that annoying delay... Is that a problem with that TV card model? Do you experience the same problem with your TV cards?

Thanks

bazwaldo

Using Sat has been fine. The picture is better than from NTL and is like what NTL straight to TV is like. A fresh install of Vista, TV pack and dll hack was all that was required. Very quick and simple.

Can't comment on your card. I have a Pinnacle 7010ix.

As for your poor NTL picture. It could be that your gfx card does not support hardware acceleration so the MS mpeg2 decoder is doing the work. If this is the case, you could try using nvidia purevideo decoder and installing the Microsoft Decoder checkup Utility which allows you to switch which decoder MC uses.

And yes I have always experienced latency on NTL digital. Never bothered me though. Never used analog.

kaiphas

Hi,

Sorry tp hijack an existing thread but my problems seem to be similar - I am using hauppauge wintv hvr-1200 (model 71xxx, hybrid dvb-t) and am looking at getting a digital aerial in the attic (to feed MPEG4 Samsung TV).

Can the Hauppauge be connected directly to the aerial or does it require a decoder etc (the websites and reviews refer to it recording in MPEG2) but can it receive in MPEG4.

The specs for the card are below:

Many thanks,

Features
The Hauppauge Wintv-HVR-1200 features are:

PCIe 1.0a/1.1, X1 bus interface
RF silicon tuner that supports all analog TV broadcast standards, and Digital Terrestrial receiver (DVB-T)
Worldwide broadcast stereo audio support.
Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Premium Logo.
Compatible with CyberLink PowerCinema and most PC-TV applications.
Microsoft Windows® Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) Certified Device Drivers.
Microsoft WDM/BDA Compliant Drivers

---

Specifications
Supported video formats PAL/NTSC, DVB-T.
Video connections IEC Female, composite and S-Video inputs.
Audio connections 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack (threaded)
Audio services RF Stereo support, Nicam

pjuegos

Thanks bazwaldo,

When you say "poor NTL picture.", are you refering to the poor analog NTL picture when I connect the cable straight to the TV card (from the wall to the PC, bypassing the NTL box)?
OR to the poor signal when I connect the NTL box to the PC card as an analog input to see NTL digital channels?
If you refered to the analog NTL signal, I dont think too much can be done, since connecting the analog NTL signal straight to the TV tuner gives the same poor quality... Was the nvidia purevideo decoder solution for this connection type or the other?

Latency: the latency when switching channels using NTL box connected to TV is OK. The latency I meant is the one introduced by the TV card, which is very bad... IS the Pinnacle card OK with the latency?

kaiphas, I am not an expert on this but I dont think you need a decoder fo that setup. Your TV card is dvb-t decoder.

Thanks

bazwaldo

kaiphas wrote: »

Hi,
Can the Hauppauge be connected directly to the aerial or does it require a decoder etc (the websites and reviews refer to it recording in MPEG2) but can it receive in MPEG4.

As far as I know, if you connect the aerial to the dvb-t card, Media center should find the channels and if you have Vista with TV pack or Windows 7 beta, it can decode them too. If plain Vista, you'll need a different app to view the channels.

bazwaldo

pjuegos wrote: »

When you say "poor NTL picture.", are you refering to the poor analog NTL picture when I connect the cable straight to the TV card (from the wall to the PC, bypassing the NTL box)?
OR to the poor signal when I connect the NTL box to the PC card as an analog input to see NTL digital channels?
If you refered to the analog NTL signal, I dont think too much can be done, since connecting the analog NTL signal straight to the TV tuner gives the same poor quality... Was the nvidia purevideo decoder solution for this connection type or the other?

Latency: the latency when switching channels using NTL box connected to TV is OK. The latency I meant is the one introduced by the TV card, which is very bad... IS the Pinnacle card OK with the latency?

Yeah, the NTL digital picture. The card encodes it into mpeg2. If using a gfx card which supports hardware acceleration and the MS decoder, the picture should be as good as it can be. If not, then the software codec doesthe decoding so you may get better results using a different supported mpeg2 decoder. MS one is free with Vista. You can try Nvidia, Intervideo or PowerDVD also. There may be trial versions to try them out. Use Checkup Utility to switch between them.

For my sat channels, it takes about 2 seconds to change channels. I use the guide to pick what I want to watch rather than flick the channels so its never bothered me.

kaiphas

Thanks Bazwaldo, the HVR-1200 will not work with MPEG4 (H.264) through wither Media Centre or WINTV.

Media Centre seems to use MPEG2 and I don't have Visata with TV pack or Windows 7 beta - what application would you recommend to view the channels (have already tried Media Portal and VLC with no success). The best I am getting is the four channels (sound only) on WINTV7.

It's driving me mad![

QUOTE=bazwaldo;60141147]As far as I know, if you connect the aerial to the dvb-t card, Media center should find the channels and if you have Vista with TV pack or Windows 7 beta, it can decode them too. If plain Vista, you'll need a different app to view the channels.[/QUOTE]

bazwaldo

A lot use DVB Viewer as the Media Center and CoreAVC as the h.264 decoder. Ffwdshow might work as the decoder too. I haven't used either DVB Viewer or CoreAVC so can't comment on how to setup. There are plenty here who have.

pjuegos

bazwaldo wrote: »

Yeah, the NTL digital picture. The card encodes it into mpeg2. If using a gfx card which supports hardware acceleration and the MS decoder, the picture should be as good as it can be. If not, then the software codec doesthe decoding so you may get better results using a different supported mpeg2 decoder. MS one is free with Vista. You can try Nvidia, Intervideo or PowerDVD also. There may be trial versions to try them out. Use Checkup Utility to switch between them.
.

Hi again Bazwaldo,

I tried to use Nvidia and the checkup utilitiy. It improved just slightly the picture quality. I have done the following test:

• the NTL box to the LCD TV via composite video (using SCART adapter). So, analog signal entering the TV. Then, the TV should do the MPEG encoding.
• the NTL box to the TV card via composite video (using SCART adapter). So, analog signal entering the TV card. Then, the PC should do the MPEG encoding. Then, HDMI to PC.

The difference in picture quality is remarkable. Option 1(straigh to TV) is much much better. I cannot find the weak link. The only program I have used to view is WinDVD, can that have any impact? I cannot use WMC because i dont have an IR blaster yet.

Thanks


.

bazwaldo

pjuegos wrote: »

• the NTL box to the LCD TV via composite video (using SCART adapter). So, analog signal entering the TV. Then, the TV should do the MPEG encoding.

Not quite right. The STB decodes the mpeg signal and outputs analog to TV. The TV just displays it.

pjuegos wrote: »

• the NTL box to the TV card via composite video (using SCART adapter). So, analog signal entering the TV card. Then, the PC should do the MPEG encoding. Then, HDMI to PC.

Correct! The PC encodes the analoh input from the STB

pjuegos wrote: »

• the NTL box to the LCD TV via composite video (using SCART adapter). So, analog signal entering the TV. Then, the TV should do the MPEG encoding.
• the NTL box to the TV card via composite video (using SCART adapter). So, analog signal entering the TV card. Then, the PC should do the MPEG encoding. Then, HDMI to PC.

The difference in picture quality is remarkable. Option 1(straigh to TV) is much much better. I cannot find the weak link. The only program I have used to view is WinDVD, can that have any impact? I cannot use WMC because i dont have an IR blaster yet.

Its most likely the decoder. There are loads of different settings which impact the picture quality. The most important being DXVA or deinterlace method usually. What sort of things are wrong with the picture from the TV? try playing an AVI instead and does that suffer from any quality issues. (The avi would not use the mpeg2 decoder so this would rule out anything else)

pjuegos

Hi again,

AVI displays brilliantly. So, it has to be the MPEG decoding.. So, the TV card?

the picture is blurry and lacks of contrast. I tried to tweak the standard parameters but not too much luck. I will investigate what you said about DXVA or deinterlace method, which I don't know very well what they are...

If by using the TV card you have to do 2 MPEG conversions, could that be the problem?

cheers

bazwaldo

Its possible but I would be surprised if it was the card.

Being blurry is usually the deinterlace method. Finding the right settings can be a right pain when they are not right to being with.

kaiphas

Thanks for the help Bazwaldo - am up and running using DVBviewer and CoreAVC.
Much appreciated!

bazwaldo wrote: »

A lot use DVB Viewer as the Media Center and CoreAVC as the h.264 decoder. Ffwdshow might work as the decoder too. I haven't used either DVB Viewer or CoreAVC so can't comment on how to setup. There are plenty here who have.

pjuegos

hi, I am just trying to get my head around deinterlacing...

I read that LCD TVs are not deinterlacing devices, can that have something to do in the poor picture quality?

Also, the only parameters I could find to tweak for deinterlacing in WinTV were in Properties-->>View-->> -->Deinterlace. Then, there is a parameters that says "Double field -->Deinterlace". I ticked it but I could not see the difference in picture quality.
Is there any other way to modify the deinterlace parameters?

cheers

bazwaldo

pjuegos wrote: »

hi, I am just trying to get my head around deinterlacing...

I read that LCD TVs are not deinterlacing devices, can that have something to do in the poor picture quality?

Also, the only parameters I could find to tweak for deinterlacing in WinTV were in Properties-->>View-->> -->Deinterlace. Then, there is a parameters that says "Double field -->Deinterlace". I ticked it but I could not see the difference in picture quality.
Is there any other way to modify the deinterlace parameters?

cheers

You'll need to go to the registry.

This link has all the reg values and what they do for many of the decoders. It fixed my deinterlacing problems when using MCE 2005.

Analogue terrestrial and composite and RGB are interlaced and your LCD TV would display it deinterlaced.