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Windows 7 Media Center picture quality

  • 11-10-2010 12:40pm
    #1
    rlogue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭


    I've recently upgraded my HTPC to Windows 7 so I thought I'd do a comparision between WMC and DVBViewer. I have DVBLink working nicely so I do have a good choice of channels and I really like the UI on WMC as it is far more wife and kids friendly than DVBViewer.

    However - the Picture Quality really sucks on Windows Media Center.

    I have got excellent quality pictures using DVBViewer and even using VLC to stream from the DVBLink admin tool gives good pictures. WMC looks like badly rescanned NTSC trying to copy PAL as far as picture quality is concerned. Even BBC HD and ITV 1 HD look like 544x576 on WMC.

    I have downloaded some tools that allow you to change the default codecs on WMC but I can't find anything that allows me to set the deinterlace settings. So I can use Cyberlink's PowerDVD 10 codec but I can't find anywhere to set up how WMC uses the codec. Hence the Cyberlink codec produces a "film look" on live video in WMC whereas the same codec in DVBViewer gives smooth 50Hz video provided the correct deinterlace settings are checked in DVBViewer.

    My normal test for PQ is to see how the software copes with the scrolling ticker bar on Sky News. DVBViewer and VLC play it very smoothly (more smoothly than even my DM800) but on WMC using either the default Microsoft codec or PowerDVD 10 the ticker judders.

    Any one have any suggestions or should I just dump WMC? A great pity because its excellent UI is overshadowed by the poor PQ.

    Adds: I've set up WMC to use 1920x1080 50Hz interlaced. The standard MS codec does give the appearance of smooth(ish) video on live video but the Sky News ticker bar continues to judder.


Comments

  • #2
    meob
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55 ✭✭meob


    sky ticker is indeed a good test!

    i use dvblink & media center with no issues as all tbh, I do have the shark codec pack installed tho & nvidia pure video decoder.

    cant say i have any complaints with judder / smoothness of live hdtv (freesat & sky HD) / hd movies ect vis W7MC

    http://mediacenterhd.blogspot.com/2010/04/instlled-htpc-software.html


  • #3
    rlogue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭rlogue


    The Shark codecs make a big difference to live SD but would the Purevideo make a difference too?


  • #4
    meob
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55 ✭✭meob


    rlogue wrote: »
    The Shark codecs make a big difference to live SD but would the Purevideo make a difference too?

    that honestly i dont know.

    all the HD / SD tv I am watching is H.264 via W7MC (component source 1080i). when I was setting all of this up with my nvidia 9xxx card, the interweb told me that the nvidia pure video decoder would make the media center experience better, so i bought into it ;-)


  • #5
    bazwaldo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,772 ✭✭✭bazwaldo


    The quality from SD and HD from DVB-S is perfect for me on WMC7. I've the res set to 1080P 50Hz. Sky News ticker is perfect too and thats from a composite source.

    I'm using the default MS codecs. I have shark installed but they are not used for TV. My gfx card is ATI though so the hardware is doing a lot of the decoding rather than the codecs. Maybe thats the issue. Maybe MC is using hardware and DVBViewer is using the codecs. Check your CPU to see for sure when viewing either. DXVA can be turned off by a reg key if that is the case or maybe the nvidia drivers need changing.


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