best windows pvr software for mpeg4 iriah dtt

ronanphilip

have instaled new tv card looking for software to recieve the dtt irish channels, whats the best option. have win tv7 and media centre at moment but only get the sound from irish dtt. thanks

Mr McBoatface

You need mpeg4 codecs to be installed, When installed you'll have video and sound. ffdshow tryouts is a good free options http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout/files/SVN%20builds%20by%20clsid/generic%20builds/.

CoreAVC works well too but it's payware, personal I now use the codec from Powerdvd 10 google "HDpack 2.4"

irishchris

if you have windows media centre than it should work perfectly flawless once you install mpeg 4 codecs

irishchris

irishchris wrote: »

if you have windows media centre than it should work perfectly flawless once you install mpeg 4 codecs

If you're running Windows 7 then this isn't even necessary, should work out of the box.

ElBarco

Karsini wrote: »

If you're running Windows 7 then this isn't even necessary, should work out of the box.

True, I only realised this would work yesterday after reading a few of the threads. I got a DVB-T card free with a laptop a couple of years ago and have finally found a use for it.

I just plugged a small antenna into the card, fired up media centre, scanned for channels and away it went.

fat-tony

I use Windows 7 and Media Centre. I also have DVBViewer Pro. Both work fine with DTT. Media Centre has a "slicker" interface and supports MHEG, but I find it's a bit "iffy" when I'm tuned to HD channels (either DTT or Sat). If I bring up the EPG overlay or the channel change controls, the HD picture stutters. This is with the standard built-in MS H.264 codec which has support for hardware decoding using my ATI Radeon graphics card.

DVBViewer Pro is much more flexible in that I can select any of the H.264 codecs - MS, CoreAVC, Mainconcept etc. It's rock solid with the MS codec and hardware support (CPU utilisation is under 10% on HD). The recordings from DVBviewer are much more compatible in terms of burning DVDs for archive.

Gerry Wicklow

I've tried numerous solutions and keep coming back to Windoze7 Media Center. When you get used to it's foibles it offers functions generally only found on high-end boxes.
One setup I currently have is a PC with DTT and HD-Sat tuners connected to the TV. Using Windoze Media center it is possible to:-

1. Record either while watching the other
2. Record both while watching either
3. Record both while watching another recording.
4. I have full pause, rewind etc of live TV from either source.
5. Full, intelligent series recording with very comprehensive options if required (no repeats, etc).
6. Combined 14 day EPG for both DTT and most FTA Sat channels (now/next on the cheapo channels). The EPG is downloaded automatically free from M$.
7. Full remote control just like any STB.
8. Save to DVD if required.
9. In the event that you get both DTT and Sat versions of a signal it is possible to prioritise the sources. E.g. if the DTT signal is flaky due to weather it will automatically use the Sat instead.

The only downside is the "WTV" recording format which is tricky to convert.

Never thought I'd promote M$ software.

mossym

fat-tony wrote: »

but I find it's a bit "iffy" when I'm tuned to HD channels (either DTT or Sat). If I bring up the EPG overlay or the channel change controls, the HD picture stutters. This is with the standard built-in MS H.264 codec which has support for hardware decoding using my ATI Radeon graphics card.

you may be getting hardware accleration, but that sounds like a lack of horosepower. i can call up the epg on hd channels perfectly using my radeon, but it doesn't have enough muscle for hd mkvs. the same card worked perfectly under xp playing everything, including the same files windows 7 won't play

7 really ups the requirements for gpu's which is why my new card should be arriving tomorrow

Bob_Harris

mossym wrote: »

you may be getting hardware accleration, but that sounds like a lack of horosepower. i can call up the epg on hd channels perfectly using my radeon, but it doesn't have enough muscle for hd mkvs. the same card worked perfectly under xp playing everything, including the same files windows 7 won't play

1080i is far more intensive for the GPU than a 1080p MKV. Must be a software or codec issue.

fat-tony

No it's not a CPU utilisation issue - certainly not when DVBViewer will handle HD with a software codec for H.264 with about 60% CPU utilisation or less than 10% when using the hardware enabled MD codec.

I think it's something to do with how WMC is interacting with the system - either disc buffering or with the actual graphics hardware. When you select a channel in WMC (even SD), there is a slight lag while the video seems to be buffered to disc and the audio and video are out of sync. After 2 - 3 seconds everything normalises ok. I have no such issues with DVBviewer with live TV.