Can I improve the image quality from a TV Card in MP?

rob200sx · 2007-11-22, 09:04

Hi folks,

I'm running MediaPortal 2.3 final on WinXP SP2 with a Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1300 tv card.

Is there a way I can improve the tv image quality? Not for recorded TV but for live? Does the post processing in the TV options work for this (or is it intended for recorded tv?)

Thanks.

phunqe · 2007-11-22, 11:35

The post processing works as far as I know. I haven't used it myself, but you should be able to add for example ffdshow to do some deblocking or whatever you would want.

tompa · 2007-11-22, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob200sx

Hi folks,

I'm running MediaPortal 2.3 final on WinXP SP2 with a Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1300 tv card.

Is there a way I can improve the tv image quality? Not for recorded TV but for live? Does the post processing in the TV options work for this (or is it intended for recorded tv?)

Thanks.

Test different decoders! I find Nvidia Pure Video Decoder the far best in my case. Test different refresh rates for graphics (i.e for PAL 50Hz works best).

/tompa

phunqe · 2007-11-22, 12:14

Yeah, I'm running CyberLink for both h264 and MPEG-II and the picture is much better than if I for example use the built-in MPEG-II decoder in Vista Ultimate.

rob200sx · 2007-11-22, 13:31

Cheers,

I'm certain it's a resolution issue as the highest res the tv card outputs is 800x600 but the screen i'm on is running at 1776x1080 (42" Panasonic) so it 'fuzzes' out at full screen, at 800x600 (albeit aspect adjusted so not true 800x600) it's absolutely fine. So it looks like a simple resize + aspect solution, just hope I can get suitable quality out of it.

Oh, the GFX card is an ATI X800XT Pro as well.

This, and getting the EPG to work (I'm on NTL so i've got to get my head round getting it to use 'virtual channels' rather than getting info on the single channel that's linked to the STB.) are the last bits I need to sort out.

geov · 2007-11-22, 19:33

Hi Rob200sx

My experience is that quality is a combination of a good graphics-card and the decoder that you use. I have a plain Hauppauge PVR500 TV-card and always had terrible quality, but then I bought a ATI HD 2600 XT graphics-card and now my quality is better using the Hauppauge card than when I connect directly to my 42inc Plasma-TV. I don't use any post-processing, just the CyberLink decoder with the ATI graphics-card which is set to 800X600 at 75HZ with the best possible de-interlacing setting. Many people say you have to use a 50HZ setting for analogue, but I experience tearing on the TV with such a low frequency.

rob200sx · 2007-11-28, 10:59

I think it doesn't help with the way the signal is routed to the TV card, I have it going out of the NTL box (samsung) via scart into the DVD Recorder, from there the svhs signal is output to the TV card, this is because the NTL box cannot convert it's signal to colour svhs (if I link a scart > svhs cable it comes out in B&W)

At this point the quality degrades a little but not much but it does result in around 1sec delay from pressing a button on the remote before the change is displayed on screen. Not so much of an issue at the moment and not a priority to resolve.

I've got somewhere with improving the image quality post processing, it needs a good deal of tweaking with the post processing and I wish the FFDShow profiles had exclusion filters as well as inclusions because I'm having trouble creating a profile for TV only.

Anyone know how I can do this?

Doing it by image size will mean that other video files get caught up and I don't want these included in the postprocessing.

Spragleknas · 2007-11-28, 11:18

See: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/sh...4&postcount=78
(and simular post)

2007-11-22, 09:04	#1 (permalink)
rob200sx Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 34 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Can I improve the image quality from a TV Card in MP? Hi folks, I'm running MediaPortal 2.3 final on WinXP SP2 with a Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1300 tv card. Is there a way I can improve the tv image quality? Not for recorded TV but for live? Does the post processing in the TV options work for this (or is it intended for recorded tv?) Thanks.

2007-11-22, 19:33	#6 (permalink)
geov Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cape Town Age: 35 Posts: 381 Thanks: 2 Thanked 12 Times in 10 Posts Country: My System	Hi Rob200sx My experience is that quality is a combination of a good graphics-card and the decoder that you use. I have a plain Hauppauge PVR500 TV-card and always had terrible quality, but then I bought a ATI HD 2600 XT graphics-card and now my quality is better using the Hauppauge card than when I connect directly to my 42inc Plasma-TV. I don't use any post-processing, just the CyberLink decoder with the ATI graphics-card which is set to 800X600 at 75HZ with the best possible de-interlacing setting. Many people say you have to use a 50HZ setting for analogue, but I experience tearing on the TV with such a low frequency. __________________ Cheers GeoV My HTPC Project

2007-11-28, 11:18	#8 (permalink)
Spragleknas Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Rogaland Age: 32 Posts: 3,339 Thanks: 137 Thanked 59 Times in 49 Posts Country: My System	See: http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/sh...4&postcount=78 (and simular post) __________________ Please read -> HOW TO START A SUPPORT THREAD !!! Support MediaPortal! Donate by clicking HERE Dedicated HTPC board (Norway) -> MSPC.no

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2007-11-22, 11:35	#2 (permalink)
phunqe Portal Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 222 Thanks: 6 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The post processing works as far as I know. I haven't used it myself, but you should be able to add for example ffdshow to do some deblocking or whatever you would want.

2007-11-22, 12:14	#4 (permalink)
phunqe Portal Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 222 Thanks: 6 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Yeah, I'm running CyberLink for both h264 and MPEG-II and the picture is much better than if I for example use the built-in MPEG-II decoder in Vista Ultimate.

2007-11-22, 13:31	#5 (permalink)
rob200sx Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 34 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Cheers, I'm certain it's a resolution issue as the highest res the tv card outputs is 800x600 but the screen i'm on is running at 1776x1080 (42" Panasonic) so it 'fuzzes' out at full screen, at 800x600 (albeit aspect adjusted so not true 800x600) it's absolutely fine. So it looks like a simple resize + aspect solution, just hope I can get suitable quality out of it. Oh, the GFX card is an ATI X800XT Pro as well. This, and getting the EPG to work (I'm on NTL so i've got to get my head round getting it to use 'virtual channels' rather than getting info on the single channel that's linked to the STB.) are the last bits I need to sort out.

2007-11-28, 10:59	#7 (permalink)
rob200sx Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 34 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I think it doesn't help with the way the signal is routed to the TV card, I have it going out of the NTL box (samsung) via scart into the DVD Recorder, from there the svhs signal is output to the TV card, this is because the NTL box cannot convert it's signal to colour svhs (if I link a scart > svhs cable it comes out in B&W) At this point the quality degrades a little but not much but it does result in around 1sec delay from pressing a button on the remote before the change is displayed on screen. Not so much of an issue at the moment and not a priority to resolve. I've got somewhere with improving the image quality post processing, it needs a good deal of tweaking with the post processing and I wish the FFDShow profiles had exclusion filters as well as inclusions because I'm having trouble creating a profile for TV only. Anyone know how I can do this? Doing it by image size will mean that other video files get caught up and I don't want these included in the postprocessing.