Does anybody have MP working without any problems?

[speedypancake]

Hi guys.
I'm the first to admit I'm no computer "boffin". I am however keen to develop a reliable pc-based media centre.

My question is fairly simple - Does anyone here have a good, 99.9% reliable, working version of Media Portal? Honestly? Or do most people (myself included) suffer bugs / glitches / quirks or whatever?

No disrespect intended - I admire the time the development team have put in. And on the face of it, the software "looks" great. It's just that when you try to integrate your PC into the real world living room, with things like wives & kids, Media Portal soon begins to look a bit fussy and tempremental. Sorry kids, you'll have to wait while dad re-boots the TV (again).

As experimental software for computer literate guys, I'm sure MP is exciting & ground-breaking. But as a reliable, consumer-friendly program, I'm afraid it has a long way to go. Unless you all tell me different....

Thanks for what has been an "interesting" couple of months messing around, but I think I'll have to pay for the reliability I need. And I don't mind that.

[laeb66]

Only one problem with late CVS and thats is live recording...

But the system is stable...

I work around the recording using CVS 22-01-06
Slover channel switching thats the only....

[speedypancake]

"But the system is stable..."

Cool - Do you have it hooked up to a normal TV or just running on your PC monitor??

[laeb66]

I have it hookt up to a 42>" plasma over DVI
But I work on a system for my brother and I use ATI w some modification and use scart for normal TV use..
This system running like a dream.....Stable as a rock

[Spif]

Although, I think MediaPortal is rather solid on my system, I don't think it is possible to get an HTPC to work as well as a DVD-player or other consumer products today. This is mostly not an MP problem but rather a problem with the OS and hardware. For example:

1. The OS is set to use one refresh rate always. A DVD-player would use the frame-rate of the content being played and the TV would detect this. This is the number one cause for jerky playback when not using a refresh rate on the display that is a multiple of the frame rate of any material being played.

2. A computer is a multi-purpose machine not really designed to play video. At least not on a TV. Windows is not a real-time system made for video playback.

That being said, I use my HTPC with MediaPortal every day and I like it! I have used Microsoft Media Center 2005 also but I like MediaPortal better.

[tourettes]

Originally Posted by Spif

For example:

1. The OS is set to use one refresh rate always. A DVD-player would use the frame-rate of the content being played and the TV would detect this. This is the number one cause for jerky playback when not using a refresh rate on the display that is a multiple of the frame rate of any material being played.

I think it would be possible and not that hard to write a plugin for MediaPortal that would change video cards refresh rate (and when using tv-out PAL/NTSC/SECAN mode) depending on the refresh rate of the video file.

Originally Posted by Spif

2. A computer is a multi-purpose machine not really designed to play video. At least not on a TV. Windows is not a real-time system made for video playback.

Curent DX9 video cards & DirectShow are pretty good in video playback when MediaPortal uses Direct X Exclusive mode. No dropped frames / jerky playback if the system is properly configured.

[wishywashy]

I can say as of CVS 01-12-2006--01-04, I have a rock solid system.

I use two hardware tuners with timeshifting and scheduled recordings on a 57" Hitachi rear projection TV
the dvd function with the purvideo decoder
the music module (all mp3's)
the weather module (1 city)
the myvideos module (mixed media ie .avi, .mpeg, .ifo...)
myscript module
settings module
my trailers module
a Niveus Media remote
http://niveusmedia.com/support/PCremote.htm

I have the remaining plugins disabled.

[petteram]

I use MP everyday on my 32" LCD tv with my share of bugs.
Just love this software, but as you say...wife and kids factor is a bit
too low. My problem is stutter in sound and picture when something(I think)
try to connect to internet. Start MP in a small window, start fullscreen tv,
and then open firefox. Stutter starts right away. Have turned of
windows update and so on, but there must be some services that connects anyway.
I wont stop using MP anyway.....MCE sucks

[wewe]

I am having MP hooked to an old tube TV. I am a real fan of MP - but maybe that's because I like to mess around with hard- and software.

My family (wife and two kids) don't like MP. Too many problems. They very often have to call me at work and I do telephone hotline in order to help them to get TV working. MP is the only TV in our house ...

Current problems (the bigger ones):

- after playing a recorded show live TV doesn't play. I have to exit MP and restart

- after havin' put to standby and re-awake MP it is either very very slow (a remote button pressed it needs 10 seconds to react) or completely stalled and the screen is black only sound is heard. I have to exit MP and kill the MP task (or reboot)

- playing DVD's is only possible with DScaler codec. All others only show sound but no picture. With DScaler there is no DVD navigation (the OSD of it). So I have to tell my family to exit MP and use Nero Showtime

Besides of that I am having some minor issues that concern comfort. But that ones I currently do not investigate as I am only concentrated in the above major issues.

I am using CVS from 28.1. I am having a "standard PC" as I think, with PVR150 and NVidea 6600. MP is the only application on that PC. Also I think that meanwhile I am rather experienced with. (Especially in cleaning PC and re-installing MP)

I am afraid that I have to second speedypancake that MP currently is NOT useable as a daily-use full family TV.

I am already in sort of a "last-chance" situation. Last sunday morning my wife did wake me up very angry and early early in the moring (around 10 am) and said: "Again that §$§"%&-Mediaportal doesn't work. I want a NORMAL TV!"

I really appreciate all of the work the community does and I would like to contribute if I was a developper. And I will try to fight for MP in my family but I guess we are far away from a 'rock solid', daily use, kids-compatible TV function.

my two Euro-cents

thanks+regards
WeWe

[Brocklander]

Originally Posted by laeb66

...using CVS 22-01-06.

I'm using the CVS from the 21st to get around the same problem, as well as a problem when starting DVD video discs (stuttering). I urge anyone having problems with MP to consider the CVS's from the 21st or 22nd.

The only problems I've found with this CVS is that sometimes when starting a DVD the picture sits in a box in the middle of the screen (this can be fixed by flicking through aspect ratios or re-entering full screen), and autoplaying a DVD makes you loose control until you hit the back button / escape.

As always there are problems getting to a point where a CVS can do pretty much everything you want without problems, and that time has made my flatmates a little dubious of the whole experience. Now that I'm using a 98% perfect CVS, it'll hopefully bring back their confidence!