6-7 seconds delay on TV signal (composite) (2 Viewers)

[Spragleknas]

(I have an Hauppauge PVR 150).

Auch - my post was regarding the hybridcards w/sw-encoders.

I use a 150 myself (although s-video) and have a delay, but not more than about two seconds....

 

[RWolfgang]

For fast zapping (what my girlfriend does), even 2 seconds delay are too long *g. I am wondering why the Hauppauge WinTV doesn't have this delay and MediaPortal does.

 

[zosoDK]

Your WinTV application (or any other manufacture software) tunes to a channel and displays the content...some of them has the ability to timeshift, but not all.
The WinTV and any other talks to the ksproxy server (directx driver for the tuner) and orders it to change the channel - tune to a different frequency and show another channel.....precisely as MediaPortal does...
The difference?
Mediaportal uses the same routines whether you have 8 tuners of different kinds (dvb-t, analog, sattelite, svhs, cable) - the routine being:
1) is the card in use?
2) are there any other cards available for that channel?
3) what priority does the card have and is it available?
4) starting up the card (selected by priority and channel mapped to that specific card)
5) starting up the timeshift buffer
6) clearing up old timebuffer files for that card
7) starting up the streaming engine (it starts a live stream that can be reached via rstp://COMPUTERNAME/Stream1.0 (if the card is nr.1))
8) Loading up codecs - hardware if available on the card or else looks for a compatible software encoder
9) Checking for encrypted content and looks for CAM's
10) Sends out heartbeat signals to the receiving client (localhost or network PC - doesn't matter - same thing)
11) starts the streaming after a pingback/heartbeat from the receiving client...

This is just a simplified fragment of what goes on (guide data, recordings, codecs on client, sound hardware etc....).

But no matter what....
MediaPortal is a monster - and they have almost nailed it....needs some polish here and there....but....a monster...

 

[RWolfgang]

That explains the slow startup, ok. But I don't switch channels in media portal. I always display the composite input. When I switch a channel, I do this on my settop-box. The result feels like there always was a timeshift of a few seconds.