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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sjevtic" data-source="post: 858935" data-attributes="member: 118214">The settings on the TV Codecs tab are used for playing live TV as well as the playback of .ts files, which are typically the result of recording TV. So, the entries on the Video Codecs tab really don't have much to do with anything related to watching TV in MediaPortal.   Neither are actually necessary at any point. I had WinTV installed for about 30 minutes and was sufficiently disgusted that I removed it. ShowBiz is pretty unobtrusive though, and is useful when you need to quickly verify that your Colossus is doing the right thing. There aren't any services associated with it either, so you don't have to worry what it might be up to behind your back once you've closed the desktop application.   SAF v6 Unlocked. See the SAF thread (<a href="https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/saf-v6-based-on-lavf.95635/" target="_blank">https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/saf-v6-based-on-lavf.95635/</a>) for a download link and some nice suggestions regarding codec settings. SAF also includes some other useful goodies like GraphStudioNext and Filmerit. GraphStudioNext is especially useful--it lets you examine and modify the DirectShow graphs that MediaPortal and other players create, both helping you understand how DirectShow works, and allowing you to verify that MediaPortal is or is not doing what you think it is doing. I know there are lots of purists out here in the forum that are against the use of codec packs, but I've had pretty good luck with SAF. Your mileage may vary.    Sounds like you found what you needed. It's worth noting that here are lots of neat codec-related things you can do in MediaPortal. For example, even if you don't use the ffdshow video decoder, you can use ffdshow as a post-processor to apply various effects, such as sharpening or saturation enhancements. I haven't spent a lot of time working on this yet, but with a bit of tweaking, it will be possible to enhance video so it really just pops.   Generally speaking, if you can communicate with the Colossus from MediaPortal, it's probably not WinTV or ShowBiz getting in your way, as they typically lock the card for exclusive access, which would prevent MediaPortal from being able to use it at all. I don't know off hand how to control what channel MediaPortal starts on when you first fire up the TV plugin. One thing that comes to mind as a workaround for your testing though is to just temporarily disable the Colossus card in the TV-Server Configuration app. Also if you go into the channel guide and select something to watch without first using the TV On button, you should start with the channel containing the program you selected. By the way, the Colossus contains a hardware H.264 encoder IC, and accordingly, recording performance of the card will not be affected by any codec or encoder settings you change anywhere in MediaPortal; the only exception is the recording quality preferences associated with the Colossus card configuration. The TV codec selections will, however, affect the *appearance* of live TV and the playback of your recordings--they just don't affect the Colossus or the recordings themselves. Sorry I can't be of more help on this. Sasha</blockquote>

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