HVR-3000 Clients have no picture (1 Viewer)

[eeknz]

TV-Server Version: 1.0.2.0
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.2.0
MediaPortal Skin: Blue3
Windows Version: Vista SP2
CPU Type: E8400 3GHz
HDD: WD320
Memory: 2GB PC800
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP31-DS3L
Video Card: nVidia 8600 GTS
Video Card Driver: 185
Sound Card: on board
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Nova-S Plus
1. TV Card Type: DVB-S (Optus D1)
1. TV Card Driver: 2.122.26109
2. TV Card: PVR-150MCE
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card: HVR-3000
3. TV Card Type: DVB-T & DVB-S (Optus D2)
MPEG2 Video Codec: PDVD8
MPEG2 Audio Codec: PDVD8
h.264 Video Codec: PDVD8



I rebuilt the single seat server and added an HVR-3000 to the Nova-s and PVR-150 already there. The box was built from new parts and freshly loaded with Vista Ultimate. The single seat server part works fine. I had to change all the TV codecs to PDVD8 to get DVB-T working. The HVR-3000 was the first post build card to go in, so all the drivers for the Nova and the PVR were on the system from the HVR CD when they were put in.

I rebuilt the old server (Althon XP2100, 1GB) as a client. It's a fresh install of XP SP3, and has PDVD8 for the codecs. I have tried ffdshow also. It's running an nvidia 7600GS
On the client PC, anything from the PVR-150 play's fine. Anything from the DVB-T of the HVR-3000 has only audio. DVB-S from the Nova or the HVR is also fine. I ramped up the resolution of the client to 1360x768 which made some channels show picture when they didn't at 1024, but the picture is dropping frames all over the place.
The HVR has been grouped as per the wiki on hybrid cards, and the analogue tuner has been disabled.

With the screen resolution up at what it will be running at when it gets connected to the TV, I have picture. but not smooth. Is there just not enough grunt in the client box to play the HD DVB-T? If so, do I need another 8600 that supports PureVideo or is it CPU/Memory I need. Would changing to Vista on the client solve problems or create new ones?

Due to channel combinations, all of the mainstream channels are available from all of the cards. Is there any way to prevent the DVB-T of the HVR from being available to the clients?

With the stutter vision I have, the client will crash when it moves off to a channel served by a different card. Moving from HVR to PVR causes it to crash.

The log with a 3 on the end is where there was no picture at all at 1024.
The log without the 3 on the end is 1360 with stutter vision and a crash when moving to a different card on the server.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Andrew

 

[eeknz]

Update: I have discovered that the nvidia 7600GS doesn't support hardware H.264 features. If I disable this in the PDVD8 codec, I have picture. Horrible, stuttervision picture, but it's constistant. I'm going to guess my only choice here is to replace that with at least an 8500.

 

[eeknz]

So I bought an AGP ATi 3450, because it appears nVidia don't make any AGP cards that support ICDT, which we need for DVB-T here.
ATi didn't disappoint with the horrible-ness of their drivers, and the fact that none of the downloadable ones on their site support AGP.
Does someone here have an AGP capable, HW decoding capable version of the Catalyst driver, as the ones I have been able to find so far either don't find the card (no AGP support) or don't work with HW decoding.
I can provide an FTP to put them on if you have them.

Thanks

 

[eeknz]

I gave up. ATi are really as awful as I've heard. There is effectivley no AGP solution with H.264 hardware acceleration working for my available hardware. I'm just going to have to replace it with a PCI-e system. On the Acer laptop with the Intel 4100 on-board over wireless, it works well.