issues stopping me from using MP instead of Sky (1 Viewer)

[eddiek156]

I have been using MP for a couple of months now. It is workin fairly well, but there are 3 issues preventing me from cancelling my Sky+ subscription in favour of MP.

Issue 1

The picture quality of the TV pictures is not as good as Sky. I am using a Haupauge DVB-T tuner with dual tuners. There appears to be more motion blur. I struggle to read end credits for instance. I could read them fine on Sky.

Issue 2

My current tuner does not allow me to output the signal. I would like pump the signal upto my TV in the bedroom using the coaxial cable already used by my Sky+ box. (the main TV is fed via the motherboards onboard HDMI port)

Issue 3

Sometimes I get a a brief intermitant stutter in the TV picture and sound. Its as if the picture freezes fairly briefly (about a second) This hapens for recorded and sometimes live TV. I feel that it maybe one of the tuners is getting a bad signal, although I could be wrong.

Any suggestions/advice about any issue would be gratefully received.



TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version:
MediaPortal Skin:
Windows Version:
CPU Type:
HDD:
Memory:
Motherboard:
Video Card:
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card:
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote:
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

The picture quality of the TV pictures is not as good as Sky. I am using a Haupauge DVB-T tuner with dual tuners. There appears to be more motion blur. I struggle to read end credits for instance. I could read them fine on Sky.

Fine here with a hauppauge T500 PCI, motion blur could be related to pc specs or tv setup.

System specifications really help here, just fill in the above bits that you have missed, if done in user cp and enabled its done for you

Sometimes I get a a brief intermitant stutter in the TV picture and sound. Its as if the picture freezes fairly briefly (about a second) This hapens for recorded and sometimes live TV. I feel that it maybe one of the tuners is getting a bad signal, although I could be wrong.

You can check signal\quality, bring up menu in live tv, scroll down to tuning details, you can let us know what it says.

As far as getting TV upstairs, i leave that to someone with better knowledge than myself.

 

[eddiek156]

OK I have added some details. Not everything, but I hope there is enough to help.

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: RC3
MediaPortal Skin: blue3
Windows Version: xp sp3
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo e7200 - 2.53 ghz
HDD: Samsung 1000GB Spinpoint F SATA II300
Memory: 2 x Geil Value DDR2 1GB PC6400
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-73PVM-S2H
Video Card: onboard
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card: Onboard
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppauge PCI 500
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: MPV Decoder Filter
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA Decode Filter
h.264 Video Codec: ffdshow
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Antec - NSK1380
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Microsoft Media Centre
TV: Panasonic 40" Viera
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI

 

[Taipan]

The picture quality of the TV pictures is not as good as Sky. I am using a Haupauge DVB-T tuner with dual tuners. There appears to be more motion blur. I struggle to read end credits for instance. I could read them fine on Sky.

Changing the video decoder to the CyberLink Video decoder and adding a video card that does Vector Adaptive Deinterlacing (like the ATI HD3650) should give you superb video - better than your Sky box ....

My current tuner does not allow me to output the signal. I would like pump the signal upto my TV in the bedroom using the coaxial cable already used by my Sky+ box. (the main TV is fed via the motherboards onboard HDMI port)

I assume that by "coaxial cable" you mean that you have a single coax that you want to transmit both the video and audio to the bedroom TV? If so, then the only way that I know that you could do that is to take the video and audio outputs from the PC and feed them into an "RF extender" which feeds the coax cable. The coax would then be plugged into the antenna input of your bedroom TV. The quality will be pretty ordinary, and you won't have any way to control the PC from the bedroom?

A client PC in the bedroom connected via the LAN would be a better solution?

Sometimes I get a a brief intermitant stutter in the TV picture and sound. Its as if the picture freezes fairly briefly (about a second) This hapens for recorded and sometimes live TV. I feel that it maybe one of the tuners is getting a bad signal, although I could be wrong.

Yes, it sounds like bad signal, or electrical interference to the signal. Interference free DVB-T requires quad-shielded coax cable and "F-type" connectors for the antenna lead. Even then, momentary glitches can still occur when electic motors turn on ....

 

[erosco]

edd,

I don't know if it will help; but I've solve a lot of my family (and my htpc) odd stutters by going out and getting a really good power board that has built in surge protection and noise filtering. If you read the box carefully you'll see that most of the surge protection units do it nowadays.

I've found this solved 90% of my DVB-T stutters, especially the ones cause by fridge doors, electric motors (washing machines, etc) starting and stopping.. it works for both PC based solutions and your digital set top boxes in the home.

Good Luck