MP vs. GBPVR (1 Viewer)

[RocketMan66]

MP Vs GBPVR - My story

I have a Windows 2003 server with hauppage PVR-150 and DVICO DVB-T cards installed. I want client PCs to be able to watch live TV from both recording sources.

I playback recorded TV on client PCs or via an Xbox (XBMC) connected to my loungeroom TV.

I started using MP and was very impressed, the feature set suited my needs almost perfectly. The one feature it lacks for me is to be able to change channels on my STB. The TV Server lacks the ability to control the IR-Blaster on the PVR-150. I believe there are plans to include support for this.

I switched to GBPVR because it has a very easy to configure feature that does support the IR-Blaster. So I can control my STB. As a PVR, GBPVR wins hands down for me. It includes a nice webadmin interface that I can use to view my EPG and set recordings from anywhere I have internet access! MP might be able to do this, haven't looked.

But its not all good, GBPVR lets me down when I want to view live TV on a client PC. Playback is very choppy and unwatchable. In this regard, MP (TV Server) does a brilliant job, but only for my DVB-T channels (can't change channels on my STB).

Maybe I can use Alpax's method of combining MP + GBPVR, but I don't think it would work on a server/client arrangement?

As far as stability and ease of configuration goes, I believe GBPVR is better.
If MP could control my STB (I don't want to spend any further money on an USBIRT), I would go back to using it.

 

[rsbrux]

Did you try the MyBlaster plug-in? It sounds like it would do what you want.

 

[tipstir]

Video Choppy is that when you stream it over the network or when you watch it directly from the PC? I can help you with the choppy over the network easy fix.

MP and GBPVR both are free, both are a work-in-progress HTPC. MP has higher graphics like which my MAX-ELITE using ClearMist Method should work better here as I've seen with other skin creators on MP. I've tried the SAGETV and would like to see their smart TV Guide in more free programs. Having the program manual or better yet have the software do it for you is a plus. Downside SAGETV is buggy, I know I'll hear feedback on saying that..

 

[Rhys.Goodwin]

What the easy fix then? I Don't know if it's realeated but when I use TV Server to stream recodrded mpg it runs fine but if try to watch recorded mpg off a network share (via my videos) it's choppy.

 

[tipstir]

Tipstir's Network Tweaks for both LAN & WAN WL/WW

The problem is that Windows OS Client or Server all versions are set to the default for buffers and etc.. This causes video playback over the network to bad. I've worked on this since 2004, so I know what I am talking about it's has been updated time and time again. I use these settings on all laptops and desktop on my network for MediaMVP to recieve media like it should be..

I've provide you with my network tools I've used the file also contains registry files for:

TCP
LANWORKSTION
DNSCACHE
INTERNET
A couple more..

Yes there is a password protection on the file: PWD: 2007

Download Tipstir_nic_tweaks.zip

Below is how TCP Optimzer is setup...
My ISP just boost me up to to over 25MBps download for Cable Internet.. You can use the below to adjust your network.. DSL users need to change the MTU to 1492 for USA, I don't know about overseas how that works, since I don't live there.

Try the following with TCP Optimizer to first increase your MTU value:

General Settings tab:


Custom settings - check
Modify All Network Adapters - check
network adapter selection - your NIC
MTU 1500
TTL - 64
TCP Receive Window - (use the adjustment bar to your max your ISP provides you in download speeds)
MTU Discovery - Yes
Black Hole Detect - No
Selective Acks - Yes
Max Duplicate ACKs - 2
TCP 1323 Options:
Windows Scaling - uncheck
Timestamps - uncheck

Advanced Settings tab:


Max Connections per Server - 10 (increase to 20, 30, 40, 50 60 is the Max for heavy downloading PC)
Max Connections per 1.0 Server - 20 (increase to 30, 40, 50 60 is the Max)

Browser Speed --- this section
LocalPriority - 1
Host Priority - 1
DNSPriority - 1
NetbtPriority - 1
Lan Browsing speedup - optimized
QoS: NonBestEffortLimit - 0
ToS: DisableUserTOSSetting - 0
ToS: DefaultTOSValue - 80
MaxNegativeCacheTtl - 0
NetFailureCacheTime - 0
NegativeSOACache Time - 0
LAN Request Buffer Size - 32768 (note this will use some of your RAM I had it set to 1/2 this amount but you might find that 32KB would be better)
Then select "Apply Changes" and reboot to take effect

After reboot, post a new TCP Analyzer report.

 

[Rhys.Goodwin]

Great! Thanks very much Tipstir. Very useful info

 

[RocketMan66]

Did you try the MyBlaster plug-in? It sounds like it would do what you want.

Yes I did try the MyBlaster plug-in. AFAIK it is not compatible with the TVServer or my PVR-150 IR Blaster.

Video Choppy is that when you stream it over the network or when you watch it directly from the PC?

Video is choppy when streamed over the network. I have yet to find a fix for it. It seems to be a common problem with MPEG filters that has yet to be resolved. I don't think it is a bandwidth or TCP/IP problem.

 

[nettech_gt]

I too switched to GB-PVR for a while because I need to be able to stream media content from my server to two clients. With MP TVE3 my Nvidia Dual TV card was detected but it would not find channels during the channel scan. After several months of testing and requesting support and getting none, I finally switched over. However I too had the same issues with choppy playback on the clients. I got very prompt support from the GB_PVR forums. But unfortunately it didn't resolve the issue. So until one of them gets it right I'm back to using MP 0.2.2.