United Kingdom
Shinto I think you might be right and we may be having problems because we have too much codec junk installed. I think I may try a reinstall this weekend avoiding installing anything like Quicktime, Realplayer, Nero which all install loads of codecs and just install the latest approved drivers from gigabyte which includes Catalyst 8.8 (actually numbered 8.522 just to confuse), the standalone drivers from hauppauge (here for your card), then install PowerDVD8Ultra, then mediaportal and then cross fingers, legs, arms etc...
Completed Shinto's HTPC (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Shinto61
- Start date
Shinto I think you might be right and we may be having problems because we have too much codec junk installed. I think I may try a reinstall this weekend avoiding installing anything like Quicktime, Realplayer, Nero which all install loads of codecs and just install the latest approved drivers from gigabyte which includes Catalyst 8.8 (actually numbered 8.522 just to confuse), the standalone drivers from hauppauge (here for your card), then install PowerDVD8Ultra, then mediaportal and then cross fingers, legs, arms etc...
- Thread starter
- #12
Good luck on the re-install, hope it works out. Might try myself this Saturday. Also gonna do 2 partitions this time 1 exclusive for XP the other for MP + Media. Would like to install Vista but then I have audio issues. No equalizer and audio sounds strange like a blanket is moving in front of the speakers. ( Lesley sound if you know what I mean)
Hi Folks
Try this site out : Free-Codecs.com :: Download latest audio codecs, video codecs, codec packs and tools, FREE!
The Realplayer and Quicktime Alternatives work fine and you dont need zo install the Players
@ Shinto : My Cpu is able to run that low due to my OC Mainboard i think. Anyway, i wouldn´t change to a 4850, more to a X3 or X 4 Phenom with 65 w. Running a passive cooled CPU is nice but i think its senseless compared with running a Silent Fan @ 500 rpm.
Try this site out : Free-Codecs.com :: Download latest audio codecs, video codecs, codec packs and tools, FREE!
The Realplayer and Quicktime Alternatives work fine and you dont need zo install the Players
@ Shinto : My Cpu is able to run that low due to my OC Mainboard i think. Anyway, i wouldn´t change to a 4850, more to a X3 or X 4 Phenom with 65 w. Running a passive cooled CPU is nice but i think its senseless compared with running a Silent Fan @ 500 rpm.
Graphedit will help you understand which codec is being used. Start MP in windowed mode, play the video/watch TV then run Graphedit and connect to remote stream.
Have just had a try with Vista 64-bit. Like XP, I CAN get hardware acceleration (Catalyst 8.9 and 8.10) with PowerDVD 7.3 (BDRom edition). The problem I have, like many (all...?) here in NZ is that some DVB-T stations (C4, TVNZ6 and 7, Maori) always come out basically green with the odd good frame if you are really observant and squint.
These are 576i SD broadcasts whereas everything else (that works!) is either 720p or 1080i. CPU usage drops dramatically when DVXA kicks in. As I'm using this box for TV, this is a real pain.
Have just had a try with Vista 64-bit. Like XP, I CAN get hardware acceleration (Catalyst 8.9 and 8.10) with PowerDVD 7.3 (BDRom edition). The problem I have, like many (all...?) here in NZ is that some DVB-T stations (C4, TVNZ6 and 7, Maori) always come out basically green with the odd good frame if you are really observant and squint.
These are 576i SD broadcasts whereas everything else (that works!) is either 720p or 1080i. CPU usage drops dramatically when DVXA kicks in. As I'm using this box for TV, this is a real pain.
- Thread starter
- #17
ShoopNL
Nice remote the Harmony, but programming is time consuming ! I operate my TV, Amplifier, Digital decoder, DVD recorder and HTPC with it. So it replaces 5 remotes
It takes a while to understand the mapping of the buttons but once you get the hang of it you won't go back. Even the wife is happy with it now (at last lol)
The Harmony works fine with MP, some buttons had to be learned but overall I can do everything with it.
Including putting the HTPC in standby and wake up.
Pics probably next week, planning to do the reinstall this weekend.
Nice remote the Harmony, but programming is time consuming ! I operate my TV, Amplifier, Digital decoder, DVD recorder and HTPC with it. So it replaces 5 remotes
It takes a while to understand the mapping of the buttons but once you get the hang of it you won't go back. Even the wife is happy with it now (at last lol) The Harmony works fine with MP, some buttons had to be learned but overall I can do everything with it.
Including putting the HTPC in standby and wake up.
Pics probably next week, planning to do the reinstall this weekend.
- Thread starter
- #18
Well did a reinstall yesterday. 1st problem was I have 1 partition and I did not want to backup/copy all my media to another drive or make another partition, as both were going to take too long. Used a neat program called NTFS4Dos to rename the Windows directories then reinstalled windows, deleted the old windows dirs and voila ! A clean install And no data loss.
Used a stripped version of WinXP Pro with SP3 and MS NET.Framework 3.0
Wanted DXVA working so I tried the Stand Alone Filters option, guess what ..... It worked !
Now watching HD with 16% CPU usage. (used to be 70%-80%)
NO other codecs or packs installed except SAF, Real Alternative, Quicktime Alternative, Haali and WM9 Codec.
Now the heat problem, Mr. Wifi's advice of undervolting the CPU was the answer. Undervolted the CPU from 1.275V to 1.050V @ 2205Ghz (think I can go lower as all is running stable during stress test)
Idle is now 38C and stressed 100% 58C normal operating temp is about 48C and I'm very happy with that, as I also disconnected 1 120mm fan and run the CPU fan @ 33% . So finally I also have a "Quiet" HTPC
And no data loss.Used a stripped version of WinXP Pro with SP3 and MS NET.Framework 3.0
Wanted DXVA working so I tried the Stand Alone Filters option, guess what ..... It worked !
Now watching HD with 16% CPU usage. (used to be 70%-80%)
NO other codecs or packs installed except SAF, Real Alternative, Quicktime Alternative, Haali and WM9 Codec.
Now the heat problem, Mr. Wifi's advice of undervolting the CPU was the answer. Undervolted the CPU from 1.275V to 1.050V @ 2205Ghz (think I can go lower as all is running stable during stress test)
Idle is now 38C and stressed 100% 58C normal operating temp is about 48C and I'm very happy with that, as I also disconnected 1 120mm fan and run the CPU fan @ 33% . So finally I also have a "Quiet" HTPC
Well did a reinstall yesterday. 1st problem was I have 1 partition and I did not want to backup/copy all my media to another drive or make another partition, as both were going to take too long. Used a neat program called NTFS4Dos to rename the Windows directories then reinstalled windows, deleted the old windows dirs and voila ! A clean install
Used a stripped version of WinXP Pro with SP3 and MS NET.Framework 3.0
Wanted DXVA working so I tried the Stand Alone Filters option, guess what ..... It worked !
Now watching HD with 16% CPU usage. (used to be 70%-80%)
NO other codecs or packs installed except SAF, Real Alternative, Quicktime Alternative, Haali and WM9 Codec.
Now the heat problem, Mr. Wifi's advice of undervolting the CPU was the answer. Undervolted the CPU from 1.275V to 1.050V @ 2205Ghz (think I can go lower as all is running stable during stress test)
Idle is now 38C and stressed 100% 58C normal operating temp is about 48C and I'm very happy with that, as I also disconnected 1 120mm fan and run the CPU fan @ 33% . So finally I also have a "Quiet" HTPC
Hey Shinto that is amazing! I chickened out of reinstalling but with RC4 coming up I might try it. Very interesting method - now I am afraid I am going to have to interrogate you about this
- did you have to move all your documents out of the documents and settings folder or was it OK to leave them? So you just rename the Windows folder to anything (i.e. Windowsold?) and then do you use the Windows CD to reinstall? Can you tell me what Catalyst driver you installed and are you using RC3? Did you also install WMP11? Do you undervolt in the BIOS - any idea what the safe setting would be for a 5000+? Can you tell me which 120mm fan you turned off- the front or back one?
It is interesting that you have no problem with DirectVobSub (VSFilter.dll) in SAF as this always seemed to disable DXVA for me even if the video had no subtitles.
Nice. Can you confirm what TV formats you have up there? MPEG2? MPEG4? H.264? 1080i? 720p? 576i?
I'm not sure I can face another re-install of my HTPC. I've found that whilst I can get DXVA using Cyberlink's Codec for all the DB-T h.264 transmissions here in NZ, if the signal wavers in any way, it can't cope and I get the last 1/2 second of video looping whilst the sound carries on. With MP, I then have to rewind/go forward and it sorts itself out before hitting the next glitch. Reverting to non-DXVA/software decoding removes this very, very annoying problem.
I'm not sure I can face another re-install of my HTPC. I've found that whilst I can get DXVA using Cyberlink's Codec for all the DB-T h.264 transmissions here in NZ, if the signal wavers in any way, it can't cope and I get the last 1/2 second of video looping whilst the sound carries on. With MP, I then have to rewind/go forward and it sorts itself out before hitting the next glitch. Reverting to non-DXVA/software decoding removes this very, very annoying problem.