Completed SonyVCRMod (1 Viewer)

[scott_k2]

Hi Guys, this is my first HTPC and also my first shot at a case mod.

I gutted an old Sony VCR from ebay and built some stands for the DVD, HDD, created some motherboard standoffs etc. Unfortunately the VCR was too slim even for low profile cards so I have dropped the bottom of the case by about 1cm. The stock CPU fan and PSU fan are running at 5 volts to keep the noise down.
I modified the PSU to put a bigger heatsink on the power transistors and moved the fan to allow better airflow (after cooking one PSU due to the slower cooling fan).

Spec's:

Pentium 4 - 2.5Ghz 533FSB no HT
512Mb RAM - 2x256 PC333 (but running slower due to CUP/motheboard contraints i think its running at PC2700)
NVidia FX5200 with 128Mb (running only at 4xAGP)
Biostar Motherboard with 5.1 SPDIF out
Netgear Wireless PCI card
160Gb 7200RPM Seagate PATA with 8Mb buffer
2 x Dvico Fusion HDTV Lite cards (PCI)
USB Dvico Fusion Remote Control
Windows XP-Home
Intervideo Codecs
MediaPortal 2RC4 with fixes
PVR Scheduler
Monitor - I use either a 17inch LCD via VGA, or 32inch Awa LCD via DVI

The case needs a tiny bit of work to complete (re-attach the VCR door to the DVD-drive but is 98% done.

When I work out how to submit an image I'll upload one.

It's running flawlessly with SDTV at the moment using both Fusion cards, I can run HDTV with the native Dvico App, but Mediaportal struggles with HD on my system.

 

[Callifo]

Interested to see the pics; you need to host them someone and then link to them.

http://www.imageshack.us/

 

[Taipan]

I can run HDTV with the native Dvico App, but Mediaportal struggles with HD on my system.

If you use the Zulu HDTV DxVA decoder (its called something like that) as your TV decoder, you should get good HDTV results in MediaPortal, too. Tht's the only decoder that I have found that will work well with all our HDTV channels...

 

[scott_k2]

Here are some images (hopefully this works, thanks for the tip Callifo) :

The VCR before I took the angle grinder to it (I don't own a dremel!).
[img=http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/7640/ebayvcr6cp.th.jpg]

Here is a picture of the gutted VCR
[img=http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5168/insidebeforefront6rd.th.jpg]

Here is the HTPC with PC components installed (I've since added the wireless and second TV card)
[img=http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8540/insideafterbacklowres0fc.th.jpg]

Here is the front of the HTPC sorry for the blurry shot (will have to take a clearer shot and add one with the case on)
[img=http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/8872/insideafterfrontblurry1sy.th.jpg]

Taipan - I tried the Zulu HDTV DxVA decoder but I was having some iissues with it stuttering and higher CPU usage than intervideo code. I will have to revisit this though and see if it is working any better now - since both DVICO drivers and MediaPortal versions have changed substantially since I last tested this.

 

[scott_k2]

Hi Taipan,

I have again tried the Zulu Dxva video code and have some problems with this codec. It will only show a blank screen in mytv unless timeshifting is turned off and then tv is displayed normally. When I hit record a show the screen is again blanked. When I playback the recording it is also blank. This sounds similar to some problem others are having with RC4, so I'll have to roll back to RC2 and test if the problem still exists. I don't experience any of these problems with the intervideo video codec.

Have you been successful using the Zulu Dxva video codec with MP RC4 or are you only using the NVidia video codec as described in your signature.

Is anyone else using this video codec sucussfully?

 

[Nightmare77]

scott,
i had the exact same problem as you described, it has happened maybe since 1.3 at a guess that if you record a show the screen goes blank, so you can't actually watch what you are recording, even tho its actually recording, i had to change the codec i was using because it only seems to happen on that codec, now i have nvidia i dont' have as many troubles.