Best BASIC DVR / PVR software that meets these criteria...

[madmartian]

I need new DVR software. I have been using BeyondTV, but it does way more than I need or want. All I need my DVR to do is:

1. Searchable TV schedule.
2. Supports Hauppauge 1950 HD tuner.
3. Supports ATSC (the new digital TV standard supported by the Hauppauge 1950).
4. Records in MPG2 and/or MPG4 format (I'd use Windows Media Center were it not for this).

I do not need any kind of streaming client, media server, media library, or even a video player really (though they all come with that). I just need to record shows I have chosen from the TV guide. What is out there that meets my criteria without a lot of unwanted overhead? I'm really tired of waiting for Beyond TV to startup and shutdown every time I reboot because it does so much stuff that I don't need.

[hech54]

Wouldn't the MPEG2 recording aspect be up to your capture card?

In any event....I just installed and set up GB-PVR and it works surprisingly well. Did my first programmed recording from the the schedule and it worked flawlessly. And unlike my WinTV that came with my PVR-350....GB-PVR did not actually open and interrupt anything....it just recorded in the background.

You will probably get even better results "over there". I'm receiving my TV schedules via the XMLTV plugin. It's accurate for the "big" German stations but doesn't seem to get the smaller localized ones right.

I switched from WinTV to GB-PVR because WinTV became very unstable, it locked up
and began missing programmed recordings....even after two re installs.

[madmartian]

I agree that the software that comes with the Hauppauge is sub-par when compared to other stuff out there. I switched for the same reasons you did, though I had the WinTV PVR2 at the time. Luckily the hardware they make rocks. I'll give GB-PVR a try, thanks.

[lordsmurf]

Good MPEG-4 hardware (AVC) is expensive, pro-end only. I have my eye on a few, but they all start at 4-digit prices.

[madmartian]

I'm not so worried about hardware AVC right now. No budget for new hardware right now.
I tried GB-PVR but it does not have it's own system for grabbing channel data. I need to either pay $20/year for a subscription service (which I will never do) or install another product. I tried installing the XML TV data thing, but it didn't work. I am trying to simplify my installation, so I prefer not to mess with an external downloader anyway. I am giving WinTV another go to see if it has improved any over the old version. So far the setup interface is terrible.

[hech54]

I tried installing the XML TV data thing, but it didn't work. I am trying to simplify my installation, so I prefer not to mess with an external downloader anyway. I am giving WinTV another go to see if it has improved any over the old version. So far the setup interface is terrible.

C'mon man....I'm a computer idiot compared to most and I got it to work....ask anyone.


I almost gave up on it too but once you do some reading and get the
new EPG folder in place WITH the mc2xm executable inside....it is quick
and painless.

[madmartian]

I'm getting the same error as this person:

http://www.birtles.org.uk/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=176

It is creating a file "a.zip" in the temp folder, but it is the aborted file mentioned. It will not open and is only 1k in size.

[olyteddy]

I've been using WinTV2000 (the Hauppauge included software) and TitanTV. it works fine for me. My card is the USB2 PVR.

[hech54]

I'm getting the same error as this person:

http://www.birtles.org.uk/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=176

It is creating a file "a.zip" in the temp folder, but it is the aborted file mentioned. It will not open and is only 1k in size.

I can't get to that link.
You're not doing that "binary" crap they talk about are you?
Here is where I got all of my info and files from:
http://mc2xml.110mb.com/
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manual/EPG#toc14

[madmartian]

Thanks! MC2XML works and that document told me what I needed to know. Unfortunately, some channels are missing from the lineup. No idea how to fix that. I did the channel scanning and mapping and I am receiving more channels than are in the imported lineup. Mainly it's the multiple channels that are missing. For example, KGW has two digital stations with different programming, but only one of them is in the imported channel lineup. KNMT has 5 digital stations with very different programming and only one of those comes up in the imported channel listing.

[madmartian]

I found the reason in the small print at the end of the document. Of course an incomplete listing is not useful to me and I am not going to fork out $20 so I can help test a beta program. If I am going to pay money, it will be for a complete system. I already paid for BeyondTV and feel burned because I can't turn off the huge amount of overhead that I don't use.

"Microsoft's (new) service: If you have tested Windows 7 you might have noticed more program information in the guide. It uses a completely new TV data service that seems to support everything that the microsoft legacy service supported, but adds ATSC/subchannel support ("Digital Terrestrial"), plus listings include writer/producer credits, some season info, DVD cover & program images, as well as other miscellaneous program details.

Support for this new service in mc2xml is working, and now donators above the $20 level will be welcome to request this test version if they want to try it out (please specify operating system). "

[handyguy]

build your own pvr has been around for ages:

http://byopvr.com/

[hech54]

Most "PVR People" are Linux based....and have their PVR dedicated to the television. In our case we are just looking for better software than WinTV for our home PCs.

[madmartian]

I tried a couple more -

SesameTV - comes up with a warning that I don't have Windows Media Player 7.1 or later installed and prompts me to install WMP 7.1. I already have WMP 11, so SesameTV is old and faulty. I did not continue the install.

MediaPortal - only supports EPG when embedded in the signal, which it isn't.

[madmartian]

Ok, I decided my time is worth more than $20, so I paid the donation for MC2XML and got the beta version. Works well. It also downloads the correct station numbers now in addition to downloading the substation data.

I am not terribly impressed with GB-PVR. The interface is geared towards a TV using a remote control, not a PC using a mouse. However, it doesn't have the wasteful overhead of BeyondTV, so I'll stick with it for now. I wish Snapstream would handle its BeyondTV features as plugins like some of these apps do so I could just remove the plugins I don't want.

[SHS]

Ok, I decided my time is worth more than $20, so I paid the donation for MC2XML and got the beta version. Works well. It also downloads the correct station numbers now in addition to downloading the substation data.

I am not terribly impressed with GB-PVR. The interface is geared towards a TV using a remote control, not a PC using a mouse. However, it doesn't have the wasteful overhead of BeyondTV, so I'll stick with it for now. I wish Snapstream would handle its BeyondTV features as plugins like some of these apps do so I could just remove the plugins I don't want.

Everone wine and cry about interface and it not just GB-PVR but also SageTV
Things is what you want and what 95% of other user want is why you will not going find a plain jane
Everone after HTPC Media Cemter and with Online Video/Radio support.

Have you take look at ChrisTV, WinVodio?

The problem with plugins
1: They will create stability issues for themselves and in the end create a poor user experience.
2: There not always with the same level of standards (now some with no question write very good code, but some write it up and never support it again).

How ever you may find that WinTV 7 more to your liking later on if when it get done.
Rigth now it don't support extracting EPG data from ATSC signals so you have use TitanTV EPG and with analog.

BeyondTV is pettey much R.I.P.rigth long with min other