Need PVR software tt actually works!

[kookie2000]

Hello,

I have previously posted about this issue when attempting to use GBPVR...

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/317409-Adaptec-AVC-3610-Dual-TV-Tuner-NEED-HELP!?p=1966633#post1966633

They apparently have no support.

Before this I attempted to use XP MCE 2005 and it did not work. POS!!!

From there I tried MP Classic... POS!!!

VLC... even bigger POS!!!

Nero Liquid TV... IT WORKED!!! unfortunately it is a 20 day trial and is no longer supported or sold and if it were still supported it would cost $$ for a yr to yr subscription basis through TIVO... wierd thing is... like I said the trial version worked...?

After realizing that this(Nero Liquid TV) was not to last, I moved on to...

Media Portal... This does not work!!! POS AGAIN!!!

Does anyone know of a decent PVR software that actually works with an analogue dual tv tuner.

BTW: Analogue is not my issue, as proven by Nero Liquid TV.

I have checked with my cable provider and I am currently receiving a usable analogue signal, without needing a set top box.

Also this is NOT the HP version, it is the original USB 2.0 External Adaptec AVC-3610 Dual TV Tuner w/ FM Tuner... None of these previously mentioned programs support an FM tuner either, even though they say they do.,, you only discover until after you install that it doesn't do anything near what it claims.

Any help would be great

[usually_quiet]

You have already tried all the free PVR programs for Windows that are supposed to be fairly good. That leaves payware and/or changing to a different OS for MythTV or Elgato EyeTV. (I don't think you are a Linux or OSX user.)

I have never tried them and they are not free, but Beyond TV and Sage TV are established products with good reputations that have free trials.

For what it is worth, I'm currently using Windows 7's Media Center for time-shifting. I find it very easy to use, and the program guide is free. I have been using it for a couple of weeks and I like it very much for watch-and-erase recording.

What's not so great about it?

The file format Windows 7's Media Center uses for recordings is proprietary and more difficult to work with than what I'm used to (MPEG-2 video from a DVD recorder).

When I tried Windows 7's Media Center's DVD feature to convert HD recording and put it on DVD, it didn't do a good job. Colors were off and one of the two set-top DVD players that I tried had difficulty playing the disc. I use Verbatim media, and the same player doesn't have any trouble playing discs I author myself. Fortunately, I don't archive much TV on DVD, but I will eventually have to find my own solution.

Recording from a cable box line out requires installation of an IR Receiver, IR blaster, and remote. Media Center doesn't appear to give me the option of just tuning the cable box to the correct channel and setting a timer. I plan to get a remote and a receiver with IR blasters eventually, but it would have been a nice feature to have until then. I suppose recording using my tuner card's software will have to suffice until I get an appropriate remote kit.

[hech54]

I've been using GBPVR for quite a while now with no problems.....and I'm a self-proclaimed "PVR Idiot".
I even got the TV schedule thingy to work here in Germany where it should not work at all....I get my
schedules/program guide from microsoft.com. Yea I have too many channels showing up but all the ones
I'm supposed to have are there......and the program guide is 100% accurate for the channels we are supposed to have here.
Took me a day of reading the GBPVR Wiki pages but it all works fine....and it's all FREE so I certainly wouldn't complain or call it
nasty names even if it didn't work.

[usually_quiet]

I should have read the thread referenced in the first post for this one. The Adaptec avc-3610 Tuner is on the supported tuners list for BeyondTV, but not SageTV, so BeyondTV is more likely to work for you.

Your tuner is not one of the more popular ones, so software that works well with it is likely to be harder to find.

[Edit] Here's a link for BeyondTV's hardware requirements, including supported tuners: http://www.snapstream.com/products/beyondtv/sysreq.asp

[olyteddy]

Did your capture card come without software? If it did, I'm sorry for you. After trying a lot of the PVRs out there with my Hauppage USB2 PVR I settled on the included WinTV software and Titan TV as the program guide / scheduler.

[kookie2000]

hech 54,

I'm sorry if I disappoint you, but that's all I've had from these PVR progs,... disappointment. The issue at hand is that my hardware was never released with software, just a disc with the drivers (that were a b!tch to install) and there is no support for it!

GBPVR(and all the others) staked a claim for what it can and will do(all of them recognized my hardware, but have no idea what to do with it) and none of them came through as they claimed, but especially GBPVR!
I even joined there support forum... LOL!!!... and posted a question on how to actually get the archaic mc2xml.exe (this is for the EPG, incase you did not know) file to work, but no one replied... EVER!...

They did not answer my question I posted on the forum (your more than welcome to read it, but it is only part of the thread I posted in videohelp.com... (I don't believe you even took a peak), even though I put a hyperlink in my question posed.
They seem to mention (tip toed around!) how to actually make the EFer(EPG) do it's job in the wiki, but it's like giving a 7 year old a calculus equation and thinking that by simply telling the kid it's math that it's supposed to make them suddenly understand!!!! THAT IS BS!!!... Poor and Lazy work!!!

BTW, they also don't tell you (the user) that you (the user) MUST assign and use an EPG for the prog to work, which makes no sense, a numbered signal coming in is a numbered signal coming in whether you (the user) assign it a name or not.
I would have been fine with no info about the channels or the episodes, but again...(deep breath) this is not an option. Why can't they make it so you can just scan for signals, allow every and ALL types of connections (they could have let the driver do this) and let you just fill in the blanks manually if even wanted. I'm also not convinced that (even though it's an option), you (the user) can use cable as your source for an analogue signal. I believe this to be true about all fore mentioned PVR progs... Analogue cable signal is NOT an option.


The real sad thing is that there is nothing wrong with my hardware... which means that there are a lot of writers of PVR software that have left a big gaping hole when it comes to support either in their wiki or their manual (if something that truely resembles a manual exists) or during the install, reflecting:



1.) How the hardware is connected and what will not work (what they forgot about and therefor left out), ie. connecting with 75 ohm coaxial RF RG-6 cable.(most common cable ran for high speed internet!!!), but analogue only!

2.) Analogue devices...NO SUPPORT in wiki or in a FULL instruction manual what so ever, with the exception of when you hook up an antennae to it(they tip toe on that)... who even does that anymore?????

3.) Hooking up a dual tv tuner(again, analogue only and with cable)... NO SUPPORT!!!

4.) FM radio support... They ALL claim support for this, but their PVR software either does not recognize my:
"AVC-3610FM USB Device Driver"... like it's not even there or what they ACTUALLY support is online streaming radio or DIGITAL FM RADIO... NONE OF THEM MENTION THAT AT ANY POINT IN TIME, I had to figure that one out by installing and having their software fail to do as claimed!

just thought I should mention it.

[jagabo]

Adaptec is another one of those companies that though they could make a quick buck selling video capture devices. They didn't realize how much work is to develop decent software and provide support. They have gotten out of the video business:

http://www.adaptec.com/en-US/support/_eol/

[kookie2000]

I know jagabo, I have been to that link before... at the bottom of page, if you noticed, the only device they give no driver for is the "Dual TV Tuner" aka Adaptec AVC-3610.

Sucks to be me!

[jagabo]

Also, free software rarely has good support. It's usually written by a programmer who just want's something for himself. The programmer has neither time nor inclination to provide support.

[kookie2000]

I call it "selective support" lol

[usually_quiet]

If BeyondTV proves unsatisfactory for one reason or another, and you don't want to struggle with freeware anymore, it's time to admit that you made a mistake buying that particular tuner, and find a different one that enjoys better support. Presumably you got Adaptec AVC-3610 for next to nothing since it was used and it is no great loss.

[Edit] I decided to look for drivers and found some indication that Windows Update might be able to find them for you. Have you tried that? See http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/finddrivers.mspx

[hech54]

hech 54,

I'm sorry if I disappoint you, but that's all I've had from these PVR progs,... disappointment. The issue at hand is that my hardware was never released with software, just a disc with the drivers (that were a b!tch to install) and there is no support for it!

GBPVR(and all the others) staked a claim for what it can and will do(all of them recognized my hardware, but have no idea what to do with it) and none of them came through as they claimed, but especially GBPVR!
I even joined there support forum... LOL!!!... and posted a question on how to actually get the archaic mc2xml.exe (this is for the EPG, incase you did not know) file to work, but no one replied... EVER!...

Like I said. I'm a PVR idiot and it works fine for my Hauppauge PVR-350 card....including:
_______________________

______________________
So yes....I do know what mc2xml is. I'm not 100% certain exactly how it works but I just updated
my EPG yesterday to search for stuff to record so it does work for my card. I always update from the folder .exe FIRST...then I use the update function in GB-PVR second....then my schedule is updated. I don't think the "Update EPG" function in GB-PVR does the same thing as the executable....either that or I have it set up wrong and I need to do it my way.
Yes I hate it when software people rely solely on Wiki pages for "support"....but I found enough to get this to function.
I also found a "fix" on the same Wiki pages and on the forum to solve my "too many channels" problem but I just can't seem to get my head around the terminology they are using.

[kookie2000]

hech,

I'm not saying that it doesn't work at all, I'm saying that it doesn't work for my Adaptec AVC-3610 Duel TV Tuner PVR w/ FM Radio external USB 2.0 Device.

The config recognizes the device (even though it is not listed in the dba.ini file), GBPVR just doesn't offer support for my physical setup. I can't even get to the point where GBPVR even finds a signal, because "RF cable" connection is not even an option in the config... which poses the question: how did you do it, seeing as you have dual analogue as well, connected via "RF Cable"?

Also, does GBPVR support your FM band radio? and how?

What is the URL of the EPG grabber site that you use? Because the Microsoft site they list is no longer valid, to make way for Windows 7... I have checked this using a multitude of EPG grabbers with various PVR progs and... NO DICE!!!... I have been able to get yahoo to work, titantv and imdb. when comparing to the Microsoft URL(not work):

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/mediacenter/getstarted/guide.mspx

Also if you just type in the URL it comes up as no longer valid... as apposed to TitanTV, Yahoo, IMDB, etc. - all valid URLs and I have been able to utilize them...

Again the problem is, no support for my device or the way it is connected to my "Basic Cable" service.

I also don't understand why (in GBPVR) you (the user) have to create a file "updateEPG.bat"... why doesn't GBPVR just simply call the executable of the users chosen EPG and have a "fill in the blank" GUI prompt in the config for it? ... That makes a whole lot more sense to me.

And last, but not least, how do you find a decent listing of tvguide sites that use xml? I have yet to find a listing by any PVR developer. This is so key!!! It took me the longest time to even find one, and I still don't fully understand (mostly because I have very little reference as far as tvguide sites you (the user) tells the EPG to reference.

WAH Wah wah wahoooo

BTW, I'm no noob, but I sure felt like one so I posted here. It's funny how many more responses I've received by restating a question (reposting) here as apposed to "Capturing", which is where I originally posted my issue. That was the proper place for this question. My guess was because no one knew what they/I were talking about.

[usually_quiet]

Googling, again, I found out more about the Adaptec AVC-3610.

It's designed to be a Windows XP MCE device. It did not come with PVR software because it was intended to be installed only on PCs running Windows XP MCE, although it apparently also works with windows Vista's Media Center and Vista compatible drivers install automatically. http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-tuner-adapters/adaptec-avc-3610-tv/1707-9332_7-31597032.html

The Adaptec AVC-3610 is also certified for Windows 7, and drivers will be installed automatically. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/Details.aspx?type=Hardw...ners&os=64-bit

What does this mean to you? If you are running a version of Windows that includes a Media Center, the device should work, and Windows itself or Windows update for XP can likely find the drivers for you. It also means if you are running a version of Windows XP that does not include a Media Center, you may not be able to use this device. I would still try BeyondTV though.

Using GBPVR may be too much of a gearhead project for a lot people. I only played around with it for a little while before deciding it wan't worth the extra trouble when Windows 7 Media Center worked pretty well for what I want to do. I may try GBPVR again some time if I decide I have a need for more control or a different file format for recordings.

This is how somebody got FM to work. http://forums.gbpvr.com/showthread.php?p=164983

[kookie2000]

usually_quiet,

I tried Beyond TV and it slowed down my computer so badly. I immediately uninstalled it, but not until after I tried to figure out why it fail to finish the tvguide download... I could not figure out why and it does not give the option in the "run setup again wizard" to retry tvguide info download, only a reset of signals being transmitted through the cable lines.

To anyone out there, stay away from this one too. Although it did pick up the stations (in super low def) and was a smooth install, aside from the fore mentioned hick-up.

I appreciate the time and effort you put in to finding the hyperlinks you left for me, but sadly I've been there, so it's not new to me. Also I have MCE 2005, it was a throw in when I bought the tuner card a year and a half ago. The previous owner said he had troubles getting to work in MCE 2005, I didn't realize he meant it did not work at all. I bought the thing like 1 1/2 years ago and because of space at the time and a move to new house, I haven't had a chance to try it out until about 2 weeks ago... Been tryin' to get it to work ever since. I gave up on MCE 2005 after a bad SATA cable connector wiped that hard drive's partition. I've been trying to get it to work with anything I can ever since.

I have red about other people getting it to work with various PVR progs, but if you look at the postings, most of them are from like 2004 - 2008. The software is not even the same version as it was then... The install guide for GBPVR doesn't even match what my interface looks like and the same goes for Media Portal as well. This tells me that they haven't updated for newer versions in quite a while.

I don't believe that GBPVR is too much of a gear head project for me, I just don't know where to even find the right information for my specific needs. ie. how can I get RF cable connection to be recognized ... or information that unequivocally says that it will not work or is not an option... that seems like an omission to me so far. I know that there are adapter cables (sold separately)... and I believe now, they are needed for MCE 2005 to recognize the tuner card or GBPVR for that matter, but I have yet to read any info on that either.

One things for sure is that I have found direct contradictions concerning the EPG for GBPVR, between the guides, the forum and the wiki ie. in the initial setup I read that you had only the option of using either Microsft, TitanTV or Schedules Direct (pay only, not free) if you use XMLTV... WOW I don't even know where to start?!?!?!

Firstly, XMLTV is an EPG grabber, but so is mc2ml?... Soo, why am I suppoed to use both?... and why is it that the only option (if you read it Through) http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manual/EPG#toc14 that is if you want it free... we'll come back to this one.

mc2xml s actually intended for digitl only, if you read it through

http://forums.gbpvr.com/showthread.php?p=346467#post346467

Says: "You can download 1.4.7 from http://www.gbpvr.com/GBPVR10407.msi

VERY IMPORTANT. This version of GB-PVR uses a newer Microsoft runtime that previous versions of GB-PVR, so you absolutely need to install the new http://www.gbpvr.com/vcredist_x86.zip. New users and users upgrading from earlier releases with need to install this.

If you're upgrading from a previous release, I recommend you backup your gbpvr.db3 and config.xml files just in case anything goes wrong. Post any problem reports in the Support forum.


For new users, I'd recommend reviewing the guides here: http://forums.gbpvr.com/showthread.p...467#post346467. These will help you through the process of getting GB-PVR "

So I hit the hyperlink and download ver. 1.4.7 ok

I also download the guides for ver. 1.4.7 (there are three of them and only one applies to me and in it it says,... ("Analogue TV using GBPVR 1.4.7.pdf") under "create capture source", "EPG Source" choose "XMLTV" buh buh buh but!, I thought you said that I have to use mc2xml?!?!?... in a way.

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manual/EPG#toc14

It says: "
MC2XML (US, Canada, UK, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Mexico, Brazil)

…is a stand alone grabber that will download and create an xmltv file gathered directly from Microsoft’s MCE EPG server (which is actually zap2it!)

• Does not require Windows Media Center Edition 2005 or any Windows Vista to be installed (it stands alone)
• It should also work for any other country that has an MCE EPG
  • http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/mediacenter/getstarted/guide.mspx
  • The software has been tested with the following countries: US, Canada, UK, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Mexico, Brazil

See: MC2XML"

No mention here about anything, but Microsoft. But that is not what happens when you try to use it... it give 3 options... listed above.


http://mc2xml.110mb.com/

says, Titantv is slow... true... and for digital only... not true!?!?... it worked with Media Portal. Of course Media Portal is a whole other story.

Also, GPVR says, (at) http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manual/EPG#toc14

"XMLTV.org (defaulted to Schedules Direct - NA listings)"


and Scheules Direct cost $20 year, then why is it perfectly free to use XMLTV within Media Portal?... and it works?

GBPVR also says (in so many words... and some words are actually from users on the forum that there are no more free tvguide sites? This is just not so... Yahoo, TitanTV, IMDB and probably more if I could just find the right thing to type in the google search bar.

So you can see my frustration.

[hech54]

What hung me up was the .BAT file bullshit in the instructions for mc2xml. I have NO idea what the hell they are talking about. I guess that is why I need to go and manually update the XML file in the EPG folder via the .exe file first....then GB-PVR gets the data from that XML file when I start the "Update EPG" in GB-PVR.
That .BAT file nonsense was also in the explanation as to how to fix my "too many channels" showing up problem. I'm not going for Round Two of headaches....thank you.
On top of all of that I still need to have WinTV installed to capture anything else other than the TV channels. That program lists channels more accurately BUT has to program/channel data retrieval capabilities as far as I know.
Fun stuff....

[usually_quiet]

Sorry it didn't do the job, but I have read too many glowing reports from Beyond TV users over the years to believe its good reputation is completely undeserved. Even if it didn't work well for you, Beyond TV is not a another POS program to be avoided at all costs.

I re-installed GBPVR, read through http://mc2xml.110mb.com , then followed the instructions. I set up mc2xml for analog cable using Microsoft's legacy service. When configuring within mc2xml I selected my provider+ Cable as opposed to my provider+ Digital Cable.

mc2xml worked for me, though there were extra channels shown in GBPVR's channel list that I had to remove. I then enabled the remaining channels. I ran PVRX2 and there was a guide available for the channels I kept.

Try setting up your tuner as an "Internal" tuner and see what happens. I supect the options for "External" tuners are supposed to be used if a cable box or satelite receiver acts as a tuner and the PC device merely captures the output. I also supect that the 2 tuners need to be set up/configured individually.

[handyguy]

Also try Build Your Own PVR at pyopvr.com they have been around for ages.

[16mmJunkie]

Also try Build Your Own PVR at pyopvr.com they have been around for ages.

Just a correction in your post it is :
http://www.byopvr.com/

Good site for toying with your own ideas.

[kookie2000]

Thanks guys for the input, I'm starting to feel more at ease now about this being more of a project than I originally anticipated. I am however a little gitty out byopvr, me thinks me try. It will probably take me ages to do and I'll probably have a new tuner card by then, I'm thinking either
WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual Tuner PCI Express TV tuners

or

AVerTV Combo G2 (White Box)

but one thing's for sure, If I am successful... This stupid AVC 3610 will work for me.

Again, thanks guys.

[edDV]

Hate to sound like this but kookie seems a prime candidate for the cable company DVR box ($9/mo + depending on location).

[kookie2000]

Actually, If you read this through you would know that I have one in the bedroom for the little lady.

I know I'm a noob at this... actually I'm re-new at this, I had TV tuner cards way back in... well Windows 95/98 days.

I used to have an old 16 bit Matrox and an ooooold ATI All-In-Wonder, but I claim ignorance... I never knew how broad the

horizon was... yeah I'm a newbie and proud to be back!!!

[usually_quiet]

If possible, give Windows 7's Media Center a try. It's as close to a plug-and-play PC PVR as it gets. Great for watch-and-erase use. As long as you don't mind the proprietary file type it uses recording (6.7 GB per hour for HD) and don't need to transfer much to DVD it is truly a pleasure to use.

[Edit] I got both GBPVR and Beyond TV working tonight with the ATSC tuner in my card. I still like Windows 7's Media Center better.

BTW, analog tuners are generally the easiest to set up. QAM is the hardest. ATSC is in between.

[lacywest]

I am currently using MCE 2005 and it is working just fine ... in about 10 minutes my PC will start recording Human Target on the FOX channel that I pickup from my antenna mounted on my chimney. I have no problems at all.

6 months ago I was having problems with MCE 2005 ... but didn't bug me because I could reboot into WIN 7 and use the Media Center in it.

But WIN 7 records tv shows in ... wtv .... which is not that big of a deal because WIN 7 has a conversion tool that reconverts into dvr-ms.

But currently ... MCE 2005 is working just fine. As they say ... dont mess with it ... if it ain't broken. So after messing with the settings in the past ... I have found what works and dont work ... so now I leave it alone and all is well. I have made a few tweaks here and there ... and all is working just fine. I'd would explain in better detail ... but this DVDR Help website has rules about certain things ... so I am not going to say anything that will get those little pillows next to my avatar and such. At one time I had two of them ... geez ... I almost got banned.

Addon ... Human Target comes on Fox ... on Wednesday ... so I have to wait ... about 24 hours.