Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Freezes at Yellow "Preview" Light

[Terwaffle]

My PVR 2 was working fine until a couple days ago. Now I can't even go into preview mode in ShowBiz or Hauppauge Capture without the device freezing as well as the program. Unplugging the device seems to unfreeze the program but I have yet to find a way to unfreeze the device without unplugging it. I have updated all drivers and did a fresh install of everything related to the device and still have had no luck. I'm not sure if there is a way to fix it in its current state or if I am going to have to get a new one. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[jagabo]

Do you have a nice steady video source coming into it? Hauppauge devices are known to lock up on unsteady signals -- like you might get with a mangled VHS tape, or when switching between 1080i and 720p.

[gll99]

I can confirm jagabo's experience with both the original HD PVR and the HD PVR2 since I own both too. The units are signal sensitive. The only other thing I can add since it happened to me twice is to try another USB cable. The one I got with the HD PVR2 was flaky. I returned the unit and got a replacement but the cable was worse. I am using the one I got with the original HD PVR 1212 / 1219 and it works well. Barring that check all your other cable connections again to make sure everything is seated properly.

[Terwaffle]

I have unplugged everything and replugged it back in and I'm pretty sure I have a steady signal. but I will try to get a different USB and see if that helps, thanks

[jman98]

A few times I've had my Colossus (same family as the HD PVR models, but Colossus is an internal card rather than a USB device) refuse to get any signal and I've had to reinstall the drivers to fix the issue. I just throw that out in case replacing the cables doesn't fix the issue.

[HDTV]

All video capture devices will be signal sensitive. The quality of the cable from source to the recording device is important

For Support Contact Hauppauge http://hauppauge.com/site/contact/contact_us.html

[fritzi93]

Another confirmation on signal sensitivity. The source doesn't have to be damaged.

A friend asked me to capture a tape from a VHS camcorder. Lots of brief shots, lots of noise. I was just going to do it quick and dirty with the HD-PVR. No go, the PVR locked up.

I had to use my Leadtek HD Cinema card to capture it in MPEG2. It edited fine with Womble MPEG Video Wizard. As it turned out, that was the way to go anyway. Trying to edit that mess in H.264 would have been a bitch.

[jagabo]

All video capture devices will be signal sensitive.

Obviously, with a bad signal you won't get a good capture. But having the device lock up, requiring a hard reset, isn't common to all capture devices.