good PVR solutions?

[shun]

Does anyone have a working system of recording TV programs, say in the DivX format? If so I would like to know what hardware/software you use. I would like the idea of using the computer as a PVR, then burning shows to cheap CDRs.

[lusid]

I have a showshifter rig thats been running solid for months. It can record shows to any avi codec, including Divx, and burn them to CDR for you. It can even record shows in a low-loss format and then do a 2 pass conversion to Divx Pro between shows. With the right gear it can also change channels on a cable box, and with the web scheduler plug-in you can set shows to record via a web interface. It integrates with TitanTV for it's EPG, and has timeshifting features so you can pause live tv. It also has a built in mp3 jukebox, CD & DVD players, and a (primitive) photo viewer.

Hardware wise, it's a modest PIII-850, with an Avertv tuner card ($50), a 160gig hard drive, a DVD reader, and a CDRW drive. It's got an SBLive and a Radeon 7500 for TV-Out. The only "special" gear is an Actisys IR200L IR transceiver so it can set the channel on my cable box, and another IR receiver so I can drive it with a universal remote.

It's like a DIY tivo with an mp3 jukebox and the ability to burn shows. Not bad for $50 in software and gear I mostly had lying around.

There are other options too, like snapstream, or a well tweaked AVI_IO, but Shoshifter has won me over.

[shun]

thanks for the reply. How's the Avertv tuner card in terms of capturing quality?

[crahak]

I have a somewhat similar setup. I capture with virtualdubvcr using a mjpeg codec, then I reencode to 2 pass divx5pro too. Works great The computer is a little bigger, and it helps encode faster, otherwise

[ryanreko]

How do you set up something like that??

[crahak]

Uh, you get a normal pc with a capture card (really, a bt8x8 type tv tuner card will do just fine), you download virtualdubvcr (free), then you have to buy a mjpeg codec, not really expensive anyways and great job (if you'd rather have overkill quality and free, as long as you have LOTS of HD space, go huufyuv instead). Now either have to buy divx5pro, or get the one with spyware (can be blocked still), or use xvid (free, and some prefer it over divx too).

It's really easy, VirtualdubVCR has a really neat timer in it. Then of course you have to convert 'em to divx by a later conversion process, which doesn't take very long anyhow.

Note: this is for VFW capture, mind you, you can do it with a WDM one with a wrapper... Works with all my cards anyhow, and 0 dropped frames all the time

[lusid]

Thats along the lines of how I used to do it. I used to use AVI_IO to do timed recordings, then reprocess them with virtualdub. I had the whole thing automated with vbscripts and the windows scheduler, but it was still too manual for me and required too much maintenance for anything over 1 or 2 shows a day. Showshifter includes the mjpeg codec, so when you get SS you get them both.

The image quality of the avertv card is on par with any other BT8x8 card. I find the audio output levels from the tuner a little lower than a comparable WinTV card, but thats a minor thing.

[crahak]

Well, if you're doing cropping (I always have to), cutting commercials and such, you just can't automate it all with vbscript anyways, so I'm sticking to this

[shun]

I read that the AverTV card may be incompatible with a GF4Ti. Can anyone recommend any other capture cards, or advise on the features to look for in terms of capturing capabilities?

And one more question: what is BT8x8? Thanks.

[joepic]

And one more question: what is BT8x8?

I believe this site will answer all of your questions:

http://www.iulabs.com/drv/faq.shtml

[Fozzee]

I read that the AverTV card may be incompatible with a GF4Ti.

Hi

I have the Avertv Studio Card and a Geforce4 TI4200.
Everything is hunky dorey

Fozzee

[crahak]

Anyone can tell good/bad experiences/results with snapstream and showshifter? Mainly, how's the picture quality?

I will look into it soon, but comments are always welcome

Thanks

[shun]

I read that the AverTV card may be incompatible with a GF4Ti.

Hi

I have the Avertv Studio Card and a Geforce4 TI4200.
Everything is hunky dorey

Fozzee

What brand is your card? Mine's MSI.

I read that someone who had a GF4Ti 4200 couldn't display ful screen with the AverTV or something to the effect. Maybe it's an isolated case.

[crahak]

I have a MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 VIVO. IF you're having problems, 99% of the case, it'll be the card. I had to run lots of tests and try things to figure it's TV out it 100% useless. No fixes either. Also, it's video is not so great... First and most definately last GeForce card, sticking to ATI from now on like I always did before (and this is the first time I run into video card prolems). I'd trade it anytime for a radeon 900 pro or best, a AIW 7500.

[Fozzee]

Hi
Mine is a PNY Verto G4 TI4200.

Fozz

[DaveQB]

i was using iuVCR but found it did drop some frames on occasions,
and also used 80%+ CPU usage when capping @ full PAL (768x576) and Tee PReview on

with VirtualVCR i can do the same but it only uses 40% CPU and minimised its like 28%
(using PV Mjpeg @ 18)

anybody have any sync problems ??

just started capping at this hi res, quality is great, but slowly the audio drags behind til @ about 30 mins its terribly behind

have to run each file throuhg VD and run the "change Frame Rates so Audio and Video match" for it to be back in sync

what audio settings do ppl use??

thanx

[DaveQB]

sorry to steal ya thread bud

what i was also going ot say is ...

get a CX23881 chipset based card,
these are the future, a 10-bit chip (the old BT878 fusion was 8-bit) and cap with awesome quality

with such quality and capping with HuffyUV files do become very large, but its worth it in the encoding stage

[shun]

I have a MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 VIVO. IF you're having problems, 99% of the case, it'll be the card. I had to run lots of tests and try things to figure it's TV out it 100% useless. No fixes either. Also, it's video is not so great... First and most definately last GeForce card, sticking to ATI from now on like I always did before (and this is the first time I run into video card prolems). I'd trade it anytime for a radeon 900 pro or best, a AIW 7500.

Well the TV out on my MSI is functional, I tried it a few times when I got it. I also modded it to run silently.

[shun]

get a CX23881 chipset based card,
these are the future, a 10-bit chip (the old BT878 fusion was 8-bit) and cap with awesome quality

Any examples of such cards?

[DaveQB]

Prolink PixelView PlayTV HD
Prolink Xcapture
MSI TV@nywhere

and Asus has one but i have forgotten the name

i have the first one up there on the list

[crahak]

get a CX23881 chipset based card

On paper, the chips seems like a better one, however, in real life captures, lots of people seem to say it's actually worse. I wouldn't say it's much superior, if superior at all...

Besides, support for bt8x8 cards is impressive. Great drivers at sourceforge too. Lots of programs (like DScaler) support bt8x8 but not the CX chips (yet at least)...

With the type of quality that is broadcasted nowadays anyways, I'd like to see how much difference it really makes in a properly encoded video...

I'm not throwing my bt8x8 for a card that feels inferior to me. Sorry.

@shun. Hmm. depends which card, and how you're using it. I did put mine for trade on google, see if some AIW 7500 (or better) were willing to trade. Guess no one wants to get rid of their AIW's. Must be a better card.

[DaveQB]

On paper, the chips seems like a better one, however, in real life captures, lots of people seem to say it's actually worse. I wouldn't say it's much superior, if superior at all...

Besides, support for bt8x8 cards is impressive. Great drivers at sourceforge too. Lots of programs (like DScaler) support bt8x8 but not the CX chips (yet at least)...

With the type of quality that is broadcasted nowadays anyways, I'd like to see how much difference it really makes in a properly encoded video...

I'm not throwing my bt8x8 for a card that feels inferior to me. Sorry.

i guess we'll have to agree to disagree,

my opinion is of the oposite,
there is a difference, many say there is (asking cjv, dar1us and a few others from Doom9)

no, the cx23881 isnt a miracle, but theres a difference noticable to the human eye

heres a BT878 still
BT878 pic

and a bt878 10 second clip, a 1 pass, 5,000 bitrate DivX encoding, no audio, no filtering
BT878 Clip

and now some CX23881 eg's

a still
CX23881 still

and a 10 second clip, in a 1pass 5,000 bitrate encoding, no filter, Audio
CX23881 clip

*these are all taken from the same source*

and yes the software isnt there like it is with BT878, but the card works great with

iuVCR
VirtualVCR
WinDVR
PowerVCR
Virtual Dub
and many more, so thats loads for me

i am not trying to flame anyone, just simply my opinion