Problems with MCE 2005

[shilala]

I'm running 3 OS's. WinXP Pro, WinXP 64, and MCE 2005.
I just fired up MCE 2005 and installed all my drivers, etc.
I installed, cleared, reinstalled, cleared and reinstalled my Haupaauge card.
It just won't fly.
When I try to run live tv in media center, I get a "Decoder Error : blah, blah, blah".
When I try to fire the card with WinTV2000, I get the error "Failed to create tv window. htv=ocxc1c7a0 Err=8"
I'm pretty surprised that...
1.) MCE 2005 would not recognize the PVR 350 out the gate, and
2.) It won't install properly.
I'll uninstall the card and clean everything up again after I see if there's a setup option inside Media Center.
ANYTHING anyone can add here would be huge.
Thanks!!!

 

[n0cmonkey]

Where'd you get MCE 2005 (didn't see it on newegg)?

EDIT: NM

 

[rbV5]

You'll need to install MPEG-2 decoders for the TV to work, MCE doesn't ship with them.

 

[shilala]

already installed decoders.
Turns out what I missed was that I didn't install a dvd playback utility.
I installed Intervideo windvd platinum and the first shot i didn't have a hitch.
I guess I was foolish in assuming windows media player would handle the playback. I suppose that'd make sense.
I'm still pretty in awe that a user has to install a second party dvd playback utility to watch tv. I can almost see it if I needed to install it to watch a dvd, but to watch tv?
Still doesn't explain the wintv2000 problem. Doesn't fix it either.
Huh.
Any thoughts on that error?

I gotta get a tv plopped down here and plugged in. The playback of live tv is of general sucko quality on my monitor. I'm super curious to see how it looks on the tube.
The media interface in MCE 2005 is awesome. It even impressed my wife. That's amazing.

 

[rbV5]

Still doesn't explain the wintv2000 problem. Doesn't fix it either.

WinTV2000 is a tv viewing application that ships with the Hauppage card correct? Why would you want to use it when you have MCE anyway? I'm not sure why there is an conflict, since switching to MCE I use it for most of my media playback.

Live TV PQ looks pretty nice on my monitor, and I use YPbPr out to my widescreen and it looks good. I agree that the MCE interface is great, I was using SageTV prior, and it lacks some of the more advanced configuration features, but makes up for it in most every other way. I've used many HTPC frontends, and I'm keeping MCE, its awesome.

 

[steven1]

n0cmonkey
Elite Member

Posts: 29746
Joined: 06/10/2001
Where'd you get MCE 2005 (didn't see it on newegg)?

EDIT: NM

-------------------------


You can go to Directron.com, you can get MCE 2005

 

[steven1]

To shilala:

How about try Intervideo Home Theater? It is very similar with MCE2005 and it is cheap!!

 

[shilala]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Still doesn't explain the wintv2000 problem. Doesn't fix it either.

WinTV2000 is a tv viewing application that ships with the Hauppage card correct? Why would you want to use it when you have MCE anyway? I'm not sure why there is an conflict, since switching to MCE I use it for most of my media playback.

Live TV PQ looks pretty nice on my monitor, and I use YPbPr out to my widescreen and it looks good. I agree that the MCE interface is great, I was using SageTV prior, and it lacks some of the more advanced configuration features, but makes up for it in most every other way. I've used many HTPC frontends, and I'm keeping MCE, its awesome.

Yup, Wintv2000 is the tv viewing app that comes with the pvr350. I don't need it actually, but when something doesn't work properly, there's always a reason, and I like to find it. Can't stand not knowing what's going on
Turns out I have other issues as well.
The playback of live tv video halts (the last frame stays frozen onscreen) after five or ten minutes. The audio keeps on rolling. At that point I can't change channels or make adjustments. The only thing I can do is reboot.
Strange.
I haven't messed with it at all today, because I'm feeling pretty lousy. I'll try looking at it a little later.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[kylef]

Originally posted by: shilala
already installed decoders.

Actually, you did not have the decoders installed. That's why things started working when you installed the DVD Playback software. That DVD software installed an mpeg2 codec on your system, which is required to decode the mpeg2 stream that your Hauppauge card encodes with.

Turns out what I missed was that I didn't install a dvd playback utility.
I'm still pretty in awe that a user has to install a second party dvd playback utility to watch tv. I can almost see it if I needed to install it to watch a dvd, but to watch tv?

Microsoft designed MCE 2005 OEM for system builders, not end-users. MCE system builders have been required to install DVD Playback software since MCE v.1 came out in early 2003. This gives the system builders flexibility to choose its own decoder/DVD software (kind of like anti-virus software). They could go with Intervideo's WinDVD, Cyberlink's PowerDVD, or NVidia's DVD Decoder.

(Remember, there is no legal open-source mpeg2 codec because the Motion Picture Expert's Group requires a per-decoder license fee for mpeg2.)

Microsoft doesn't make mpeg2 decoders because there are plenty of 3rd party software vendors who have already done this.

 

[kylef]

Originally posted by: shilala
Turns out I have other issues as well.
The playback of live tv video halts (the last frame stays frozen onscreen) after five or ten minutes. The audio keeps on rolling. At that point I can't change channels or make adjustments. The only thing I can do is reboot.

In almost all cases I've seen, the culprit for MCE freezes like this is the video card/drivers. What kind of video card are you using? Have you installed the MCE-specific drivers? (Both nVidia and ATI have an MCE-specific bundle of drivers....)

 

[shilala]

Hi Kyle,
I sure do appreciate the help!!!
For the video decoder, I installed hcwsmd04_21154.exe from http://hauppauge.com/pages/support_pvr250-350.html
I keep the whole Hauppauge smear in a folder because it's a touchy beast. If the card's drivers, etc. aren't laid in just so, It just doesn't work.
I obviously missed something along the way. It stands to reason, I was getting pretty frustrated and I didn't have time to be messing with it.
AAhhhhhhhhh, now I get it. Video decoder does not equal mpeg2 decoder. That's why PowerDVD is bundled with the Hauppauge. Lesson one achieved, Thanks Kyle!!!

No, I don't have an MCE driver associated with my video card. I'm using Omega. I'll try to find an MCE version and see if that heals up the problem. I'm running an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro.

Where's a good forum/source of information for MCE 2005? I hate to be pounding on you when I should be reading first and asking questions later.

Thanks again Kyle, you've been a huge help. I sure appreciate your time!!!

***Update***
I was able to remove all my drivers and install the ati drivers for MCE 2005.
I had a couple issues but managed to work through them. The video hanging problem is solved.
I believe the Hauppauge PVR350 is just running on the initial inf files necessary when the OS finds the card. I didn't install the seperate driver package for the Hauppauge, I'm assuming MCE has taken care of that.
My picture quality on this Syncmaster 712N is still pretty lousy. It was pretty lousy on my 151S as well. It's a pixelated grainy output. It's livable, but definately not close to dvd quality (dvd's look flat awesome on either monitor I mentioned).
I'm hoping I can clear this up through MCE.
Any suggestions, or is this what I should expect from the TV output?

 

[rbV5]

I've been visiting The Green Button, xpMCE and HTPCnews lately, there is a lot of good info there (tgb is great but slooooooow)

 

[kylef]

Originally posted by: shilala
Thanks again Kyle, you've been a huge help. I sure appreciate your time!!!

No problem, glad you've got it mostly working now.

I believe the Hauppauge PVR350 is just running on the initial inf files necessary when the OS finds the card. I didn't install the seperate driver package for the Hauppauge, I'm assuming MCE has taken care of that.

You are correct. MS ships the necessary drivers "in-box" with MCE 2005.

My picture quality on this Syncmaster 712N is still pretty lousy. It was pretty lousy on my 151S as well. It's a pixelated grainy output. It's livable, but definately not close to dvd quality (dvd's look flat awesome on either monitor I mentioned).

As for picture quality, there are two potential issues. 1) How clean is the signal going into the Hauppauge card? 2) Is there interference coming from other components in your system?

Obviously the quality of captured TV will never be DVD-quality, because live TV isn't broadcast in DVD quality to start with. The BEST that MCE and your Hauppauge card can do is approach TV broadcast quality.

Many people expect to see computer-like resolution when watching TV signals on monitors, but they are expecting too much. TV has typically only 500 lines of vertical resolution, which only takes up a small box at the resolution most modern displays run at.

But if the picture is snowy or has interference lines, I would start examining the incoming video signal, and possibly try your Hauppauge card in other PCI slots. If you're feeding in a split TV signal into your Hauppauge card, try feeding it a full signal for a while to see if that helps.

 

[shilala]

Hi Kyle,
Thanks again for all the help!!!
Thanks to rbv5 for the messageboards. I had xpmce, but the other two are new to me.
Kyle, I think you're right about my resolution expectation. I'm amped to see what the output looks like on the 30" tube in the living room. I have a really crappy RCA 30" in our bedroom that may be the better option, that way when I fire up in the living room I'll think it's a big improvement
In any event, I'm looking forward to working with MCE. It's been fun so far. I really think the family will enjoy it, too.
Downside...
It's gonna cost me another thousand bucks to build an hypc for the living room unless I'm willing to give up my computer

 

[steven1]

Everyone listen!! I have a greatest news in the whole world. Check it item number:N82E16815100130 from newegg. It will solve everything. The function just so similar as MCE 2005. It is cheaper and better!!

Great price!!!

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: steven1
Everyone listen!! I have a greatest news in the whole world. Check it item number:N82E16815100130 from newegg. It will solve everything. The function just so similar as MCE 2005. It is cheaper and better!!

Great price!!!

Stop with the Intervideo Home Theater threadcrapping. Thats 3 posts in this thread alone, give it a rest already.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: steven1
Everyone listen!! I have a greatest news in the whole world. Check it item number:N82E16815100130 from newegg. It will solve everything. The function just so similar as MCE 2005. It is cheaper and better!!

Great price!!!

Stop with the Intervideo Home Theater threadcrapping. Thats 3 posts in this thread alone, give it a rest already.

Agreed.
Bill