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<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 29/01/2008, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:jedi@mishnet.org">jedi@mishnet.org</a></b> <<a href="mailto:jedi@mishnet.org">jedi@mishnet.org</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">> On 28/01/2008, Steve Smith <<a href="mailto:st3v3.sm1th@gmail.com">st3v3.sm1th@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>><br>>> On 28/01/2008, Scott Traurig <<a href="mailto:straurig@comcast.net">straurig@comcast.net</a>> wrote:<br>>> ><br>>> > Thanks to all who replied.<br>>> ><br>>> > To answer some of the questions:<br>
>> ><br>>> > I'm encoding 720 x 480 at 6 Mbps (9 Mpbs max.) MPEG-2 PS stream.<br>>> ><br>>> > Remember it's apples to apples I'm talking about, source vs. the same<br>>> > stream washed through the PVR150. Forget about the tuner.<br>
>> ><br>>> > As for what it looks like the best I can say is that it all looks very<br>>> > soft and out of focus. It's as if I lost all the high frequency video<br>>> > information.<br>
>> ><br>>> > Movement is smooth with little artifact. I don't see any pixelization.<br>>> > De-interlace on or off makes no difference. Higher bit rates buy me<br>> nothing.<br>>> ><br>
>> > Perhaps I should try encoding at a higher resolution than 720 x 480?<br>>> ><br>>> > Thanks,<br>>> ><br>>> > Scott<br>>> ><br>>> Scott,<br>>><br>>> Yes that sounds like a PVR-150 through a composite connection I'm<br>
>> afraid!<br>>> Is it a long cable connection? Maybe a short high quality cable will<br>>> help?<br>>> (if you don't have that already)<br>>><br>>> But yes if you look at that comparison review of a ATI card that I<br>
>> posted<br>>> you can see the softness of the picture.<br>>> There should be some controls you can set in the driver somewhere to<br>>> tweak<br>>> colour, sharpness etc, you have to ask on the IVTV mailing list. (There<br>
>> certainly used to be things you could tweak on the Windows drivers if<br>>> you<br>>> had the right tool).<br>>><br>>> But otherwise, it sounds like it's down to the card. The PVR-150 is a<br>
>> budget product, unlike your old purpose built DVR solution.<br>>> And until the likes of ATI give us some Linux drivers it looks like<br>>> we'll<br>>> be stuck with it! grrr<br>>><br>
>> Cheers<br>>><br>>> Steve<br>>><br>><br>> Steve,<br>><br>> Thanks for the very helpful response! So I'm not crazy! :-)<br>><br>> I might fool with the IVTV controls a little but I suspect there will be<br>
> little improvement.<br>><br>> I looked at the spec's on the ATI cards and the PVRxxx cards are toys in<br>> comparison. And the ATI cards are not that expensive. I did not see your<br>> review but just looking at the doc's the ATI cards should look much<br>
> better.<br>> I had no idea the Hauppage stuff was so weak. I'm surprised that myth<br>> users<br>> would be so accepting of the quality but I suppose many are more motivated<br><br> If you are a "videophile" then TV is pretty much eliminated anyways.<br>
TV has always been crap to some degree. OTA has been total crap and<br>cable isn't necessarily better.<br><br> The tradeoff between convenience and quality is nothing new to longtime<br>PVR owners. This is the first thing that you are struck with when using an<br>
actual Tivo. Compared to basic Tivo compression, the pristine capture<br>quality of a PVR150 is not that big of a deal.<br><br> If I want "quality" I get a DVD. I avoid the whole issue of commercials<br>and will likely get more complete content (Star Trek TOS).<br>
<br> I mean... well... you know... It's TV.<br><br>> by the convergence aspect rather than being "videophiles". I'm definitely<br>> more "videophile" than "Linux jock" for sure ;-)<br>
><br>> I wonder if anyone has tried this: <a href="http://gatos.sourceforge.net/">http://gatos.sourceforge.net/</a>?<br>[deletia]<br><br> Then there's the issue of content...<br><br> "Deal or No Deal" at pristine 1920x1080 is still "Deal or No Deal".<br>
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<div><br>Scott,</div>
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<div>Yes I've looked at gatos... it doesn't seem like there's a driver there. Although I got a sort of hint that the Theatre Pro chips might be supported by the official catalyst drivers in one of their readmes.</div>
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<div>In the end though you might need .....Windows!!! (and if you do make the leap over there I can recommend GB-PVR as a good free PVR software).</div>
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<div>Cheers</div>
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<div>Steve</div>
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