Has 6.3.10 fixed the issue with selected decoder not being used?

[Brent94Z]

I've been doing a lot of reading and it seems, at least in the past, most recommend using "default" for the video mpeg2 filter decoder. Mine had been set to the SageTV decoder and I was actually pretty happy with the quality on my standard def TV. But, when watching Fox News the ticker at the bottom was ever so slightly "jerky" but barely even noticeable. That, plus I didn't have any DVD capable decoders on the computer I decided to install PowerDVD 7 to see if I couldn't make things just a little better

I installed PowerDVD 7 as well as the Microsoft Video Decoder Checkup Utility and DirectShow Filter Manager 0.5. After the install of PowerDVD 7 I played a file in WMP and it showed SageTV as the decoder. I then used the Microsoft Utility to set PowerDVD to the preferred decoder. Played a file in WMP again and again it showed SageTV. Hmmm. Used DSFM to set the priority of the SageTV decoder to do not use and then WMP showed the PowerDVD decoder in use. Went to play around in SageTV and it seemed to me the PowerDVD decoder didn't do as good of job as the SageTV decoder. Went to switch to the SageTV decoder in SageTV setup and noticed no difference. Even switched to the InterVideo decoder that was on there too and there didn't seem to be a difference. So, all 3 decoders seemed to be of the same quality and not as good as before I installed the PowerDVD 7 decoder??? I then went to use the Microsoft utility to prefer the SageTV decoder, played a file in WMP and it showed PowerDVD as the decoder. Tried lowering the preference to Do Not Use for the PowerDVD decoder and ran a file in WMP again and it still showed PowerDVD as the decoder?!?! Decided to use DSFM and remove the PowerDVD decoder and after doing this, I had no video and only sound when playing a file in WMP! ARGH! LOL! Decided to add back the PowerDVD decoder using DSFM and then played a file in WMP and I had video again but it was being shown as using the SageTV decoder. What the heck is going on??? LOL!

Anyway, I was thinking about doing a system restore to the other day before I started messing with PowerDVD but don't want to do that if SageTV is actually switching the decoders correctly. Meaning, maybe all 3 decoders really are so close that I can't see a difference and me thinking it looked better before is all just in my head! If that is the case, I'm not going to go to the trouble of doing a restore and losing some recordings as well as the ability to play DVDs. So am basically just curious if what I select in the SageTV setup menu as a decoder REALLY IS what SageTV is using? I only ask because it seems (or at least seemed maybe with previous versions) that SageTV didn't always use the decoder that was selected.

Also, I'm on a steep learning curve with this and see all kinds of options for decoding video but what about saving/encoding the video? I'm using PVR-250 cards and the latest drivers so for saving the video is it just what it is or am I missing something somewhere and maybe the quality difference I'm seeing is because PowerDVD did something to affect how the file is saved so the quality difference isn't coming from the playback but because the saving of the file is different?

Thanks!