I love the HD-PVR - I hate the HD-PVR

[tvmaster2]

OK, so after a week and a bit of headaches, the image quality from this thing is great, and it would be wonderful to keep it (30 day return policy at Frys).

However - why does it crash all the time? Why do I have to keep re-installing, uninstalling, re-booting, etc. all the time?

Am I the only one who has this problem with one of these? I mean, if you so much as move it an inch on the table it sits, it's likely to crash. In the middle of the night after it finishes a recording, it just craps out, altogether, which requires everything be rebooted (HTPC, HD200, HD-PVR).

System is a Pentium D945 with an Asus MB, a dedicated Seagate 300 gig drive formated to 64k, with a HD200 as a front end, using SageTV Media Center, running Vista Home Premium.

What's the secret to stability, as I notice several of you have multiple units and seem to be happy. If I could make this as stable as my old PVR-150, that would be wonderful.

thanks

[doc]

Have a read of this thread?

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...2&postcount=39

Do you have a different PC you could try it on?

myoung84 had a lot of similar problems when using his Dell P4, but has had a lot better luck since moving to a different PC.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by doc

Have a read of this thread?

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...2&postcount=39

Do you have a different PC you could try it on?

myoung84 had a lot of similar problems when using his Dell P4, but has had a lot better luck since moving to a different PC.

thanks - I'll look thru that. The one thing that happens is the IR Blaster loses contact with the PC - I know, it's a Hauppauge, but honestly, if the company who makes the HD-PVR can't make a IR Blaster that works, then include one that does. You know?

[doc]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

The one thing that happens is the IR Blaster loses contact with the PC

From reading threads I think the blaster is the weakest part of the HD PVR.
Most are using either firewire or a USBUIRT to change channel on the STB rather than the HD PVR.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

OK, so after a week and a bit of headaches, the image quality from this thing is great, and it would be wonderful to keep it (30 day return policy at Frys).

However - why does it crash all the time? Why do I have to keep re-installing, uninstalling, re-booting, etc. all the time?

Am I the only one who has this problem with one of these?

OK, I've got to ask, and no offense intended, but do you search at all? There's been tons of posts about people's experiences with the HD PVR.

There's also lots of tips out there on things that may make it work better. There's even a whole thread with tons of working configurations.

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

thanks - I'll look thru that. The one thing that happens is the IR Blaster loses contact with the PC - I know, it's a Hauppauge, but honestly, if the company who makes the HD-PVR can't make a IR Blaster that works, then include one that does. You know?

Nobody else even includes blasters.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stanger89

OK, I've got to ask, and no offense intended, but do you search at all? There's been tons of posts about people's experiences with the HD PVR.

There's also lots of tips out there on things that may make it work better. There's even a whole thread with tons of working configurations.



Nobody else even includes blasters.

no offense taken, unless you intended it - and I search quite a lot, more than I'd like to with this device. And when you say "nobody else even includes blasters", it there another HD PVR device that isn't made by Hauppauge? After getting off the phone with Hauppauge, they claim that USB interuptions / problems are the biggest reason for HD-PVR lockups-crashes. They suggest an isolated USB buss - and not being a computer mastermind like some of you may be, that will no doubt take some more research. Great picture, but definetely not a WAF device at this point.

[tomfisk]

Well...I must say that I must be extremely lucky based on all the comments I've heard about the HD-PVR. Installed it on my Sage server hooked up to my (newly acquired) Motorola DCH-6200 and I haven't had any problems. Installed with the the new beta drivers, using the HD-PVR blaster...works like a charm. And this on an Pentium 4 3.2Ghz 4+ year old system.

Now if I could only get the Sage Client with SageMC and comskip to work I'd be set.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

....After getting off the phone with Hauppauge, they claim that USB interuptions / problems are the biggest reason for HD-PVR lockups-crashes. They suggest an isolated USB buss - and not being a computer mastermind like some of you may be, that will no doubt take some more research.....

I agree with Hauppauge on this one. USB ports are usually grouped as pairs. Make sure you are not using the second one of the pair where the HD PVR is plugged in. I personally have gone even farther and eliminated from my system every USB device that can be eleminated.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

no offense taken, unless you intended it - and I search quite a lot, more than I'd like to with this device.

I did not intend it, and I'll just leave it there.

And when you say "nobody else even includes blasters", it there another HD PVR device that isn't made by Hauppauge?

What I mean is Avermedia, DVICO, Silicondust, AFAIK no other "TV card" manufacturer includes IR blasters on their devices, I believe Hauppauge is the only one. Not saying that excuses Hauppauge from their crappy implementation, but without their crappy implementation, everyone would have to buy a USB UIRT or the like (which wouldn't be a bad thing IMO).

[SWKerr]

You can do a lot of reading and still not find the answer to your problem. Sometimes the answer is in what you read but you did not understand enough about it to know it is there. Some of us can do but not teach and some just can't write worth a hoot. Also, sometime you just cant find it. The search function on this forum is not great. I would love to figure out how to get to take me to page 20 of a thread which has what I need instead of list just the thread. Some of these really long threads are hard to follow. (I have a short attention span.)

HD-PVR - Love It!!! It has not always run so well but life is good now.

Keys???
USB port. If you are having problems move it around to another port. Get one working first before adding the second.
Heat. Don't put it in a closet or cabinet. Leave it out where is can stay cool.
Latest HD-PVR Drivers.
Latest stable version of Sage. No Beta
Don't assume choppy playback is the HD-PVR or even Sage. (I blame Microsoft for making this more complicated than it has to be.)

I have used the Hauppauge Blaster in the past and never had any significant problems. That said buy a USB-UIRT. There are a lot of other good reason to have one and it is not that expensive considering how well it works.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by tomfisk

Well...I must say that I must be extremely lucky based on all the comments I've heard about the HD-PVR. Installed it on my Sage server hooked up to my (newly acquired) Motorola DCH-6200 and I haven't had any problems. Installed with the the new beta drivers, using the HD-PVR blaster...works like a charm. And this on an Pentium 4 3.2Ghz 4+ year old system.

Now if I could only get the Sage Client with SageMC and comskip to work I'd be set.

hehe - we have almost the identical system (motorola as well) but you have much better results from the sounds of it. Is the HD-PVR the only tuner installed in your HTPC?

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stanger89

I did not intend it, and I'll just leave it there.



What I mean is Avermedia, DVICO, Silicondust, AFAIK no other "TV card" manufacturer includes IR blasters on their devices, I believe Hauppauge is the only one. Not saying that excuses Hauppauge from their crappy implementation, but without their crappy implementation, everyone would have to buy a USB UIRT or the like (which wouldn't be a bad thing IMO).

have you ever tried a HD Tivo?

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by SWKerr

You can do a lot of reading and still not find the answer to your problem. Sometimes the answer is in what you read but you did not understand enough about it to know it is there. Some of us can do but not teach and some just can't write worth a hoot. Also, sometime you just cant find it. The search function on this forum is not great. I would love to figure out how to get to take me to page 20 of a thread which has what I need instead of list just the thread. Some of these really long threads are hard to follow. (I have a short attention span.)

HD-PVR - Love It!!! It has not always run so well but life is good now.

Keys???
USB port. If you are having problems move it around to another port. Get one working first before adding the second.
Heat. Don't put it in a closet or cabinet. Leave it out where is can stay cool.
Latest HD-PVR Drivers.
Latest stable version of Sage. No Beta
Don't assume choppy playback is the HD-PVR or even Sage. (I blame Microsoft for making this more complicated than it has to be.)

I have used the Hauppauge Blaster in the past and never had any significant problems. That said buy a USB-UIRT. There are a lot of other good reason to have one and it is not that expensive considering how well it works.

thanks - good info, and I see we think alike regarding "search" - I will focus on the USB port, as I can't think of any other reason why this piece of hardware is the only one that doesn't play nice on my system.

[pawn]

I have to say, there has been so many suggestions posted on these forums about how to fix HD PVR problems, I would be pretty overwhelmed after searching for info and I probably would have just posted a new thread hoping to get the most up to date information. These are discussion threads after all; I've never quite understood the problem with someone starting a discussion regardless that it has been covered in the past. Easy enough to just scroll past a topic you're not interested in discussing (again).

All that said, not one suggestion on these forums would have ever helped me when I had problems except one: switch computers. The first two machines I tried to use the HD PVR on simply can't do it, IMO. No idea why, they just weren't up to it for whatever reason (tried everything, no way it was going to work).

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

thanks - good info, and I see we think alike regarding "search" - I will focus on the USB port, as I can't think of any other reason why this piece of hardware is the only one that doesn't play nice on my system.

Originally Posted by pawn

I have to say, there has been so many suggestions posted on these forums about how to fix HD PVR problems, I would be pretty overwhelmed after searching for info and I probably would have just posted a new thread hoping to get the most up to date information.

OK, since the whole "search" topic won't die, I made the comment because there are several active HD PVR threads currently, including the Sticky at the top of the hardware support forum. Then there's the "how's it working" thread with numerous examples of working configs (and a few non-working ones). Overall there's plenty of talk of how the HD PVR is working for one to get the answer to "am I the only one".

After all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9q2jNjOPdk

These are discussion threads after all; I've never quite understood the problem with someone starting a discussion regardless that it has been covered in the past. Easy enough to just scroll past a topic you're not interested in discussing (again).

The issue is now which thread has the best, most up to date info? The Sticky? This one? The Poll? What if a new users logs on with a problem and finds this thread, but not the Sticky, and on and on.

Yeah, it's a discussion forum and nobody here has a problem with discussion, but it's just standard forum etiquette to search first, and try to post to an existing thread, at least if it's reasonably active (no necroposting )

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

have you ever tried a HD Tivo?

Nope, but that's not a TV "tuner" device, that's a DVR system. I listed examples of components of DVR systems.

[tvmaster2]

I just wondered if you'd used a HD Tivo, regardless of what it was. If so, how did you like it?

[tomfisk]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

hehe - we have almost the identical system (motorola as well) but you have much better results from the sounds of it. Is the HD-PVR the only tuner installed in your HTPC?

Nope...have an HDHR, PVR-500, and an ATI HD Theater (forget the exact model #). I decided to go the HD-PVR route when Charter finally got HD for all of the channels I typically record (Science, TLC, Discovery, A&E, History) besides the stuff I get off the local PBS station via the HDHR.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

I just wondered if you'd used a HD Tivo, regardless of what it was. If so, how did you like it?

Nope, had a S2 Tivo once, for about a day before I returned it.

[davephan]

Are you using a USB-UIRT or the built in Hauppauge IR device? I found that the HD-PVR is not stable using the built in IR device, and is stable using the USB-UIRT.

Dave

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by davephan

Are you using a USB-UIRT or the built in Hauppauge IR device? I found that the HD-PVR is not stable using the built in IR device, and is stable using the USB-UIRT.

Dave

I am afraid that may be the only solution, but it kind of bums me out a bit that it's another $60 clams. The price of HD - man, if it wasn't for HD and widescreen LCD's, the consumer tech industry would be in the doldrums.