Win 7, new hardware, dropped frames, Suggestions?

[solinar]

So I upgraded my HTPC's processor up to an Intel E6500 C2D (2.93GHz) to help with playback of 1080P H.264 files and now I am having trouble with Standard Definition MPEG2 playback (dropped frames).

I had to upgrade my motherboard to handle the 45nm C2D processor, so I got a GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L (P45 chipset).

I had a spare Geforce 8800GT (PCIe), so I upgraded my video card at the same time.

I install Windows 7 Ultimate x86 (32 bit).

I install the drivers for my HVR2250 and the latest drivers for the 8800GT.

I install SageTV. I go through the setup process and choose EVR and hardware acceleration. I tune to a live analog SD channel and the picture looks ok, but whenever I change channels or leave a channel on for a bit, the video gets scrambled (others have reported this problem).

So I tried VRM9. No more scrambling video, but the framerate is ever so slightly stuttery (like it is dropping 1 out of every 3 frames or something).

I try overlay, and it drops out of full screen and displays in what looks like an 800X600 window.

I try default and it is so stuttery it is unwatchable.

I tried manipulating hardware acceleration and every other related setting and I can't seem to get good playback of analog SD recordings.

Everything works great in Windows Media Center. I can watch software rendered H.264 stuff or the same MPEG2 stuff from SageTV in Media Player with no problems.

Which renderer should I be using in Windows 7? EVR or VRM9? Is there a fix for the scrambled effect with VRM9?

[jerryt]

It is the video card, been there done that. Try any other current video card.

[MattHelm]

You might try the beta native patch also, before trying a new card. Can't remember if it does mpeg 2 also.

[null_pointer_us]

I had problems with SageTV in Windows 7 when it first came out.

Here's the settings I changed to get it working:

- EVR (which automatically enables hardware/3D support in UI)
- MPEG-2 Video Decoder: Default
- MPEG-2 Audio Decoder: Default

SageTV's built-in decoder (and Hulu Desktop, for some odd reason) stutter terribly and sometimes even become terribly pixelated/corrupted when scaling simple MPEG-2 video on my computer. It's even beefier (Intel E8400 @ 3.6 ghz + 8800 GTS 512) than yours, but SD MPEG-2 was still unwatchable at default settings. Wierd!

Oddly, SageTV (and Hulu Desktop) worked just fine for me at default settings under Vista.

I'm guessing that it's related to Windows 7 and/or the new WDDM 1.1 video drivers.

Also, make sure you grab the latest stable video drivers from Windows Update or nvidia.com if applicable.

[Ryokurin]

If you haven't make sure vsync and triple buffering is enabled in the nvidia control panel. It's something that a lot of people turn off because a tweak guide says so that actually helps situations like this, or they don't have both enabled.