Picture clarity and resolution settings

[marcw]

I am struggling to understand why many shows that I record look blurry when I play them back. With all the testing I have done on finding a resolution that works on my 64" HD RPTV I see a coorelation to resolution and blurriness with just the windows desktop on the screen.

I am have an nVidia fx5700 connect via RGB to my Pioneer HD RPTV.

What is the best resolution for viewing Sage Recorded shows?

Is there recommended a settings file for picture brightness? I think my pictue either looks great or very dark on low light scenes.

Thx,
Marc

[stanger89]

I run my TV at at 1080i based resolutions always (1280x1024i on my 36" or 1776x1000i on the 46 when I get to use it). I always run at the highest resolution possible.

The Windows desktop, or more correctly the text on the Windows desktop, will always look better at progressive resolutions, that's just the way it works, and is not necessarily corrolated to video clarity. The reason is text is usually 1 pixel wide and 1) at interlaced resolutions you get flicker, and 2) most RPTVs can't fully resolve all the pixels in 1080i due to limitations of the electronics and to how well the beam is focused.

What I suspect you are seeing (blury video) is poor deinterlacing by your SW decoder. It's probably just running in video mode, doing a simple bob/vertical filter opperation that effectively reduces the vertical resolution by half (to 240 lines). On an FX 5700, I would definitely use DXVA and set deinterlacing to default in your decoders/Sage. My understanding is that this should take advantage of the 5700s Pixel Adaptive deinterlacing, which is about the best available. (If you give me some more info on your decoders, I can try and be more specific).

As for brightness, here is my theory. Start with a known quantity and calibrate everything to that. To clarify, here is what I do in my setup:
1) Stick Digital Video Essentials (known quantity) in and calibrate the TV to look correct with DVE. I don't mess with video card settings since from everything I've read, they are very close to correct at the defaults.
2) Then I use the Dscaler histogram filter to set the capture settings on my PVR 250. This way my recordings should have the correct brightness/contrast (ie match those in DVE) and should therefor look correct on playback with the same settings.

Hope that helps, and glad you have your 5700 working. How do you like it BTW?

[marcw]

I must still be considerred a newbie.... lol

I am running Sage v2 beta now, where can I find the decoders and are there option in what i have or do I need to download some from somewhere.

You are right about the interlaced setting. I get a lot of flicker.

I would like to get a 1080 resolution but have a hard time finding resolutions that work. I have to keep a standard monitor running in clone mode until I fidn one that works.

Marc

[marcw]

Video renderer chosen DirectX9 VMR9 (Other choices are Default and Video Overlay Renderer)

MPEG2 video decoder filter Intervideo Non CSS for Hauppauge (thsi is the only choice besides default)

DXVA MPEG Mode Set at Default (available MPEG MOde A through D) Not sure of the differences

DXVA Deinterlacing Was default set to Bob. also available Weave and Bob and Weave

DScaler Deinterlacing filter is disabled and will not let me activate it

This is all in Sage Beta 2 latest release

As for resolution, I am having a very hard time getting any high resolution modes to work without the screen going all fuzzy.

Thx,
Marc

[stanger89]

If you haven't done it already, you have to turn DXVA on in the registry for the NonCSS decoders. See here:
http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...=&threadid=284
I always just leave all the DXVA settings in Sage as default.

As for resolution, I don't suppose you can post a screenshot, it's hard to tell if what you are seeing is the normal limitations of interlaced/high resolutions or something that can be fixed without seeing it.

[kny3twalker]

I would seriously look into buying another decoder
the huappauge one is known to make a nice blurry picture

The best choices appear to NVDVD either version 2.55 or 3.0
if you buy 2.55, I will help you out with the update to 3.0

and Elecard
elecard can use dscaler and is a nice deocder but can do DVD but neither can hauppauge intervideo
so you need one any ways

finally Cineplayer/ Sonic decoder has nice picture quality and with the full version you will have 5.1 which elecard cannot do and NVDVD audio decoder tends to crash SageTV when fast fowarding just to let you know



NVDVD you can get from newegg.com for $7
elecard is $20
cineplayer/sonic decoder will depend on if you want the 5.1 or not
if not just buy the media center decoder from sonic for I think $20

if you want the advanced audio Cineplayer will be a little more probably $60

intervideo (non-hauppauge, seems to be ok but not with sage only in its own application)

powerDVD does good picture quality but does not do VMR 9 and audio sometimes will go mute when fast fowarding

There are also OEM decoders like ATI cyberlink that comes with ATI video cards
and I think NVDVD is given with most nvidia cards

did you get it with yours?


for reference material on DXVA

look here
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...guide_9inb.asp

http://www.cask-of-amontillado.com/f..._4_Dxva_on.reg

http://www.cask-of-amontillado.com/f..._4_Hwmc_on.reg

those are from here
http://www.cask-of-amontillado.com/htpc.html

Robert

[marcw]

Bluriness is annoying when watching live tv. Playback also appears blurry through Sage. Wehn I use Windows Media Player it looks crisper.

Is the video decoder the main source for this?

I will check to see if I have NVDVD on my nVidias CD's.

Where and how do I install these and make the chnages through Sage v2.

Thx,
Marc

[kny3twalker]

just install the NVDVD software(which is the decoder) and reboot
when SageTV starts will be listed in the video decoders list

open the application(NVDVD) and make sure it is tweaked how you want it

I would use VMR 9 looks real nice on my SDTV Spny
also $7 is the cheapest you will ever find a decoder for....

[kingdrift]

I have been playing with the Sonic, Intervideo, and NVDVD 2.55 decoders on my system. All of them are configured to run with VMR9 and hardware acceleration.

The first two (Sonic and Intervideo) decoders look good, in clarity as well as color. The NVDVD decoders look the smoothest, but the colors seem to be way off (they tend to be very reddish.) When I swith to Overlay this isn't a problem. Is there anything I can do to tweak this?

--
Jeremy

[mlbdude]

The colors in NVDVD are way off by default. This is mainly in VMR9. I think they are overcompensating for the general dull look of VMR9 but it ends up looking artificial.

However, when the decoder is running go look in your taskbar notification area. There should be an icon for the NVDVD decoder. Get the properties window open then go to the second tab. There you can adjust till your hearts content.

[kny3twalker]

Yeah, I get the icon in the taskbar but I cannot open the properties window anymore with version 3.0 like I could with 2.55

You having this issue??
or anyone else?

[marcw]

I installed Cineplayer and get the error message in the pic called untitled. When I switched back to the original intervideo decoder I get the error message in the second pic. Anyt thoughts?

[marcw]

this goes with the post above

[mlbdude]

Make sure you have all DXVA settings in Sage set to Default. Also make sure you don't have any other applications running trying to grab the Overlay.

[stanger89]

CP won't work unless it's registered.

[marcw]

see pic plz

[marcw]

I downloaded the trial version. Now nothing will work, not even the original decoder.

Marc

[kny3twalker]

do you have the hauppauge intervideo decoder in your list?
set it to that put it on overlay with 3 d acceleration turned off
put sagetv to sleep and then wake it
then try to watch TV
but like they said sonic decoder will not work unless they are registered
trial is bull$%!#, but they are not going change it
you are just going to have trust the people here and make your decision on which to buy based on that

if really worried go NVDVD 2.55 for $7
and like I said I will help you get updated to 3.0

also unless you have another decoder installed hauppauge iuntervideo will no longer be default it will be cineplayer, just so you know not to use default, use intervideo hauppauge

[mlbdude]

If you don't do DVD (don't need 5.1 sound) that OEM NVDVD is a bargain.

[marcw]

Can I get it anywhere in a download form. Went to NewEgg but it looks like a physical CD theyneed to ship to you.

Also the 2.55 trial cannot be downloaded from Nvidia. I didn't get it with my card.

Marc