Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[Wrx4me]

Update, so far Colossus picture quality is very good maybe better than HDPVR? However, it is very unstable....sometimes no sound, stuttering picture after channel changes, no picture at all after viewing a channel and then going back to it again. Even my HDPVR video started to stutter so I dont know if its the 7.12 update or the Colossus causing the problems but for now I have removed it from my pool of recording devices due to low WAF until I get some more time to tweak.

@spacecadet, I also experienced the 4:3 picture while watching a basketball game on the Colossus even though my receive is locked at 1080i and the broadcast displaying 16:9 source on my TV. After I changed channels and came back to the game, the issue resolved itself and it was back to a 16:9 display.

[monetteboy]

I tried both drivers and reinstalled Sage with no luck. I even started removing cards one by one and even with one card I still would get lockups.

I also had times where HD channels were in 4:3 even though the stb was locked at 1080i and the feed was 16:9.

So I ended up removing them and putting back my HD-PVRs.

[Spartan]

So far, so good!

Installed colossus on existing sage 6 system and installed drivers from website. I did not have an hd cable box, so I went to bed.

Today, I ran home after work, picked up my old Motorola sd box and exchanged ir for an hd box. I got a Motorola dcx3400-m. While the caboebox was initializing for thefirst time, I downloaded and installed sage7 beta for whs. Installed over my sage6, no problems there. Detected my colossus card and since I couldn't find my optical cable, went with component + stereo for now. Did the key mapping and then went to tune a channel and..... Fail.

I already have 2 hvr1600 cards and had hoped I could ir blast thru the colossus, but no dice. It still only wanted to blast via the same 1600 as before. After spending some time googling and looking thru registries and whatnot, I finally decided to use my old mce receiver/blaster. Once I got the ehome drivers installed and lm gestion keymap configured, I adjusted the colossus to use that as a channel changing device and it worked!

I had to tweak channel changing delays and durations, but no big deal. Colossus seems to take a long time to lock onto the signal however. In brief testing the pq looked good on my hd200 (42" plasma) and great on my sage client (110" projector), also running sage 7 beta. I was recording at good quality.

I think that's it for now. I hope to find my optical cable and get that installed. Also tomorrow I'm going to have it record all day and see how it holds up.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by stanger89

First things first, would anyone happen to have a VIP211 IR file for the USB UIRT for an STB code of other than 1 (eg 2, as I have my second box set now). I'm having a heck of a time learning the codes for the box, probably because it looks like Dish uses 56k IR and I don't think I have a UIRT with the 56k sensor.

Second thing, and probably of more interest to the community at large. I got my UIRT yesterday, but was unable to attempt an install. I did get around to it today, and using SHS's drivers the installation was completely uneventful.

On a whim, I tried HDMI from my Dish box and to my surprise every channel I tried (which wasn't that many) showed a picture. Problem is most of them had static for sound. Haven't had time to debug yet or work with Sage to see if it's a Hauppauge or SageTV issue.

I had channel 1 and 2 for years, I'll see if I've got them around here still. I swear I've uploaded them to the forum at some point.

[Fuzzy]

Here's what I found: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8593871/Dish...Address1-3.zip This was before sleep problems arised with dish boxes though, so there is no select. When I get around to it I'll try to learn some SELECT commands for 1, 2 and 3 and post them up as well.

[TechBill]

Recieved two colossus today from UPS.

Installed it in my micro ATX case and I was surpised I could get both card in and still could keep my PVR-500 in there.

Then installed the driver from SHS website link on this thread.

Right now I am only running one colossus from DirectTV HD box since I only have one hooked up in the basement, I need to figure how to run another cable from a second HD box to the basement from the multi-switch in the attic.

Since i recently just installed it, so far no problem with picture or audio

Attached is a photo with two colossus and one dual PVR-500 on a mirco-atx board and case.


Bill

[kingwr]

Originally Posted by TechBill

I need to figure how to run another cable from a second HD box to the basement from the multi-switch in the attic.

You could change your installation over to SWiM. A single cable to the basement could be split by a high-frequency splitter to two (or more) DirecTV receivers. If you were willing to take on another year of contract, you probably could get the SWiM upgrade and another HD receiver for free. Just use the old "I am going to cable" bluff.

[JetreL]

Here is a video about the Direct TV SWM 8 Multi-Switch

Link [youtube.com]

This is the first I am hearing about this. Thanks kingwr!! It appears to of been around for a while though. Wish I would of know about this before I ran a ton of cable.

Hope it helps!

[Clift]

Unboxing Video and sample for those still waiting for their Colossus HD PVR

http://www.geektonic.com/2011/02/hau...oxing-and.html

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by kingwr

You could change your installation over to SWiM. A single cable to the basement could be split by a high-frequency splitter to two (or more) DirecTV receivers. If you were willing to take on another year of contract, you probably could get the SWiM upgrade and another HD receiver for free. Just use the old "I am going to cable" bluff.

Never heard of it

I am gonna look into it and thank for the info

Bill

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Here's what I found: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8593871/Dish...Address1-3.zip This was before sleep problems arised with dish boxes though, so there is no select. When I get around to it I'll try to learn some SELECT commands for 1, 2 and 3 and post them up as well.

I think I actually found that same zip uploaded to the forum last night. I can probably get select learned, I did get a couple things learned, but it was a rather long process with my UIRT.

[TechBill]

On my office computer I have a placeshifter which I use for watching TV while working.

After installing the Colossus, LiveTV on placeshifter is very choppy or skipping a bunch of frames

It was working great with PVR-500 and my server specs is in my signature so not sure if it fast enough to transcode .ts file to placeshifter or if it something else that causing this issue

Can anyone help me out here?

Thank you

Bill

[barney B.A.]

Originally Posted by TechBill

On my office computer I have a placeshifter which I use for watching TV while working.

After installing the Colossus, LiveTV on placeshifter is very choppy or skipping a bunch of frames

It was working great with PVR-500 and my server specs is in my signature so not sure if it fast enough to transcode .ts file to placeshifter or if it something else that causing this issue

Can anyone help me out here?

Thank you

Bill

If you are connecting through a local network I don't believe it is transcoding. therefore I would look at network conditions. If you are connecting through an internet connection then it is definitely transcoding. I'm not sure whether your hardware is powerful enough to transcode h.264 or not. Perhaps someone else can chime in on that one.

[Shield]

Quick question - can I run both a Colossus AND an external HD-PVR and (both each to a seperate Time-Warner HD STB) and not have to go the USB-UIRT route? Meaning can I just use the single blaster from each one?

Thanks!

[jptheripper]

NO. The irblaster software from hauppauge only supports one unit.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by barney B.A.

If you are connecting through a local network I don't believe it is transcoding. therefore I would look at network conditions. If you are connecting through an internet connection then it is definitely transcoding. I'm not sure whether your hardware is powerful enough to transcode h.264 or not. Perhaps someone else can chime in on that one.

Oh I thought server is always transcoding for any placeshifter LAN or Internet.


My office computer is connect to server via Gigabytes LAN

I will restart my network to see if it helps any, but It works fine on HD300 which is connected to same LAN thou.



Bill

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by TechBill

Oh I thought server is always transcoding for any placeshifter LAN or Internet.


My office computer is connect to server via Gigabytes LAN

I will restart my network to see if it helps any, but It works fine on HD300 which is connected to same LAN thou.



Bill

I restarted my network and it didn't help any.

Still choppy or skipping frames.


I am running output at 1080i from DirectTV to Colossus but it works fine with HD300 but it hook via composite on my SDTV temporary testing until I move it to my HDTV.


Bill

[barney B.A.]

Originally Posted by TechBill

I restarted my network and it didn't help any.

Still choppy or skipping frames.


I am running output at 1080i from DirectTV to Colossus but it works fine with HD300 but it hook via composite on my SDTV temporary testing until I move it to my HDTV.


Bill

You may also want to verify that you are using latest video drivers check settings for your video drivers. Also check settings for placeshifter. there is General tab/Streaming tab. Check 3d acceleration and Post processing settings. Changing those may help. Also, is your client PC running placeshifter on wireless? If not and the settings don't help you may need to adjust networking settings.

[Tiki]

So the HD-PVR came with ArcSoft TME software and now the Colossus comes with ArcSoft ShowBiz Software...

Is ShowBiz an upgrade to TME? Can you install both at the same time?

Does Showbiz come with an h.264 codec that can be used with Sage (TME did)?

If we have both an HD-PVR and the Colossus and we are using Sage, should we install one, both, or neither?

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by barney B.A.

You may also want to verify that you are using latest video drivers check settings for your video drivers. Also check settings for placeshifter. there is General tab/Streaming tab. Check 3d acceleration and Post processing settings. Changing those may help. Also, is your client PC running placeshifter on wireless? If not and the settings don't help you may need to adjust networking settings.

I checked for latest driver and it happen that they release a new driver for ATI card today 2/24, downloaded it and install.

I checked the settings and tried changing them, no difference.

I think my computer is just not able to play HD recordings or LiveTV from Colossus because I play back some of the older recording recorded by PVR-500 before I switch to Coloossus and it playback those older recording fine.



Bill