Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by FlyingShawn

I decided to switch to Sage from BTV and build a new server right around the time Google bought them out. I purchased all the hardware for the system (including an HDHR Dual and 2 Colossus cards), but as I was putting the system together, life got in the way and I had to sideline the project. Now I'm finally getting back to it and am hoping you might have some suggestions for how best to add the Colossus cards:

The server is an i5 rig running Win7x64 and is already set up for the HDHR. My cable provider is Verizon FiOS in Harrisburg, PA.

Other than just making sure that they work when I first got them (using the included software on another system), I have not done any testing with the Colossi.

My plan is to connect each Colossus to a Motorola QIP 7100 STB using component+optical and controlled via USB-UIRT. Has anyone had any luck with component+optical on FiOS?

What driver do you recommend I try first? Looking at the official support site (http://www.hauppauge.com/site/suppor..._colossus.html), I only see the 29291 driver available for download, but have not done much digging for alternate versions.

I've downloaded SJQ, but have not had any time to learn it yet. Based on what I've read here, it seems my first task will be figuring out how to set it for daily restarts.

Any other tips/suggestions? Thanks!

For me, I had an audio outsync issue with component and optical with Fios. after each local commercial, collossus the video and audio will become outsync. Initially, its unnoticeable, after an hour, its unbearable. I reported it to Hauppauge who wanted me to update to the latest driver (one set ago). Before I got around to doing that, something happened on my server and the collossus was no longer recognized by my XP set up. It looked like I was going to need to reinstall XP because there was a windows driver that got corrupted.

However, because I don't have time to play around, I ended up going back to HD PVR (USB) which just work. When I reinstalled the OS, I went with Windows 7. I have not test the Collossus on Windows 7 because I don't want to corrupt that setup.

My recommendation (which is probably not possible unless you are willing to eat the cost of the Collosus) is to buy two HD PVR or buy a Homerun Prime and get a cable card.

My FIOS setup works great with Prime. I then have my HD PVR that I am still using so that we can (but probably rarely would) record 5 cable channels at once (also have 3 HD Homeruns). With HD PVR, we can also view VOD HD PVR and control the stb with FIOS remote on my iphone - something Prime will never be able to do.

If you decide to go with collossus, and the latest driver still have the outsync issue with optical, you should open a ticket to begin trouble shooting with Hauppauge. This is a hauppauge driver issue because I could recreate it in their official supported software.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by heffneil

I might have missed this but what are your settings? What resolution and are you using optical or HDMI audio? Are you using HDMI video or component?

Which directv box are you using? How are you tuning it.

Are you restarting Sage or the machine on a regular basis?

Thanks,

Neil

I use HDMI with native resolution enabled. Dolby Digital is also enabled. I restart the sage server every day. I use HTTP tuning. The box plugged into the colossus is an HR24.

[FlyingShawn]

Originally Posted by mistergq

For me, I had an audio outsync issue with component and optical with Fios. after each local commercial, collossus the video and audio will become outsync. Initially, its unnoticeable, after an hour, its unbearable. I reported it to Hauppauge who wanted me to update to the latest driver (one set ago). Before I got around to doing that, something happened on my server and the collossus was no longer recognized by my XP set up. It looked like I was going to need to reinstall XP because there was a windows driver that got corrupted.

However, because I don't have time to play around, I ended up going back to HD PVR (USB) which just work. When I reinstalled the OS, I went with Windows 7. I have not test the Collossus on Windows 7 because I don't want to corrupt that setup.

My recommendation (which is probably not possible unless you are willing to eat the cost of the Collosus) is to buy two HD PVR or buy a Homerun Prime and get a cable card.

My FIOS setup works great with Prime. I then have my HD PVR that I am still using so that we can (but probably rarely would) record 5 cable channels at once (also have 3 HD Homeruns). With HD PVR, we can also view VOD HD PVR and control the stb with FIOS remote on my iphone - something Prime will never be able to do.

If you decide to go with collossus, and the latest driver still have the outsync issue with optical, you should open a ticket to begin trouble shooting with Hauppauge. This is a hauppauge driver issue because I could recreate it in their official supported software.

Thanks for the advice. I'm off today, so I'll probably be able to start experimenting with it later one.

You're right, I'd be very reluctant to eat the cost of the two Colossus cards. It'd certainly be cheaper month-to-month to get the Prime and have a cable card, but the main reason I went for the colossus was the h264 recording (I'm going to end up saving far more shows than I'll delete, so I want to save on space) and I'd be afraid that Verizon will change the "copy freely" flag on their channels (which is important because I create Zune-compatible copies of everything and sync it to my tablet over Live Mesh).

I'm kind of kicking myself for getting the Colossus over the HD-PVR, but it was before I'd discovered this thread and all the issues people were having and I'd hoped it'd be more reliable than the PVR (which BTV users have had all sorts of problems with).

Thanks again for the advice!

[FlyingShawn]

Well, I started encountering problems fast.

I installed the Colossus (Component+RCA), WinTV 7 from the CD, and the latest drivers. I set up WinTV to use "External Inputs" and tuned the STB. After approximately 25 minutes of watching, the video just froze (I was on the phone when it happened, so the TV was muted and I don't know what the audio was doing).

The system as a whole wasn't frozen, I could even back WinTV out of full screen, but the video remained frozen. Closing WinTV and reopening returned a "No Signal" error. I restarted the system and have been watching for about 45 minutes without a freeze, but I'm going to give it a while longer to see if I can reproduce the freeze issue before submitting it to Hauppauge (also to see if I get the audio sync problems).

So far, the audio might be very slightly out of sync, but if it is, it's not enough to say for sure.

[sacrament055]

Anyone notice/try the newe colossus beta? Release note says something about fixing a video glitch

[SHS]

Originally Posted by sacrament055

Anyone notice/try the newe colossus beta? Release note says something about fixing a video glitch

If your ref to 1.3.29361 drivers you can try them out but for me it was the other way round so it a .

[texneus]

Originally Posted by SHS

If your ref to 1.3.29361 drivers you can try them out but for me it was the other way round so it a .

To bad. For me they have resolved the video skips that have plagued the prior two or three versions and have been completely stable (have not specifically tested for the memory leak which I assume is still there). At long last I can shed the 29111 drivers and the blue screens.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by texneus

To bad. For me they have resolved the video skips that have plagued the prior two or three versions and have been completely stable (have not specifically tested for the memory leak which I assume is still there). At long last I can shed the 29111 drivers and the blue screens.

If you do daily restarts of you server, would there be any way you could stop doing that to see what happens? I don't get video skips very often (haven't noticed one in many months), but I'd really like to be able to keep my server up without having to restart daily.

[sacrament055]

Originally Posted by texneus

To bad. For me they have resolved the video skips that have plagued the prior two or three versions and have been completely stable (have not specifically tested for the memory leak which I assume is still there). At long last I can shed the 29111 drivers and the blue screens.

So just to be clear youre saying you had the stutter on the previous drivers and its gone now?

[makutaku]

I still have video stutters with the new beta drivers.

[mtpudelko]

Originally Posted by texneus

To bad. For me they have resolved the video skips that have plagued the prior two or three versions and have been completely stable (have not specifically tested for the memory leak which I assume is still there). At long last I can shed the 29111 drivers and the blue screens.

Same here. After rebuilding my main machine, I just couldn't find love with the old tried-and-true 29192 drivers -- with component+SPDIF, I kept having weird color registration problems after some commercials; it's hard to explain but the left few inches would have red/green's right 2 inches. Sometimes there'd be no audio, either. It was maddening! These 29361 beta drivers fixed that, and the 'tick' which plagued me on all drivers after 29192 (skippy stock and news tickers) is nonexistent. With the CoreAVC codec, I have never seen such a good Colossus picture. ArcSoft codecs look pretty good, too, but not quite as good as Core.

Additionally, on another server HDMI (including 5.1 audio) with a DirecTV H24 works perfectly, no stutters, perfect audio sync. This is a first -- 29192 always had an occasional sync issue.

This is the first time I'm able to use the same driver on both servers and have it 'just work'.

As with all Hauppauge drivers, YMMV, but if you're unhappy with your Colossus performance, there is little to lose by trying these things. Just be sure to do an hcwclear to clear out the old funk before upgrading.

Regards,
Mike

[texneus]

Originally Posted by sacrament055

So just to be clear youre saying you had the stutter on the previous drivers and its gone now?

Yes, that is what I'm saying. Horrible unwatchable stuttering video in every version since 29259, excepting the current beta. Watching a perfectly smooth HD news ticker as I type this. Sometime I might get brave and see if the audio sync is resolved.

[makutaku]

Originally Posted by texneus

Watching a perfectly smooth HD news ticker as I type this. Sometime I might get brave and see if the audio sync is resolved.

Are you using Win7 32 or 64 bits ?

My server is still on Win7 32 because of the firewire driver. Maybe I should invest in a blaster of some sort and move to Win7 64 - maybe there I will be more lucky.

[The Truth]

Originally Posted by makutaku

Are you using Win7 32 or 64 bits ?

My server is still on Win7 32 because of the firewire driver. Maybe I should invest in a blaster of some sort and move to Win7 64 - maybe there I will be more lucky.

I am in NJ and on FIOS has anyone noticed a problem with channel changing on firewire within the past week or so? I had to delete my colossus tuners because they enter the numbers but then the menu stays up on the fios box at the bottom and im not sure if its even changing.!!! help!!!

[texneus]

Originally Posted by makutaku

Are you using Win7 32 or 64 bits? My server is still on Win7 32 because of the firewire driver.(

Win7 x86 for the same reason as you. Colossus via component & analog audio from Motorola QIP6200-2 (FiOS), Intel Pentium e5300, 2GB RAM, NVidia GT240, MS video & audio decoders.

[texneus]

Originally Posted by The Truth

I am in NJ and on FIOS has anyone noticed a problem with channel changing on firewire within the past week or so?

No problems w/firewire changing on Dallas/Ft. Worth area FiOS. Motorola QIP6200-2.

[sacrament055]

I recently bought an HD-PVR in order to work around my colossus issues.

One thing I've noticed is that when I tell my USB based HD-PVR to record in the highest quality the file size shows what Sage says it will be (6+GB per hour)

with my Colossus even though I was in a higher quality setting the file sizes were coming out smaller than it said and smaller than I'm seeing from the USB based.

Frame rate/Bit Rate seems higher with the USB based in my config.

It really seemed to me that my Sage setup was not applying the record quality correctly and got me to thinking, Is it possible that this in any way is responsible for stutter I'm seeing with the newer drivers or the sage app crash that's causing everyone to restart the service regularly?

[metzz71]

Tried the 29361 driver and 1 of my two colossus drivers would stutter with no audio. Tried a couple uninstalls of the drivers and no luck. back to 29259 for now.

Side note: I am got my hands on an HDPVR and after a few hours of tv, it also has the audio sync problem, but it does take considerably longer to surface. So for now, I have two colossus with RCA audio and 1 HDPVR with optical. Daily reboots to keep the system from locking up.

I have at&t U-Verse. I also contacted Hauppauge support for this colossus audio sync issue and was told that a fix is probably not likely due to the fact that they don't have U-Verse to troubleshoot with. With the prices of the Sage clients selling for on eBay, it is very tempting to ditch the whole system. comskip is keeping sane.

[TechBill]

Just catching up on posts

So it look like even with the latest beta driver that nightly reboot are still require to maintain a stable server

But at least Happauge are still releasing betas to try out.

Bill

[heffneil]

Yeah I was wondering if any progress has been made. My newest sage server is a POS and I am looking for the right motherboard but to find one with enough slots for everything and I am lugging around two colossus's which I am not even using really limits my options!

Neil