Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[sandpalm]

Originally Posted by 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.

Just found this thread and glad to know I'm not the only user with a stuttering issue. (It's not my setup, and I'm not crazy!) I bought Colossus a couple weeks ago, installed 29291 (latest at the time) having unacceptable amount of stuttering making the product unusable. I opened a support ticket and no response for a week. As soon as the 29361 popped up I tried it out and seems to mostly fix the stuttering--still getting occassionally but not too noticeable. Looks like you guys have been suffering this problem for a long time. How could they release the product this way, was there stuttering right from the beginning? Is there any repository of old releases to try? Hopefully they keep refining until the issues are completely resolved.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by sandpalm

Is there any repository of old releases to try?

Try here: http://www.shspvr.com/ftp/download/colossus/

[panteragstk]

I think I'm going to try the new drivers to see how they work. I've been getting a few stutters on recordings when there are quite a few of them back to back. I"d say one stutter out of 10 recordings, but it's enough to be annoying.

How are you guys installing the new drivers? I'd rather not run hwclear as my other 2 hauppauge cards would be removed along with the colossus drivers.

[phareous]

I still get random stuttering even with the latest driver...its very hit or miss

[SprDtyF350]

Are you using spdif? The only way I have ever been able to get mine to work decent is by not using spdif. I don't have anything in the house hooked up to take advantage of it so it doesn't bother me.

[makutaku]

Before I unsubscribe to this thread, I would like to tell one thing that may help some people here:

My best PVR decision ever (after adopting SageTV) was to buy a Ceton InfiniTV, sell all my Hauppauge cards, return my rented Comcast STB, install SageDCT, and hope most of my channels are copy free.

It was a jump of faith - like in the Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom - but it paid off big time. Way more stable.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by makutaku

Before I unsubscribe to this thread, I would like to tell one thing that may help some people here:

My best PVR decision ever (after adopting SageTV) was to buy a Ceton InfiniTV, sell all my Hauppauge cards, return my rented Comcast STB, install SageDCT, and hope most of my channels are copy free.

It was a jump of faith - like in the Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom - but it paid off big time. Way more stable.

I have CCI flag envy.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

I have CCI flag envy.

+1. I wish FIOS were available in my are, but it isn't. Oh well. Time warner flags everything.

[phareous]

Originally Posted by SprDtyF350

Are you using spdif? The only way I have ever been able to get mine to work decent is by not using spdif. I don't have anything in the house hooked up to take advantage of it so it doesn't bother me.

I'm using HDMI at the moment...I do have component hooked up so I can switch if need be. I can't remember if I used SPDIF when I did component...I'd have to crawl back there and look again

[jptheripper]

Component and spdif for me since day one.

[SprDtyF350]

Originally Posted by jptheripper

Component and spdif for me since day one.

Sure wish I had your luck... It has never worked without stuttering for me.

[makutaku]

Originally Posted by SprDtyF350

Sure wish I had your luck... It has never worked without stuttering for me.

The truth is that I didn't know it would work. If it didn't, I was ready to accept Windows Media Center as my new PVR! Besides, it can't be worse than using SageTV with the Colossus.

I am very glad I didn't have to do that. That thing doesn't even support multiple recording directories, and XBox360 is a noisy client.

[panteragstk]

Colossus with HDMI since the day I got it. I hardly have issues at all. I can't remember the last time I had a bad recording. I get occasional dropped frames, but that's it. (where's the knock on wood smiley when you need it?)

[phareous]

Originally Posted by SprDtyF350

Are you using spdif? The only way I have ever been able to get mine to work decent is by not using spdif. I don't have anything in the house hooked up to take advantage of it so it doesn't bother me.

I decided to try this but I cannot make it work without SPDIF...I have it set to Component in sage and white/red stereo cables out of the back of my dish receivers (VIP211k and VIP222k) but if I try to preview the channel it just sits there and never comes up. Switching to Component+SPDIF works since I also have a SPDIF cable hooked up (unhooking made no difference). This gives me no advantage over HDMI since its still using the 5.1 sound and not the stereo (since the theory is that the 5.1 is what causes the stuttering)

[phareous]

Originally Posted by phareous

I decided to try this but I cannot make it work without SPDIF...I have it set to Component in sage and white/red stereo cables out of the back of my dish receivers (VIP211k and VIP222k) but if I try to preview the channel it just sits there and never comes up. Switching to Component+SPDIF works since I also have a SPDIF cable hooked up (unhooking made no difference). This gives me no advantage over HDMI since its still using the 5.1 sound and not the stereo (since the theory is that the 5.1 is what causes the stuttering)

I was able to get the stereo to work after I rebooted the computer

[sumrtym]

Just curious, but what's the drawback / advantage to doing an HDMI hookup with Colossus over component with SPDIF? Other than one cable I mean.

Still trying to decide whether to get a Colossus or an HD-PVR. Just want something to record whatever I want and with 5.1 surround.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by sumrtym

Just curious, but what's the drawback / advantage to doing an HDMI hookup with Colossus over component with SPDIF?

Connecting via HDMI avoids a conversion from digital to analog and back to digital, instead everything is processed in the digital domain. This would always be the preferred approach, except that most of the STBs enforce copy protection over the HDMI output. Which is why most of us must use the analog component outputs, which bypass copy protection (aka the analog hole).

[sacrament055]

I bought a colossus first then due to too many problems replaced it with an hdpvr and I've been happy with the results on the latter

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

Connecting via HDMI avoids a conversion from digital to analog and back to digital, instead everything is processed in the digital domain. This would always be the preferred approach, except that most of the STBs enforce copy protection over the HDMI output. Which is why most of us must use the analog component outputs, which bypass copy protection (aka the analog hole).

If you have DirecTV or Dish (IIRC) then you don't have to worry about HDMI encryption. I've been using HDMI with my colossus since I got it and it has been great.

[SHS]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

If you have DirecTV or Dish (IIRC) then you don't have to worry about HDMI encryption. I've been using HDMI with my colossus since I got it and it has been great.

Same here with DirecTV I've been using HDMI with my colossus since I got it.