What do people mean by the color bars problem?

[Steve2112]

I see a few posts here and there that reference some sort of color bars.

What are these people talking about - I haven't been able to figure it out. I remember seeing a color test pattern at one point in the past when experimenting with different drivers.

Is it "bad" to have the color bars?

[stanger89]

I'm guessing you're talking about the PVR 350 outputting colorbars. If you haven't figured it out, it probably doesn't affect you and I wouldn't worry about it.

[carlgar]

I believe the color bars issue only applies to 350 users that are using the 350 TV out option. I still use SageTV 1.4, so I see the color bars whenever I put SageTV to sleep. I do not consider it to be a problem. But I believe the goal in SageTV 2.0 is to never see the color bars. I think they are always expecting to see a show or the user interface. I believe some people also see the color bars just for a moment or two when SageTV is starting or ending a show.

The color bars are several vertical bars of different colors. If you see it you will know it is color bars.

[stanger89]

Color bars, FYI:

[carlgar]

Those are slightly different from what I see. I don't see the the 2 bottom sections. I only see the vertical bars from top to bottom as shown in the top section.

How did you generate those?

[mls]

I'm just guessing, but stranger89 may have just did a screen grab of one of the test patterns from either Avia or Digital Video Essentials.

Otherwise, that image is just a standard SMTP test pattern. Not having a 350, I'm guessing it only outputs the upper bars.

BTW: For anyone using SageTV (or doing any video work for that matter) I'd highly recommend getting either Avia or DVE to get there output set up correctly.

Avia is a bit simpler and more basic, while DVE goes into more detail. I bought both (just to compare things between them), but Avia may be all anyone really needs.

[bmadgett]

I'm getting the "Colour Bar Problem" since I updated my PVR350 drivers to the latest version pointed at from the Sage homepage. Now whenever I stop playback, instead of getting the OSD menus on the 350 TVout (like I used to get), I just get the colour bars. This means I have to switch back to the gfx card TVout to see the normal Sage window under Windows and use the menus from there.

Maybe if I uninstall & reinstall the drivers again...

Barnaby

[stanger89]

Originally posted by carlgar
How did you generate those?

Well I could have captured them off DVE, but I just googled "SMPTE color bars" and linked the image. It was from here:
http://www.greatdv.com/video/smptebars.htm

[Steve2112]

Originally Posted by bmadgett

I'm getting the "Colour Bar Problem" since I updated my PVR350 drivers to the latest version pointed at from the Sage homepage. Now whenever I stop playback, instead of getting the OSD menus on the 350 TVout (like I used to get), I just get the colour bars. This means I have to switch back to the gfx card TVout to see the normal Sage window under Windows and use the menus from there.

Maybe if I uninstall & reinstall the drivers again...

Barnaby

I rebuilt my Sage system last night, I removed a buggy USB2 tuner, and replaced it with a 150 card. I had also sorts of issues with the USB2 drivers, so I ran HWCLEAR and reinstalled the drivers.

I now have this color bar problem (no more OSD left on screen, just the color bars). What is the fix for this?

It's one thing after another for me & Sage, we have a love/fight relationship. I just had some help solve my buggy Hauppauge IR drivers problem, and my new replacement remote works awesome (Microsoft MCE remote & receiver).

Now this is the latest thing to attack me :=)

I have a 350 and a 150 now, and this has appeared since I removed the USB2 tuner and added the 150.

Way back in the day around version 2-3 I was running this setup (350 and a 150) until one day my remote stoppped working (error message unable to load IR drivers etc....) - so I pulled the 150, installed the USB2, and the remote problem went away for a long time...

Help - how do I get rid of the "color bars" ?

My current 350 driver version shows as 1.18.21.23257. I hate to mess with the drivers when everything is working for the most part - usually updating the driver causes a problem somewhere else for me, and I chase my tail.

Thanks,

Steve