I hate BeyondTV. T 550 pro is crappy too...

[gesaugen]

Hi ppl, a little help is needed to configure this great card with terrible software. I'm from Europe and have PAL B/G signal. I'm used to Dscaler as my older tuner had a fine support from it (Leadtek Expert) and produced a picture so nice that it looked like DVD quality. So I need help setting T 550 pro at least to that level of quality

1. Which software is the best fot watching a TV via T 550 pro? I'm talking about simplicity and functionality like Dscaler had.
I've tryed BeyondTV, for which most of ppl say its best for this tuner, and it sux a bitgime! A little review of it: you can't add a channel by frequency (you can if you mess with windows registry and other apps like "xmltv", but it is TOO complicated! so, like a normal user, you can't). Then when you find channels, switching betwin them is a really annoying because it lasts like 2 seconds (just to mention, i've set that it lasts 0.5 sec, but it doesn't. its because of live recording feature BTV does). Live recording? WTF??? Yes, this crap records everything you are watching ALL the time! So, when you are switching betwin channels, it switches recording to a new file and so it last pretty more than 0.5 second I've set (and WTF with setiing a duration of changing channel? When i want to change a channel I WANT TO CHANGE A CHANNEL NOW!). Then, theres a lack of setting up a signal resolution. I dont bolive BTV has default setup of showing PAL signal in its maximum resolution. And last thing: Teletext. I didin't find it in BTV... Dscaler users, avoid BTV in all cost. You'll only get annoyed
So question reains, which softwer to use with T 550 pro, that had funcionality and simplicity of Dscaler?
And

2. Remote control. I have Cyberlink remote that came with tuner. Problem is its setup to work with other applications FULLY, not only Cyberlink's. I've treyed Girder. PPL say it works with it's HID plugin. Now, problem is that for HID plugin, you have to choose which HID device is your remote (that should be written by "location" in HID's properties). Well, Nothing says a "remote" in HID devices and yust inc ase, I've tryed every one of them. None had given me an option to choose functions for all remotes buttons. So it doesn't work. A little help there, where am I mistaking?

[Multimedia Mike]

Hi gesaugen,
I had to take down your latest post because your language was totally inappropriate. You are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions regarding ATI products, but you have to do it in a civilized manner, otherwise you're not welcome to post here. It's too bad you were having issues with your product and if you'd like, we can try to help you resolve them. Your card should have come with software that worked with it and you can also try downloading the latest ATI MMC, which should work as well.

[gesaugen]

I apologize for rude language, but all what I can say for T550 pro is rude...

And you say "Your card should have come with software that worked with it". Well working is not an issue here. Working AS IT SHOLUD is... PhysX cards are also "working", aren't they? Same as T550 pro cards...

Just to say once again: hardware is worth as much as good it's software is... and T550 pro has VERY BAD (and only) third party software...

[SHSPVR]

gesaugen this Hardware MPEG 2 Encoder not an AVI Capture card and if all you want to do was watch TV and not record anything then you should have keep your Leadtek Expert card.
All Hardware MPEG 2 Encoder have buffer delay from 0.5 to high 3sec becuase any time you change a channel it need re-encode then new signal change.

[gesaugen]

SHSPVR, you are wrong... with right software, hardware mpeg card doesn't have to have delay, and to see what I'm talking about, install ChrisTv which has great support for hardware mpeg encoding cards. Also, I'm angry on poor picture quality which is most common on third party PVR software that I have used.
But some days ago I've been testing ChrisTV a lot. Even on older tuners, this is the only software that can be a competition to Dscalers picture quality and simplicity of use. Problem is that it costs a lot (30€ for Pro version and upgrade on newer release is not for free). It has free "lite" version, which doesnt have support for hardware mpeg encoding, but the catch is that via it's hardware mpeg part of setup, Chris has managed a sound setup and mpeg filters for picture quality... so with "lite" version you can watch Tv without sound and with not the best picture (but still much better that BeyondTv!!!) and changing of channels doesnt have a delay!
Don't be blind and think that I have something against ATI's T550 pro. I have against it's poor software support.

[SHSPVR]

ChrisTV is using the Perview Pin which sent a direct feed a forum of AVI feed for REALtime Display even the Hauppauge PVR can do that to but the min you start recording it automatic switch to Hardware MPEG Encoding becuase you can't use both Perview and Capture (MPEG Output) pins at the same time with out it mess or crash the apps over time.
By the way I'm not wrong after all I spent min days helping Cristian Ciplea "ChrisTV Team Leader" getting this to work.
Just so you know I run www.shspvr.com and been do this 5+years now.

[hrlslcbr]

Originally Posted by gesaugen

SHSPVR, you are wrong... with right software, hardware mpeg card doesn't have to have delay

Unfortunately, the only way of having no delay with a Theatre 550 Pro is to bypass the MPEG encoder (still haven't been able to get audio without delay). Hauppauge cards can do what you want though.

[gesaugen]

Ok, now I have learned a lot about tuners. Thanks for that!

But lets say this way: only benefit of having a realtime display function is to pause live tv and to resume it's watching without noticing any diference. That's fine function, but not so necesary...
My thinking is that it is more practical to have quick live tv watching via preview pin and then if you want to record something, record using a hardware encoder. As I see it, ChrisTv does exactly that!