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Using the Humax PVR-9200T with a PC.
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I’ve started this thread for information on using the PVR-9200T with a PC.
I’ll start with a few questions:
How does the picture quality compare when viewing recordings on the PC as against using a TV? With a good quality PC and a DVI TFT, the image quality should be better than any TV.
If you transfer a non-widescreen recording, does it keep the correct aspect ratio when viewed on the PC?
What transfer rates are you getting for TV recordings to the PC? Either state Mbps or state how large the file, how long it took to transfer, the TV channel.
What format are radio recordings when transferred? They will more likely be MP2 (not MP3) format, which should play in Windows Media Player if my memory is correct. MP2 files can be converted to MP3 with free software. Ask for further info.
Does the Humax software work with Windows 2000 or earlier versions of Windows?
When posting information on this thread, please include any relevant details about what hardware and software you are using. My Humax doesn’t arrive until next week, so I won’t be able to post my experiences until then.
I’ll start with a few questions:
How does the picture quality compare when viewing recordings on the PC as against using a TV? With a good quality PC and a DVI TFT, the image quality should be better than any TV.
If you transfer a non-widescreen recording, does it keep the correct aspect ratio when viewed on the PC?
What transfer rates are you getting for TV recordings to the PC? Either state Mbps or state how large the file, how long it took to transfer, the TV channel.
What format are radio recordings when transferred? They will more likely be MP2 (not MP3) format, which should play in Windows Media Player if my memory is correct. MP2 files can be converted to MP3 with free software. Ask for further info.
Does the Humax software work with Windows 2000 or earlier versions of Windows?
When posting information on this thread, please include any relevant details about what hardware and software you are using. My Humax doesn’t arrive until next week, so I won’t be able to post my experiences until then.
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I guess the other thing it tests is the quality of the video DACs in the PVR versus those in your PC video card.
Cliff
I rang up Turbosat at 2pm yesterday and was told that they had sold out and the next batch wasn't due in until the 31st! Not Happy:)
On a side note, even though this is my first post, I have been reading these forums with great interest since early september and just wanted to add my thanks to everyone who's done a great job in answering questions! Now I just gotta get one myself!
Actually, I'm not really sure why I would want to do this anyway. Think a coment over on the other thread got me wasting hours this afternoon
There's no MPEG encoder in these PVRs so what's on the disk and ultimately copied to your PC is exactly the same MPEG that came down the wire from the broadcaster - that is an MPEG2 elementary program stream.
You should be able to use MPEG2 editing tools (virtualdub comes to mind) to extract the audio from it.
Cliff
Guess as I've been tinkering with my shiney new box since it arrived at 7:15 this morning, I've somewhat burnt my brain out
Previously I've seen people say "I have not been able to view the files transferred from Humax on my PC", but I can see above that people have been able to burn to DVD.
So - how do you burn to DVD if you haven't got anything that can view the files? Or is it using the DVD codec (is it VOB? - if so, there is a media player that can read that and pretty much every other codec I've come across).
What I'm tempted to try if we can read the things, is to transfer a file, e.g. a film, stick a transcoder on my pc, and then sit in bed with wife and small screen table (e.g. nokia 770 or even a laptop) and stream off the transcoded data over the wireless network...
Of course, could be lots of problems - the device may be rubbish for video, haven't even seen a 770 yet - and wireless network may not sustain good enough rate - 770 has 800x400 screen. Etc.
Yes you can transfer from the 9200 to PC > rename the file *.mpg (for example), then burn to DVD using whatever you prefer. (I used Nero Vision Express). The issues were with transferring video the other way (to the 9200)
Has anyone had time to experiment and find what will be the maximum usable interconnecting length?
Its a lot to ask, but would you mind posting a simple bullet point "how to" on putting the downloaded file onto DVD using nero? Just because I have nero !
I am sure a lot of other people have nero too but I am not confident and dont want to waste a DVDR.
Not at all:
1. Using a USB cable, download the required recording using the Humax eLinker software to your PC.
2. Right-click on the file and select Rename.
3. You can leave the file name the same but you must add (.mpg) on the end. Hit return.
4. Using NeroVision Express 3 (I'm sure many othe authoring tools will be similar), create a new Video DVD.
5. Add any video files you want and then hit next a few times to preview the compilation.
6. When ready you will be prompted to burn the disk.
7. Nero will then spend some time transcoding the video/audio into the standard *.vob format, suitable for playing on most domestic players.
* NeroVision Express is an integral part of Nero 6
** Make sure you don't get confused with Nero Express, a different aplication.
Hope this helps and doesn't patronise anybody.
My version of Nero 6 doesn’t include NeroVision Express; I have 6.6.0.5 Enterprise Edition.
Don’t confuse the process of COPYING a DVD from within the main Nero program, with what windsurd123 is describing. He is describing the AUTHORING of a DVD from a Nero sub-program.
COPYING is the process of copying an existing DVD to a DVD optical disk. AUTHORING is the process of creating a new DVD structure from (usually and in this case MPEG2) video files. Freeview uses the MPEG2 video format which is the same format that DVDs uses, which helps make this process easy.
You can use other DVD authoring software packages also. I have the WinDVD Suite which came with my motherboard and contains WinDVD Creator. My 9200T arrived today and I’ll try using this program tomorrow.
for example
'file.mp2' change the 2 to a 3 and the 'file.mp3' will play in your mp3 player. No need to do a loss-y conversion.
5m looks like maximum but you can get a USB Booster cable to give you an extra 5m. These cost £11.69 from PCNextday and you can use up to 5 of them to give you a total length of 25m. Never had an opportunity to use one myself.
I seem to remember that MP3 is short for MPEG1 Layer 3, whereas MP2 is part of MPEG2.
There is a possibility that you have DVD authoring software either installed on your PC or on CDs that came with your system, your motherboard or graphics card and don’t realise it. The most likely candidates are as follows:
NeroVision Express, as part of a Nero software suite.
WinDVD Creator, as part of the WinDVD Suite.
Various Roxio software suites.
The WinDVD Suite came on a separate CD with my Asus motherboard. I think most Asus Deluxe motherboards now come with that.
I can’t speak for Mac users.
But, if the 9200T is a Linux based system, then there is more of a chance that this will be possible, but maybe not with all dongles. I’m interested in contacting Humax with PC related questions, so I can past on replies to this forum. I’ll email them on Monday.
I use Audactity which is freeware and gives all sorts of editing and filtering facilities too. I think it will read straight from the multiplexed file but I could be wrong, I may have had to demux it with PVAStrumento first. It will write to lots of formats including MP3.
MP2 files wouldn't play on any of my stand alone players though WMP was ok.
This isn’t meant to be a criticism of the software or Humax, I’m just trying to speculate on where they are going to take this product. I’d rather more features and less polish any time.
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showthread.php?p=5941400#post5941400
It was post number 553 and you may or may not find this illuminating.
does it say this in the manual, or is it an observation?
I'm new to all this PVR stuff but been reading all the mounting excitement about the 9200T so took the plunge yesterday and ordered one from Turbosat which arrived today. Fairly pleased so far but had problems transfering to the PC - only managed 70meg of Coronation St in 30mins!
I can't get the unit to operate in USB 2. Using short cable and Hi Spec Laptop so not sure what the problem is. My other USB2 devices work fine.
Also not too happy at the moment about the Timeslip operation, but still, onwards and upwards!
Cheers,
Richard