Choppy HTPC

[j0k0]

Wondering if any one has a similar setup and has had the same problem, I'm running an Asus M2NPV-VM with 512 ddr2 and AMD ATHLON 64 X2 (AM2) 3800+.
I setup the motherboard to output via the component out and windows media centre seems to run quite well at 1080i, but here is where the problem is I can't watch any tv off the hdtv tuner card its just way too choppy. I turned it down to 720p and it's a little better but I still have problems when I swith the HD channels.

Pleasee some one help, i've been pulling my hair out for the past couple days trying to fix this problem and asus have been next to no help with their faq's and forums are even worse.

[terrastrife]

try different tv tuner software.

[ReP0]

Might be a poor signal on the antenna. I suffered from this until I got a signal booster/amp from Jaycar/DSE. Unlike analog you'll find that if the signal quality isn't at a high enough level it will result in choppy playback rather than noise. If it's bad enough no picture. Not sure if this is your problem but something to try if you are out of ideas. I have a similar setup but slightly less CPU but 1G ram (shouldn't make a diff) and don't have any problems.

It might also be the drivers of the tuner card but I've no idea.

[j0k0]

tested a hdtuner box and works fine, i can say with a fair bit of certanty that it is not my signal rather something to do with the pc. Drivers have all been updated to the "latest and greatest" so yeah pretty much stuck now. It is probobly something simple but I have been reading pages and pages of crap on a few different forums which has got me even more confused then when the problem first came up.

[j0k0]

rep0 would it be possible for you to list the version of drivers and bios you are using? sorry for breaking balls but yeah im going crazy

[terrastrife]

you havent mentioned what tv tuner software you use.... i hear that divico is junk, and fusion is pretty crap too... windvr or something is supposed to be usable.

[mxlaser]

Im using the same board and an AM2 3600+ X2 cpu as well..

Things to check:

1. What software are you using?? windows MCE?

2. Which cards are you using? try removing one card and test it with only one it there. Could be an IRQ conflict (known issue with stutering).

3. Have you installed all of the AMD drivers/updates? The ones designed for stuttering in games. Well, it also can cause stuttering in HD playback as well..

4. Are you using the right drivers/latest ones.

5. What codecs do you have instaled? I recommend ONLY using nvidia purevideo and ffdshow. When installing ffdshow, DO NOT install any sound codecs, AT ALL.

6. Use latest NV drivers, enable TV out through the component, select 1280x720 as the res, then add your own custom res. Set it to 50Hz refresh instead, then go into the TV settings and use the underscan to adjust to fit on screen.

7. What set are you connecting it to?

[ReP0]

Originally Posted by j0k0

rep0 would it be possible for you to list the version of drivers and bios you are using? sorry for breaking balls but yeah im going crazy

Unfortunately I'm using a different motherboard so doubt it would help.

It would be handy for others to know exactly what HD tuners you've got running (+the driver ver) with MCE. Whats the CPU load like when you are running the tv. Have you updated to the latest service pack in MCE. If not then I would recommend it. If you are not aready aware http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/community/index.php is a great place to get help for MCE and related problems. It's a much more focused place on such things than OCAU is.

It may also be the MPEG codec (I think) which doesn't come bundled in with MCE but requires it to function (go figure) that may be causing your problem. Whatever you installed may not be up to scratch. Consult the forum above for the best one to use. I used the one that came with Cyberlink DVD. It's a commercial app ($$) that I got bundled in with my vid card at the time.

Perhaps you just need to maybe bite the bullet and re-install the whole OS from scratch (format + re-install) again. Maybe something just went wrong. I've had this happen once or twice before and never worked out why. Try changing the order in which you install the drivers. Maybe do the tuner software/drivers first or last depending upon the order you did it the first time. These are all just wild guesses.

I assume you aren't trying to stream the contents over the network or anything while doing else more involved while you are troubleshooting this. My gigabyte board for example had a bug in it for a long time where if I stream data out of the ethernet port for a short while at full rate the tv picture would go jerky or freeze up. No effect if data was just being streamed into the port though or if no data at all was being streamed. Someone worked out that by adjusting the PCI latency in the bios it fixed the problem.

I'll just say that AMD based systems no matter what the fanboys think is never ever as simple to get going as an intel based one. I'll be buying intel next time round but the x64 sparked my interest at the time.

PS: If you are going to install a codec pack I've gone through a tonne and let me tell you that by far the best one is the "Community Codec Pack". Has all the codecs you'll ever need and runs first time without problems. Try removing you old one and installing this.

[mxlaser]

As he's using meda centre, using a codec pack is HIGHLY NOT recommmended. Its a bad idea. Use the basics and things go better.

Use FFDshow and Nvidia Purevideo MPEG2 decoders ONLY when using MCE. There are others but these offer the best compability for the majority of users.

I put money on it being a combo of existing codecs, PCI conflicts and AMD cpu drivers, as there an easy one to forget.

[ReP0]

Originally Posted by mxlaser

As he's using meda centre, using a codec pack is HIGHLY NOT recommmended. Its a bad idea. Use the basics and things go better.

Agree for initially getting it up and running but really the beauty of media centre is not realised until you have the freedom to play alot of different codecs whenever they get thrown at you. I know that I couldn't live on pure MPG alone and it would be useless for my needs.

Originally Posted by mxlaser

Use FFDshow and Nvidia Purevideo MPEG2 decoders ONLY when using MCE. There are others but these offer the best compability for the majority of users.

Just to add if you are installing a codec pack most will have the MPG codecs turned off. If not removed them from the selection. Don't feel tempted to select them. Never install them once you've got an MPEG decoder that works with MCE otherwise you'll screw it up.

Originally Posted by mxlaser

I put money on it being a combo of existing codecs, PCI conflicts and AMD cpu drivers, as there an easy one to forget.

Most likely. Thats why I suggest a re-install. Makes sure any codecs you've used no longer interfer because I've found you can never really totally uninstall them once there in, just de-activate them. PCI conflicts usually get sorted out in a re-install since the install seems to work out the conflicts where just plugging a card in later never seems to.

I reckon the simplest course of action is to re-install from scratch and install the MPEG drivers recommended above (don't think you even need ffdshow at this point). Get MCE up and running without installing any further codecs. Once it's fine and if you need to install codecs go for the "Community Codec Pack'. It will install fddshow and all it's filters etc for you. You may want to ghost your system before installing the codecs just in case.

[j0k0]

I haven't installed any codecs nor have I installed AMD cpu drivers, I'm thinking the cpu drivers might be the issue here now. Once I get home ill try the cpu drivers first then try those two codecs. Once again thanks for your replys its been most helpful, I've been trying to avoid getting a riser card and a pcie video card as I am trying to fit all this inside an old dvd player. Once I've got it all working 100% ill post up the photos along with a fairly decent size list of problems and solutions I encountered along the way.

[j0k0]

Originally Posted by mxlaser

Im using the same board and an AM2 3600+ X2 cpu as well..

Things to check:

1. What software are you using?? windows MCE?

2. Which cards are you using? try removing one card and test it with only one it there. Could be an IRQ conflict (known issue with stutering).

3. Have you installed all of the AMD drivers/updates? The ones designed for stuttering in games. Well, it also can cause stuttering in HD playback as well..

4. Are you using the right drivers/latest ones.

5. What codecs do you have instaled? I recommend ONLY using nvidia purevideo and ffdshow. When installing ffdshow, DO NOT install any sound codecs, AT ALL.

6. Use latest NV drivers, enable TV out through the component, select 1280x720 as the res, then add your own custom res. Set it to 50Hz refresh instead, then go into the TV settings and use the underscan to adjust to fit on screen.

7. What set are you connecting it to?

1. Fresh install of windows mce
2. Only have one pci card installed (fusion lite hdtv tuner)
3. I'll be trying those drivers tonight.....
4. Latest drivers are all on
5. No codecs installed yet
6. Makes no difference unfourtantly.

[Gierke]

At work we are having problems with a Media Centre PC running a Pentium D 945 and 1gb of ram. The SD channels are fine but the high def channels are very choppy. We doubled the ram temporarily, and it was considerably better.

[mxlaser]

Originally Posted by j0k0

6. Makes no difference unfourtantly.

So your absolutly positive your TV is recieving a 50Hz PAL signal?? and not a 60Hz NTSC one?? most newer panels have a feature where they tell you the resolution details being fed into it, if yours has that just check to make 100% sure its set to 50hz.

Also, try changing the PCI slot the HDTV tuner is in.

List ALL of the components in the system. I need to know what else is in there. Sharing the exact same motherboard and similar CPU's and setups im at more of an abiity to help.

Also, i have had stuttering in mine, which i've overcome, so feed me more info!

[j0k0]

Im running it off a benq 6200 project via component. Before you ask why I use component is because I ran the cables through the celing before i built the house and also because I'm using a digital amp for my sound. Which brings me to another problem, can't bloody get 5.1 to work nor can I get sound from HD channels. I made my own opticle out cable but I doubt that is the issue. I'll get the full system specs tomorrow morning for you. Once agian thanks for the help