I just setup my new PVR 250 with Beyond TV [now with pics]

[Goosemaster]

2.4Ghz AMDXP
120GB WD SE
Shuttle SFF Case with nforce2 CHipset
ATI remote wonder with newest driver. (2.4)
Beyond TV bundle: Beyond TV 3.4.4 ad WinTV PVR 250 "blackbird" v2 Conexant CHipset

Display: using S-video out from Integrated Geforce4Mx(32MB)

De-interlacing is NOT on because I don't need it as my TV is interlaced.

I am recording @ "best" in mpeg2 right now and it is using <10% of the CPU

BTW, I I replaced a WinTV Go Stereo model. That used ~60% when recording the same thing.

I know many of you are interested in this so ask away. I wasgoing to do a video about the setup, but I didn't [SEE THREAD" Lazy Bastard" ]


EDIT:

PICs, BIATCHES:F


pics in a minute

Full_screen_mode_main


Full_screen_mode_recording_settings

Full_screen_mode_screen_capture ( subaru commercial)

Full_screen_mode_searching_for_a_show_to_record


Full_screen_mode_time_shifting_screen.

Full_screen_mode_upcomgin_recordings



Full_screen_mode_upcomgin_recording_details

Full_screen_mode_with_show_info



WEB-based configuration and emote access interface

Main_screen

Main_video_Screen ( irecorded these movies with the trial version, and it instantly imported them

Online_Program_Guide= obviously not as nice as the fullscreen one I use at the PC, put thing things is great. I can set recording up from anywhere....it will always give me the options of recording this episode, all episodes, or all new episodes

OMG..even more screenies you lucky bitches


here are the show squeeze screeshots:


Here it is automatically compressing a show that finished about 1 hr ago.


My tv is set to 800x600, so this is thebiggest screeny I can make of this ....here are the gneral settings for show squeeze.




If you want to compress some random file on your pc, or one of your shows that you've recorded in mpeg2, you can show squeeze manually as well

 

[Ameesh]

its using greater then 10% CPU? how much more?



are you gonna install MCE?

 

[CaseTragedy]

How much did you spend?

 

[RossMAN]

Regarding the bundle you bought:

1) Is Beyond TV software a trial version or limited anyway?

2) Is your PVR-250 the 32552 or 28552 card?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Ameesh
its using greater then 10% CPU? how much more?



are you gonna install MCE?

THanks for catching that :|

Originally posted by: Ameesh




are you gonna install MCE?

WHY? Once Beyond Media comes out, I will have no need to. Anyways, beyondTV + media player is great for now.

lossless > *

Lossless with decent interface(vs flac(perfect plugin my ass) and foobar(urgh) > *x2

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: CaseTragedy
How much did you spend?

It was onsale for $300@ target.com




Seriously, i bought it from snapstream.com's store as a bundle with Beyond TV


$139 + $7 for shipping

 

[TommyVercetti]

I want something like that, just for the occasional recording of TV shows. I was just thinking about getting the ATI All in Wonder Pro when in drops in price after a while (year or so). Why should I buy that, and not a seperate TV tuner card?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti
I want something like that, just for the occasional recording of TV shows. I was just thinking about getting the ATI All in Wonder Pro when in drops in price after a while (year or so). Why should I buy that, and not a seperate TV tuner card?

because that is a vidcard+ tunner. IF you want to replac ethe Vic card, you lose the tuner.

In addition, the PVR 250, 250MCE, the PVR250BTV and many other cards have HARDWARE mpeg2 encoding which means you have versatility on even slow PCs.

I used to have an ati 8500dv, and it did kick ass.


for the BEST, i would recommend an ati 9800xt adn a pvr 350.

 

[Joker81]

Why didn't you just buy a tivo???

 

[TechnoPro]

Can you save recordings in Divx format?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Joker81
Why didn't you just buy a tivo???

1. I like archiving show in divx....pretty importatn


2. ....web based configuration and recording scheduling...very important


3. Can, OUT OF THE BOX, stream my recorded shows or LIVE TV TO ANY COMPUTER IN THE WORLD..i can even change the channel of live tv if i am not recording anything, or just watch what I am recording.

 

[cheapgoose]

how's the graphics with the onboard video? I'm debating between getting a nforce2 board with onboard video, that supports dual display, vga + tv. but I'm not sure it's enough.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Can you save recordings in Divx format?

I believe you can onyl record in mpeg2 if you want all the functiallity(time shifting etc) but you can record in plain wma if you jsut wan't to watch it later and ant to disable time shifting



Unfortunately their newest release, 3.4.4 removed divx encoding, so now it can only save in wma but @ >DVD quality. THere is a plugin for divx, and you can easily find old versions.



When using the trial about a month ago, i would tell it to convert all my shows into high-quality divx (hi-def setting) and they look exactly liek a well encoded Divx movie, except two hour movies are only abot 300MB

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Joker81
Why didn't you just buy a tivo???

1. I like archiving show in divx....pretty importatn


2. ....web based configuration and recording scheduling...very important


3. Can, OUT OF THE BOX, stream my recorded shows or LIVE TV TO ANY COMPUTER IN THE WORLD..i can even change the channel of live tv if i am not recording anything, or just watch what I am recording.

About changing the channels and recording. It's just like a VCR right, you can watch one show while recording the other?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: cheapgoose
how's the graphics with the onboard video? I'm debating between getting a nforce2 board with onboard video, that supports dual display, vga + tv. but I'm not sure it's enough.

That is exactly what i am using. It is FINE. ATI is usually considered the king of TV-out, so I would get an ATI card with TV out for the uptmost in quality.

IF you have a nice tv with VGA or DVI in, then obviously that is the better option, or at least AT's VGA to componet.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Joker81
Why didn't you just buy a tivo???

1. I like archiving show in divx....pretty importatn


2. ....web based configuration and recording scheduling...very important


3. Can, OUT OF THE BOX, stream my recorded shows or LIVE TV TO ANY COMPUTER IN THE WORLD..i can even change the channel of live tv if i am not recording anything, or just watch what I am recording.

About changing the channels and recording. It's just like a VCR right, you can watch one show while recording the other?

YEah. THey are adding support for multiple tuners, so that will not be the case in the future. Sage TV already offers this, but I think their interface pales in comparison to BeyonTV's interface. I have seen their new interface for v2.0, but I still like beyond tv better.


Like i said, their streaming over the web is UNMATCHED, IT is SO freakin easy. you type ip addressort no, and once the page pop up you either play a vid file or click "watch live tv"

 

[RossMAN]

Ahem

*posts again*

Regarding the bundle you bought:

1) Is Beyond TV software a trial version or limited anyway?

2) Is your PVR-250 the 32552 or 28552 model?

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Can you save recordings in Divx format?

I believe you can onyl record in mpeg2 if you want all the functiallity(time shifting etc) but you can record in plain wma if you jsut wan't to watch it later and ant to disable time shifting



Unfortunately their newest release, 3.4.4 removed divx encoding, so now it can only save in wma but @ >DVD quality. THere is a plugin for divx, and you can easily find old versions.



When using the trial about a month ago, i would tell it to convert all my shows into high-quality divx (hi-def setting) and they look exactly liek a well encoded Divx movie, except two hour movies are only abot 300MB

Thanks for the answer!

Using their new release, what are you getting in terms of MB / hour of recorded video. I guess I am less concerned with Divx per se than I am with being able to archive shows without buying several huge HDDs.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Ahem

*posts again*

Regarding the bundle you bought:

1) Is Beyond TV software a trial version or limited anyway?

2) Is your PVR-250 the 32552 or 28552 model?

damnit, I posted that already..it is the NEw,, get that NEw...did you hear me NEW "blackbird" v2 Coxenant[sic] chipset

And yes, this comes with the FULL version of Beyond TV

 

[Goosemaster]

pics in a minute

Full_screen_mode_main


Full_screen_mode_recording_settings

Full_screen_mode_screen_capture ( subaru commercial)

Full_screen_mode_searching_for_a_show_to_record


Full_screen_mode_time_shifting_screen.

Full_screen_mode_upcomgin_recordings



Full_screen_mode_upcomgin_recording_details

Full_screen_mode_with_show_info

Recording options

Recording options

WEB-based configuration and emote access interface

Main_screen

Main_video_Screen ( irecorded these movies with the trial version, and it instantly imported them

Online_Program_Guide= obviously not as nice as the fullscreen one I use at the PC, put thing things is great. I can set recording up from anywhere....it will always give me the options of recording this episode, all episodes, or all new episodes

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro



Using their new release, what are you getting in terms of MB / hour of recorded video. I guess I am less concerned with Divx per se than I am with being able to archive shows without buying several huge HDDs.

AS I did last time, i hr of BEST quality mpeg 2 should be about 3GB


Compressed to divx it is about 300MB

 

[sygyzy]

What steps are you going to take to convert your old MPEG2 recordings to DivX? I am not asking what are all the ways to do it, I am curious what method you are employing?

 

[sygyzy]

And where did you get the remote? How did you know it'd work with the card/system?

 

[Goosemaster]

right now, I will stick with wma and get the divx pulgin.


THe program has a featture called "Show squeeze" which automatically converts your files overnight or at a specified time



here are the show squeeze screeshots:


Here it is automatically compressing a show that finished about 1 hr ago.


My tv is set to 800x600, so this is thebiggest screeny I can make of this ....here are the gneral settings for show squeeze.





If you want to compress some random file on your pc, or one of your shows that you've recorded in mpeg2, you can show squeeze manually as well

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
And where did you get the remote? How did you know it'd work with the card/system?

I am usuing an old ATI TV wonder.

IT works "ok." Their firefly remote, which i can get for $40 will be a future purchase.