Help
Add Reply
Ski has probably already nailed this by saying I need more video ram.
Just looking for a consensus.
Have a modest PC with 2.6GHz cpu and 512MB RAM.
Using Hophog 950 HD/Digital USB dongle.
It works great except that some stations "stutter" from time to time.
There has been no pixelation or fades to black while watching.
I just added an antennasdirect DB2, 12dB antenna to satisfy myself that it's not a reception issue. While I get more stations, I still have intermittant "stuttering".
Page file and CPU useage are well within bounds.
Get a more powerful video card? Current is 64MB which is Hophog's minimum spec.
It's a 4-year old machine so I'm looking at PCI. No available AGP slot.
I should add that this just a digital TV familiarization exercize. I'll install a "real" HTPC in my other place in 2K9.
TIA
OTA digital TV question.
MultiQuote
#2
Skibum 
- Skibumus Lazium Extremum
-
- Group: Admin
- Posts: 7,199
- Joined: --
- Gender:Male
- Location:Canton, Connecticut
- Interests:Waterskiing, Snowskiing, Home Automation, VOIP, Astronomy,
Posted 30 April 2007 - 06:54 PM
New machine time. Don't waste yer money on the dinosaur.
(That is a general comment, not a possible solution to yer issue. ANY machine that does not even have an AGP slot is NOT work updating.
(That is a general comment, not a possible solution to yer issue. ANY machine that does not even have an AGP slot is NOT work updating.
#4
Shawn
- Big time HA guru
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 673
- Joined: 07-February 05
- Location:Paso Robles, Ca.
Posted 30 April 2007 - 10:58 PM
If you're using Windoze......
Have you already looked at the mem and CPU performance with the task manager? I'm in the same boat, but for other reasons. "Old" PC's....three and four years old that is.
Edit: Oops, I re-read your post and see you have checked CPU usage.
Have you already looked at the mem and CPU performance with the task manager? I'm in the same boat, but for other reasons. "Old" PC's....three and four years old that is.
Edit: Oops, I re-read your post and see you have checked CPU usage.
This post has been edited by Shawn: 30 April 2007 - 10:58 PM
#5
jwilson56
- Big time HA guru
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 250
- Joined: 07-September 05
Posted 01 May 2007 - 06:27 AM
I have a 3800+ X2 MCE system and run 2GB of RAM. Also I upgraded to a Nvidia 7600GS that really seamed to help make the system smooth as silk. A good tuner card with hardware decoding puts very little on the CPU while recording. Playback is harder and the newer video cards help. I output 1080p to my Samsung DLP. Also make sure you motherboard drivers are up to date. I found the worse problem I had in the beginning was bad AMD drivers and when I updated to the newest ones took care of alot of problems. It took awhile but I now have a very stable MCE system that has 2 SD tuners and one OTA HD.
PVR500MCE Tuner card
Vcat Cats Eye 150 OTA HD DTA-150
I would stay with MCE as Vista adds so much copy protection crap into the mix.
John
PVR500MCE Tuner card
Vcat Cats Eye 150 OTA HD DTA-150
I would stay with MCE as Vista adds so much copy protection crap into the mix.
John
#9
Jay
- Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious user
-
- Group: Moderators
- Posts: 11,312
- Joined: --
- Gender:Male
- Location:Kiawah Island
- Interests:Annoying Skibum.
Posted 01 May 2007 - 01:16 PM
OK, how about this? It has a free PCI-Ex16 slot if I need it.
http://www.gateway.com/retail/gt5438.php
http://www.gateway.com/retail/gt5438.php
#12
Jay
- Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious user
-
- Group: Moderators
- Posts: 11,312
- Joined: --
- Gender:Male
- Location:Kiawah Island
- Interests:Annoying Skibum.
Posted 01 May 2007 - 03:17 PM
I'll be running 2 apps on that Gateway machine. Xlobby and the HopHog 950 dongle. Maybe EB too. (Then I could catch up on the beta VoIP thingy).
XL works in Vista and HopHog has a beta driver/app set.
IS Eyebeam happy with Vista?
XL works in Vista and HopHog has a beta driver/app set.
IS Eyebeam happy with Vista?
#14
Jay
- Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious user
-
- Group: Moderators
- Posts: 11,312
- Joined: --
- Gender:Male
- Location:Kiawah Island
- Interests:Annoying Skibum.
Posted 01 May 2007 - 04:53 PM
Right! Will check Logitech Orbit cam Vista status. Good call.
I think I have recurrance of Lyme disease having been bitten in SC in Nov. The bump and itching stopped about a week ago. First the left arm, now the right. BTDT.
Hope Best Buy can carry the cpu to my car! Thank goodness it's an automatic. The left arm has to help the right arm (today, anyway). Can call landscape guys to get it into the barn loft if need be.
Or, give Ski an excuse for a roady 
I think I have recurrance of Lyme disease having been bitten in SC in Nov. The bump and itching stopped about a week ago. First the left arm, now the right. BTDT.
Hope Best Buy can carry the cpu to my car! Thank goodness it's an automatic. The left arm has to help the right arm (today, anyway). Can call landscape guys to get it into the barn loft if need be.
Or, give Ski an excuse for a roady
#16
jayfro
- Big time HA guru
-
- Group: Beta Tester
- Posts: 654
- Joined: --
- Location:Omaha,NE
- Interests:Skibums next project
Posted 01 May 2007 - 06:39 PM
ok.. here is a question. What do you get out of a HTPC that you can't do with a DVR from Dish Network and a HDTV with OTA Tuners?
I read up a bunch about building HTPC's and as much as I wanted to build one, I couldn't find enough reason to do it to justify the $1500+ in hardware it will cost to build a machine that is really capable of being called a HTPC.
School me!!!
Jay Fro
I read up a bunch about building HTPC's and as much as I wanted to build one, I couldn't find enough reason to do it to justify the $1500+ in hardware it will cost to build a machine that is really capable of being called a HTPC.
School me!!!
Jay Fro
#18
Jay
- Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious user
-
- Group: Moderators
- Posts: 11,312
- Joined: --
- Gender:Male
- Location:Kiawah Island
- Interests:Annoying Skibum.
Posted 02 May 2007 - 07:00 AM
Actually, since I'm not going to have TBs of raid arrays holding ripped DVDs, I shouldn't be using the term HTPC.
I envision a multi-input screen controlled by something like a Harmony 1000 w/Z-wave to control lighting, etc. On of the screen inputs will be fed by that PC running the commercial version of Xlobby for music, wx, news, etc.
The PC I plan to get today will be that machine. The OTA digital we've been kicking around is just temporary - to have some fun and to learn a bit.
I envision a multi-input screen controlled by something like a Harmony 1000 w/Z-wave to control lighting, etc. On of the screen inputs will be fed by that PC running the commercial version of Xlobby for music, wx, news, etc.
The PC I plan to get today will be that machine. The OTA digital we've been kicking around is just temporary - to have some fun and to learn a bit.
#20
Skibum
- Skibumus Lazium Extremum
-
- Group: Admin
- Posts: 7,199
- Joined: --
- Gender:Male
- Location:Canton, Connecticut
- Interests:Waterskiing, Snowskiing, Home Automation, VOIP, Astronomy,
Posted 02 May 2007 - 08:09 AM
QUOTE
The PC I plan to get today will be that machine.
This ought to be good for a weeks entertainment....
