[mythtv-users] pvr-350 slighly fuzzy picture

[Bob Mill]

Well, I checked last night and it doesn't appear that
I have noise reduction turned on (dnr_type=0,
dnr_mode=0).  I'll have to try recording from my
s-video and/or 'amp-ing' the cable signal.  


Bob

--- Jeff Wormsley <daworm at comcast.net> wrote:

> Nick wrote:
> >> Can anyone give me any pointers on how to
> "sharpen"
> >> the picture.  I'm starting to wonder if all my
> work
> >> was in vain...cool features are great, but
> lossing
> >> picture quality is not something I want.  By the
> way,
> >> I have tried swapping out cables....didn't help.
> >> Right now I'm using the same S-Video cable that I
> use
> >> for my DVD player (fine picture cable).  I've
> also
> >> tried about 3 different coax (input) cables.
> > 
> > Make sure the PVR card is not using (heavy) noise
> reduction - by
> > default I think it is enabled when the ivtv driver
> is loaded - you can
> > control it using ivtvctl. Also, make sure you have
> a recent firmware
> > installed for the PVR card - the ivtv output in
> the syslog will let
> > you know if you are using a buggy firmware.
> 
> One other thing that may be affecting you.  The PVR
> card's tuners seem 
> to be a little on the weak side, meaning that if you
> don't have a strong 
> input signal, you'll get poor captures.  To check,
> you can try one of 
> two things.  One, move your rig temporarily to as
> close to where the 
> cable input comes into your house as possible, thus
> bypassing any 
> splitters and/or long cable runs.  The other is
> capturing an s-video 
> (preferred) or composite source, such as from a DVD
> player or your cable 
> box output, and compare that to your cable capture
> (use the ivtvctl 
> utility to set up the card using the -p parameter),
> and capture from the 
> command line ( cat /dev/video0 >
> /tmp/test_capture.mpg ).  If the close 
> to the cable entry capture (or the s-video capture)
> looks significantly 
> better than the cable input at your normal location,
> you may have a weak 
> input to the card.  Eliminate any unneeded splitters
> and/or look into 
> getting a signal amp (installed as close to the
> incoming cable line as 
> possible).  Google around for info on the best way
> to use a signal amp, 
> because sometimes too much amplification is as bad
> or worse than no 
> amplification (and can cause problems with a cable
> modem, if you have one).
> 
> One other possibility is using the wrong frequency
> table (such as hrc 
> instead of standard catv), but for me that usually
> means getting no 
> signal, not a poor one.
> 
> HTH,
>   Jeff.
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