[mythtv-users] PVR 150 Quality Issues

[Clay]

> > From: James Thorpe <james at tfxsoft.com>
> > 
> > > I didn't see anyone mention using the best
> capture port on that card
> > > which is the S-Video port. Mine worked great for
> a long time before I
> > > upgraded to the HD-PVR.
> > >    
> > Thanks for all the suggestions so far.  I'll
> certainly be giving them a 
> > go - I think this one is the first one to start with -
> I tried briefly 
> > last night but only got a black and white picture
> through it - I guess 
> > there's a PAL setting somewhere I've missed!
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > James.
> 
> James,
> 
> Don't get too excited. I've had a production setup
> going for about 2 years now and I have the same complaint.
> The bottom line is that the PVR-150/250 cards are just
> terrible. There are many who take exception to this
> statement but plenty others who agree. I also run 720x480
> and have the bit rate set quite high, 8mb/s. But regardless
> of whether I use the tuner, composite or S-video input it
> looks substantially worse than the commercial DVR I used to
> have, the built in STB DVRs or the ATI product line (too bad
> the latter has no Linux drivers). You are stuck with it if
> you want to use Myth with that kind of input.
> 
> Luckily 90% of my recordings are in HD via an HDHomeRun and
> ClearQAM on my Comcast cable system. More interestingly I am
> using the Myth-box less and less because the On Demand
> service is carrying a lot of the content the family watches
> and we will preferentially use that instead of Myth (and
> there are few to no commercials to skip doing that either).
> 
> st

While I'll have to agree about the 150's for channels on the low end, 2-13 (local network programming), the rest of the channels available on my TW cable come in as good or better than the tuner in my pos 10 year old Panasonic tube.
2-13 are unwatchable for all the snow and lightening bolts.
Mine are set to record at a DVD quality, don't ask me what that is anymore since it's been years since I looked it up, fundamentally so I don't have to transcode when burning recordings to DVD.