Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition

[lettuce]

Noticed this in the Maplin brochure that came through the post today, have it instore for 150 notes has anyone got one or had any experience with one they look interesting for capture on current gen @ consoles @1080p, as its a stand alone device means it doesnt need to be connected to a PC to record right? I wonder if theres any lag when playing?

[Fudoh]

Basically the same of the old HDPVR, just with added HDMI input and output. Component input got moved to a little breakout adapter and gets converted to HDMI now for passthrough. You cannot capture 1080p, only 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i (and PAL SD and ED)... You cannot play on your PC display, the lag is too heavy. That's why the passthrough output is there. Recording quality is very, very nice.

Both the old and the new HDPVR are absolutely NOT compatible with 240p signals. You need a video processor on an intermediate hub to record classic systems.

Here's one of Pyongyang's videos using a HDPVR2 and an Iscan VP20 as a hub - very nice results:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YL7pi2V2nw&feature=plcp

[fagin]

But he is getting audio sync issues so beware.

[lettuce]

I thought one of the selling points was it could capture at 1080p?? Guess ill stick with the micomsoft capture card then

[Fudoh]

But he is getting audio sync issues so beware.

seems to related to the PVR's software not liking the 48khz output of the VP20 via HDMI. I suggested trying HDMI video plus analogue audio - thus bypassing the whole external audio processing. Didn't hear back from Ian yet it this works....

[Fudoh]

you're right. The PVR2 accepts 1080p60, but it's only recorded in 1080p30. Good enough for Youtube I guess.

[fagin]

I was certainly impressed with the quality. Is that outcome driven by how the VP20 is handling the linedoubling?

[Fudoh]

What you see is basically the VP20's quality and that's not even *that* good.

[Pyongyang]

For the record, I've been wrecking both fudoh and fagin's heads with this HDPVR2 and my constant questions. How they haven't put a price on my head yet I don't know! Or have they?

Thanks for all the help gentlemen! The audio is wrecking my bulb, but I have the ABT-102 on the way now after I spoke with DVDO on the phone and they confirmed it works in my rebadged VP20 (the guy who wrote the firmware for the SU20 told me so so I guess I can't question him haha!).

Things are about to get interesting with this. I'm trying some fun audio experiments on it this week, see if I can cure the tempo/pitch issues with it like young 'Fudoh Fudovski Fudovsson' suggested.

[Pyongyang]

OK, so you can use the component dongle to add RCA audio to the PVR2 and record RCA and HDMI at the same time.

But playback in WMP still causes slowed down audio (by that I mean a slower tempo/pitch/tone). If you play it in VLC, the audio is the right speed but it's a little glitchy like it's trying to fix it or something while it plays.

Video is, as always, top notch.

WHAT THE HECK IS CAUSING THE AUDIO PROBLEM!?

[NWrain]

Is the VP20 Up-sampling the audio?

[Pyongyang]

Running it through the RCA means it's not even touching the VP20, yet I still get slower tempo audio.

[Fudoh]

It's some kind of other problem. I checked the test clip and the audio on itself is running fine (if demuxed from the video), but there's a framerate mismatch between the source and the recording. Your recording shows 59.94fps which is right, but there's a serious hickup visible in the video.

Did you - by any chance - set the VP20 to anything else than 59.94Hz on the output ? When I told you to unlock the output for older systems, you may have set it wrong. The output refresh must read unlocked 59.94Hz and not (for example) 60.00Hz.

[Pyongyang]

Yep I have the VP20 set correctly. I've tried captures with both 50 and 60 unlock settings. Both give me the audio issue.

Glad to know when you demux it it's sounding right, but how to cure the mismatch?

p.s: Sorry for gatecrashing this thread.

[Fudoh]

I've tried captures with both 50 and 60 unlock settings

sure ? 60 unlocked would be wrong.

Try to record a clip (maybe the Le Mans opening once again) with LOCKED 60Hz output.

[Pyongyang]

That is tonight's mission then!

But I have definitely tried it before with all sorts of locked and unlocked frame rate settings on the VP20. All give the same buttocky audio on the PVR2 preview and any captures made.

edit: Just to confirm as well, I checked the info screen on the VP20 last night as well, it's definitely reading an output of 59.94.

[Pyongyang]

Just to update, Mr. Fudoh and I did some tests and the thing still won't play nicely. Locked, unlocked frame rates etc. Same audio issue.

The ironic thing is, the XBOX 360 connected directly works perfectly. It also works perfectly through the VP20 if you hook it up the same way as the retro consoles that have been giving audio issues.

No idea what the heck is up with it. It's silly really as Mr. Fudes says when you demux caps I've made and play the audio back, it plays at normal speed.

[Pyongyang]

OK, I've made a bit of progress with this tonight. I think it might be a bug with the VP20 software and not the Hauppauge. Then again I could be wrong because the XBOX 360 works flawlessly every time, even via my VP20.

Anyway, at first I thought it was focused around the frame rate as Mr. T suggested. But then I was trying all sorts of tests tonight with muxing, demuxing etc to no avail. I then started flicking around in the audio menu on the VP20, to change the output of the audio to an unused port and back to the Stereo output which was hooked up to the Sync Strike breakout.

Magically this seemed to knock the audio back to the right speed and capturing is once again fine. I'm trying to replicate the issue to make sure it absolutely is that that is the problem. I really don't think it's the HD PVR2 anyway, I think that can be ruled out. For test purposes I used something with faster music, an NTSC-J edition of Mars Matrix. When the audio issue was happening you could easily spot the difference. Now, it's back up to full speed.

I could be wrong though about this 'bug', interesting to see what Mr. T and fagin have to say on this one. Does anyone know what later revisions of the VP20 firmware actually fixed?

For now, it's working though! When it goes wrong again, I'll try the audio output switchout and see if it resolves it. If it does, surely it has to be that which is the problem?

[Smraedis]

I have the first HD PVR (F1 version), it also had the audio sync problems when I updated the drivers, so I just reinstalled it all and it is fine.
I'm guessing the drivers on the newest device are similar to the updated drivers, but that may be the problem.

[Pyongyang]

Knowing you it wasn't your audio drivers, you were just playing so fast the PVR couldn't keep up!

Interesting the old PVR had the same issues. I had that one too but never had that problem with it, worked flawlessly. I wonder then if it is the PVR after all though? Doesn't explain why anything other than the 360 is affected though.

Tonight is the first time its worked properly ages. I still think the issue is with the VP20 though...

[Fudoh]

Not so sure about it, since you already tried only recording video from the VP20 and routing audio completely around the processor (you remember, audio capture using the analogue breakout instead) and you still had the same issues.

[Pyongyang]

Hopefully I can replicate it though. It can't just be the PVR at random deciding when it wants to work correctly surely?

[Pyongyang]

Well well well....

I 'think' I've discovered the problem and found a work around for the HD PVR2 audio problem. I tried the method I discussed above to try and force the problem to appear and use my work around to cure it.

Sure enough, I powered on my Dreamcast last night. Audio problem. Change the audio input to off. Wait a few seconds, change it back to the input source, hey presto the audio is working normally again.

I powered on the Dreamcast again tonight, again there was the audio problem. Changed the audio again and this time, even with the PVR preview window running and the volume turned up and my CRT muted you could hear the change in the audio.

So, could it be that the VP20 is at fault here? Or the PVR2 needs a kick in the face to re-feed audio to it to trigger the change? I'm not 100% sure but in terms of my setup, I'm able to recreate the problem and (for now at least) resolve it every single time with the audio switching method.

Mr. T and Mr. fagin, talk to me gentlemen. I would like to discuss further!

[fagin]

Have you got this problem regardless of capture software, i.e. you tried something else other than what comes with the PVR?

[Pyongyang]

Have you got this problem regardless of capture software, i.e. you tried something else other than what comes with the PVR?

Yep, everything I've tried (that is compatible with the HD PVR2). Same issue. But I can resolve it by turning the audio input on the VP20 off very briefly, then selecting the audio source again and it's instantly pumping out audio at the correct pitch/tempo/tone etc.

My ABT-102 hasn't arrived yet by the way, dying to give that a lash!

[fagin]

What AV inputs (connection types) does the PVR accept?

[fagin]

What happens if you try your GBS scaler instead of the VP?

[Pyongyang]

Not tried it with the eBay scaler because of the lack of outputs other than VGA. The PVR2 accepts HDMI in and out and has this component dongle thing, that's it.

[fagin]

It's difficult to determine where the issue is then, as you have a lack of sources you can use other than the VP.

I'd accept the caveats and just keep reinitialising the audio, or junk the PVR and get a Startech card IMO.

Can you install on a windows 7 machine and also try different drivers?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Saw one of those Happauge HD PVR Gaming Edition at my local Best Buy for $156.99 USD today in the video game aisle. It didn't even have one of those anti-theft alarm devices strapped on it (as most higher-priced items do have such a device strapped on -- just to be on the safe side).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~