[mythtv-users] Recording/live-tv video quality (aka do, PVR150 encoders suck?)

[Yan Seiner]

Charles H. Chapman wrote:
> "Scott Traurig" <straurig at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>  > At this point it seems that most myth users must be
>  > insensitive to quality and I am in a minority here.
>  > It also seems the only way I'll ever know is to
>  > upgrade my cable service to HD so that I can use
>  > either the S-video or firewire outputs on the HD STB.
>
> Well, I for one agree with you.  The encoding from the PVR card (a 250 
> in my case) is inferior to the source material, even using S-video from 
> the DirecTV box.  One problem in particular is the apparent lack of 
> luminance AGC in the tuner.  On a normal TV this is done in hardware (or 
> maybe software in newer TVs) but it seems to be missing from the 
> hardware/software of the 250.  The result is that scenes, particularly 
> lettering, on a mostly white screen get washed out.
>   
Some of  that may be due to drivers and / or environmental conditions.  
(Broadcast signal quality and strength).

The only reason I say that is that my pvr150 used to wash out quite a 
bit.  Now, though, it doesn't.  Kids' cartoons are the hardest thing on 
the PVR150, and we mostly record those off the local PBS station.

The quality has improved tremendously in the last 6 month or so for me.  
I've changed kernel versions and ivtv drivers, but mostly I suspect our 
local PBS station has changed its broadcast signal, since the one 
commercial station we record still washes out somewhat.

Perhaps the TV stations are making some changes to accommodate digital 
TVs and recroding devices or perhaps, at least in my case, some part of 
the transmitter recently broke and was replaced.....

--Yan