MVP Client vs Hauppauge MVP software

[farscapesg1]

OK, I have a Hauppuage MVP that I've finally gotten around to hooking up in the bedroom. I'm currently just using the Hauppuage MVP software (latest beta version). The playback of videos seems to be really choppy, even the MPEG2 ones. When I try to fast forward, the video freezes until I press play and then it stutters some more while it seems to try to buffer. The servers software is installed on my HTPC;

AthlonXP 2800+
SageTV 4.1
512 MB RAM
2x160 GB SATA hard drives
WindowsXP Pro

Does the SageTV MVP Client work better for this? With the Hauppuage software I can play Divx/AVI files as well as MPEG (even if they are choppy). Will I loose this option switching to the SageTV software? Is the problem because the "server" system isn't fast enough to process the data before sending it to the MVP?

I don't want to purchase a license for the software and find that it still doesn't work. It may be more realistic for me to try to piece together another HTPC to use in the bedroom and just by a PC Client license to interface with the main HTPC.

I'm hoping that someone that has tried using both the Hauppuage and the SageTV software can give me some advice on this.

[MrApollinax]

I have used both and I prefer the SageTV interface because it is much easier to use and navigate when dealing with my recordings. Both the Hauppauge and SageTV solutions did not have any choppiness during playback when I was testing them. It sounds like you have some network issues. Have you run the Hauppauge registry tweak provided by Hauppauge? I had some choppiness prior to installing the tweak but the tweak resolved that issue. DivX transcoding was added with one of the newest releases of 4.1.X. You have to turn it on by editing a properties file but it does work. I watch my MPEG2 recordings all the time using SageTV and my MVP with no choppiness.

[farscapesg1]

Originally Posted by MrApollinax

I have used both and I prefer the SageTV interface because it is much easier to use and navigate when dealing with my recordings. Both the Hauppauge and SageTV solutions did not have any choppiness during playback when I was testing them. It sounds like you have some network issues. Have you run the Hauppauge registry tweak provided by Hauppauge? I had some choppiness prior to installing the tweak but the tweak resolved that issue. DivX transcoding was added with one of the newest releases of 4.1.X. You have to turn it on by editing a properties file but it does work. I watch my MPEG2 recordings all the time using SageTV and my MVP with no choppiness.

Any linkage to information on that properties file?

[SprDtyF350]

Look on the Hauppauge website where you download the software for the MediaMVP. It is located at this link:

http://hauppauge.com/pages/support/s..._mediamvp.html

Look for TCPIP optimization. Need to right click, save link as, and then click on the tcpip-optimization.reg file you saved. It will make some changes to your registry.

[farscapesg1]

Thanks. I ran the patch and it improved the performance, but it still isn't what I would call "smooth". There is still a good 1 second pause when coming out of ff/rw or when coming out of the time-skip mode.

I may just go with setting up another computer in the bedroom to do run a sage client. I have a P4 2.0 Ghz Dell desktop that I can set up in there with a 17" lcd screen. I was just hoping to make use of the MVP that I got last year for my birthday.

[mayamaniac]

Originally Posted by farscapesg1

Does the SageTV MVP Client work better for this?

You can install the trial version of SageTV to test the MVP support out on an extra PC. Personally for me, it works great with Sage.

If you have stutter issues, it's probably network/router related. There are a few threads on this topic in this Media Extender section.