MVP Video Quality: Darks are too dark! Please Fix!

[dynamix]

Wow. We have two SD CRT Tv's and one 42" HD plasma and they all needed a certain amount of calibration to get the picture such that we liked it. My hauppauge PVR500 has only been slightly tweaked using the tweak tool as my display adjustments got me the rest of the way there.

Calibration and minor tweaking is to be expected and I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is that the MVP requires more than just minor tweaks.

The changes required of the MVP are far more radical than any other device I've owned, and that is unacceptable.

Plus the fact that everyone seems to know about the "darkness" issue, yet offer no warning to the consumer. I get the impression there's no fix in the works either.

[Para]

Originally Posted by dynamix

Plus the fact that everyone seems to know about the "darkness" issue, yet offer no warning to the consumer. I get the impression there's no fix in the works either.

I believe "everyone" knowing about the darkness issue is mainly due to reading about it in the forum. With respect, the best thing you or anyone else with an issue concerning the MVP is to officially contact Hauppauge for support. That is the best bet for addressing the issue. Even if it has been done before (by you or anyone else). Hauppauge can be very helpful.

Concerning adjustments; I know that my TV's all have different PQ's. That is very common with TV's and the MVP is no different in that respect. The MVP is just a much cheaper device with fewer adjustments and it works fine for a great number of people.

[edbmdave]

I have just had adjust the TVs settings and am very happy with the picture. I have 4 MVPs and don't feel any of them are too dark or otherwise picture poor. Back when I had cable tv boxes on every tv, I always had to adjust each TV independantly. I don't see the MVP as anything but a replacement for the cablebox and my expectations have been more than exceeded.

Very Happy. About to dump my last dedicated SageTV Client for a MVP. I only want the transcoding of divx, avi, etc, to honor the aspect ratio ie 16x9 does not end up distorted but blackbared or something...

[stevech]

So to avoid hosing up captured/recorded shows that may be viewed on either an MVP or otherwise, you guys ALL have to tweak the brightness/contrast on the TV connected to the MVP?

Do you have to re-tweak this TV when you switch away from the MVP and view cable or some other souce (DVD)?

Does not sound practical.

[tmiranda]

FWIW - I have two MVPs and neither have this issue. I think the problem only occurs on some combinations of MVPs and TVs and not on others.

I remember reading a thread somewhere else (SHS maybe?) that described how you could desolder a resister from the MVP system board to solve this problem.

[blade]

Originally Posted by stevech

So to avoid hosing up captured/recorded shows that may be viewed on either an MVP or otherwise, you guys ALL have to tweak the brightness/contrast on the TV connected to the MVP?

Do you have to re-tweak this TV when you switch away from the MVP and view cable or some other souce (DVD)?

Does not sound practical.

Many TVs have different brightness/contrast settings for each input so there is no need to adjust each time you change sources.

[edbmdave]

On two of the TVs (each over 10 years old) I only have the MVP so it's not an issue. On the others, It does appear that the settings are set per input method. ( The later are a plasma and LCD TV), so also not an issue.

[TBrieaddy]

I am using an old VCR between the MVP output and TV input. It increased the brightness enough so that it is almost equal to the brightness on regular TV (without the MVP). I also picked up a Sima GoDVD on Ebay for $22 (lists for $99). It will do the same thing (and more) and has a couple of adjustable brightness settings. This is my work around the known MVP issue. I have no problem now watching videos etc. on the MVP.

[stevech]

so maybe the MVP's have a video out voltage level that is lower than the standard (NTSC). Newer TVs can cope if they "remember" the settings for each input independently.

Maybe there's a cheap video amplifier (adjustable gain) out there we can use.

Is the problem unique to the composite video mode?

[dynamix]

Originally Posted by stevech

so maybe the MVP's have a video out voltage level that is lower than the standard (NTSC). Newer TVs can cope if they "remember" the settings for each input independently.

Maybe there's a cheap video amplifier (adjustable gain) out there we can use.

Is the problem unique to the composite video mode?

No, it effects both composite and svideo. Looks horrible on both. It needs to be fixed. I've never owned a video device which has such poor quality video playback by default... Even the composite video out from my Creative Zen Vision mp3 player has better quality. And it doesn't require a 2ghz machine to playback divx, either.

[heffe2001]

It'd be nice if they'd bring out a different extender box, maybe a buffalo linktheater (or whatever that thing's called), I'd bet the quality would be MUCH better than the MVP's. I'd go ahead and buy one if it had the Sage front end on it .

I do notice the dark picture on my HD tv from the MVP, but it looks better on the small SD TV in my PC room, I can adjust it to where it looks quite good.

[stevech]

based on this - I'll hold off on buying a media player.

As to voltage levels for composite, I should have said the EIA RS170 standard, not NTSC.

If I had access to an MVP I'd put my oscilloscope on its output under load and see if it met spec. If it's just a low luminance signal, the circuit change might be simple. Must be more to it than this because Hauppauge's engineers know better.

[Motofreak75]

Originally Posted by stevech

because Hauppauge's engineers know better.

Cough.... Hauppauge's engineers "Should" know better, is more of the correct term ! Hauppauge have made several revisions of the extender and yet they have all have the same issues. I have a H2 2.04 revision model and I had to crank my tv to full brightness aswell as the contast to even look normal. (i dont have to change anything when I hook up my vcr, sagetv client & my Digital Camera) You shouldn't have to do it period !


No tv is that out of whack. Just the MVP !

[rant]
Notice how Sage wont comment or even touch threads that have to deal with the darkness issue from the MVP ? I dont blame them either, it's a no win situtation, But I'm sure their fully aware of this problem. Oh Sage tech support., I will not crank up the recording setting to make it look right on my MVP, that's a band-aid solution that will effect other sage products, like the Sage Client on my big screen. [hint]
[/rant]

[_Demo_]

Originally Posted by Motofreak75

Notice how Sage wont comment or even touch threads that have to deal with the darkness issue from the MVP ? I dont blame them either, it's a no win situtation, But I'm sure their fully aware of this problem. Oh Sage tech support., I will not crank up the recording setting to make it look right on my MVP, that's a band-aid solution that will effect other sage products, like the Sage Client on my big screen. [hint]

If anyone can find the cause I will gladly forward to hauppauge.

_Demo_

[dynamix]

Notice how Sage wont comment or even touch threads that have to deal with the darkness issue from the MVP ? I dont blame them either, it's a no win situtation, But I'm sure their fully aware of this problem. Oh Sage tech support., I will not crank up the recording setting to make it look right on my MVP, that's a band-aid solution that will effect other sage products, like the Sage Client on my big screen. [hint]

Yep. you are exactly right. Actually, I find that to be Sage's stance on most bugs relating to their software. My PVR-350 is still afflicted with the same bugs I had back in Sage 2.0. I just deal with it now, because I've wasted so many hours in the past trying to fix it. Not worth my time.

But I keep using Sage.tv because I like the way it records shows. I like that all my shows are in mpeg2, and I like the way it sets shows to "watched/unwatched." If there was something that did this better, I'd probably be switching tommorrow.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by dynamix

Yep. you are exactly right. Actually, I find that to be Sage's stance on most bugs relating to their software. My PVR-350 is still afflicted with the same bugs I had back in Sage 2.0. I just deal with it now, because I've wasted so many hours in the past trying to fix it. Not worth my time.

But I keep using Sage.tv because I like the way it records shows. I like that all my shows are in mpeg2, and I like the way it sets shows to "watched/unwatched." If there was something that did this better, I'd probably be switching tommorrow.

PVR 350 problems are driver issues. Any of the apps that use it have same or similar issues.

The contrast problem on the MVP was fixed/hacked by a user changing a resistor or something. It was documented on a forum and other users had also done it.

Neither one of these are Sage software issues. It's pretty apparent the ball isin Hauppague'scourt to address these issues.

Gerry

[dynamix]

Originally Posted by gplasky

PVR 350 problems are driver issues. Any of the apps that use it have same or similar issues.

The contrast problem on the MVP was fixed/hacked by a user changing a resistor or something. It was documented on a forum and other users had also done it.

Neither one of these are Sage software issues. It's pretty apparent the ball isin Hauppague'scourt to address these issues.

Gerry

I have changed the drivers, changed the motherboard, changed the version of windows... None of which fixed my issues with the PVR-350. But it certainly did waste alot of my time. And I didn't have the issues with the software that came with the PVR-350, only with Sage.tv while using hardware decoding.

I've read about the MVP hack already. Not exactly a solution or an option. I shouldn't have to crack open the case and modify the electronics to make a product work as advertised.

Sage didn't make the MVP, but they developed their software to run on it. As it stands, the MVP is deeply flawed. Why they developed Sage.tv to run on the MVP is a mystery...

[MrApollinax]

Because people like you and me wanted a cheap thin client solution. I have neither the time nor the money to invest into a full-blown client PC. The MVP setup works for me and comes in at the right price.

[stevech]

On the TV connected to the MVP, do you watch cable TV on it as well as the MVP? If so, do you have the brightness/contrast readjustment issue? Some say that certain TVs automatically change these settings per input (MVP vs cable).

[blackbeltdbz]

Uhhh Hauppauge may me manufacturing them, but SageTV is selling them as media extenders to their product. If you but a used Honda with warranty and you have a problem with it, who's court is that ball in? The dealership didn't manufactur the car, but they sold it as a functional product with warranty. Obviously you would be expecting the dealership to take care of the problem.

Is it not technically possible to add some sort of video output calibration in the sagetv menu that is specific to the individual mvp?