Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[FlyingDoc]

OK After 4 hours sleep and a full clean re-install i have made some progress but stumbling at the last hurdle ...

I have the latest xx111 drivers and no other Hauppage software ... Using component/rca for audio and video. I have a reasonable picture with little or no jitter etc but channel change is a problem. I am using exemultituner to change the 7100 fios box via firewire. (This was solid in my pre colossus installation) Now i get maybe 1 change successfully but on the subsequent attempts to change channel Sage crashes to the desktop ....

Any help or suggestion welcomed ...this looks like the last problem before i can begin to enjoy the system again.

[TechBill]

I went ahead and ordered Windows 7 Pro 64 bits and going to replace the XP Pro 32 bits on my SageTV server with it.

It only cost me 30 dollar since I am a student and I got it with my student discount.

I know it may not fix my Colossus problem but XP EoL is next year so might as well do the upgrade now and see if it even solve some of my Colossus problem because there are folks here running Colossus with no problems.


Bill

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by TechBill

I went ahead and ordered Windows 7 Pro 64 bits and going to replace the XP Pro 32 bits on my SageTV server with it.

It only cost me 30 dollar since I am a student and I got it with my student discount.

I know it may not fix my Colossus problem but XP EoL is next year so might as well do the upgrade now and see if it even solve some of my Colossus problem because there are folks here running Colossus with no problems.


Bill

If you change channels with firewire, you need to return the 64 bit and get the 32 bit. There is no 64 bit driver and probably never will be.

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by FlyingDoc

OK After 4 hours sleep and a full clean re-install i have made some progress but stumbling at the last hurdle ...

I have the latest xx111 drivers and no other Hauppage software ... Using component/rca for audio and video. I have a reasonable picture with little or no jitter etc but channel change is a problem. I am using exemultituner to change the 7100 fios box via firewire. (This was solid in my pre colossus installation) Now i get maybe 1 change successfully but on the subsequent attempts to change channel Sage crashes to the desktop ....

Any help or suggestion welcomed ...this looks like the last problem before i can begin to enjoy the system again.

My 2 x 6200 boxes change without a problem with firewire. Maybe you can ask Verizon to send you 6200. Of course, they are useless on the phone - customer service is the one thing verizon is lacking. You may also want to switch the firewire cable to different ports on the box and firewire card and eliminate that as issues.

Your other option is you may need to start trouble shooting by seeing if any of the other hardware has failed. This means order another HD box, replace the firewire cable, and possible replace the firewire card. Sorry for such a radical suggestion, but if you have done a fresh install, it should just work. Something else is failing and you have to figure out if the hardware is failing.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by mistergq

If you change channels with firewire, you need to return the 64 bit and get the 32 bit. There is no 64 bit driver and probably never will be.

Thanks for the head up.

I change channels on Directv with ethernet.

I think I do see one firewire on my motherboard but I don't have any devices that uses or need firewire.

Is it going to be showing an yellow ! in the device manager for firewire since there is one on my motherboard?

Only reason I went with 64 bits cuz it will support more memory and I already have 4 Gigs installed on my motherboard.


Bill

[mistergq]

Originally Posted by TechBill

Thanks for the head up.

I change channels on Directv with ethernet.

I think I do see one firewire on my motherboard but I don't have any devices that uses or need firewire.

Is it going to be showing an yellow ! in the device manager for firewire since there is one on my motherboard?

Only reason I went with 64 bits cuz it will support more memory and I already have 4 Gigs installed on my motherboard.


Bill

You may need to install the firewire driver for it to work. Usually, there is a cd with a ton of drivers on it that are for the motherboard hardware.

I am not sure about the ethernet changing as I don't have that as an option. If that works with 64 bit, you should be good to go.

I have 64 bit installed on non-sage boxes for the memory reason. Having said that, there are still plenty of programs being written for 32 bit and they will crash or freeze because they are not as compatible with 64 bit OS as one would think or hope for in 2011.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by mistergq

Having said that, there are still plenty of programs being written for 32 bit and they will crash or freeze because they are not as compatible with 64 bit OS as one would think or hope for in 2011.

I've had zero compatibility issues with 32-bit programs. I've been running 64-bit Windows since Vista.

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by TechBill

Thanks for the head up.

I change channels on Directv with ethernet.

I think I do see one firewire on my motherboard but I don't have any devices that uses or need firewire.

Is it going to be showing an yellow ! in the device manager for firewire since there is one on my motherboard?

Only reason I went with 64 bits cuz it will support more memory and I already have 4 Gigs installed on my motherboard.


Bill

It's not that Firewire isn't supported by 64-bit - it is for some things. For example if you got a camcorder with a firewire interface, it is likely that the manufacturer will provide a driver for it that works with 64-bit Windows. If your motherboard has a firewire port, most likely the manufacturer provided the necessary drivers to make the port work (So you shouldn't get a yellow circle in the device manager with nothing connected). But, you will need a separate driver for whatever device you try to plug into that port (external hard drive, camcorder, etc.).

Its' just that the cable companies don't release official drivers for their boxes period. Several years ago, somebody (Tim Moore?) hacked together his own driver based on some code for some other device and distributed it around the internet. The driver he wrote only works with 32-bit windows. It appears that he no longer supports this project and no one else has had the knowledge and ambition to write a 64-bit driver and share it with the public.

Since 64-bit Windows has been around for quite a while now and many people in HTPC community have been asking for support for firewire with 64-bit, but no one has put anything out there yet, it seems likely that no one will.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by Tiki

It's not that Firewire isn't supported by 64-bit - it is for some things. For example if you got a camcorder with a firewire interface, it is likely that the manufacturer will provide a driver for it that works with 64-bit Windows. If your motherboard has a firewire port, most likely the manufacturer provided the necessary drivers to make the port work (So you shouldn't get a yellow circle in the device manager with nothing connected). But, you will need a separate driver for whatever device you try to plug into that port (external hard drive, camcorder, etc.).

Its' just that the cable companies don't release official drivers for their boxes period. Several years ago, somebody (Tim Moore?) hacked together his own driver based on some code for some other device and distributed it around the internet. The driver he wrote only works with 32-bit windows. It appears that he no longer supports this project and no one else has had the knowledge and ambition to write a 64-bit driver and share it with the public.

Since 64-bit Windows has been around for quite a while now and many people in HTPC community have been asking for support for firewire with 64-bit, but no one has put anything out there yet, it seems likely that no one will.

Ah That make senses and Thank you for explaining.

Bill

[Hunter69]

I will be receiving a colossus today. I had an HD PVR go bad. So now I am trying to figure out the best way to install this card.

My setup before was 2 HD PVR's. I was assuming the colossus was a dual tuner, but the more I read the more I think I am wrong. So it looks as though I will need to pair the colossus with a HD PVR. Am I correct in my understanding?

Has anyone developed a good way to get both tuners installed.??

Do I need to run HCWclear prior to installing the colossus? Then install the colossus, then the HD PVR??

I use a USB UIRT for channel change so I won't need the IR functionality of the card. The HD PVR I install only the drivers. Can I do the same for the colossus?

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by Hunter69

So it looks as though I will need to pair the colossus with a HD PVR.

Boy, good luck. Seems like a lot of people are having troubles getting the Colossus and an HD-PVR working together in their systems.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

Boy, good luck. Seems like a lot of people are having troubles getting the Colossus and an HD-PVR working together in their systems.

I am one of those, but only since Sage 7.1.7 and the latest Hauppauge Colossus drivers interacted

[Vysrany]

I have my 2 Colossus and HDPVR working as stable as it was when I had just 2 Colossus. Initially I had major issues with blue screens (the crash windows kind), I still experience blue screen recordings if I do not lock my STB to 1080i. What seemed to have fixed the crashes for me was change the merits on my tuners. Right now my HVR2250 takes priority, then my 2 colossus, and lastly my HDPVR.

Since doing this (about a week or so?), I have not seen a blue screen, or stuttering video/audio. Knock on wood!!! I do religiously stop and start the service every night just in case. I don't trust the drivers yet, and don't want to lose a recording because of unwatchable video/audio stuttering.

I also thought that maybe I wasn't experiencing issues because I wasn't using the HDPVR as often as before, but I've recorded 3 sources or watched live tv frequently without any blue screens.

Aside from the need to restart the service, I'm fairly satisfied about my experience thus far. Still waiting on those drivers from Hauppauge!!

[Hunter69]

So does anyone have any suggestions as to the best install method?
Is it better to install the colossus first, then the hd PVR or vice versa. Does the order of install matter??

[michelkenny]

I've had my Colossus and HD-PVR (and 2250) work flawlessly for the past 2-3 weeks it's a miracle. Previously it wouldn't last a day before I had recording problems and system crashes. Here are my specifics:

1) Windows 2003 x86
2) 3 GB of memory (4 GB caused problems)
3) 1 x Colossus, 1 x HD-PVR and 2 x HVR-2250
4) Using component only on Colossus and HD-PVR
5) Latest Colossus and HD-PVR drivers
6) SageTV 7.1.7
7) hdpvr_magic set to false in sage.properties
8) Java heap size set to 1024 MB
9) STB locked to 720p
10) Scheduled a nightly reboot


I believe it was the hdpvr_magic = false and/or the nightly reboots that has turned my system rock solid.

[Hunter69]

So is it worth it to install the colossus or should I return it and purchase another hd pvr?? I could talk with newegg about a cross ship rma. Is there an advantage (other than being internal) to a colossus versus the hd pvr?? I assumed it was a dual tuner (foolish me) that is why I ordered it in the first place. I can't install 2 colossus due to 1 pci express 16 slot (micro atx board).

What do you think?

[jptheripper]

Originally Posted by Hunter69

So is it worth it to install the colossus or should I return it and purchase another hd pvr?? I could talk with newegg about a cross ship rma. Is there an advantage (other than being internal) to a colossus versus the hd pvr?? I assumed it was a dual tuner (foolish me) that is why I ordered it in the first place. I can't install 2 colossus due to 1 pci express 16 slot (micro atx board).

What do you think?

1. Yes it is only single tuner
2. It only needs a 1x slot
3. It can go in the 16x slot also, so if you dont need video ..
4. I would wager driver updates will be more frequent for the colossus than the hdpvr as it is a newer product.
5. does not overheat
6. etc..

[Hunter69]

So here is the mobo that it is being installed into:

Motherboard
So do you think I could install more than 1 colossus. I am using this mobo in a whs server, so onboard video works fine. The mobo has 1 PCI express 16, 1 pci express X1 and two pci slots.

[Vysrany]

The Northbridge might get in the way of the Colossus. It looks like in the picture the heatsink rises above the slot. You can install it in the x16 slot for sure.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by Hunter69

So here is the mobo that it is being installed into:

Motherboard
So do you think I could install more than 1 colossus. I am using this mobo in a whs server, so onboard video works fine. The mobo has 1 PCI express 16, 1 pci express X1 and two pci slots.

Yes I think it should fit in there.

Here the motherboard I am currently using

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...%20Motherboard



and I have 2 coloussus installed on that motherboard but only using the colossus in the 1x slot (colossus goes right over my heatsink)

I am not using the colossus that is in the 16x slot because I needed to order another HD300 to move my Directv reciever from my bedroom to the server and plug into that second colossus but I'm waiting for the drivers or SageTV to be stable first.


Bill