Fantastic Audio/Video Filters from NVDVD

[sshapiro63]

I recently installed NVDVD from NVIDIA. The quality is top notch for both SageTV and DVD usage. I have tested the filters with a couple of ATI Radeon 9000 series cards and an NVIDIA FX 5200 based card. No problems with either type of card. I think the quality is the best I have seen so far, and no shimmering with scrolling text banners when watching news channels with SageTV!

I had to modify the sage.properties file to include the audio/video filters from NVDVD as shown below:

videoframe/additional_audio_filters=NVIDIA Audio Decoder,Audio Input,Audio Output
videoframe/additional_video_filters=NVIDIA Video Decoder,Video Input,Video Output

NVDVD is available from the NVIDIA website as a two week trial. Purchase price is very reasonable at about $40. The software also comes bundled with some NVIDIA based video cards, although the bundled version might be a limited feature implementation; not sure.

[ku71]

I tried that today, and it crashed on the second file I wanted to play. Well, maybe next version...

[justme]

The NVDVD drivers gave me an excellent picture as well. The only other drivers that looked close were the Elecard or PowerDVD. I think SHS said the NV drivers are based on Cyberlink drivers, so the similiarity to PowerDVD makes since. Still I would swear the NV drivers are better than the PowerDVD drivers. NV either fine tuned them or I'm just imagining the difference.
I didn't edit the properties file, the NVDVD drivers are activated if I select default in SageTV. I know it's the NVDVD drivers since Elecard was my default before the NVDVD install. Also a little Nvidia control applet pops up in my system tray whenever Sage is displaying video.

[sshapiro63]

I guess if you only have the NVDVD encoders installed you don't need to edit the properties file. I have a couple of versions installed so I needed to make the modifications.

[justme]

Uh actually I have the Intervideo nonCSS(Hauppauge), Intervideo(WinDVD), Cyberlink(PowerDVD XP4), and Elecard software/decoders installed. That's just off the top of my head. I'm kind of a software junkie. I want the newest version/driver to at least test. Although I usually go back to a package I already had. This time I think I'll stick with the NVDVD decoders.

On a side note Zoom player seems to choke on these NV decoders. So I guess I'll have to edit their merit so Elecard is the default system codec again. Then I know I'll need to add a line to the SageTV properties file for the NVDVD decoders to be used.

[sshapiro63]

I guess the various filter set thier own merit and NVDVD installs itself as the highest priority so the Default selection in SageTV works.

I really like the NVDVD player as well. Have you tried it for DVD playback?

[justme]

Haven't tried the DVD playback yet. I don't rent/buy too many DVDs. Funny considering how many software DVD players I own or have tried. When I do watch DVDs, I use my Xbox(I love XBMP). I can't wait till SageTV comes out with a linux client, so I can try it on my Xbox.

[pawn]

Originally posted by sshapiro63

NVDVD is available from the NVIDIA website as a two week trial. Purchase price is very reasonable at about $40.

??? That's reasonable?

I bought Sonic Cinemaster 1.5 ( the absolute highest rated filters 6 months ago) for $15.

[sshapiro63]

You paid $15 for the entire package (filters and player) or $15 for just the filters?

[pawn]

Just filters. I guess I missed something.

[sshapiro63]

For $40 you get the filters and the NVDVD player software. The NVDVD player has a very nice interface, much nicer than Sonic 1.5, which I also own.

The Sonic filters leave me with shimmering text when watching news channels that have scrolling text banners. With the NVDVD filters I don't get that problem.