Rosyln Auto-Brightness problem(registry fix)

[cmaffia]

I decided to uninstall the lastest drivers and install the oldest drivers.

Is it me that I do not see the auto-brightness/contrast problem with my Rosyln card now??

Also video quality is greatly improved with the two registry changes.

Here is what to do:

Step 1 - Install the InterVideo NonCSS Video Decoder for Hauppauge

Step 2 - Run hcwclear.exe to delete previous drivers correctly

Step 3 - Execute the installation of the drivers I found here:

ftp://ftp.shspvr.com/download/media_...2.92.21350.exe

Step 4 - REBOOT when promted!

Step 5 - Restart PC and when XP finds new hardware, choose the "Recommended" method and click till all drivers are installed

Step 6 - taken from SageTV support pages:

Try out our registry performance increase for Hauppauge users. This works when you are also using the InterVideo NonCSS Video Decoder for Hauppauge as the selected Video Decoder in SageTV Recorder/SageTV.

Just change these registry settings to 1 while SageTV is shutdown:
HKLM\Software\Intervideo\Custom\Hauppauge\VideoDec\Dxva
HKLM\Software\Intervideo\Custom\Hauppauge\VideoDec\Hwmc

For the newer decoders the location is:
HKLM\Software\IviSDK4Hauppauge\Common\VideoDec\Dxva
HKLM\Software\IviSDK4Hauppauge\Common\VideoDec\Hwmc

Step 7 - Start SageTV and set to DEFAULT all parameters in Color Calibration (tweak after if you must)

Can someone else test to see if using these older driver works for them?

[cmaffia]

I forgot to add that in your setup you have to use the InterVideo NonCSS Video Decoder for Hauppauge. With the described configuration I have to admit it looks better than the NVDVD or Sonic decoders I actually paid for.

I've been using these settings now and I do not see the auto-brightness issue anymore. As far as I can tell, these are the oldest compatible drivers for the Roslyn card. That would lead me to believe that the auto-brightness problem is driver related.

This card looks as good as my Retail PVR-250 MCE now.

Let me know if you see the same results.

[sleight42]

Hmm..... I was just about to ship my Roslyn back tomorrow. Perhaps I had ought to give this a shot.

What is your picture quality like using Sonic as your decoder? Do you have brightness problems when decoding with Sonic or is your picture just a tad grainy?

Seeing as how Sage, as far as I know, cannot tie a particular decoder to a particular encoding source, it would be awfully inconvenient to mix and match 250MCE recordings with Roslyn recordings if I you want to use Sonic for the 250MCE and Intervideo for the Roslyn.

[cmaffia]

Originally posted by sleight42
Hmm..... I was just about to ship my Roslyn back tomorrow. Perhaps I had ought to give this a shot.

What is your picture quality like using Sonic as your decoder? Do you have brightness problems when decoding with Sonic or is your picture just a tad grainy?

Seeing as how Sage, as far as I know, cannot tie a particular decoder to a particular encoding source, it would be awfully inconvenient to mix and match 250MCE recordings with Roslyn recordings if I you want to use Sonic for the 250MCE and Intervideo for the Roslyn.

No need to use Sonic or Anything else.. this is better.
I use the same decoder even on the PVR-250-MCE
Just didn't think to roll back to the first driver which doesn't have those problems. That PLUS the Haupphauge decoder with the two registry changes makes video quality much better. Use the same for both.. thats my opinion.

The brightness problem is definitely tied to the driver, not the decoder. Try my approach verbatim... then experiment with the sonic decoder after you see the first results.

[cmaffia]

Originally posted by cmaffia
No need to use Sonic or Anything else.. this is better.
I use the same decoder even on the PVR-250-MCE
Just didn't think to roll back to the first driver which doesn't have those problems. That PLUS the Haupphauge decoder with the two registry changes makes video quality much better. Use the same for both.. thats my opinion.

The brightness problem is definitely tied to the driver, not the decoder. Try my approach verbatim... then experiment with the sonic decoder after you see the first results.

Just tried Sonic Decoder
Looks great too.. not auto-brightness BS

[sleight42]

Weird that a newer driver would induce the problem. Not a huge surprise (as we software developer weenies occasionally introduce new bugs when patching a product) but a surprise just the same.

[cmaffia]

Originally posted by sleight42
Weird that a newer driver would induce the problem. Not a huge surprise (as we software developer weenies occasionally introduce new bugs when patching a product) but a surprise just the same.

Day - 2

I am convinced that this is the temporary resolution for disgruntled Roslyn users until Frey and other companies force Hauphauge to correct the drivers.


In a nutshell -

USE DRIVER VERSION 2.92.21350
Tested with the procedures in my thread-starter
Tested with Sonic decoder as well.

[beautye350]

I take it that this "fix" will not work for those of us with multiple Roslyn tuners as the driver pre-dates the multi-tuner supported drivers (2.98.22124)?


Regards,

Beau

[sleight42]

If that's so, yuck!

[pxlphsr]

Hi,
I am a newb. Last week I recieved the SageTV Roslyn bundle. Initially I was very dissapointed in the picture quality. After reading the info available in the forums and making adjustments the PQ (though not as good as my TV tuner) is acceptable. I am puzzled about the driver that you recommend. The driver that I am using is 299.22145 dated 5/24/04. I got this from the installation CD from Frey. Are you aware of this driver?

[sleight42]

I've used that 5/24/04 driver and had problems. Do the registry changes outlined above, while using the 5/24 driver, improve your picture?

The driver cmaffia recommended, I believe, was an older driver. We (the community) believe that the newer drivers were designed to accomodate multi-Roslyn configurations.

[pxlphsr]

Sorry, I can't say for sure if the registry changes really helped. I don't recall seeing an improvement. I was able to bring PQ up using the color controls within SageTV in conjunction with video card controls (radeon 9600, cat 3.6). I have sharpness set all the way up and the image still seems soft compared to my TV tuner. I will do some more testing.

[sleight42]

That sounds like my experience. Any contrast issues?

[cmaffia]

Again,

USE DRIVER VERSION 2.92.21350

I have nothing but SUCCESS with these drivers

and

Nothing but BAD experiences with any driver AFTER this version.

I am curious to hear results from users who are following the
procedures I outlined to the "T"

No this will not help those users with multiple Rosylns
This is a temporary resolution for those single Roslyn users
with bad video quality. The point is that this proves to me that the poor video quality is a driver issue and not a hardware issue.

[pxlphsr]

Last night I installed the older 2.92.21350 driver. There is a definite improvement in picture quality. The image is sharper and now very close to the quality of my Pioneer Elite TV tuner. Thanks you cmaffia, I am happy now.

[cmaffia]

Originally posted by pxlphsr
Last night I installed the older 2.92.21350 driver. There is a definite improvement in picture quality. The image is sharper and now very close to the quality of my Pioneer Elite TV tuner. Thanks you cmaffia, I am happy now.

More importantly,,, no smokey glass, contrast dynamically adjusting every 2 seconds, issues

[jed91080]

i'm a beyondtv user but you guys seem to be having my problem and discussing it more thorougly than over at the btv forums. i've got a pvr-250btv capture card and i'm having the same brightness fluctuation problem. i tried rolling back to the drivers you mentioned but beyondtv won't work with those drivers. it worked with 2.96xxx but not 2.92xxx. i was so hopeful about that solution.

i know you can't speak to the beyondtv software but btv technical support suggested that this might be a macrovision problem with my digital cable box. i'm not familiar with macrovision, but is it at all possible that this is macrovision interference?

i considered switching to sagetv but that would be expensive. i guess i'm hoping i can wait it out for a driver update that fixes the problem in btv.

[cmaffia]

Originally posted by jed91080
i'm a beyondtv user but you guys seem to be having my problem and discussing it more thorougly than over at the btv forums. i've got a pvr-250btv capture card and i'm having the same brightness fluctuation problem. i tried rolling back to the drivers you mentioned but beyondtv won't work with those drivers. it worked with 2.96xxx but not 2.92xxx. i was so hopeful about that solution.

i know you can't speak to the beyondtv software but btv technical support suggested that this might be a macrovision problem with my digital cable box. i'm not familiar with macrovision, but is it at all possible that this is macrovision interference?

i considered switching to sagetv but that would be expensive. i guess i'm hoping i can wait it out for a driver update that fixes the problem in btv.

Not sure if it is a macrovision issue but it is defintely a driver issue and this "contrast" effect is not present when using the driver version I indicated.

I do not see this as a Macrovision issue at all come to think of it.
My Satellite box A/V output is hooked up directly to the "Roslyn" card. We get VASTLY different video quality with SAME setup, only difference is the driver versions.

P.S. Spend the extra cash on SageTV, you'll be a lot happier

[cmaffia]

I just sent this email to Frey Support for the Roslyn Card
Hopefully something will be done.

Hello

I've pretty much narrowed down the poor video quality of the Roslyn card to all drivers that were released after version 2.92.21350.
I have outlined how single Roslyn card users can achieve excellent video quality in the SageTV forum http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...&threadid=6190


Is there any push on behalf Frey Technologies in resolving these Roslyn driver issues with Hauppauge?

After a month I gave up on my Roslyn card and bought a Hauppauge PVR-250 MCE. I was forced to do this because the Roslyn video quality was HIDDEOUS and I was not enjoying my SageTV purchase.

Meanwhile, in my test box environment I started playing with the Roslyn again and stumbled upon the fact that using driver version SPECIFICALLY 2.92.21350 and the InterVideo NonCSS Video Decoder for Hauppauge (with the 2 registry changes) exceeded the video quality of the PVR-250 MCE! Also the audio gain is much higher on the Roslyn than the MCE which brings down the signal-to-noise ratio.

I would consider buying another Rosyln now to create a 2 tuner system but unfortunatley the 2.92.21350 drivers are prior to the multiple Roslyn driver fix that was introduced in driver version 2.99.22145.
So in a nutshell if anyone wants to have the excellent video quality of the single Roslyn/2.92.21350 combo in a 2 Roslyn card environment, they can't.

Please have Hauppauge create a new driver that implements the multiple Roslyn fix they introduced in version 2.99.22145 with the same or better video quality found in version 2.92.21350

Thank you,

[jed91080]

i'm glad you're keeping this issue alive. i'm having the same trouble with snapstream's version of the roslyn. i tried your suggested fix with a trial version of sagetv. it didn't improve as much as i would have liked and i really prefer the beyondtv interface.

i popped in a very old and very cheap ati tv wonder in place of my roslyn and it captured all the digital channels from my cable box (sci. atlanta 3100) that had previously been coming in terribly dark and fluctuating to the point of nearly driving me blind.

this card badly needs new drivers or it should no longer be sold.

cmaffia, i see you have a setup with a satellite receiver. have you experimented with regular cable and/or digital? my problem only occurs in conjunction with digital, while regular cable is just fine. others may already have come to this conclusion but i believe the roslyn is overly sensitive to digital channels for some reason (in a way that other cards like my cheap ati wonder are not).