Here is another working config for people to look at.

• Vista Home Premium x64
• Core Duo 3.4ghz
• 8Gb RAM (This is an important point for some tuner cards)
• Gigabyte ATI 3870
• Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-3000
  
  

Vista is patched up to SP1

• Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-3000 http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?item=TVNHGR0044
  $156 NZD
   
• DVBviewer Pro 3.9.2 (purchased off the 'net) http://www.dvbviewer.com/en/index.php  
  $$${15 EUROs}
  
  Look here for an explanation of the decoding process http://www.dvbviewer.com/en/index.php?page=manual&chapter=j&sub=j1
  
  
• DVBfilter 
  FREE (available to paid up DVB members)
    » Description: DVBViewer Filter 
    » Version: 3.0.1
    » Size: 259 KBytes
    » Last Updated: 18.01.08
  
  You need this to get the HE AAC codec to hook up properly
   
• libfaad2 Wrapper DirectShow Filter 
  
  This allows DVBviewer to "see" the AAC filter for the Codec (it shows up in the DVBviewer DirectX settings under AAC Decoder)
  
    » Description: libfaad2 Wrapper Filter 
    » Version: 1.1.0
    » Size: 217 KBytes
    » Last Updated: 12.01.08
  FREE (available to paid up DVB members)
  
  
• libfaad2 the DLL itself http://rarewares.org/aac-decoders.php 
  
  This the codec bit - follow the instructions in the readme RTF file for the libfaad2 Wrapper Filter 
  
  $$${FREE (as far as I know)}
  
• CoreAVC H.264 Decoder http://www.coreavc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=4&id=21&Itemid=59 
  $$${14.99USD}
  
  This provides a stable H.264 decoder codec (it shows up in the DVBviewer DirectX settings under Video Decoder)
  
  
• The ".ini" file for DVBviewer to find the channels for NZ Auckland
  
  Will upload the settings later
  

What you get with this?

1. If you have a reasonable UHF signal ...
2. the hardware installed
3. the software components installed and configured
   

Will decode and display video (seems stable) 
sound decoded OK
EPG works

Runs OK full screen at 1650x1024 - less than 30% CPU

RE: Recording

Records and plays back in .TS formats using DVBviewer (looks real purrty)

Next steps....

.TS format is ok if you want to play back on the PC - not so good for display via say an XBOX360 media centre :(
Asking DVBviewer to save in MPEG has not been so good so far. For a start DVBviewer records MPEG but still calls it a .TS. This confuses Windows Media Player - it will play the video - no sound so far though - also the interlacing in the resulting MPEG is horrible.

DVBviewer  Experimental Vista renderer - Drops CPU down to less that 10% but looks very bad - unusable so far

Hints Welcome :)

RE: Vista Media Center

No luck so far getting Media Center to scan the DTT and find anything. I'm guessing there is a registry setting or .ini equivalent of the DVBviewer .ini

Hints welcome :)



That's PART ONE





Enjoy,
RickW