4. Basic Set Up

Basic GB-PVR setup includes configuring and selecting a capture source from the list of compatible cards here. Other cards that are not supported can be made to work using a software recorder, although this will increase CPU load. The recorder is available here along with a list of cards known to work with this method.

GB-PVR Configuration Utility (image courtesy of GB-PVR)

The GB-PVR Wiki says the Hauppauge PVR 150 is the most popular card used with the program and the only difference between that and the PVR 150 MCE is that the MCE has a radio and lacks a remote and IR Blaster. For a two-tuner option, look no further than Hauppauge's PVR 500. I'm not here to argue which tuner is the best, but the PVR 150 supposedly works since the beginning and all other cards are an afterthought since the guy who wrote GB-PVR has a PVR 150.

The next step is to choose your EPG (Electronic Program Guide) source. If you're in the US or Canada, I highly suggest signing up to zap2it. People in the rest of the world have to set up a XMLTV grabber (info available here). Once you're set up, you simply click on "update EGP" and watch your computer grind away downloading the program list for five to 20 minutes depending on your processor. (After the first time, the download will run at 3:00 AM). The guide in GB-PVR keeps a list for the next three days of what will be on.

Next, you choose your file locations for videos and playlists; pretty straightforward. You should also familiarize yourself with the basic keyboard controls here if you don't have a remote. Odds are if your picture quality looks bad or does not work at all, then the problem is most likely theMPEG-2 decoder. Fixing this involves simply selecting a new video decoder under the Playback menu.

A big problem with GB-PVR is that the MPEG2 decoder that comes with the PVR 150 is InterVideo, which generates quality problems under GB-PVR. Instead, I used the decoder that came with Nero 7. A free decoder that works well is the Cyberlink DVD from D-i-v-X available as part of the free AV Codec Pack V1.0.5. (download here). Although the GB-PVR documentation warns you that not all Cyberlink decoders work, this one does. An advanced install is required, though, and be sure to install only the codecs you need.