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Discussion starter · #21 ·
Quote:
he's talking about putting a MyHD card in a different computer on a network
Well, I was talking about doing that until you got involved. :) Now, I'm thinking adding a FusionHDTV card to my HTPC (alongside the AccessDTV card) will accomplish my goals with less expense.


It is my understanding that the FusionHDTV card is the only card that can run in the same PC as the AccessDTV card. The other cards are all incompatible since they use the Janus chips.
 
i'm thinking about doing the same thing as chris 'cause i often find myself wanting to watch a different program or a dvd while i'm recording something on my myhd. i started researching accessdtv after reading this thread, & the accessdtv website states that the card encrypts its recordings so that only the card that made the recording can play it back. if this is true, then it would seem to contradict cliff's statements about file sharing.
 
Hey kpoon, nice to see another Utahn on the forum.


The AccessDTV card does not encrypt their files anymore.

You can safely ignore a lot of what is on the web site for AccessDTV because an independant team of engineers has taken over active development of the drivers and software.


It's WAY nicer now. In my opinion it's the most advanced HDTV PVR system to date. The networking capabilities of the software are great.
 
Quote:
Originally posted by kpoon
i'm thinking about doing the same thing as chris 'cause i often find myself wanting to watch a different program or a dvd while i'm recording something on my myhd.
As far as just watching a DVD, I use PowerDVD, but there's also WinDVD and TT. Even my low end 1000 Athlon can watch a DVD while MyHD records (although that might not be true with TT--it may require more horsepower). I actually prefer PowerDVD to MyHD for watching DVDs, so I'll use it even when MyHD would be available.
 
Okay, setting the resolution to 1000i allowed the scheduling dialog box to display properly in the center of the screen. This made things a bit small and hard to see, but I was able to program in some recurring programs. I couldn't figure out a way to change an existing one from once to daily, so I had to create an entire new program, which means it will apparently lose the name of the show in the filename. Also, it doesn't appear there's any way to have it record just specific days (e.g. M-F), so MyHD is a bit more flexible. But remember, none of this is necessary for recording a specific show.


The material it recorded last night looked great.
 
I used 3 accessDTV cards on my system and they seemed to work great. I did have to have them on 3 different computers. I would just record all my shows to a networked drive. I would use 2 of them just to record and one for live tv or to watch my recorded shows. My wife and I just got a Directv system and decided to get a hd Tivo. So now I am selling my cards on Ebay. I had a Myhd and the software was not even close to the AccessDTV.


Thanks,

Chad
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Karyk
I wouldn't assume that you don't have enough power with that computer, especially if you went with the MyHD card which doesn't use much of a CPU (like your Access card).
Where did you get the idea that the accessDTV card uses a lot of CPU? It demands about the same out of the CPU as the MyHD card does, which is to say not much.

Quote:
So assuming the Access card and MyHD card will co-exist in the same system (I thought they didn't, but you might be using two computers) then I'd go with the MyHD card.
It's unlikely that accessDTV and MyHD cards will ever coexist in the same system. It's far more likely that 2 accessDTV cards or 2 MyHD cards will be able to work together (MyHD has or had beta drivers / software that did this and I'm starting to explore what it would take to have 2 or more accessDTV cards coexist in 1 system).
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Cliff Watson
I don't think ADTV can read Fusion seq files.
accessDTV can import any sort of sequence into a new entry in the playlist, so long as the filename sequence works out such that sorting it by filename yields the correct playback sequence.
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Karyk
The 20% figure I gave was recording with both MyHD and Fusion at the same time. Fusion alone is about 10%.
CPU percentages as quoted in this thread so far aren't very meaningful. It's important to note how much of 20% is actually being used by the MyHD, Fusion, or accessDTV processes - as there are always other processes running on your system. With accessDTV, the CPU usage will be higher if using the Timeshift Record mode as there's a lot more going on than in regular record mode (which would be the comparable record mode to MyHD and Fusion).

Quote:
I thought the Access card could "time warp" while recording, and if so, that would reduce the file sharing benefits of the MyHD card.
It does, but it's really only useful if you want to watch THAT show which it is currently recording :).
 
Quote:
Originally posted by gsr
Where did you get the idea that the accessDTV card uses a lot of CPU? It demands about the same out of the CPU as the MyHD card does, which is to say not much.
Sorry when I was ambiguous, but I said the MyHD card wouldn't use much in the way of CPU resources, like the Access card. If I'd said unlike the Access card it would have meant that the Access card did use a lot of resources. The comparision I was trying to make was to the Fusion card, which was his other choice, and which does use more resources (to view, but not to record).
 
Quote:
Originally posted by RareB
I I had a Myhd and the software was not even close to the AccessDTV.
I've never used the Access, but without a timeframe on what software you were using, commenting on the MyHD software isn't of much use.


I didn't even consider getting a second MyHD card because the dual card software is over a year old. I know the MyHD software has improved over that period, and from what little I've read I believe the Access software has too.
 
Quote:
Originally posted by gsr
CPU percentages as quoted in this thread so far aren't very meaningful. It's important to note how much of 20% is actually being used by the MyHD, Fusion, or accessDTV processes - as there are always other processes running on your system. With accessDTV, the CPU usage will be higher if using the Timeshift Record mode as there's a lot more going on than in regular record mode (which would be the comparable record mode to MyHD and Fusion).
I think the most important number is this last one, and one I can't provide (what the Access card demands while recording and viewing). If that's close to maxing out the system, then the Fusion probably won't work in the same system. But at
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Karyk
I think the most important number is this last one, and one I can't provide (what the Access card demands while recording and viewing). If that's close to maxing out the system, then the Fusion probably won't work in the same system. But at
 
Quote:
Originally posted by gsr
None of the modes supported by accessDTV or MyHD should come anywhere close to maxing out CPU use, so either should work fine alongside a Fusion card. Just keep in mind that with a slower CPU, the percentage used will be higher than with a faster CPU in order to accomplish the same task. If a high end P3 or pretty much any P4 is involved (or comparable AMD processors), CPU usage should be below 10% for the accessDTV and MyHD options.


Another factor is how important the scheduled recording functionality is with the extra card. Assuming you're paying for the GuideRemote guide data to use with accessDTV, accessDTV provides the most advanced scheduled recording functionality out of all the available options. From what I've read, Fusion's scheduled recording functionality is the least powerful and the least reliable out of the options.
We both had 1 Ghz CPUs, although the OP didn't indicate whether it was an INTC or AMD CPU. The similarity of CPUS was why I was giving him the CPU utilization information.


As to reliability of Fusion recording, I cannot comment yet, but flexibility is poor. MyHD is far superior to the Fusion, but like other issues here, where he needs the additional flexibility he could use his Access card, or fumble through the Fusion card's more difficult setup program. For just recording a typical show that doesn't require any padding, MyHD and Fusion are very similar (you click a link on TitanTV's site).
 
Discussion starter · #35 ·
My goodness! This has become a somewhat busy thread in my absence.


Thanks for the input Geoffrey. I realize it's difficult to compare CPU usage, but since Karyk and I both have 1 Ghz CPU (mine is Intel), I thought it would at least give me a rough approximation of what to expect. If I were planning to use the Fusion for playback, then I'd still be concerned about having enough power. But since I can get by with using it strictly for recording, my setup should be sufficient. And, as Karyk points out, if I don't have enough power, I can always move the Fusion card to a networked computer.


I guess I'll find out soon enough. I ordered a Fusion card from Digital Connections this morning. Wish me luck! Hopefully I can report back soon with a successful two-card system.


Thanks again for the help everyone, especially Karyk.
 
Chris,


With FusionHDTV you can reduce CPU use during scheduled recording by running in "Minimize on Silent Mode". This setting is in FusionHDTV Agent icon in the system tray. With this setting Fusion will not use the overlay or connect to the soundcard allowing ADTV to run properly in the same computer. Fusion will be minimized to the task bar.
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Cliff Watson
Chris,


With FusionHDTV you can reduce CPU use during scheduled recording by running in "Minimize on Silent Mode". This setting is in FusionHDTV Agent icon in the system tray. With this setting Fusion will not use the overlay or connect to the soundcard allowing ADTV to run properly in the same computer. Fusion will be minimized to the task bar.
Cliff,


Is there some way to get it to not show the splash screen when loading in that mode? I discovered last night that the splash screen loading causes MyHD to go out of full screen mode. Not a big deal (a click of the mouse changes it back), but a minor annoyance I'd like to avoid if possible.
 
Quote:
Originally posted by Karyk
Cliff,


Is there some way to get it to not show the splash screen when loading in that mode? I discovered last night that the splash screen loading causes MyHD to go out of full screen mode. Not a big deal (a click of the mouse changes it back), but a minor annoyance I'd like to avoid if possible.
Karyk,


I've never seen the splash screen when Fusion records in that mode and MyHD has never jumped out of full screen mode. The only thing I've seen is a very quick flash of the UI on the way to the task bar.
 
Cliff, that's strange. I don't recall any settings anywhere keep to a Splash screen from showing up. I wonder if there's some registry setting set from your having a prior version I didn't have? Or maybe it was just a one time glitch with mine?
 
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