Well I have had my knoppmyth hardware up and running now for about 2.5 years and am generally satisfied with it.... EXCEPT for the picture quality. Every 8 months or so I try to resolve it (usually after a friend sees it and complains) and then just give up. I guess it time to try again.

I am running a basic setup with 2 Haupauge PVR-250 tuners. The hardware is all about 2.5 years old. I use a separate backend and frontend. The front end is a Mac Mini (original G4 version) since its so quiet.

When I record animated shows (like the simpsons), the quality is perfect. When I record non-animated shows the recording is very grainy, like realy bad, old, VHS. In addition on some lower channels I get "noise"...horizontal bands of static.

If I disconnect the cable from the PVR-250 and connect it to a TV (without moving anything) the video quality is great, so the cable signal is NOT the issue.

I am running on R5C7 having upgraded on a regular basis, but the quality has not changed since the original KnoppMyth I sued (R4 something).

I accept that "the noise" on the lower channels, may be due to something inside the box, however it comes and goes (like there for a few months then gone), but the overall quality is always poort (except for cartoons where the quality is fantastic)

Any ideas? Should I try a different brand of tunner card? If yes what?

Thanks
Rob

if you burn a rcording to DVD or copy recording to a windows box how is the quality?

I would guess the recording quality is fine and the issue is with the playback.

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R5F1 - Dell P4 2.4Ghz 500MB - PVR250 x 2 - GeForce FX 5200 - Onboard sound/NIC 80GB ATA/250GB ATA/400GB SATA

I don't have a DVD drive on that box, nor do I really know how to play the file on windows, but if I plug a monitor into my KnoppMyth box and use it as a front end the picture is still "grainy" not as bad as through the mini, but its also on a 17" monitor as opposed to a 32" monitor (on the mini).

I should also point out that the issue is with dark scenes/areas as opposed to light ones. Maybe its not grainy but snowy. In any event if the picture is very bright light a daylight scene in a park its much better than an candle light dinner scene