HDHR Prime Stutters in WMC but fine in Quick TV

[Brixie]

I recently installed HD Prime to be able to record programs in WMC. All channels are playing smoothly in Quick TV but there is a range of channels that are glitchy--speeding up stopping and stuttering in WMC. I've been working with Silicondust's Support Center and after a week of back and forth they feel my hard drive is going bad. If that's the case why is it just a certain range of channels? Wouldn't that affect all the channels?

Has anyone else had problems with this?

[crawfish]

I recently installed HD Prime to be able to record programs in WMC. All channels are playing smoothly in Quick TV but there is a range of channels that are glitchy--speeding up stopping and stuttering in WMC. I've been working with Silicondust's Support Center and after a week of back and forth they feel my hard drive is going bad. If that's the case why is it just a certain range of channels? Wouldn't that affect all the channels?

Has anyone else had problems with this?

What's your video card? One thing that can causes a difference is that Media Center uses hardware acceleration, while other programs may not. Hardware acceleration seems to be the cause of glitches with Nvidia Fermi cards, which is one reason I gave up on Media Center for DVDs and use XBMC, which is glitch-free, while Media Center consistently gives me 1 pixelation glitch every hour or so when watching DVDs using GT430, GT520, and GTX460 cards and two PCs, with non-Fermi cards working fine. I don't think this is the cause of your problem, though, unless maybe you're using something woefully inadequate like a G210.

Are your bad channels 1080i? If so, you may be describing the 29/59 bug. Use 411/info to determine.

Finally, if you're using Media Center in windowed mode, try turning off Aero. I often need to do this when using Media Center in a window on my secondary monitor, because when Media Center doesn't have the focus, the picture tends to stutter a lot. Turning off Aero completely solves this problem, and it's worth trying even if you're running full-screen. It's so important for windowed mode, I set up a couple of hotkeys with Autohotkey to turn it off and on.

[Brixie]

Thank you. My video card is Intel(R) HD Graphics.
Are your bad channels 1080i? If so, you may be describing the 29/59 bug. Use 411/info to determine.
I don’t know if the channels are 1080i. I have Comcast and the bad channels are HBO, slight problems with local Hi Def channels and anything above 141-->. Channels 140 and lower operate just fine. It has me wondering if it could relate to signal strength?
I’m not familiar with the 29/59 bug or what 411/info is…sorry I’m not super techie, but I will try to look it up and see.
I've tried it in a windowed mode and also full screen with no difference. I’ll try turning off Aero mode and see if it helps. Thanks!

[crawfish]

Thank you. My video card is Intel(R) HD Graphics.

Which version? There are several going back years.

I don’t know if the channels are 1080i. I have Comcast and the bad channels are HBO, slight problems with local Hi Def channels and anything above 141-->. Channels 140 and lower operate just fine. It has me wondering if it could relate to signal strength?

HBO is 1080i and a frequent 29/59 problem child. I have no idea what your channel numbers correspond to; signal strength does vary inversely with frequency, but frequency doesn't necessarily go up with channel number, at least not in any sort of regular fashion. Signal strength and quality problems can manifest as freezing, but usually you would see some picture break-up as well. I'd expect any problems in this area to manifest in both Quick TV and Media Center, so I doubt that's the reason. You can investigate further with HDHR Config and Setup.

I’m not familiar with the 29/59 bug or what 411/info is…sorry I’m not super techie, but I will try to look it up and see.

If you can google, trust me, you will find it.

[Brixie]

How do I explain what version the graphics card is? It's in a Toshiba Satellite A665-s6086 laptop.

[Scallica]

I've been working with Silicondust's Support Center and after a week of back and forth they feel my hard drive is going bad.

I suggest installing HD Sentinel Pro and checking the drive's health.

http://www.hdsentinel.com/download.php

[Brixie]

I've been working with Silicondust's Support Center and after a week of back and forth they feel my hard drive is going bad.

I suggest installing HD Sentinel Pro and checking the drive's health.

http://www.hdsentinel.com/download.php

I just ran it and it shows the drive is in perfect condition. Everything was 100% fine and I have plenty of room on the drive as well.

[Brixie]

If you can google, trust me, you will find it.

Kill me now. I just googled 29/59 bug and ran the 411/info check. The stuttering isn't as bad this morning but on the channels where it's happening I am getting the 29/59 framerate flux. And Windows has no plans to fix it?? Sill reading more about a workaround.. thank you for all the help!

[crawfish]

You should definitely try the latest Intel drivers and turn off post-processing settings such as dynamic contrast.

If you want to stick with your laptop, the only sure way to improve the situation is to use an Xbox 360 as an extender, a too big, too expensive, too loud, too power hungry, too directional IR receiver Xbox 360, another Microsoft insult to the Media Center community. I would recommend waiting to see how the upcoming Ceton Echo does. You could buy a Linksys DMA2100 off eBay, and for me, it played my worst 29/59 clips perfectly smoothly, the only device that did out of nine video cards from Nvidia, ATI, and Intel, as well as the Xbox 360, but it had other problems, and it needed to be rebooted every couple of weeks, so I don't recommend it. I was actually going to try the other defunct extender, the HP X280N, despite it having a fan, but then Ceton announced the Echo. So I'm waiting.

[Brixie]

You should definitely try the latest Intel drivers and turn off post-processing settings such as dynamic contrast.

If you want to stick with your laptop, the only sure way to improve the situation is to use an Xbox 360 as an extender, a too big, too expensive, too loud, too power hungry, too directional IR receiver Xbox 360, another Microsoft insult to the Media Center community. I would recommend waiting to see how the upcoming Ceton Echo does. You could buy a Linksys DMA2100 off eBay, and for me, it played my worst 29/59 clips perfectly smoothly, the only device that did out of nine video cards from Nvidia, ATI, and Intel, as well as the Xbox 360, but it had other problems, and it needed to be rebooted every couple of weeks, so I don't recommend it. I was actually going to try the other defunct extender, the HP X280N, despite it having a fan, but then Ceton announced the Echo. So I'm waiting.

I have the latest drivers, but will make the other adjustments. Of the many gaming systems in the house, alas I do not have a 360 or I would give it a try! Is the upcomming Ceton Echo an extender device?

[Brixie]

You should definitely try the latest Intel drivers and turn off post-processing settings such as dynamic contrast.

I can't find where to cut off dynamic contrast. I found a YouTube video showing to turn off Adaptive Contrast Enhancement on the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel. i found the panel and have searched all through it and I don't seem to have the ACE box to un-check. Maybe mine is an older model?? It's an Intel HD Graphics i3 with Intel video bios.