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why's my video splotchy

post #1 of 5
2/6/07 at 6:44pm
Thread Starter 
Hey all. Yes that's my word of the day: splotchy. I'm using it to describe the quality of my video when played on my TV.

Here's the setup. I have BTV 4 recording content to my HD as DIVX files at near DVD quality (actual setting in BTV). I am using the Svideo output on my video card and running that plus the audio into an RF moulator which changes it to channel 3. this in turn is distributed through my home cable network to be viewed on all TVs by tuning into said channel. When the video has motion to it it kind of pixelates and looks well, splotchy. I'm wondering if this is because my processor is too slow, or maybe I don't have enough RAM. (It's splotchy on my monitor as well and while it does not look great on my TVs it does look as good as cable can be). That being said, heres what's running on my system.

Intel 3.2 ghz single core proc
MSI 915PL Neo-V MOB
1 gb RAM
ATI X600Pro Video card (128mb PCIE)
300gb Seagate (media only)
80gb Western Digital (OS and software)

Any ideas?

Thanks, Craig
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post #2 of 5
2/7/07 at 8:26am

Re: why's my video splotchy

Sounds like you need to use a higher bitrate setting on your video compression. When the bitrate is too low (compression ratio too high), the Divx-type codecs tend to produce patches of washed-out-looking picture. They lose contrast and color depth. I doubt there's anything wrong with your decoding — you seem to be seeing exactly what's there.
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post #3 of 5
2/7/07 at 10:45am

Re: why's my video splotchy

Honestly, I would try bagging the RF mod, and running video directly into the tv. The conversion from a video format to an rf signal is where you get loss, and the actual tv is using the tuner card internally to comprehend the signal type. ( which is not good quality ) The only way you can get the Mod's to look somewhat decent, is if your source is virtually uncompressed.


audioslayve
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post #4 of 5
2/7/07 at 12:36pm
Thread Starter 

Re: why's my video splotchy

Ahhhh excellent suggestions. Tonight I will change the settings to something uncompressed and see if that makes a difference on any new material that's recorded. As far as the RF mod goes, I am stuck there as the TVs it's viewed on are both on different floors and across the house. However i am formulating a plot to distribute everything as S-video and L/R audio over cat5e. If anybody's well versed in that area then feel free to offer input. I have oodles of cat5e run everywhere in my house, all terminating in a closet in the basement. My plan is to take a cat5e cable and make a S-video/ audio to RJ45 breakout cable. This will carry A/V from the computer to the closet in the basement. From there the signal will go into a 1x4 Svideo/audio amplifier. From there via cat5e again to my 3 TVs. The run from the computer to the hub is about 25ft. From the hub to the TVs is about 15ft, 30ft, and 100ft.

Do you think it will work?

We'll see.

Thanks again for the help,

Craig
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post #5 of 5
2/7/07 at 3:48pm

Re: why's my video splotchy

I would try using some cat5 for video... the twisted pairs really work for noise reduction. You can use the cat5 for video, it's not the best way to stream video, but it's better than any mod for sure. Just terminated an RCA end onto a twisted pair of cat5... it will work!


audioslayve
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